Upcycling Food Scraps: Creative Recipes and Ideas

When we prepare our meals, we often discard and overlook many food scraps that could still serve their own purposes and save us some money. Upcycling food scraps has become increasingly popular due to the proven benefits of reduced food waste, reduced environmental impact, and cost-saving. However, it can also spark creativity in the kitchen and introduce you to new flavours and recipes. In this blog post, you will learn about various creative ideas and recipes to upcycle common food scraps.

Leftover vegetables :

Vegetable scraps such as carrot tops, kale stems, and broccoli stems can be used in soups, stocks, or as a garnish in salads. For example, carrot tops have a subtle bitterness that can balance out sweet flavours, and they can be chopped and used in pesto or salad dressing with some oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. If you have leftover greens from carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower, toss them with oil and seasoning and roast them for a nutritious and crunchy snack. You can also blend them with cashews, lemon juice, and salt to make a creamy vegan sauce.

Leftover fruit:

Fruit scraps such as peels, cores, and seeds are often overlooked but can be used in a variety of recipes. For example, citrus peels can be used in cakes, zest, or marmalade. Apple cores and peels can be boiled with water and spiced to make a delicious apple cider. You can also dry fruit peels, then blend them into a powder to add flavour to baked goods.

Leftover bread:

Bread is one of the most wasted foods globally, but it can be upcycled into delicious and useful recipes. stale bread can be turned into croutons, breadcrumbs, bread pudding, or French toast. For croutons, cut the bread into cubes, toss with oil, and bake in the oven until crispy. To use breadcrumbs, pulse the bread in a food processor until fine. Bread pudding is made by soaking stale bread in a mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, and spices before baking. French toast is made by dipping bread in a mixture of eggs, milk, and vanilla before frying.

Leftover meat:

If you eat meat, scraps such as bones and skin can be used in soups, stews, and broths to add flavour and nutrients. For example, chicken bones can be used to make a rich chicken stock, while beef bones can be used to make a hearty beef broth. You can also use the fat and skin from roasted meats to make a savoury roux.

Used coffee:

After making your morning coffee, don’t throw away the used coffee grounds. They can be used in a variety of ways, including as an exfoliating scrub, a natural deodorizer, or fertiliser for plants. You can add coffee grounds to your natural beauty regime by mixing them with coconut oil and brown sugar to make a face scrub. Additionally, sprinkle used coffee grounds on the soil around your plants to keep pests away.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, upcycling food scraps can be an enjoyable and budget-friendly way to reduce your environmental impact and waste in the kitchen. With the creative recipes and ideas above, you can turn common food scraps into nutritious and delicious meals. Remember to explore any foodscraps carefully before utilising them, but this process can be fun as well as profitable. So, grab a compost bin or a scrap bag and start upcycling your kitchen scraps today!

Research

• Healthline.com
• How to turn food waste into garden gold
• 10 things to do with Food Scraps
• TheTaste.ie
• StopFoodWaste.ie
• The Irish Times

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