Recipes that help you eat well and waste less

Mixed fruit smoothie

Smoothies are great for brown bananas and other fruit about to go over the edge...

Peel bananas, peel and slice apples, pears and other fruit that you don't think you'll get to in time and pop them in the freezer. Instead of going to waste the frozen fruit will make a great addition to a morning smoothie.

4 parts fruit (frozen and/or fresh)
One part yogurt
Juice of 1/2 a lemon or  4 T of any other fruit juice

Whirr in a food processor for 30 seconds to one minute. Enjoy.

Minestrone soup
One of the best ways to use up leftover bits of fresh and frozen veggies is to toss them all in a soup. You can adjust the consistency to your liking by using more or less broth.

2 T olive oil
2 onions, diced
1 stalk celery, minced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2-4 cups of other chopped veggies (zucchini, peppers, anything left in the fridge)
6-8 cups good broth (veg or chicken, can use water in a pinch)
1 can whole or diced tomatoes (large or small)
handful or two of greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard)
1 1/2 cups cooked beans (white or chick peas)
1/2 cup dry pasta
1 t each of oregano and thyme
sea salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat saute onion and garlic for a few minutes then add celery & carrot. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add other veg along with the broth, tomatoes, beans, herbs and firmer greens if using (kale). Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the veggies seem soft.

Bring soup to a gentle boil and add 1/2 cup dry pasta. Stir and cook until the pasta is tender.

Add softer greens if using (chopped spinach or chard). Add fresh parsley and/or basil if you have them on hand.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve wtih fresh parmesan grated over.

You can use a diced potato in lieu of the pasta if you prefer. Just toss it in with your carrot. Add more herbs if you preefer a stronger flavour. This tastes much better the next day.