Boxing Day Bubble and Squeak
Stuffed from all that turkey? Are you laying on your back, trying to fit one more chocolate toffee into your mouth? Good for you! Christmas is all about indulgence. Letting go a little bit (especially our waistlines) is what it’s all about. ‘Tis the season to gorge and scoff!
But Christmas is also a time to make plans for the year ahead. Why not make your New Year’s resolution one to waste less food?
The average person chows down on 6,000 calories on Christmas Day. That’s 3 times more than we should normally eat (slightly less if you’re a man). With all that food on the table, it’s no wonder so much gets thrown away. The United States produces so much food that 40% is wasted — about $100 billion worth a year.
Choosing not to waste food doesn’t have to be a big lifestyle change. Small statements make a lot of difference. For example, next time you go food shopping, why not make a list of the essential things you need and stick to it. Or, the next time your salad tray is full of odds and end cuts, make soup instead of throwing them in the compost.
Leftovers don’t have to be dull. In fact, some things taste even better for breakfast. Foods that have dried out a bit stand up better to cooking. This Oregon live blog on the dinner-for-breakfast revolution is pretty convincing.
The food system is full of problems. There’s plenty of food to go around, just look in skips outside your local supermarket. Now it’s not quite as simple as moving that food around so hungry people get to eat, though that would be nice. It’s about changing the system from its very foundations. And that starts with normal people like you and I saying “NO!” to food injustice. If we can all say it loud, it will get through to the organisations and governments that can make the changes.
This lovely, simple Boxing Day recipe will get you on your way to saying haste to waste:
Boxing Day Bubble and Squeak
The great thing about this recipe is you can just throw in whatever you have. Don’t worry about measurements. This meal comes out different every time!
Ingredients
- 800g leftover veg. Whatever you have left over from Christmas dinner, but brussell sprouts, carrots and greens are all good!
- a generous portion of potatoes (mashed)
- an onion (finely chopped)
- 4 rashers of streaky bacon (unless you’re veggie of course!)
- a handful of mushrooms
- 4 tomatoes, halved
- 3 large eggs, preferably free-range or organic
- sea salt a freshly ground black pepper
- a handful of grated cheddar (or whatever is left lingering on your cheese board)
- plain flour
- olive oil
To cook
1) Heat the oil in a frying pan and once hot, fry the onion for 4-5 minutes, until it starts to turn brown. Add the bacon and fry for a further 3-4 minutes.
2) Transfer the onion and bacon to a bowl. Add the mashed potatoes, cheese and the leftover veg and mash together. Season well.
3) Using your hands, shape each portion into a patty. Put a little flour on a plate and coat each cake in flour on both sides.
4) Take the pan you used to fry the onion and bacon and add one patty at a time. Fry until golden brown on both sides.
5) Serve with pigs in blankets if you have any leftover!
The optimism you express in the article seems a little premature if for no other reason that so far the overall economic news is only less bad than previously.