Latest news with #kitchenwaste
Times
6 days ago
- General
- Times
Jamie's cooking guide for kids: the recipes and skills they really need
Earlier this year my team rolled out 10 Cooking Skills for Life, a programme devised for schools and organisations that work with kids to teach young people essential cooking skills. With more than a thousand schools now delivering it up and down the country (and 200 more in the US) I could not be more proud that so many are learning to feed themselves (and their families) delicious, nutritious food. I think all of us could do with being reminded of some of the basics in cookery, of what a balanced plate looks like and how to reduce kitchen waste. So here are some skills to get your kids to try in the summer holidays. I've outlined rough ages here, but they really are just a guide, as these will vary across schools and children. Adults might learn a thing or two themselves! Cook the perfect eggs Age guide: by the end of primary school Scrambled eggs are a great place to start for young cooks. It's just a good recipe to have up your sleeve for those times when you need something tasty, fast and nutritious. They'll learn that screaming-hot heat isn't always the way — that low heat can sometimes be your best friend in the kitchen. My top tip Remember that eggs will continue to cook even when you've taken the pan off the heat, so remove them just before they're fully cooked and they will finish cooking in the pan and as you serve them. Teach them essential knife skills Age guide: you can build up their skills from primary school onwards You can't cook without knowing how to use a knife, so it's all about learning the basics by peeling and chopping the veg for, for example, a tasty tomato soup. The great thing about making a soup is you don't need to be precise in the chopping, because everything will get blitzed up at the end, so the pressure's off. Primary-age kids can focus on peeling and grating and the bridge technique, then in secondary you'd go into more precise chopping techniques like slicing, dicing and cross and rock-chops. Obviously, adult supervision is needed for young cooks using knives, but make sure they know they should use a completely flat surface and use their dominant hand. Start with larger vegetables and a speed peeler, as they're easier for kids to handle. From here they can build up to learning how to cut vegetables safely using techniques such as 'the bridge' and 'the claw'. My top tip Use the right knife for the right job. A paring knife is for trimming and peeling smaller ingredients; a chef's knife is for chopping, dicing and slicing. Quick tomato soup recipe Serves 2-3 Ingredients • 1 carrot • 1 stick of celery • 1 onion • 1 clove of garlic • 2 sprigs of fresh basil or 1⁄2 tsp dried basil • Olive oil • 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube • 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes • Sea salt and black pepper Method 1. Peel and roughly slice the carrot. Slice the celery. Peel and roughly dice the onion. Peel and slice the garlic. 2. Pick the basil leaves and set aside, then finely slice the stalks. 3. Put a large pan on a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add all your chopped ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon. 4. Cook for about 10 min with the lid askew, until the carrot has softened but is still holding its shape and the onion is lightly golden. 5. Put the stock cube into a jug or pan and pour in 750ml of boiling water. Stir until the stock cube is dissolved, then add to the pan with your tinned tomatoes. 6. Give it a good stir and bring to the boil. 7. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 min with the lid on. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper and add the basil leaves. Using a hand blender or liquidiser, pulse the soup until smooth. Season again before serving. Cook the perfect simple pasta sauce Age guide: by the end of primary school Now it's time to get a bit more sophisticated and make a deliciously simple tomato sauce. With just six ingredients, you can whip up a brilliantly easy dinner. It's such a great base recipe for kids to have under their belt. They can practise knife skills as well as learn how to reduce a sauce to boost flavour. They can easily adapt it too. For a spicy arrabbiata, add finely chopped chillies. Or for a puttanesca, add chillies, chopped olives, anchovy fillets and capers. My top tip Do you know what a portion size of dry pasta is for kids? It's 65g-75g. For spaghetti, that's roughly the diameter of a 10p coin. Classic tomato spaghetti recipe GETTY IMAGES Serves 2 Ingredients • 1 small clove of garlic • 1⁄2 a small red chilli (optional) • 1 sprig of fresh basil • 135g wholewheat spaghetti • Olive oil • 1⁄2 of 400g tin of quality chopped tomatoes • Sea salt and black pepper • 30g cheese, such as parmesan, cheddar or any other suitable hard cheese Method 1. To make the sauce, peel and finely slice the garlic and slice the chilli (if using, halve and deseed it first if you don't want the sauce to be too hot). 