Using food scraps is an ideal way to get creative with your weekly meal planning and to save money on your grocery bill. Look at these fun and easy-to-make recipes that center around food scraps, and you can be sure that little to none of your food will go to waste.
1) Strawberry Stems for Smoothies
Strawberries are low in calories, they’re packed with antioxidants, and they’re loaded with flavor. The next time you slice strawberries to go over yogurt, place the sliced strawberry stems into a small plastic freezer bag and store them until the next time you make a smoothie. For a simple smoothie recipe using strawberry stems, add your freezer stems, one cup of whole strawberries, one teaspoon of honey, a small banana, a quarter of a cup of water, and two tablespoons of Greek yogurt to a blender.
2) Kiwi Skins for Smoothies
The skin on a kiwi is edible, but it often ends up in the trash. Using the same process as strawberry stems, the next time you peel a kiwi, freeze the stems and then pull them out when you want to make a smoothie on the go.
3) Potato Skins
When you peel potatoes, store them in a container or baggie and freeze them. You can pull the frozen peelings out and bake them to create rustic potato skins – a sure winner with nearly every guest.
4) Save the Bread Ends
Many people don’t care for the bread ends that come with a loaf of bread. Instead of tossing these ends out, you can chop them into cubes, drizzle butter and seasonings on them to make your own homemade croutons.
5) Burnt Brownie Ends
When you bake, if you’re not someone who likes the burnt brownie ends, don’t throw them away – simply serve these bits mixed with ice cream and a chocolate syrup for an original brownie sundae. The ice cream softens the hardened ends and the brownies add a great texture to any sundae.
6) Make the Most of Leftover Turkey
Many people often have leftover turkey after holidays. Instead of getting rid of the meat you don’t use, dice the turkey into fine cubes and freeze it so you can later make a rustic and delicious turkey pot pie. With a turkey pot pie, you can also use any leftover vegetables you have in your fridge that need to be used.