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TV chef’s top Christmas waste tips

TV chef’s top Christmas tips
Tony Singh joins Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead in a food van on Castle Street, Edinburgh
Scottish TV chef Tony Singh has teamed up with the Scottish Government to help people to plan ahead with their food purchases this Christmas. Singh has also produced recipes for leftovers (see bottom of this article).

According to Zero Waste Scotland estimates, over 50,000 tonnes of food and drink will be thrown away in Scotland throughout December. This, WRAP research suggests, will include 280,000 turkeys (over three million UK-wide), 3.5 million mince pies (43 million across the UK) and 240,000 Christmas puddings (2.9 million).

Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Environment Richard Lochhead, who in October announced his intention to introduce a food waste reduction target for Scotland, has called for consumers to resist the temptation to over-buy and help cut the amount of food that is thrown away over the festive period.

The call comes as part of European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR), which is taking place this week from 21–29 November. The weeklong event aims to get public authorities, private companies and residents across Europe to promote the importance of reducing waste through events. Over 100 EWWR events have been scheduled this week in Scotland.

Top six tips for reducing Christmas food waste

Singh, who has appeared in several seasons of the BBC’s Great British Menu, as well as making up one half of The Two Incredible Spice Men, has joined with the Scottish Government-backed Zero Waste Scotland to provide his top six tips for planning ahead effectively. They are:

  1. Calculate and control portion size. Do a few simple calculations based on your Christmas Day guest numbers. In the restaurant trade, we create recipes around a basic adult or child size portion. You can do this by applying a simple formula of 140g turkey (100g for a child), two tablespoons of carrots (one for a child), four Brussels sprouts and one parsnip (1/2 for a child), to each portion. Multiply that quantity by the number of guests you’re entertaining and you will be able to accurately work out your requirements. Don’t be tempted to overload your guests’ plates. Being presented with much food can be off-putting and can end up wasted – it’s far better to allow people to ask for more if they want it.”
     
  2. “Don’t worry if you overestimate slightly and make a bit too much on Christmas Day itself. You can continue to plan ahead for the days following Christmas by keeping your festive leftovers aside to make some very quick, easy and healthy recipes. Let’s face it – no one can really be bothered cooking on Boxing Day and, in any case, people are usually looking for something a bit lighter.”
     
  3. “Only attempt a Christmas shop if you’re first of all armed with a very specific shopping list, based on your pre-calculations. That way, if you’re tempted by one or two additional special offers, they’re less likely to go to waste since you’re not buying an excess of the other essentials. Remember to check your cupboards first too, as you may already have a lot of the ingredients you need. It goes without saying that you should check the use-by dates on fresh items, and buy the freshest you can find on the shelves, usually stocked towards the back. Don’t get sucked in by the glossy advertising, marketing and special offers around Christmas time. Stay focused and only buy what you need on your list.”
     
  4. “Think ahead about your guests’ preferences. If you know you don’t have any Christmas pudding fans, don’t buy any! Instead, base your dessert choices around the things you know your guests will enjoy, and if you don’t know, ask! Be creative – perhaps a chocolate yule log or a simple trifle would be better-received, and again, calculate the quantity needed by multiplying the number of portions by the number of guests. Leftover cheese needn’t be wasted either – it freezes very well and can be kept frozen until you need it later, perhaps at New Year.”
     
  5. “Think like a professional chef, save time and reduce the hassle on Christmas Day by preparing as much in advance as possible. By washing, chopping, bagging and freezing your veg in advance – such as sprouts and carrots – you can save a lot of time and they will retain the same nutritional value as if you prepared them from fresh.”
     
  6. “Buy local produce wherever possible – it’s a good idea to place an advance order with your local grocer or butcher for exactly what you need by a specific time, so that you’re not tempted by last-minute bargains during a panic-stricken trip to the shops, which may otherwise end up wasted. And don’t throw out your leftover mince pies – check the use-by date, and if you know you’re not going to eat them, save them and take them into work for your sweet-toothed colleagues post-New Year!”

Singh has also prepared some recipes for leftovers, a couple of which can be found at the bottom of this article.

People throw away ‘more food at this time of year than any other’

Commenting on the campaign to increase food awareness this Christmas, Lochhead said: “In October, I announced the very encouraging news that since 2009, avoidable food waste in Scotland had dropped by almost eight per cent, representing an annual saving of around £92 million for households throughout the country. There’s so much more to be done, however, particularly during the festive period – when we’ve previously seen a spike in food waste figures as people admit to throwing away more food at this time of year than any other. 

“Planning ahead for the party season is easy to do. It’s crucial that we all play our part to reduce food waste and appreciate the very significant environmental and economic impact it has.”

