There is nothing more frustrating than waste, especially wasting fresh and local produce. Sometimes though, we discover a bunch of half finished items left in the fridge — you know it’s almost time for your next grocery shop at Romeo’s but you just can’t justify throwing out the items that you’ve left behind, and that honestly have probably seen better days.
For those moments exactly, we’ve come up with a list of inspo and ideas so that you can use up those remnants before filling your fridge again with beautiful fresh ingredients.
Pasta
This is one of our go-to’s at all times, but also great for using up leftover vegetables or meat from the night before. Simply chop up all your ingredients and simmer in a tomato based sauce until soft and delicious. Dress it up with spices and cheese on top of your favourite pasta, and voila — those sad mushrooms and leftover chicken breast have been perfectly repurposed.
Another great way to use up leftover cheese (maybe from a cheese board) is to chop it all up and stir it through some pasta and pop it in the oven to bake. Delicious, golden, cheesy goodness!
Frittata
There are no rules with a frittata — you can use literally ANYTHING. Lightly limp asparagus, bags of slightly wilted spinach, the remnants of a cheese board, whatever you’ve got at your fingertips. As long as you’ve got eggs and some strange ingredients floating around the back of the fridge, you’ve got a frittata.
Curry
If you keep spices on hand at all times, you’ll always have what you need for a curry. The beauty of a curry is that you can add in any leftover meats and vegetables and after simmering for a while, it all tastes deliciously the same! Bulk up with some lentils if you’re running low on fresh ingredients or heartier vegetables, like potatoes and pumpkins.
Fried rice
Who doesn’t love fried rice? This is a good one to use up the extra rice you made to go with your curry the night before, while also incorporating some fresh ingredients like eggs, carrot, and other finely chopped vegetables. A splash of soy and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal.
One-pan wonders
It doesn’t get easier than this. Leftover cuts of meat, vegetables that need a little love to work their magic — just pop it all on a roasting tray or in a dish with some passata, garlic and spices and cook slowly until you’ve got a warm meal that is comforting and hearty.
Soup
Here’s our little secret… grab whatever you’ve got in the fridge and Google “<insert leftover vegetables here> soup recipe”. I guarantee that there is a recipe out there that uses exactly what you’ve got. Soup is also excellent to freeze and pull out at a later date, which works for those people that have too much leftover to eat all at once.
Pancakes
Pancakes might be a bit unexpected but hear me out — they are a great meal to use up some leftover fruit that has seen better days. Chop your fruit of choice (e.g. apples, berries..) and gently simmer in a saucepan with a tiny bit of water and sugar until soft. Then use it as a pancake topping!
Those are our top picks, but let us know if you’ve got any other suggestions!