2. Pick the basil leaves off the stalks and put to one side. Finely slice the stalk. 3. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet instructions. 4. Meanwhile, put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic, chilli and basil stalk, and give them a stir. 5. When the garlic begins to brown slightly, add most of the basil leaves and the tinned tomatoes. Turn the heat up high and stir for 1 min. Season with salt and pepper. 6. Drain the spaghetti in a colander, then transfer it to the pan of sauce and stir well. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. 7. Serve with torn basil leaves and grated cheese. How to cook chicken (and tell when it's done) Age guide: during secondary school Young teens can be introduced to raw meat, food safety and the importance of hygiene. It's important to learn how to prep chicken without cross contamination. Chicken fajitas are a good place to start, as they are so easy to make and a favourite with students. My top tip The best way for them to check if chicken is cooked is to take a piece carefully from the pan and slice it in half. The meat should look opaque and white all the way through with no pink. Chicken fajitas recipe JAMES VERITY Serves 1 Ingredients • 1⁄2 a pepper • 1⁄2 a medium red onion • 1⁄2 a small, skinless, boneless chicken breast (preferably free range) or for veggie version use 1⁄2 a tin of black beans, drained • 1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika • Small pinch of ground cumin • 1 lime • Olive oil • Sea salt and black pepper • 1 large wholewheat flour tortilla • Natural yoghurt • Mature cheddar For the guacamole • A small handful of cherry tomatoes (about 12) • 1⁄2 to 1 fresh red chilli • A few sprigs of fresh coriander • 1 small ripe avocado • 1 lime Method 1. Deseed the pepper and slice it into thin strips. Peel and finely slice the onion. 2. Slice the chicken lengthways into long strips roughly the same size as the pepper strips. 3. Put the pepper, onion and chicken into a bowl with the paprika and cumin. 4. Squeeze over the juice of 1⁄2 a lime (reserving the other half for later), drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with a good pinch of pepper and mix well. Put to one side to marinate for 5 min or so. 5. Put your frying pan on a high heat. 6. Use a pair of tongs to put all the pieces of pepper, onion and chicken into your preheated pan to cook for 6 to 8 min, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through. As the pan will be really hot, keep turning the pieces of chicken and vegetables so they don't burn — you just want them to lightly chargrill to give it flavour. If you're using black beans instead of chicken, add these to the pan 5 min after you have added the pepper and onion. 7. Meanwhile, to make the guacamole, squeeze the cherry tomatoes onto a board. Finely dice the chilli, then finely chop the coriander leaves, including the top part of the stalks. 8. Halve and de-stone the avocado, then squeeze it over the board with the tomatoes so the flesh comes out of the skin. Discard the skin. Chop everything until fine. Taste and adjust the flavours if needed. 9. Squeeze the juice of your reserved lime half over the sizzling pan of chicken. To serve, warm the tortilla and top with the chicken and veg, yoghurt, guacamole and grated cheese. • Easy recipes my kids never said no to How to cook fish Age guide: by the end of primary school Fish can be a daunting ingredient to cook with. You can cook fishcakes (a family favourite of ours) easily, which look impressive, using tinned tuna and leftover mashed potatoes. Look out for the Marine Stewardship Council label on fish, to ensure it's sustainably sourced. Oily fish is a brilliant source of omega-3 for kids' brains. My top tip It can be tricky to know what fish to buy when you're opting for fresh, so these are my tips for teens (and everyone!). To show it's fresh, fish should have bright, clear eyes and healthy red gills. Fillets of fish should be shiny and look wet and should not be flaking apart. The fish should feel firm and slightly rubbery to touch. Fresh fish shouldn't smell 'fishy'. It should smell like the sea. How to cook the easiest, healthiest burger Age guide: during secondary school Burgers can be made into a healthy dinner. Serve a crunchy coleslaw