Did you hear me on Jim Davies morning show on BBC Radio Leicester? I was invited to talk easy eco, green cooking tips with Jim and a listener, Judith, who only eats vegetables she has grown in her garden, to help keep her grocery bills down.

Talking about vegetables and getting the most out of our food, always brings us round to leftovers – something I absolutely love to talk about (and eat!). But as Jim pointed out, it’s not always easy to eat fresh produce in time, plus conjuring up a meal from leftovers can sometimes leave us scratching our heads.

So to help us all get the most out of our food, whilst saving time, money, waste and energy, I have put together my top 5 products, plus I’ve posted links to some fabulous websites that’ll get you out of those leftover menu dilemmas.

1. Whirlpool WBC 3546 A+ NFCW Frost Free Fridge Freezer 6th Sense White
- your food storage best friend. Perfect for lengthening food storage times and ideal when batch cooking

2. Lock & Lock Food Storage Set 7 Piece
- not only are these fantastic for bulk cooking, they are perfect for keeping the portions right – no need to over cook, or over eat!

3. 3 Tier Stainless Steel Multi Steamer Pan
- fantastic for keeping in the nutrients in your food, plus they use less energy (3 vegetables can be cooked simultaneously on one ring)

4. Storage labels – ideal for keeping track on how long your food has been stored, plus they also show you when it has to be eaten by. No guessing or waste

5. FOOD STORAGE BAGS-POTATO-VEGETABLES- KEEP FOOD FRESH
- fruit and vegetable storage bags keep food fresher for longer, ensuring you have plenty of time to eat them up.

For some brilliantly practical leftover recipes, visit:

www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

Want to know what vegetables are in season, check out:

www.eatseasonably.co.uk

Have lots of ’spare’ land or want to find an allotment, visit:

www.landshare.net

I’d love to hear what your favourite easy eco cooking/storge saviours are, plus how do you get the most from your food. Do leave your comments below.

With Christmas nearly upon us, our focus more than ever is on food, as well as ways to make our money go further. To show us how we can all be more energy efficient and save money in the kitchen, please welcome our guest blogger Natalia Gameson editor of  the money and energy saving website, energyrethinking.org.

Seasonal Food

With food price rises on the horizon, going greener in the kitchen this winter could be a key way to take back control of your finances. There are three main methods of saving money in the kitchen: cutting down your food bills by eating produce that’s in season; cutting down on your food waste; and cutting down on your gas and electricity use. energyrethinking.org, the energy saving community, has put together the following tips to help you make a start.

Eating seasonally
Eating food that’s in season, is a well-known money saver – it’s cheaper to buy items that have been grown in the UK and are readily available, rather than forking out a small fortune for a punnet of strawberries in February, for example. Squashes, celeriac, apples, pears, coriander, mint and scallops are all currently in season. If you want to eat seasonally but are not sure where to begin, www.eattheseasons.co.uk, has lots of helpful advice and recipe ideas.

Our new seasonal food video featuring TV presenter, Vicki Butler-Henderson, also has plenty of easy-to-follow tips. The video follows Vicki as she visits a food exhibition to gather tips on cooking a low-cost meal for friends in an energy efficient way.

Food waste
Each year, we throw away an estimated 8.3 million tonnes of food, according to WRAP. A truly astonishing figure considering food costs are rising. But if you’re throwing away too much food, it’s easy to stop by making a few simple changes.

Firstly, plan your meals at the beginning of each week, so that when you go to the supermarket, you’ll know exactly what you need to buy, and exactly what you already have in your fridge at home.

If you’ve cooked too much food, put it in a Tupperware box and take it into work the next day as your lunch. For more advice on using up leftovers, see www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/recipes. (don’t forget your Count On It labels to help you keep track – Lyndsey)

Cut your energy use
Make sure your appliances are in good working order. If the rubber seals around your oven door are broken, for example, your oven may not be as well insulated, and could be using up to 50% more energy than usual to maintain the oven’s temperature.

