Do more with less, save money and reduce food waste.
Wasting food costs you money and harms our environment. When food produced for people doesn’t get eaten, all the value of the land, water, nutrients, energy, transport and other items is diminished or lost. The impact of this wastage is great, yet the solutions are so simple.
Imagine paying for 5 shopping bags filled with food at the store, then walking outside and immediately throwing one bagful in a rubbish bin. Sounds crazy? The facts are that we waste at least 20% of the food we buy – that’s $1 out of every $5 spent on food shopping.
Planning our shopping and meals is vital. Monitor and manage around ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates. Have great leftovers recipes. Store food well. Grow some of you own, because that instills a true sense of the value of food. There’s lots of everyday solutions.
These two recipes are perfect served hot or cold, making them perfect dinners to dish up in amidst this heatwave.
I've chosen to make both these options vegan but if you'd like to garnish either with some shaved parmesan cheese, it probably wouldn't hurt. I choose to sprinkle mine with some vegan nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavour.
Mushroom Risotto
Serves 4
- 250g / 8.8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
- 200g / 7 oz. arborio rice
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 1 chopped onion
1. sauté mushrooms and onion in a non-stick pan.
2. Add rice and stir until combined.
3. Pour the stock into another pan and boil. Stir 2/3 cup stock into the rice. Stir until all absorbed.
4. Continue adding stock in small quantities, stirring regularly, until absorbed.
Enjoy!
Coconut & Pea Soup
Serves 4
- 2 x 420g (28 oz.) coconut milk
- 500g / 1 lb. packet green peas
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 1 tsp. finely grated ginger
1. In a large saucepan sauté onions and ginger in a little water until tender.
2. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil.
3. Stir in the peas and bring to the boil again.
4. Remove from heart, and let sit for 15 minutes to cool.
5. Puree in a blender in batches until nice and smooth. Season to taste.