alongside the burger with carrots and cabbage — a great way to get some of your five-a-day, while also using up any veggies in your fridge. In fact, a combination of burger, coleslaw and wedges is a perfectly balanced plate. My top tip When shopping for beef mince, check the fat content on the label. Burgers need to contain a certain amount of fat to make them juicy — 10 per cent to 15 per cent is ideal. If you're concerned about consuming too much fat, lean beef mince contains less than 7 per cent fat and also works well. Easy burger recipe JAMES VERITY Serves 1 Ingredients • 85g minced beef (you could also use pork, lamb or turkey mince). For vegan/vegetarians: 70g plant-based or vegetarian sausage (skin removed) with 25g fresh breadcrumbs • 7g fresh breadcrumbs • 1⁄4 tsp mustard • Sea salt and black pepper • 1 sprig of fresh parsley • Olive oil • 1 cos or round lettuce leaf • 1 slice of tomato • 1 slice of red onion (optional) • 2 slices of gherkin (optional) • 1 wholewheat burger bun Method 1. Add the minced beef, breadcrumbs, mustard and a small pinch of sea salt and black pepper to a large bowl (plus 1 teaspoon of water if you're making a vegan burger). 2. Pick and finely chop the parsley leaves, then finely slice the stalk, add to the bowl and scrunch everything together with clean hands until well combined. 3. With clean, damp hands, take the mixture and shape into 1 roundish patty about 2cm thick. 4. Drizzle the burger with a little oil, put on a plate, cover and place in the fridge until needed — this helps them to firm up. 5. Preheat a large griddle or non-stick frying pan for about 4 min on a high heat (add a little oil to the pan for vegan burgers). 6. Turn down the heat to medium. Place the burger on the griddle or in the pan and use a spatula to lightly press down on it, making sure the burger is in full contact. Cook it to your liking for 3-4 min on each side. 7. Meanwhile, wash and dry the small lettuce leaf. Place the tomato, red onion and gherkin (if using) on a platter, ready to serve. When the burger is cooked, put it aside on a plate. 8. Carefully wipe your pan or griddle clean with kitchen paper, halve your burger bun and lightly toast it on the griddle or in the pan for 30 seconds. Then serve it with your burger. Cooking a balanced vegetarian meal Age guide: during secondary school Cooking with veggies is going to be even more essential in the future. They're more sustainable than meat, cheaper, better for the environment — and your microbiome. Sweet potato, or whatever veg you have to hand, makes a good, filling ingredient for veg chilli. Vary the type of beans you use in the recipe to change up the flavour. Sweet potato chilli recipe MATT RUSSELL Serves 2-3 Ingredients • 250g sweet potato or butternut squash (or a mixture) • 1⁄2 a small onion • 1⁄2 a red pepper • 1⁄2 a yellow pepper • 1 clove of garlic • Olive oil • A few sprigs of fresh coriander • 1 fresh red or green chilli • 1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper • 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon and ground cumin • 1 x 400g tin of beans, such as kidney, black, chickpeas, pinto, cannellini • 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes • Sea salt and black pepper Method 1. Peel the sweet potatoes or butternut squash, and dice into bite-sized chunks. 2. Peel and roughly dice the onion. Halve, deseed and roughly dice the peppers. Then peel and finely chop the garlic. 3. Put a large pan over a medium-high heat and add 1⁄2 a tablespoon of olive oil. 4. Add the sweet potato or butternut squash, onion, peppers and garlic, and cook for 10 min with the lid on, stirring 3 to 4 times. 5. Meanwhile, pick the coriander leaves and put aside, then finely slice the stalks. Deseed and finely dice the chilli. 6. After 10 min, stir in the coriander stalks, chilli and spices and cook for a couple of minutes. 7. Drain the beans, then tip them into the pan with the tin of tomatoes. 8. Stir well and bring to the boil, then reduce to a medium-low heat and leave to tick away for 20 to 25 min, or until thickened and reduced. Keep an eye on it, and add a splash of water if it gets a bit thick, stirring it 3 to 4 times during cooking. 9. Stir in most of the coriander leaves. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you think it needs it. 10. Scatter the remaining coriander leaves over the top, and serve with rice, a jacket potato or whatever you fancy. How to make a stir-fry Age guide: during secondary school The key is to get your pan hot-hot-hot, don't overcrowd it and use a neutral-based oil. Not only does this dish show how they can get their five-a-day in one dish, they learn about the impact of vegetable waste in the UK and how to reduce it in their own cooking. My top tip Stir-frying is a very quick method of cooking, so it's important to have everything you need prepared before you start. Cut the meat (or protein) into the same-sized pieces to ensure it all cooks at the same time and wash and trim your veg. Stir-fried noodles recipe Serves 1 Ingredients • 1⁄2 a lime • 1⁄2 a thumb-sized piece of ginger • 1 clove of garlic • 1⁄4 of a fresh red chilli • 2 spring onions or 1⁄2 a small red onion • A few sprigs of fresh coriander • 170g mixed crunchy veg, such as red pepper, broccoli, mangetout, carrots, cabbage • 100g of protein, such as chicken or firm tofu • 125g cooked rice or egg noodles For the glaze • 1 tbsp low-salt soy sauce • 1⁄2 tsp cornflour • Sunflower or vegetable oil Method 1. Cut the lime half into two wedges. Make the glaze by mixing the soy sauce and cornflour together with 1 tablespoon of water and the juice of 1 lime wedge (reserving the other wedge for later), and set aside. 2. Peel the ginger and garlic. Finely slice the garlic, chilli and ginger. 3. Trim and finely slice the spring onions (or peel and finely slice the red onion). Pick the coriander leaves and reserve for later, then finely slice the stalks. 4. Peel, trim and finely slice the vegetables into finger-sized strips, where appropriate. 5. Now prep your protein. If using meat, trim away any excess fat and slice into strips the size of your little finger. If using firm tofu, drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper, then dice into 2cm cubes. Wash your hands. 6. Place a wok or large frying pan on a high heat. Once it's very hot, add 1⁄2 a tablespoon of oil and swirl it around the pan. 7. Add the protein and stir-fry for 2 min or so until it begins to brown all over (tofu, which takes longer to brown on all sides, for 3-4 min). 8. Add the ginger, garlic, chilli, spring onion (or red onion) and coriander stalks, and cook, stirring, for 1 min. 9. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 2 more min, then add the noodles, and keep stir-frying until hot through. 10. Push the contents of the pan to one side to make an empty space in the base of the pan. 11. Pour in the glaze and allow to bubble, then toss all the protein and vegetables together until well coated. 12. Use tongs to transfer the stir-fry to a serving plate, scatter with the coriander leaves and serve with a lime wedge for squeezing. Cook a healthy curry Age guide: during secondary school Everyone loves a takeaway, but they are often high in salt, so teaching them to make their own can have a very positive impact on health. It's worth noting that the cost of food waste from takeaway meals in the UK is £1.8 billion every year. So knowing how to prepare and cook food from scratch is a good way of reducing food waste. My top tips You don't need to rely just on salt to add flavour to food. Herbs and spices add different notes and subtle complexity to dishes. Get your teen to try flavouring and seasoning with herbs and spices, whether fresh or dry, before reaching for the salt. I use dried spices, which have a stronger, more concentrated flavour than fresh. Because they're dried, they'll last longer in your cupboard, making them a great ingredient to have to hand. Then toasting or frying whole herbs and spices — such as cumin seeds — is a great way to get as much flavour from them as possible. Easy chickpea curry recipe JAMES VERITY Serves 2-3 Ingredients • 1 onion • 1 carrot • 1 clove of garlic • 1cm piece of ginger • 1⁄2 tbsp mild curry powder • 1⁄2 tbsp mango chutney • 1⁄2 x 400g tin of quality chopped tomatoes • 1⁄2 x 400g tin of chickpeas • 1⁄2 x 400g tin of light coconut milk • 100g spinach leaves or frozen whole-leaf spinach • Neutral oil • Sea salt and black pepper Method 1. Peel and dice the onion into 1cm chunks. Trim and dice the carrot into 1cm chunks. 2. Place a large pan on a medium heat and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil. 3. Add the chopped vegetables and sweat down for 15 min, until soft and sweet. 4. Peel the garlic. Use a teaspoon to scrape the skin off the ginger. Finely grate both, then add to the pan. 5. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Add the curry powder and cook for a further 2 min, then add the mango chutney. 6. Tip in the tomatoes, then half-fill the tin with water, swirl it around and tip into the pan. 7. Drain and add the chickpeas, then simmer over a high heat for 15-20 min, or until thickened. 8. Pour in the coconut milk and stir it through the sauce. 9. Mix in the spinach and allow it to wilt into the sauce, simmer for 2 min (or until thawed if using frozen spinach), then taste and season to perfection.