When cooking food in the oven, avoid the temptation to keep checking on it– every time you open the oven door, precious heat escapes.

Similarly, when you are using the hob make sure the ring matches the size of the pan you’re using – heating a tiny pan on the biggest ring will waste energy you don’t need to use.

Defrost food overnight in your fridge rather than using the microwave. This will help your food to stay at the right temperature – without costing you anything.

For more tips on saving energy in the kitchen, check out our tips at www.energyrethinking.org/cooking.

Do you have any money or energy saving tips in the kitchen? We’d love to hear them at energyrethinking.org/user-tips

Christmas is just around the corner, 45 days in fact and I expect, if you’re like me, you are just starting to get your head into gear thinking about presents for your friends and family this festive season.

Well, if you have a foodie in your life, I may just have the stocking-filler idea for you.

Count On It® labels, the versatile, self-adhesive, scratch-off memory jogger which takes the guesswork out of storing food at a glance, is now available to buy through a yearly subscription.

For only £24 (including post and packing) you, or your gift recipient can have 3 boxes of Count On It® labels delivered straight to their door every quarter for a year (that’s 12 boxes in total).

Perfect for keeping track on all of your perishable food, whilst saving time and money, Count On It® labels are ideal, not just for Christmas but all year round, as they can be used on all sorts of produce, sauces, mayonnaise, deli goods, meat, fish, frozen goods, weaning foods, the list is endless.

These easy-peel labels also stick fast in the fridge and freezer so are great for leftovers and batch-cooked food, then after use they peel off cleanly ensuring no sticky residue is left on your best storage tubs and bowls.

Not only that, Count On It® labels stick to all sorts of materials, paper, glass, metal, plastic, so whatever it is that needs tracking, Count On It® labels will do the job.

What could be a better gift for someone than something that helps save time, money and waste for the year?

To find out more, just visit our buy page to find out more.

No worries, now waste with Count On It® labels.

Lyndsey

Lunch box waste

Half term is nearly over and soon your little chaps and chapesses will be tootling off to school with their hearty lunchboxes in hand. Making sure they eat a healthy lunch is a subject close to all parent’s hearts and fortunately there is lots of great advice out there to give us a helping hand. But how many of us are aware of how much an average school throws away in packaging waste, leftover drinks cartons, bottles, crisp packets, yoghurt pots etc, which then gets sent to landfill?

Many schools, thankfully, are introducing Waste-free lunch days with the support of WRAP’s Recycle Now campaign, their message, that it can be very easy to reduce waste, just by making a few simple changes.

Here are some ideas they recommend:

• Try using a reusable flask or bottle for school drinks instead of a carton or plastic bottle;
• Avoid using foil, cling film or storage bags to wrap sandwiches and use a re-usable lunchbox instead;
• Swap individually wrapped biscuits and crisps for packaging-free fruit and vegetables;
• If you do put fruit in lunchboxes remember any fruit peelings or cores can be composted at home;
• Use metal spoons instead of disposable plastic cutlery.

The good news is there are already products out there that can help us reduce our waste, reusable bottles (BPA-free is best), food storage containers, metal spoons and cloth napkins, but is this enough?

On Twitter the other day I asked the question ‘What is your biggest lunch box waste nuisance’ – the answers that came back included yoghurt pots and mini jaffa cake packaging, and now I’d like to know what are your child’s lunchbox worst offender? I’d also like to find out what you use to combat this waste issue, also does your school run a ‘waste-free’ scheme and do you think it’s a good idea?

I personally think ‘waste-free’ lunches are a great idea, however although there are a lot of reusable products out there on the market, I am not convinced that they fully address all of the issues we have AND that they really appeal to children.

This is where I am hoping to fill this gap, we are currently working on two products that we believe both parents and children alike will love using. Not only will they create a waste-free lunch, they are fun to use, free of any chemical nasties and are convenient. They are currently in the development stage and we can’t wait to show you when they will be launched.

