Make your Food Shopping Go Further with these 6 Recipes from Gousto!

Zero-waste cooking is as important as ever, and it’s back on the menu for at home chefs 

Earlier this year, The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) revealed a list of the UK’s most thrown away ingredients. We selected six ingredients and asked Gousto’s Senior Recipe Developer Jordan Moore to devise a recipe for each of the following:

UK’s 6 most thrown away ingredients

1. Eggs
2. Potatoes
3. Cheese
4. Apples
5. Milk
6. Bread

 

From a lacklustre loaf to an over ripe apple in the fruit bowl, here’s how you can repurpose your lockdown shopping to make more meals!

Speedy Sausage & Egg Hash

Sweet mustard and ketchup gives this easy weeknight dish tons of flavour, and it’s a great way to use up leftover eggs too, just fry and add to the potatoes, sliced leek and Cumberland sausages, the perfect breakfast for dinner meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 Leek
• 2 British Free-Range Eggs
• 10g Chives
• 4 Cumberland Sausages
• 400g Waxy Potatoes
• 1 Mustard Ketchup Pot (20g)

Method:

1. Boil a kettle and cut the waxy potatoes (skins on) into very small chunks. Add the potatoes to a pot of boiled water with a pinch of salt, bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for 10-15 min or until fork-tender
2. While the potatoes are cooking, wash the leek carefully to remove any grit from between the leaves, then top, tail and slice finely
3. Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid) with a large knob of butter over a low heat
4. Once melted, add the sliced leek and a generous pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 min or until they’re starting to soften
5. While the leeks are softening, remove the sausage meat from their skins and discard the skins
6. Once the leek has softened, increase the heat to medium and add the sausage meat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon as you go. Cook for 4 min or until the sausage meat is brown and crispy
7. Once the potatoes are done, add them to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook for 5-7 min or until brown and crispy
8. Meanwhile, chop the chives finely
9. Once the potatoes are browned, stir the chopped chives (save some for garnish) into the pan, then serve up onto plates (keep the pan for the next step!) – this is your sausage & leek hash
10. Return the pan to a medium-low heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil, crack the eggs into the pan and cover with a lid and cook for 2 min or until done to your liking
11. Serve the fried eggs over the sausage & leek hash with the mustard ketchup to the side. Garnish with the reserved chopped chives. Enjoy!

Jordan says: “If you like your eggs ‘sunny side up’ but don’t want to risk undercooking them, simply turn the heat on your hob down to low, carefully add a splash of water to the pan and cover tightly with a lid.”

 

“The steam from the water will cook the top of the egg, without it needing to be flipped over. “

Cheesy Bubble and Squeak

Bubble & squeak should be on everyone’s radar come Summer time – it’s a great way of using up leftover potatoes and it’s super easy to make. So, if you’ve got leftover potatoes sitting in the pan use them up in this delicious family dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 Red Onion
• 1 Leek
• 2 British Free-Range Eggs
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 5g Thyme
• 40g Cheddar Cheese
• 150g Spring Greens
• 35g Grated Italian Hard Cheese
• 15ml Cider Vinegar
• 5.5g Dijon Mustard
• 1 White Potato

Method:

1. Boil a kettle, peel the potatoes and chop them into small, bite-sized pieces. Add the chopped potatoes to the pot with plenty of boiled water and a generous pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat
2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 12-15 min or until fork-tender. Once done, drain and return to the pot to steam dry
3. Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic, peel and finely slice the red onion and strip the thyme leaves from their stems, discard the stems, wash the leek carefully to remove any grit from between the leaves, then top, tail and slice finely
4. Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat
5. Add the chopped garlic, thyme leaves, sliced leek and half the sliced onion to the pan and cook for 3-4 min
6. Rip the leaves off the spring greens, discard the tough stalks, then layer the leaves over each other, roll them up and slice into thin strips
7. Add the sliced greens to the pan and cook for 2-3 min further
8. Add the drained potatoes with a knob of butter and a very generous pinch of salt and pepper and add half the grated Italian hard cheese and mash everything together, then flatten the mixture out in the pan
9. Increase the heat to high and cook for 3-4 min or until the bottom is starting to crisp
10. Preheat the grill to medium
11. Grate the cheddar cheese and combine with the remaining grated Italian hard cheese – this is your cheese mixture
12. Combine the cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and 1/2 tbsp olive oil and give everything a good mix up – this is your mustard dressing
13. Give the potato & vegetable mixture a good mix up to stir through the crispy base
14. Roughly re-flatten the mixture in the pan and sprinkle over the cheese mixture
15. Put the pan under the grill for 4-5 min or until the cheese has melted – this is your cheesy bubble & squeak

Jordan says: “Don’t throw away your leftover vegetables, frying them up into bubble and squeak can breathe new life into leftovers turning them into a completely new meal.

“It can be tempting to keep moving and flipping your bubble and squeak around in the pan as it’s sizzling away. Try and resist the temptation and let it form a crispy bottom layer before attempting to move. This way you avoid it sticking to the pan and breaking up when it’s time to serve up!”

Ultimate Mac & Cheese

Our gooey Mac & Cheese is a great way to use up a selection of leftover cheeses and can be made ahead and frozen for convenience. Adapt the recipe to whatever cheese you have leftover, from mature cheddar to red Leicester or for a more complex flavour use blue cheese, gouda or gruyere.