CNET
03-07-2025
- General
- CNET
Composting Guide: What You Can and Can't Compost
No, not everything can be thrown into your compost bin. Composting requires a delicate balance of dry brown material and wet, nutrient-rich green. The latter usually consists of kitchen waste but adding the wrong leftover or discarded foods can ruin your carefully curated compost. If you want to compost meat and dairy -- both of which tend to attract pests -- I recommend a countertop food waste processor such as the Mill Bin, which dries and grinds food down to a dirt-like substance. These countertop contractions don't make compost but they'll make the composting process a whole lot less smelly and gross. You'll also want to learn what foods, plants and household products don't belong in a compost bin. Foods high in oil, sugar or artificial ingredients often don't do well in the pile. Meat and fish can technically be composted but adding them to the heap might be more trouble than it's worth (more on that later). Below you'll find a list of foods and household items that shouldn't and should go in your compost pile. Read more: I Cut My Kitchen Waste by 80% in One Week With This Small Appliance Amy Kim, CNET/Getty Video What is composting? Composting is a way to help food trash and other organic items decompose into a substance that can be used to alter the composition of soil so that it's more nutritious for plants. To start the composting process, certain bacteria activators are added to the organic material to create heat. The heat causes the organic material to decompose more quickly than it would out in nature. What can't be composted? Cooking oils Foods high in added fat and oil Cheese, milk and and other dairy items Sugar Candy and other foods containing excess sugar Large amounts of cooked food Highly processed canned and packaged foods Cat litter Dog waste Certain houseplants Most but not all food scraps can go into a compost pile. Johner Images/ Getty Images Items that can be composted Fruit and vegetable scraps Cores, peels and rinds Coffee grounds Grass clippings Leaves Beans and legumes Seeds and nuts Herbs and greens Egg shells Paper towels (as long as they're not covered in grease) Bacon fat and other greasy items should not be composted. Talisman Can you compost meat and fish? Countertop food processors such as the Vitamix FoodCycler make mincemeat of kitchen scraps and speed up the decomposition process. Vitamix Some gardeners add fish, meat, bones and dairy products to their compost bin. This is fine, unless you have a problem with rodents or raccoons, because these foods create a strong smell that scavengers can't resist. If you want to compost meat and seafood without the risk of attracting critters, a countertop organic waste processor will grind and dry your scraps so they're akin to dirt and not something that would interest a wild animal. Outside composting There are two main ways of composting: outside and inside. First, let's take a look at outside composting. A layer of dry material, like leaves, is important to outdoor composting. Alina Bradford/CNET Some gardeners prefer to have a compost pile in their yard. This is exactly what it sounds like. It is a pile layered with grass clippings, food bits, sticks and dead leaves. The pile is started in a sunny area with a layer of twigs and sticks on the ground to help with airflow. Then, moist organic material (like food scraps or grass clippings) is layered with dry material, such as leaves, twigs and sawdust. That dry material is crucial because you don't want the compost to be too damp, which will cause foul odors and attract pests. This type of composting takes some work because the pile will need to be turned (basically mixed up) every week or two using a pitchfork or compost aerator. The benefit is that it's basically free. The only items you need to purchase are a turning tool and some compost activator, and you will be on your way to having a nutrient-rich compost. Composting is a beautiful thing. Getty Images An easier outdoor solution is a compost tumbler, like the Yimby ($75) or this Miracle-Gro large dual-chamber compost tumbler ($120). Both of these consist of rotating barrels that you throw