In the meantime, I’d love to know what waste packaging you would like to see the end of in your child’s lunchbox – crisp packets, biscuit wrappers, yoghurt pots? Also, I’d love to hear what your child’s current favourite lunch box accessory is, my boys love their reusable ‘Power Ranger’ lunch boxes – but I have certain issues with those (more on that at a later date).

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Lyndsey

Lisa Faulkner watching Tony sear his scallops!

Following on from my blog about Hotpoint’s Campaign for Cooking Confidence, here’s a short video of Lisa Faulkner explaining all about the campaign and how, since winning Masterchef 2010 she feels much more at home in the kitchen.

Masterchef 2010 winner, Lisa Faulkner interview

If you want to try the recipe yourself, like I did (and I can confirm, it’s delicious), here’s all you need to know:

Seared Scallops with spicy crab cakes and a hot & sweet syrup

Serves 4  – preparation time 30 minutes, 30 minutes resting time, 15 minutes cooking time – combined

12 large king scallops (roe off) –3 per person

100g white crab meat

500g potatoes

2cm piece of fresh ginger peeled

1 clove of garlic – peeled

1 tablespoon each of finely chopped fresh  – coriander, mint, basil

1 red chill  – deseeded

2 eggs whites

Zest of 1 lime

150g fresh bread crumbs

75g butter

4 tablespoons of olive oil.

Salt & ground black pepper – to season to taste

Method:

Crab cakes

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Peel potatoes and cut into even pieces. Place in the boiling water and cook until soft ( approximately 10/12 minutes, test with a sharp knife, if goes through easily, they are ready)

2. Drain potatoes in a colander, place in a large bowl and roughly mash.

3. Finely chop the fresh ginger, red chill and the garlic clove and add into the mashed potatoes. Also add the finely chopped fresh coriander, mint & basil, zest of the lime, a pinch of salt and ground black pepper and finally add the crab meat. Mix together by hand.

4. Whisk the egg whites until fluffy and fold into the mix, this adds moisture and helps to bind the mix.

5. On a work surface, roll out a length of cling film,  place the mixture in the centre and roll into a sausage shape. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes. This gives time for the ingredients to bind, so they hold together during the cooking process. (tip: these can also be frozen too for use at a later date)

6. After 30 minutes take out of the fridge, unwrap the cling and slice into about 2cm thick disks and lightly coat with breadcrumbs.

7. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 2 table spoons of olive oil ,cook the crab cakes for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Scallops:

1. Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non stick frying pan, add 75g of butter and stir until foaming.

3. Add the scallops to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning once until lightly golden on both sides and tender to touch.

Hot & Sweet syrup

250mls white wine vinegar

1 clove garlic peeled

2 cm piece of fresh ginger peeled

1 red chilli

Zest of 1 lime

Method

1.Roughly chop the garlic, ginger and chilli.

2. Put all ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil for 8-10 minutes until slightly sticky.

3. Put in a liquidizer and blend.

4. Strain.

The sauce can be made in advance* ready to serve once crab cakes and scallops are cooked. *tip from Tony: freeze sauce portions in icecube tray – ready made sauce always to hand!

To serve:

Place the cooked scallops on the 2 crab cakes and drizzle over the sauce, garnish with flat leaf parsley.

Masterchef winner, Lisa Faulkner with Chef Tony Tobin

This week I was lucky enough to be invited along to the launch of Hotpoint’s Campaign for Cooking Confidence with Lisa Faulkner, which aims to encourage UK households to be more adventurous in the kitchen.

According to research carried out by Hotpoint, 90% of us stick to cooking the same meals over and over again because we lack confidence in the kitchen. Afraid to experiment and short of time, 1 in 4 of us cook what’s on offer in the supermarket and on average we spend only 1.6 hours in the kitchen every day.

