Yoga Journal Singapore — December 15, 2017

(Grace) #1

december 2017 / january 2018


yogajournal.com.sg


T


Got any of these things hanging around? Whip up a new dish with a few strategic additions


THERE OUGHT TO BE a specific word
to describe the feeling of throwing out
perfectly good food that still has prana, or
life force—you know, the leftover rice from
Indian takeout, the broccoli stalks your kid
won’t eat, those egg yolks when the recipe
only called for whites. It’s a combination
of regret, guilt, and ultimately surrender,
because really, what are you going to do with
a handful of veggie stems?
“We’ve gotten used to using only the
‘best’ parts of our produce and meat, and
tossing the ugly parts,” says New York
City chef Eddie McNamara, author of the
vegetarian cookbook Toss Your Own Salad.

We’re also up against modern food production
and marketing methods, which have moved
us unconsciously toward overbuying and
wasting, and away from the wise methods
our grandmothers used for stretching a
pantry—and a dollar. In fact, up to 40 percent
of food in the US gets thrown away, and
food waste is the single largest type of trash
going into municipal landfills, according to
the United States Department of Agriculture.
Meanwhile, 49 million US households struggle
with food insecurity. The dissonance that
comes from wasting sustenance is tragic.
The good news: Implementing a few simple
strategies at home can help you eat more

consciously and make good (and tasty) use
of things that would otherwise end up in
the trash or compost. “Food is precious,
whether it’s been raised, grown, or
foraged—and part of living consciously is
using all of it,” says yogi chef Louisa Shafia,
co-founder of Magpie Cookshop, a line of
eco-friendly kitchen products. “There’s a
feeling of deep satisfaction when you find a
way to make stray ingredients or leftovers
into something delicious and nourishing.
It’s a way of practicing ahimsa, or
nonharming, toward the earth.” Read on for
easy ways to preserve food and transform
your scraps into delicious meals.

New life for leftovers


Potato skins or carrot peels Drizzle with olive oil and salt, and roast at 400° until crispy, about 10 minutes, for healthy “fries”

Purée with 1 banana, a handful of berries, and 1 cup almond milk in a blender for a berry smoothie

Toss with fried eggs, salad greens, and chopped veggies for a hearty entrée salad

Chop, toss with olive oil, sauté, and then purée with Parmesan and pine nuts for a pesto-like
topping for pasta

Add enough beaten eggs to cover the leftovers in a baking pan, then bake at 350° for 25–30
minutes for a Chinese-takeout frittata

Add 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed), 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp paprika, and
cook over medium heat until heated through for veggie stew

Roll 2 cups berries in flour and combine with 21⁄2 cups oats, 2 cups water, 1 cup applesauce, 1 tbsp
vanilla extract, and honey to taste. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes for blueberry oatmeal muffins

Combine 3 overripe bananas with 2 cups flour, 1⁄2 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking
soda, 1 stick butter, and 2 eggs; bake at 350° for 1 hour for quick banana bread

Dice and combine with 1 cup pumpkin purée, 2 cans diced tomatoes, 1 can kidney beans, and 2
cups chicken broth; cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes for pumpkin-chicken chili

Leftover vegetables

A bruised apple

Extra carrot or beet greens

Mushy blueberries

Leftover chicken

Leftover Chinese food

Overripe bananas

Leftover cooked rice

If you have Make this dish

NOURISH


eat well

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