 

Ingredients (Serves 2, double for 4):

• 200g Conchiglie pasta
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 2 Tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
• 1 Mozzarella Ball (125g)
• 135g British Dry Cured Smoked Streaky Bacon
• 40g Cheddar Cheese
• 40g Italian Hard Cheese
• 30g Panko Breadcrumbs
• 50g Baby Leaf Salad
• 125g Baby Plum Tomatoes
• 15ml Balsamic Vinegar

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 240°C/ 220°C (fan)/ 475°F/ Gas 9, and boil a kettle.
2. Add the conchiglie to a pot of boiled water with a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook the conchiglie for 8-10 min or until cooked with a slight bite
3. Once done, drain the conchiglie, reserving 300ml of the starchy pasta water
4. Meanwhile, cut the streaky bacon into small, bite-size pieces. Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a high heat and once hot, add the chopped bacon Cook for 3-4 min or until crisped, then transfer to kitchen paper and set aside (keep the pan!)
5. Meanwhile, peel the garlic and grate the Italian hard cheese and the cheddar and drain, pat dry and rip the mozzarella into small, bite-sized pieces.
6. Return the pan to a medium heat and once hot, add 30g butter. Once melted, add 30g flour and stir with a wooden spoon for 1-2 min or until a sandy paste forms – this is your roux
7. Gradually whisk 350ml milk into the roux and cook for 5 min or until a smooth, thick sauce remains – this is your béchamel sauce
8. Meanwhile, grate the garlic into the béchamel sauce and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Once thickened, add the Italian hard cheese, cheddar, wholegrain mustard, crispy bacon and drained conchiglie with a few splashes of starchy pasta water to loosen the mixture
9. Transfer the cheesy pasta to an oven-proof dish, then top with the ripped mozzarella, panko breadcrumbs and the remaining chopped bacon, drizzle with olive oil and put the dish in the oven for 20-25 min or until it’s golden. Enjoy!

Jordan Says: “Try adding leftover cheese and Parmesan rinds to bean soups or pasta sauces to enrich their taste.”

Unbeatable Gluten-free Apple Crumble

Turn your leftover apples into something special with a gluten-free apple crumble. A quick and easy gluten-free take on the classic family favourite, so those with wheat intolerances needn’t lose out.

 

Ingredients (Serves 6):

• 150g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 60g unrefined caster sugar
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 70g almonds with skin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 60g fine gluten-free oats
• 5 large apples

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Start by making the crumble topping. Roughly chop the almonds, then transfer them to a bowl along with the flax seeds, 40g of sugar, the oats and the butter. Rub the butter into the mix thoroughly, until it resembles soft crumble.
3. Peel and core the apples and cut into slices. Lay them in the oven dish. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon and the rest of the sugar.
4. Cover with the crumble. Best way to do this is to use a small spoon or your hands.
5. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until browned on the top.
6. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving (it’s best served with custard, yoghurt or crème Fraiche).

Jordan says: “As a handy alternative to composting, keep your vegetable scraps to make stock. Dump into a pot, add water, simmer for 2 hours and strain”.

Cheese Sauce

Whether you’re whipping up a traditional mac n’ cheese, a comforting lasagne, or looking for a sauce for your steak, this killer cheese sauce is the key topper. Use up any leftover milk that’s going to waste to create this cheesy delight. Try serving it over your veggies!

 

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• 1 tbsp butter (30g)
• 1 tbsp flour (30g)
• 350ml whole milk
• 80g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• a pinch of salt

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a pot over a medium heat
2. Once melted, add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon for 1-2 min or until a sandy paste forms – this is your roux.
3. Gradually whisk the milk into the roux, a little at a time, and cook for 5 min or until a smooth, thick sauce remains – this is your béchamel sauce.
4. Remove the béchamel sauce from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Season with a pinch of salt – this is your cheese sauce.

Jordan says: “Freeze milk in small portions (like ice cube trays) so you can defrost a small amount for a hot drink or add into pasta sauces.”

Leftovers Bread Pudding

If you fancy a sweet treat then this delicious buttery dessert made from any leftover bread is perfect. A tasty and super-easy way to use up any bread you have, white sliced or seeded work a treat, or for a richer pud try brioche or stale croissants.

 

Ingredients:

• Enough leftover bread of your choice to fill an A4 size baking dish (you can use a mix of different types of bread)
• 200g marmalade (or whatever’s in you cupboard; try a handful of dried fruit)
• 240ml milk
• 120g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 80ml double cream (sub with extra milk if you don’t have cream)
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• Granulated sugar to sprinkle (optional)

Method: 

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan.  Slice the bread roughly into medium sized pieces.
2. Spread each slice with a thin layer of marmalade. If they’re slices, make sure the edge is facing downwards and stack them in the dish until the bottom of your tray is covered.  If you see any gaps, tear leftover pieces of bread and squash them in to fill them.
3. Add the milk, sugar, eggs, cream, and vanilla to a jug and mix until well combined. Then pour the mixture over the bread.
4. With clean hands push the bread down into the creamy mixture until all the bread is soaked.
5. Sprinkle golden granulated sugar over, then place in the oven for 40 minutes until the bread’s puffed up and the top has turned toasty and golden brown.
6. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes, then slicing into squares and enjoy

Jordan Says: “Sprinkle stale bread with water to rehydrate, or steam in the oven before turning your leftover loaf into garlic bread.”

Many more food ideas can be found at https://www.gousto.co.uk/