Our busy lifestyles and great number of work commitments have lead to nine out of ten people being surveyed saying that they are thoroughly stuck in a creative rut, only cooking the same few meals over and over again. So, what are the top ten most cooked meals in the UK, well according to the survey, they include Jacket Potatoes, Roast Dinner and our number one favourite is Spaghetti Bolognaise.

But what can we do to get out of these culinary ‘ground-hog day’ scenarios? Well Lisa Faulkner, Hotpoint’s Campaign for Cooking Confidence Ambassador and Masterchef 2010 Champion, with her panel of experts, including top chef Tony Tobin, aim to equip us with all of the culinary skills and inspiration to be more confident in the kitchen and adventurous with ingredient and meal ideas.

Lisa said, “I’ve teamed up with Hotpoint and their Campaign for Cooking Confidence, to help give others a helping hand. I learnt the importance of planning ahead and have a grasp on what on flavour combinations work well. This has enabled me to take pride in my cooking and I feel much more at ease in the kitchen – it’s opened up a new world to me!”

Although many of us enjoy spending time in the kitchen, we sometimes struggle when deciding what meals to make and opt for the safest, easiest options – subsequently falling into a rut of repeatedly making the same dishes. At the event Tony showed how by mastering a few skills, going with (and trusting) our own taste combinations, not being afraid to try out new flavours and ingredients, we could open up a whole new world of taste sensations.

Talking leftovers with Chef Tony Tobin

During the demonstration, I asked Tony how practical the skills and recipes where for busy mums. To my delight, he confirmed that everything he was making could be made in batches and frozen, as well as being adaptable to be able to create several diverse dishes – from glitzy dinner party, to weekday family meals.

It was also great to learn that the red pepper sauces and garnishes he’d made could be made from mottled peppers and limp basil, then frozen ready for use whenever required. As both he and Lisa pointed out, absolutely everything in a professional kitchen is used up in stocks, soups and sauces, ensuring no food goes to waste unnecessarily and this was of equal importance to them in the home. Getting the most value from their food and minimizing food waste wherever possible.

As many people already know, not only does lack of confidence in the kitchen hinder our culinary repartee, it also has an adverse on the amount of edible food waste that goes in our bins. Unsure of what to do with leftovers, many people throw them away instead of making another meal from them. But as Lisa, who ‘absolutely hates’ throwing food away, has now found out, just by adding a little bit of creative flair you can rustle up another tasty, nutritious meal – saving not only time, but money and waste.

Tony sharing his passion for food

Tony Tobin, renowned restauranteur and Hotpoint Ambassador, summed it up by saying,

“By following a few simple mantras … planning, a bit of experimentation and a few effortless styling tricks we can all create restaurant quality food at home”

and at just a fraction of the price!

To find out more about the campaign and for more cooking tips from Lisa Faulkner and Hotpoint’s panel of experts, visit www.hotpoint.co.uk/vitalingredient.

According to WRAP, chilled foods and ready to eat products also attribute to a quarter of the cost of all avoidable food waste thrown away each year in the UK (WRAP 2008)

We would really like to show our packaging manufacturer friends how many people, like you, believe this would add value to their chilled food products, that is why I am asking for your input. By showing our contact how much support this idea has, they in turn, will be able to sell the idea to the supermarkets themselves – making it a reality.

To help me with my quest and to have your say, just click on this link below & then highlight one of the options. If you also want to add a comment as some people have, that would be fantastic.

If-you-could-know-at-a-glance-when-your-chilled-food-was-first-opened-or-stored-would-you-use-it-in-time–throw-away-less

Thank you for your support, I believe there is huge potential for Count On It® labels and if I can achieve this with your help, that would be phenomenal.

Thanks, Lyndsey

Please RT and forward, etc. The more responses I get the better. x

Count On It labels, the easy peel label, freezer label. These removable labels are perfect for jars, freezing leftovers and baby food storage, freezing baby food. No need for Sharpies, Count On It labels self adhesive labels can be used on freezer bags, food storage tubs and glass storage containers. Ideal for safe food storage, they make First In First Out – they are an easy to use food storage calculator. Count On It food storage labels for safe food storage.