your yard and food waste into and then spin five to six times every two to three days. The spinning mixes the compost to encourage quick and even decomposition. The same rules about wet and dry material apply; you need to keep the compost well-balanced so that it breaks down correctly. When choosing an outdoor system, also be sure to look for a unit that has many aeration holes to release gasses caused by the food decomposing. A closed container can explode if too much pressure from gasses builds up. Indoor composting High-tech composters, like Whirlpool's Zera, can turn food scraps into compost in a matter of hours. Chris Monroe/CNET Indoor composting is almost foolproof with high-tech compost bins, like the Food Cycler Platinum. With this type of unit, you just drop in the food scraps, coffee grounds or paper towels and compost activator. The unit uses heat and pressure to turn the scraps into fertilizer, usually within three to 24 hours. Some units can produce about two pounds of fertilizer for eight pounds of food waste. OK, I have decomposed compost, now what? Once the food items are decomposed, it will look almost like woody dirt. You can sprinkle small amounts in house plants or till large amounts into a garden plot. You can also sprinkle it on your lawn or trees to make them healthier. When you've exhausted your finished compost, you can continue the process by adding food scraps and yard waste to your pile or compost bin. A well-cared-for compost pile can give you nutrient-rich compost for years to come. Composting FAQ Is compost just food waste? No. Compost can also include yard waste (described above) and other items, such as paper towels and some biodegradable tea bags. Compost can be made up of any organic waste. Is compost the same as soil? Compost is not the same as soil, but it can be added to the soil in your garden to make it more nutrient-rich.
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Couple's dream cruise holiday ruined after pipe explodes and they're covered in 'horrible slush'
An idyllic Caribbean cruise took a disgusting turn for a British couple after filthy kitchen waste gushed into their cabin. Pam and Ken Jackson, from Merseyside, were on board the Marella Explorer 2 when the foul incident occurred – leaving 'horrible slush' over them. The pair, both in their seventies, were only three days into a three-week cruise across the Caribbean Sea. 'I just heard this whooshing noise, then this horrible slush came through the ceiling and covered me head to toe, and Pam was covered in it as well. The bed and all our belongings,' Ken told the Liverpool Echo. 'We were covered head to toe and it smelled like vomit. 'It was macerated kitchen waste going down to the bilges to be offloaded on the next port, so it was really foul-smelling, and it was pouring out. 'We stank something awful, and goodness knows what was in it apart from food waste.' Pam added: 'It flowed all over the bed, covering our personal possessions and medication and out through the door. 'We were covered from head to toe.' Footage from the cabin shows brown liquid dripping through the ceiling and down the walls, onto a stained bed. Pam can be heard shouting: 'The lights are going on and off and everything. 'Oh it stinks, it's everywhere. It's on my slippers. It's running down the walls there.' Following the pipe exploding over the couple's bed, Ken and Pam were moved to a different cabin. However, the pair claim their problems continued. 'They took our clothes away and washed what they could, but in the process shrunk a lot of our clothes, particularly my trousers and a couple of dresses of Pam's,' said Ken. The Marella Explorer 2 is a 1,814-capacity ship in the Marella Cruises fleet. Marella Cruises is operated by TUI, Europe's biggest tour operator. The firm has apologised to the couple. A TUI UK & Ireland spokesperson said: 'We would like to apologise to Mr and Mrs Jackson for experiencing a broken pipe in their cabin during their Marella Cruises holiday. 'We always do our best to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience. 'We ensured that we promptly moved the customers to a new cabin, and also offered compensation, which has been accepted.'
