You could throw away your fruit and veggie scraps. Or, you could eat them. Seriously. They’re full of vitamins and fibre – and plenty of flavour too.
POTATO PEELS
Crisps: Toss in olive oil and bake at 200°C until crisp. Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt, paprika or rosemary.
Tex-Mex: Pile roast potato skins with salsa, cheese and guac.
Hash browns: Combine chopped potato peels and onions to make hash browns.
Soup: Potato skins make soup thick and creamy.
CAULIFLOWER LEAVES
Leafy side: Brush whole, clean leaves with olive oil and season. Roast at 180°C until crisp.
Gratin: Chop leaves (plus thick spines) and fry with onion and garlic. Sprinkle with Parmesan and grill.
HERB STEMS
Bottle them: Slide stalks into bottles of oil, vinegar or gin.
Take stock: Add to your pot when making stocks and soups.
All tied up: Tie stems together with string, add to dishes for flavour, then scoop out before serving.
Hey, pesto: They add a lovely zing.
BROCCOLI STALKS
Drink them: Juice with beetroot, ginger and apple.
Mash time: Steam broccoli stalks, then purée with cooked potatoes, for an alternative to regular mash.
APPLE PEELS
Smoothies: Add to drinks for an extra dose of fibre. Store in a freezer bag or submerge in water to prevent them from going brown.
Lunch box: Toss peels in coconut oil, sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 200°C until crisp.
Bircher muesli: Grate apple skins and cores, then soak overnight with rolled oats and water or milk.
BEETROOT LEAVES
Salads: Bulk up your usual recipe or make a bed for a new creation.
Sautéed side: A thrifty substitute for spinach, beet leaves can be fried, wilted or creamed.
Spanako-beet-a: Fry the leaves (and chopped stalks) with onion and cumin, mix in feta and mint, wrap in phyllo and bake.