The Review - FOOD AND DRINK - Cooking with CLARE Published: 20th August 2008
Waste not, want not: bubble and crumble away those leftovers
Clare Latimer raids the fridge for some economy ‘eaty uppy’ meals
NOT only are these recipes good for your pocket but they will prevent leftover food being thrown away. I have been thinking about why we throw so much food away and have concluded that the main reason is that we go to supermarkets for a weekly shop and no longer pop down to the local shops for each day’s supplies.
Our excuse is the dreaded word “time” – as well as parking problems and the fact that so many small food shops have disappeared.
I now try to keep special meats in the freezer – packed in portions from the local butcher – and then buy fresh fruit and veg each day as needed.
And then there are the days to create meals from whatever is in the fridge, which can be great fun and saves waste, which in turn saves rubbish, rats on the street, smelly black bags being torn up by animals, less for landfill and happier dustmen.
Bubble and squeak
I am giving you the basic recipe but use anything that you think will go that is in your fridge. For example, use any cheeses and most vegetables as long as they are cut up small. Serve this dish as a vegetable or as a main dish with fried eggs on top.
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 tbsp beef dripping or butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
450g cooked mashed or crushed potatoes
225g cooked green cabbage, chopped
50g cheddar cheese, grated
2 carrots, peeled and grated
Handful parsley, chopped
Little paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Oil for frying.
Method
In a large frying pan, melt the dripping or butter and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft but not browning.
Add the potato, cabbage, cheese, carrots, parsley, paprika and seasoning and mix well together. Flatten the mixture in the pan and cook for 3 minutes or until browned underneath.
Slide out onto a board and return to the pan upside down.
Cook for a further 3 minutes or until browned and then slide on to a warmed serving dish or serve from the pan. And if no one is looking, slosh on some tomato ketchup!