Today’s Guest post is from Nicki Cawood , mum to a 4 year old, Kieran and pregnant with Cawood baby 2 and who’s blog is at www.curlyandcandid.co.uk A woman after my own heart when it comes to unnecessary waste in the kitchen, here’s her post with some great tips and ideas on how to get the most from the best room in the house:

My kitchen is very important to me, which is just as well seeing as I spend such a lot of time in there! It’s the hub of our family home, and we enjoy eating, cooking, baking and spending quality time together at the table. Being such an important place, it has to be organised, super-organised seeing as I work from home too and this organisation has a dual-importance – to not only save time but to save money and waste! It could be the Yorkshire in me but I suspect it’s more to do with being a Mum who is careful with her budget but I detest waste in all forms, so when thinking about what to right for this blog, my top tips for kitchen organisation seemed like a good place to start!
1. Menu plan!
There are three of us in the house (four in December!) so I’m not feeding the five thousand but still it makes sense to have a weekly menu I can refer to and use to plan and shop my meals. Consider seven breakfast, lunches and teas, a pack-up for the husband, snacks, drinks, kitchen (and bathroom) sundries such as kitchen roll, tin foil etc. That’s quite a lot to remember. Run up a basic menu and put in a prominent place and you will remember everything on your shopping list and it will serve as a reminder of what to get out of the freezer and when!
2. Do a weekly shop.
I do a shop every week, usually online. I find this so easy, no queues, no arguing over the last olive bagel, no “Can I have a cake/toy/sweet…” all the way around and besides, doing it online means you can see a running total of what you are spending. When shopping online you can usually change what items you have coming for delivery right up until late the night before so you can add / delete items as required. Some people worry about the cost of the delivery slot but nine times out of ten I save twice as much as I spend on the delivery by taking advance of special offers, promotions and avoiding on the spot impulse buys. I have made money on my shopping by collecting points which I save up and use towards Christmas.
3. Utilise your freezer.
For me a decent sized freezer is a must! I had a tiny one before I had Kieran but got another larger chest one from Freecycle which was a God send! After this perished we invested in a much needed fridge freezer with deep drawers and I can easily see what I have in there. I freeze my week’s worth of bread and milk, taking it out as required (it makes no difference to taste!); I split packets of chicken, turkey breasts, sausages, well most things into meal-worth portions so I only defrost what is needed and I keep track of everything I have in on a freezer list stuck to the side of my freezer which makes doing the next weeks menu plan and shopping list SO much easier!

4. Label, label, label!
There is nothing worse than going to the fridge/freezer/cupboard and going to grab something then being filled with doubt over whether it is really fresh enough, “Did I open that Monday or was it Tuesday?”, and sorry, but the sniff test isn’t accurate to say whether there is hidden bacteria in the food that we really don’t need to ingesting. I‘m ashamed to admit that I have run out of my Count On It® stickers (another trip to Lakeland is in the offing – hooray) so at the moment I’m using normal white stickers, which isn’t quite as effective as they tend to get damp etc in the fridge/freezer, but having a record of what is left to use up safely saves us a fortune in unnecessary throwing outs!

5. Keeping a running shopping list.
When we use the last bit of sauce, take the last apple, scrape the last morsel of jam out of the jar, we pop it down on a shopping list. This, along with the freezer list and menu plan makes doing the next week’s shop a dream and saves us overbuying. Some weeks I might have enough bits and pieces left over in the fridge/freezer/cupboards to do three or four use up meals which saves a fortune that week and the equivalent we save goes into a pot for treats, savings, whatever.

These aren’t difficult things to set up or do but will save you not only money but so much time which can be spent together relaxing, eating, laughing and enjoying each other’s company in the family kitchen, which is just as it should be.

Nicki Cawood, Mum to 1.5 kids, wife to a constantly hungry husband, keen cook and dedicated blogger!