As food costs continue to rise, Canadians feel like they have very little control over rising grocery bills. Simultaneously, it’s astonishing to see that Canadians are responsible for 51 per cent of the food waste going into landfills. As a chef, it is my best interest to get the very most out of my food expenses and not waste any of those grocery dollars. I want to pass on some tried and true tips that I use as chef to help Canadians get the very most out of their food dollars

Statistics

  • In Toronto, single-family households discard about 275kg of food waste per year. Food composting programs only capture 75% of that. This translates into ¼ of food purchases ending up in landfills.
  • The main reasons food becomes garbage include overbuying fresh produce, dairy and meat, cooking/preparing too much, not using the food in time, and a lack of confidence to use leftovers.
  • An estimated $27 billion in Canadian food annually finds its way to landfill, creating unnecessarily high levels of methane – a gas with 25 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.

Top Tips for reducing food waste at home.

  1. Always buy local/seasonal: Supporting local farmers reduces the environmental impact of transporting, storing and refrigerating produce, meat and dairy. Less transportation means you get products at peak of freshness and there is less waste from farm to table.
  2. Beware of the Sale: Fliers have the potential to encourage consumers to seek out deals and buy beyond their needs. An almost invariable outcome of this is that consumers place an overly high importance on price and buying in bulk, which then leads to increased waste. Buying more than you need may seem like a deal at the time but if you can’t consume it before it goes bad, it really isn’t a deal at all. If you do want to take advantage of a sale have a plan in place to use the sale item.
  3. Sharpen your Food Storage Skills: Beyond knowing where to store food (fridge, counter, dark cupboard etc…) Keep your food storage areas clean of organic debris, one rotting apple can cause other food to spoil. Also keep an eye on fridge and freezer temperatures to ensure perishables are being kept at the right temperature for maximum freshness.
  4. Utilize your freezer: Taking an inventory of what you won’t be able to use before it goes bad is a great way to figure out what to freeze. Almost anything can be frozen for further use, including produce, dairy and meat.
  5. Shop your own freezer, pantry and fridge: get creative! Before running out to the grocery store, see what creative dish you can come up with out of your own kitchen. Chances are you have enough to make a couple meals. Use Google - type in some of the ingredients you find and see what recipes pop up!
  6. Don’t toss food before it spoils: Know the difference between an expiration date and a best before date - and add some common sense. Best before dates have nothing to do with food safety only food quality. Expiration dates are only required for a handful of food stuffs including baby formula, nutritional supplements, meal replacements, pharmacist sold foods and formulated liquid diets.

 

 

Root to Stalk Recipes

 

Herb Stem Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups packed herb stems (any combination of parsley, cilantro, dill)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed from half.
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • salt and pepper to taste

Tip: Feel free to freeze herb stems until you have enough to equal 2 cups.

Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until herbs are well chopped.
  2. Remove and place in an air tight container and reserve until ready

Serving ideas

Use to top grilled fish, poultry, pork and beef. Fantastic to mix into potato, tuna, and chicken salad or as a sandwich spread.

 

Potato Peel Nachos with chipotole sour cream

Ingredients:

  • Peels of 4 potatoes (russet or sweet potato work best)
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup finely grated jalapeno Monterey jack
  • 1 Roma tomato, diced
  • 2 Green onions, thinly sliced (white and green)
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ tsp ground chipotle pepper
  • 1 tsp lime juice

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
  • Toss the potato peels with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  • Remove potato peels from oven and top with Monterey jack cheese, return to oven and cook for another 2 minutes until cheese has melted.
  • Combine sour cream with chipotle pepper and lime juice.
  • Remove from oven, transfer potato peels to plate, top with tomato, green onion. Serve with chipotle sour cream.

Tip: This recipe make the most delicious before dinner snack!

Basic Bone Broth

Ingredients:

  • 1 Chicken Carcass (or 2 lbs beef bones)
  • 2 onions cut in half, skin on
  • 2 carrots cut in half
  • 2 celery stalks, cut in half
  • 1 head of garlic cut in half
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • Handful of fresh herbs (parsley, dill, cilantro, thyme – any combination)

Instructions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Water should sit about 3" above the bones and vegetables.
  2. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 6 hours up to 12 hours. Alternatively you can make your stock in a slow cooker on low 6-8 hours.
  3. Strain off the solids and store broth in glass jars or airtight containers.

It will keep for 5 days in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.