Kiwi households are throwing away millions of dollars' worth of food every year but top chefs say the waste can be saved to help beat the recession.
Chefs and budget advisers agree that with planning, last night's dinner can be stretched to today's meals.
Ministry for the Environment figures show New Zealanders dumped 3.2 million tonnes of waste into landfills in 2006, of which 23 per cent was organic.
Most of the food thrown away was fresh food and leftovers with takeaways, drinks and frozen food making up the remainder.
Alison Robert, owner of cooking school Main Course in Auckland, recommended a back-to-basics approach to ordinary ingredients and meal planning to save waste.
"We cook way too much food and we buy too much food. It's disgusting, it's absolutely hideous," she said.
Robert was particularly against the buying of convenience foods that allowed the manufacturer to dictate the quantities that were eaten.
One example was the humble pre-made pizza base which could be made for a fraction of the cost at home. Topped with homemade tomato sauce using tinned tomatoes and cheese made an easy, fast meal.
Robert blamed a lot of food wastage on poor storage. Fruit and vegetables should be taken out of their wrapping. Food like lettuce and spinach should be washed and loosely covered in the fridge to keep it fresh but also to allow it to breathe.
Robert also recommended home baking including sweet or savoury muffins that could be frozen for lunches.
John Flack, head chef at Mikano, believed the tip to saving money was to "think like an Italian peasant housewife".
"Soups are a staple of peasant cookery. Those leftover vegetables in the fridge can always be turned into a hearty minestrone."
Chef Paul Jobin suggested using leftover cooked fish with grated potato to make fish hash browns, and stirring leftover meats through cooked pasta.
Maureen Little of Presbyterian Support Services said she used to plan her menus down to the right amount of meat in grams when she was first married.
She still uses some of the same tips today and when giving budgeting advice. "Most people are generous cooks and will add one for the pot."
Little was a believer in buying items, especially meat, when they were on special so they could be frozen or even cooked in bulk such as curries and stews and frozen for later.
Cheap eats recipe one
CHICKEN MACARONI PASTA (serves 4)
(Alison Robert, owner of Main Course Cooking School)
INGREDIENTS
Leftover chicken carcass from roast dinner
Onion
1 Carrot
1 Stick of celery
1 Tin of chopped tomato
Tomato puree
2 Cups of macaroni
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Put chicken carcass in a pot of water with the onion (leave skin on), one carrot, one stick of celery. Bring to the boil, turn down and simmer for 40 minutes. Strain mixture through a tea towel held over a bowl.
Remove carrot, onion and celery and any chicken meat that has come off the carcass and chop. Return clear stock, chopped vegetables and chicken to pot. Add a tin of tomatoes and tablespoon of tomato puree.
Add two cups of macaroni and cook until pasta is cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste and freshly chopped parsley at the end. Serve in big bowls.
Cheap eats recipe two
ROAST MEAT AND VEGETABLE CHICKPEA FRITTERS
(Recipe from Kate Fay, above, head chef at Cibo, Parnell).
This meal can be made with leftover chicken, duck or red meat, and is gluten free.
INGREDIENTS
Tbsp of chopped garlic
1 Tbsp of vegetable oil
Tsp of chilli powder
Tsp of ground turmeric
Tsp of garam masala
200g Chickpea flour
2 Tbsp of baking powder
250ml Warm water
sea salt to taste
METHOD
Mix ingredients together and then strain. Mix in leftover meat.
Mould into patties and fry in small amount of oil for five minutes each side or until brown in colour.
We're throwing away a fortune
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