Singh added: “It’s great to be working with the Scottish Government and Zero Waste Scotland on this fun and festive food waste reduction campaign – and I’m delighted to have provided some festive leftover recipes to keep the cooks inspired after the big day.

“I hope that by sharing some of the experience I’ve gained in over 25 years of working in the restaurant trade, I can really help people to reduce their food waste at Christmas, as well as to save a considerable chunk off their festive food bill.”

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, concluded: “By shopping smarter and planning meals better, everyone in Scotland can save money and help the environment – not just at Christmas, but throughout the year. The invaluable advice that Tony has provided is something we should all consider whenever we go shopping for food.

“Zero Waste Scotland delivers the Love Food Hate Waste campaign in Scotland, which offers a range of recipes, advice and tips to help families save an average of around £470 per year.

“We’ve been very encouraged in recent months by the evidence which demonstrates the significant drop in avoidable food waste in Scotland since 2009, but we still have a long way to go to achieve our aim of becoming a zero waste society. We very much look forward to the introduction the formal food waste reduction target for Scotland in the coming year.”

 

Tony Singh’s leftover recipes

Leftover Turkey-filled Bánh mì

A super tasty Vietnamese street food-inspired baguette with homemade slaw, stuffed full of delicious roast turkey. You can use any type of bread you have handy – a well fired morning roll also works well!
Ingredients
2 small baguettes
Leftover pâté from your Christmas feast (don’t worry if you don’t have any)
3 inch piece of peeled & de-seeded cucumber, thinly sliced
2 big handfuls leftover turkey – a mix brown and white meat, shredded
Butter (for spreading)
Mayonnaise - enough to mix to your taste
1 chilli, chopped
Fresh mint (small bunch), chopped
Fresh coriander (small bunch), chopped – including the stalks
Salt & freshly ground pepper
For the slaw
1 chilli (with seeds), chopped
2 small carrots, coarsely grated
150g white cabbage, thinly sliced
150g red, white or spring onion, finely sliced
2 inch piece of ginger, grated 
1 tbsp vinegar (any type)
1 tsp sugar (adjust to taste)
Juice of 2 limes
½ tsp fish sauce (adjust to taste)
Method
To make the slaw, mix the carrots, cabbage and onion into a bowl.
In another bowl, mix the ginger, vinegar, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce together with the chilli and taste it – you’re looking for a balance of hot, sweet, sour and salty. Pour the sauce on to the vegetables and toss together. Set aside.
Meanwhile mix the leftover turkey in a bowl with mayonnaise, chopped chilli, salt and pepper. Halve the baguettes lengthways, then spread the butter followed by a generous layer of pâté over the bottom half. Top with the slaw, cucumber and turkey mixture, then sprinkle over the mint and coriander leaves. Serve.

 

Egg Noodle and Turkey Broth

This is such a simple but delicious recipe, and can be done with any type of leftover meat you have. You can either make the stock yourself, or just use a stock cube on its own. Either way it’s an absolute winner with the kids, who unwittingly wolf down the leftover sprouts in this great winter warmer.
For the stock:
Ingredients
For the stock:
Leftover roast turkey bones – pick off as much meat as you can and chop or break up the carcass as small as you can
Vegetables – just use whatever raw veggies you have, such as one large onion, one large carrot and a stick of celery
1 stock cube – veggie, chicken or beef
Method
Select a pan large enough to accommodate both the bones and the vegetables and add the stock cube. Fill the pan with just enough cold water to cover the bones and veg. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for an hour, but if you can do two, that’s better. Strain and use in the broth below, or freeze and use from frozen whenever needed.
For the soup:
Ingredients
Leftover roast turkey stock (as above)
2 tsp garlic puree
1 inch piece of ginger peeled and grated
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
140g medium egg noodles
Leftover turkey meat, shredded
Leftover Christmas veggies – especially the sprouts
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
1 small bunch of coriander, chopped
Soy sauce to taste
Chilli oil to taste, recipe below. (You can also buy it in supermarkets – it’s a great store cupboard ally and helps make any leftovers taste great)
Method
Bring the stock to the boil and throw in the aromatics – the onion, garlic and ginger. Simmer together for four minutes, then add the noodles and simmer for a further three minutes. Stir in the leftover turkey and veg, then simmer for another two minutes.
Season with chilli oil and soy sauce to taste.
To serve, ladle into bowls, scatter the spring onion and coriander on top and drizzle with a little chilli oil as desired.
More advice on how to plan ahead for Christmas and recipes for leftovers can be found at Scotland’s Love Food Hate Waste website