Made in Hackney - Middle Eastern Zero Waste Cooking

with Hannah Walker, Registered Dietitian

Many people can feel intimidated by the thought of trying to follow ‘zero waste’ principles in their cooking and eating. Completely avoiding plastic in the store cupboard ingredients and produce we buy can indeed be challenging and expensive. However, if we instead focus on making the most of what we do have, taking the ‘root to stalk’ approach we can actually save money whilst also fighting food waste. There’s not any rocket science involved and is more about planning and a bit of creativity. And it can be great fun! Here are my top tips:

1.   Make time for MEAL PLANNING! Consider the quantities of fresh ingredients you will need and how any extras can be used later in the week.

2.   Cook in BULK. If you don’t want to eat the same thing day after day, freeze individual portions that can then be defrosted at a later date. If wanting to avoid plastic, its fine to freeze in glass jars, just make sure you leave an inch or so gap at the top to prevent the risk of the glass breaking as food/fluid expands upon freezing.

3.   Get creative with trimmings! The ends of veg that are often thrown away (such as beet leaves, carrot tops, broccoli stalks, green tops of leeks) but are both perfectly edible and extremely nutritious. These can be used in pesto, soup and stir fries to name just a few ideas.

4.   Keep a ziplock bag in the fridge or freezer that you can add any veggie scraps you don’t want to eat. Then when you have a full bag use this to make a veggie stock. This is a particularly good use for onion and garlic peels as well as kale stems and other fibrous parts of veggies

5.   Get familiar with the different ways of preserving produce. Fermenting, pickling and drying are all easy and safe ways to significantly extend the shelf life of your produce whilst also enabling you to change and add different flavours.

RECIPES….. Serve 6-8

Harissa Roasted Broccoli, Carrots and Beets

INGREDIENTS METHOD

INGREDIENTS

4 medium beetroot, quartered (skin left on, stems and lefts cut off and set aside for use in other recipe)

4 large carrots, halved

2 broccoli heads (stems reserved for hummus), cut into roughly even florets

3 tablespoons harissa paste + 1 tablespoon for dressing

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice (for dressing)

Salt + pepper

Fresh parsley to serve (optional)

METHOD

1. Whisk together the harissa, cinnamon, cumin, ginger + olive oil in a small bowl. Place beets and carrots into a rimmed baking sheet and pour over half the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for around 20-30 minutes, depending on size.

2. Meanwhile add the remaining dressing mix to a separate baking sheet with the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, and then add to the oven with the beets and carrots for a further 20 minutes, until all the veggies are slightly caramelized and tender. Remove from the oven.

3. In a separate small bowl mix together the final tablespoon of harissa and lemon juice and then drizzle this over the veggies and stir to cover. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and/or herb tahini dressing (see below).

Za’atar Fried Chickpeas and Beet Greens  - Serves 3-4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS METHOD

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion (red or white), thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped

1 red chilli, finely chopped

Beet tops from 4 beetroot, stems finely chopped (~1cm pieces), greens roughly chopped

1 preserved lemon, finely chopped

1 x 400g tin chickpeas

2 tablespoons za’atar (see below)

1 tablespoon each of lemon (or orange) juice and red wine vinegar (or 2 tablespoons of one)

Salt and pepper to taste

* Za’atar spice mix:

1/4 cup sumac

2 tablespoons each of dried thyme, marjoram and oregano

(or total of 6 tablespoons of whichever you have)

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon coarse salt

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until softened. Then add the garlic and chili and cook, stirring until fragrant, for about 1 minute.

2. Add the chopped beet greens and preserved lemon. Stir-fry for 2-3 minute, and then add the chickpeas and za’atar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and/or red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Homemade Preserved Lemons

INGREDIENTS METHOD

INGREDIENTS

4-6 organic unwaxed lemons (depending on size of lemons and your jar)

Approximately 3-4 tablespoons salt

Extra lemon juice to cover

1 sterilized jar (~ quart sized)

Optional spices

2-3 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

4-6 cardamom pods, cracked

Star anise and/or several cloves

½ teaspoon each of coriander seeds and black peppercorns

METHOD

1. Wash lemons, slice top and end off and then cut into quarters. Try to remove seeds as you go but don’t worry too much about getting them all out.

2. Cover the base of the jar with a layer of salt and then pack the lemons in adding layers of salt as you go. I know it seems like a lot of salt but don’t worry it is needed as part of the preserving method and can be rinsed off before eating.

3. As you are layering the lemons squeeze them down to release their juice. If using, add in the herbs/spices as you pack your jar.

4. Once your jar is filled, pour over extra lemon juice so that the lemons are completely submerged. Then tightly seal with the lid of a jar.

5. Allow to sit at room temperature (e.g. in a cupboard) for 3-4 weeks. Try to shake every couple of days to redistribute liquid.

6. Once ready, refrigerate. They will keep for around 1 year. When using in recipes remove from the jar with a clean spoon/tongs and rinse off salt (unless using as seasoning). They are great added to dressing, sauces and stews etc. Enjoy!

Enjoyed these recipes?

These recipes are courtesy of Made In Hackney and Hannah Walker and formed part of the Middle Eastern Feast Zero Waste Community Class that was held on Sunday 19th September 2021.

For more information on Made In Hackney and their class schedule please click the links.

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