Love your leftovers

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In recognition of World Environment Day, CW is looking at how we can reduce our food waste in the kitchen. This week, food writer Libby Kimber brings you some recipes you can easily create with your leftovers and food ‘scraps’.

This is an extract from No Waste Kitchen: Hachette Healthy Living by Amelia Wasiliev. Published by Hachette Australia, RRP $19.99.

Slow cooked lamb leg korma

Recipe and image courtesy of Australian Lamb | australianlamb.com.au

Serves: 6

Prep: 30 mins

Cooking: 5.5 hrs  

  • 1.5kg leg of lamb
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 brown onions (peeled and chopped)
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 70g ginger, grated
  • 1 large red chilli
  • 100g blanched almonds
  • 550ml water
  • 150g yoghurt to finish curry

Spice mix

  • 3 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (roasted)
  • 2 tsp coriander seed (roasted)
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 tsp turmeric

Cucumber salad

  • 1 cucumber, chopped
  • 1 handful mint
  • 2 Tbsp almonds, chopped
  • 1 chilli, sliced
  • Half a lime

To serve

  • Steamed rice and lime wedges

Preheat oven to 150°C. Blend the spice mix ingredients into a powder using a mortar and pestle and set aside.

Blend the almonds and water together in a food processor and set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a large oven proof pot on the stove, season the lamb with salt and then fry until golden brown for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lamb from the pot then add the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook on medium heat until lightly golden. Add the spice mix, give a good stir, then add the blended almond mixture.

Place the lamb back into the pot and baste it with some of the sauce. Cover with foil and place in the oven to cook at 150°C for 5 hours.

When the lamb is soft to the touch and it’s falling off the bone, remove the pot from the oven, mix the yoghurt into the sauce and season with lime juice.

Serve with mint, cucumber salad, extra yoghurt, lime wedges and steamed rice. For extra wow factor, garnish with fried curry leaves, chopped almonds and sliced chilli.


Apple skin biscuits

apple biscuits in a container

Makes: 20

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 20 mins

  • 125g butter, softened
  • 150g caster sugar
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 200g self-raising flour
  • Peel from 2 apples, cut into julienne 

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Use a stand mixer to cream the butter, 100g of the sugar and the lemon zest for a minute. Still mixing, slowly add the egg until it is well incorporated. Add the flour and mix briefly until the dough just comes together. Set aside. 

In a saucepan over low heat, caramelise the remaining sugar and 1 teaspoon water. Let it caramelise slightly, before adding the apple skins. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Place spoonfuls of the dough on the lined tray and top each with a teaspoon of caramelised apple skin. Bake for 15 minutes, then leave to cool before serving. The biscuits will keep in an airtight container for 1 week.


Stale bread gnocchi with butter and sage

gnocchi on a plate

Serves: 4

Prep: 20 mins plus soaking time

Cook: 4 mins

  • 200g stale bread, cut into small cubes
  • 80-100g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 20g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for salting
  • 120g butter
  • 8 sage leaves

Place the bread in a bowl, cover with 150ml water and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water and place the bread in a bowl. Add the flour, cheese, egg and salt and mix together with a fork until you have a moist but not too sticky dough.

Flour the work surface, shape the dough into 5cm sausage shapes and use a knife to cut the gnocchi into 2cm pieces.

Cook them in a pan of boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter and sage in a frying pan, drain the gnocchi and add to the pan. Mix well and serve.

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