Give your kitchen a waste

Smile Cuisine How to give your kitchen a waste-free makeover… 7 Top Tips

Getting your kitchen sorted is not just a spring-cleaning issue. Many of us find ourselves claiming there’s nothing in for dinner and rushing out to the shops only to find that we actually have a few tins of soup and packets of rice at the back of the cupboard. It’s good to declutter and make the kitchen a little more efficient and environmentally friendly too…

1. Open all of your cupboards and fridge and pull out all of the contents. Assign tasks for everyone. Kids can be in charge of any non-dangerous items, such as fruits and vegetables.

2. Sort through each category by putting dried food etc. in jars or other reusable containers. Produce bags like our organic cotton mesh bags work great for fruit, vegetables or even bread!

3. Print or handwrite labels or even make little signs just like in a real food market for each type of produce. Kids can decorate them and colour in. You can pick a different colour or font for each category, from grains and pulses to dry fruit, cereal, pasta and rice.

4. Save on waste and freeze any leftovers. Fruit and vegetables freeze really well and are great in smoothies. We use our silicone zip-lock pouches for freezing food.

5. Arrange nicely in cupboards and fridge, by category.

6. Dispose of food waste in a compost bin. Composting reduces landfill waste and incineration and therefore emissions. The end result is a nutrient rich fertiliser for your garden. Win: win!

7. Find your nearest bulk food store and bring your own containers with you to refill. This saves waste and can save you money. Avoid pre-packaged food as much as possible. Shop local if you can and support small businesses.

Tips courtesy of Green Island. More at greenislandco.com

This recipe is courtesy of Giki. Visit https://giki.earth/ for more information on sustainable shopping choices.

Total cost per portion: 51p

Smile Cuisine Smile Magazine Spring/Summer 2020 25 D IPS are great for lunches, taking to parties, summer BBQ bring-alongdishes and any other occasion you could think of… and this delicious humous recipe comes in at 51p per portion! Why not check out the organic veggies when you’re out shopping? You’ll be surprised to see that these are not always more expensive, but are better for wildlife because the farming practices are more wildlife-friendly… Serves: 4 Prep time: 5 minutes Ingredients One can of chickpeas drained Juice of 3/4 lemon, you could also grate it and add the rind to if you like it extra lemony Dash of olive oil 1 teaspoon of paprika You could also add a red pepper if you have one handy (cut into pieces) 4 carrots HOW TO DO IT 1. Slice the carrots into batons, then drain the chickpeas (we forgot to do this first time and it was all a bit sloppy). 2. Then throw the whole lot into the blender and whizz it up. All these ingredients have a low carbon footprint (except the olive oil) and chick peas are a good source of protein. If you can, find loose veg without the plastic! Top Tip: Get the kids to help out with this super quick and easy recipe. They can wash the carrots and pop the chickpeas with the rest of the ingredients into the blender. HUMOUS DIP WITH CARROTS Smile Cuisine

Smile Cuisine These surprising flavours make for a delicious and nutritious family meal T HIS super easy-to-make dinner is perfect moving into the cooler months is also a ‘low-carbon’ meal, which means that the ingredients are sustainably sourced, so didn’t have such a large impact on the environment to produce. It only takes 10 minutes to prep and then an hour or so of cooking time. It also costs only 94p per portion… Why not give it a try? Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Ingredients 1kg of sweet potatoes, cut into chunks 1 onion, sliced 2 cloves of garlic 1 chilli (whole and pierced) 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1 teaspoon of sea salt 50g of peanut butter (see if you can get palm-oil free or use sustainable palm oil) 1 x tin of chopped tomatoes 400ml of vegetable stock (use a stock cube in boiling water) A handful of coriander and peanuts HOW TO DO IT Put the potatoes in a tray with the onion, chilli, garlic and cook for 45 minutes at around 180 degrees. (Or you can speed up cooking time, and reduce gas usage, by softening the sweet potato in the microwave first). Then mix in the peanut butter, the salt and sprinkle in the chopped coriander and peanuts, and cook for another 15 minutes, while you prep the couscous (low carbon footprint compared to rice, which is a medium footprint). All the ingredients here are low carbon footprint, except for the small amount of peanut butter used. If you want to go for a full list of low carbon ingredients, just swap the peanut butter for more peanuts. Sweet potato, peanut and tomato stew This recipe is courtesy of Giki. For more information on sustainable shopping choices visit: https://giki.earth/ Smile Cuisine More than just good food Smile Magazine Spring/Summer 2020 27

Smile Cuisine J UST make the best of it with this delicious recipe that can be enjoyed with crushed ice in the summer and as a warming beverage in the cooler months. Try Meyer lemons – these are zesty without being too sour and in season between November and March. This also makes a great basis for a lemon sorbet or a fruity late summer cocktail… Ingredients Lemons (3) Limes (1) Agave syrup or honey (to taste) Sparkling water (optional) Method in 3 easy steps Melt your raw sugar with cup of water over a gentle heat until it dissolves; add cool water to the saucepan and transfer the syrup and water into a jug until it is about half full. Juice the lemons and limes and add the juice mixture to the water, stir and taste (you may need to add more sugar solution if you find it too sour). Top up the jug with some sparkling mineral water and add any seasonal fruits – sliced lemons and oranges, watermelon, raspberries and sprigs of fresh mint or ginger work well. Stir, serve up & enjoy! TOP TIP You can add warm water to step 2 in the method for a winter-warmer. Be sure to allow the mixture to cool below 50 degrees in order to gain the benefit of the Vitamin C from the lemon-lime mixture. If you are sweetening your mixture with honey, allow the water to cool enough to ensure the nourishing benefits of the honey are not destroyed in the heating process. Lemon Aide Smile Cuisine Smile Magazine Spring/Summer 2020 29 When life gives you lemonS...