Telegraph
02-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Seven clever ways to use up stale bread
While we might all be aware of the need to minimise kitchen waste, there are some everyday foods which, despite our best intentions, still end up hitting the bin more often than we'd like. According to London's largest food redistribution charity, The Felix Project, bread tops the charts of Britain's most wasted foods with an astronomical 24 million slices of bread tossed out every day. There's plenty we can do to prevent it turning mouldy. Jason Geary, master baker at Jason's Sourdough, says that storing bread correctly is key to keeping it fresh: 'Bread bins or paper bags are the best options, allowing the loaf to breathe while keeping excess moisture at bay.' He explains that keeping bread in plastic bags, as many of us do, isn't ideal as it traps moisture and 'encourages condensation, leading to a sad, soggy loaf or an unwelcome bout of mould'. Staleness can be swerved, too. If you do discover your loaf has lost its bounce, Geary suggests a simple way to revive it: 'Sprinkle the crust with water and warm it in the oven at 180C for five-to-10 minutes. This reinvigorates the crust and softens the interior, giving your bread a second lease of life.' And as for those old slices at the end of a loaf (be it sourdough, seeded, or good old white sliced) that need saving from the bin, give them a delicious new purpose with these resourceful ideas. Flavoured croutons While plain croutons are great for adding crunch to soups and salads, there are plenty of ways to make them more exciting. Cut thick, sliced stale bread into cubes (or tear up pieces of flatbread or pitta) and toss with oil, spices and herbs, then bake at 180C for 10-15 minutes until crunchy and golden brown. Try using shop-bought infused herb oils or make your own – sprinkle some olive oil with cumin seeds and chilli flakes, say, or rosemary and lemon zest, and warm in the microwave for one minute. Leave to sit for a few minutes before using. Panzanella A classic Italian bread salad is a wonderful way to use up open-textured leftover bread such as ciabatta or sourdough. I like to lightly toast the torn bread under the grill for a few moments first, before tossing with lots of roughly chopped tomatoes, some black olives and maybe some caper berries or red onion, along with lots of seasoning, olive oil and red wine vinegar, finishing with soft herbs, such as basil or parsley. Make it more of a main meal by adding some prawns or mozzarella, or try this sardine panzanella recipe. Tear-and-share garlic bread This is my favourite way to use up the off-cuts of any bread including the heels of baguettes and the random rolls that always seem to be clogging up the freezer. Many supermarkets take a similar approach – slicing end-of-the-day bakery baguettes and ciabattas and stuffing them with garlic and butter to resell as frozen garlic breads. Begin by stirring together a mix of grated or torn cheese (another chance to use up those leftover nubs and ends) – I like a blend of mozzarella and a flavourful cheese such as mature cheddar or comté – along with some crushed garlic and chopped soft herbs such as parsley and chives. The bread pieces don't need to be a regular size or thickness, but cut them to roughly the same height as the ovenproof dish you're using. Butter the bread, then sandwich pieces together into the dish, sprinkling the cheese mix between the slices. Cover with foil and bake at 200C for around 30 minutes, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes, so the top can become golden and crusty. Muhammara A mezze platter staple, this Middle Eastern dip of roasted red peppers and breadcrumbs is easy to make by whizzing up 50g of stale white bread, torn into pieces, with a garlic clove, a handful of walnut halves and half a jar of roasted peppers, until coarsely blended. Add olive oil, salt, ground cumin and lemon juice to taste. Swirl the mixture into a shallow bowl and serve with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds or crumbled feta, and toasts or flatbreads for dipping. Cheesy bread and butter pudding Bread and butter pudding is a satisfying way to use up half a sliced loaf – but it doesn't have to always be served for dessert. I love a savoury cheesy version with grainy mustard for lunch or dinner. Make up simple cheddar sandwiches with a generous spread of mustard (or Marmite); ham, sliced tomato and finely sliced spring onion all make welcome additions, too. Cut the sandwiches into triangle quarters and arrange in a heatproof dish before pouring over eggs beaten with milk and a splash of cream. Top with a little extra grated cheese and leave to settle for a few minutes before baking at 180C for 40 minutes or so, until golden and set. Cinnamon toasts Butter slices of tired white, wholemeal or fruit bread and cut them into quarters. Cook in a non-stick frying pan for two to three minutes on each side until crisp and golden. Stir a little ground cinnamon into some icing sugar and sift this liberally over the top. Eat immediately. Fabulous with sliced strawberries or some lavender, or flowering thyme from the garden. Trifle sponge fingers Run out of sponge fingers for your trifle or tiramisu? Brioche, with its gentle sweetness, makes a good alternative, stale or otherwise. I like to give it a light toast first for a little extra flavour or, if you're making individual portions, slice brioche finger rolls into discs; they look pretty in glass dishes.
