LIVING Smart

Checking herbs, being food-label fierce and using up leftovers – we help you run a tighter ship in your favourite corner: the kitchen

WORDS JESSICA CARTER

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE … dried herbs

If your dried herbs and spices look more like dust than flavoursome flakes, it’s time to sort out your stash. When they have been around for too long, these seasonings lose flavour and colour, but they rarely spoil. Dried green herbs and ground spices will last up to three years, and seeds such as coriander or fennel a year or so longer, but this depends on how you store them. A collection of bottles look pretty on the countertop, but your herbs will be better preserved if tucked away in a tightly sealed container in a dark cupboard, away from heat, moisture and light. To maximise their usage, store correctly and try not to buy big packets or bottles, unless it is genuinely something you use a lot of. Before you do throw away any of your precious herbs or spices, consider repurposing them.

Know Your Dates

Helping you be budget savvy

You’ll find a huge range of budget recipes at asda.com/good-living, including all kinds of tasty ideas for making meals for your family using our great-value Just Essentials range. How about a fish pie, or chicken pasta? We’ve got it covered…

Turmeric and paprika, for example, are natural dyes, while sachets of pungent spices or herbs repel insects – they don’t like the smell! Home soap and candle makers, or pot pourri fans also use them to add aromas.

Best before dates* give an idea of how long a product will stay in tip-top condition. But food can often be eaten after that date has passed†. So don’t always bin something after its ‘best before’ – use your judgement.

READY, SET, ACTION!

It’s the third annual Food Waste Action Week from Love Food Hate Waste on 6–12 March. The ‘Win. Don’t Bin.’ theme aims to help us make the most of what’s in our cupboards and minimise waste. Visit lovefoodhatewaste.com/fwaw and asda.com/good-living for lots of waste-saving ideas – how about avocados…

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ways to use up… avocados

Avos have a tiny window of perfect ripeness, although storing them in the fridge helps slow the ripening process, and they freeze well.

1 Blend with a squeeze of lime, coriander, garlic, olive oil and seasoning. Loosen with water if needed. Use as a dressing for salads, chicken and chillis or a dip with crisps and crudités.

2 Fling into smoothies with banana, spinach or kale, lime juice and milk of your choice.

3 Chop the flesh into cubes, season and tumble through grains and salads, or add to scrambled eggs.

Tinned ingredients are great for saving money and, thanks to their long shelf lives, reducing waste. They’re super convenient, too, and can be used in lots of different ways and can count toward your five-a-day!

Baked Beans

At 26p a can, Just Essentials Baked Beans can see you well on your way to a £1 meal. And forget beans on toast. Add spices, dried herbs and chopped, fried onions to give them flare – then they can form the foundation of dishes like a jacket potato filled with smoky beans and peas. You can also try adding them to baked eggs or a veggie chilli.

Chickpeas

These add a plant-based form of protein to your meal, and some extra fibre. I throw them into curries, stew and soups to add extra bulk. They’re also great air-fried or roasted with a little oil, smoked paprika and salt so that they crisp up and act like crunchy little flavour bombs –perfect for tossing through salads to add texture. Just Essentials Chickpeas are only 41p a tin, too.

Peeled Plum Toms

recently learnt that lots of chefs prefer these to chopped versions. I like their thicker texture and think they have a bit more flavour. Plus, at 28p a tin in the Just Essentials range, they’re cheaper than chopped, too. Simply use the back of your spatula to break them apart in the pan, or get stuck in and crush with your hands before adding to the pot.