Two hands peeling potato

Those of us who have the privilege of preparing our own food or affording a grocery list every week or two often possess certain habits that may seem absurd to those who don’t have such an entitlement (for example, throwing away food scraps or chucking ‘almost rotten’ vegetables even if they are perfectly usable). You may wonder, “what could I possibly do with potato skins or carrot peels?” Well, a lot actually!

Rejuvenated Foods

• Potato chips from potato skins (Potato skins are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They also have a good amount of fiber and antioxidants.)

Ingredients

1) 5 oz (140 g) potato peels (from about 6 medium potatoes)
2) 2 Tbsp olive oil
3) 1⁄2 tsp salt

❖  Wash and drain the potato skins, then dry with paper towels. Take care to dry the skins very well so that you can have really crispy potato skin chips.

❖  In a bowl, mix potato skins with oil and salt. It’s a good idea to use clean hands to combine and ensure that each skin is evenly coated in oil and salt.

❖  Spread out evenly onto the prepared baking sheet.

❖  Roast for 10 minutes, stir, then roast for another 5-10 minutes until crispy and golden brown. For flavor, there’s a lot of variations you can do, like garlic parmesan skins, spicy skins (season with chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder), and so much more!

• Soup/stock using vegetable peels and chicken bones (Each skin is packed with many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, as well as fiber. Did you know that 31% of  vegetables’ fiber can be found in their skin? All this fiber means that this soup will keep you feeling fuller for longer.)

 

Ingredients

1) 1 Tbsp oil
2) 1 onion
3) 2 cloves garlic
4) 2 tsp dried coriander
5) 1 tsp ground cumin
6) 1 tsp salt
7) Large freezer bag of vegetable scraps (peels, stalks, florets, tops)
8) Leftover chicken bones
9) 1.5 L vegetable stock or water

❖  First, roughly dice your onion – don’t be too worried about uniformity as you will whizz it up with a blender later.

❖  Also, grate your cloves of garlic.

❖  In a large pan with a lid, heat the oil. Tip in the chopped onion and soften for 2-3 minutes.

❖  Next, add in the grated garlic, coriander, cumin, and salt, and cook while stirring for 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.

❖  Then, throw in the vegetable scraps and the chicken bones, and give a quick stir followed by adding the vegetable stock or water.

❖  Give it a good stir, and bring to the boil.

❖  Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and put on a lid. Simmer for 35-45 minutes until all the vegetable scraps are tender.

❖  Next, take a hand blender and blend until you get a smooth and velvety soup. If it is too thick, add more water. If it is too thin, you need to add body, ideally something like more vegetables, but breadcrumbs also work. Enjoy!

• Korean pancake (Got veggies in the fridge that are almost rotten and don’t know what to do with them? Make this delicious pancake!)

 

Ingredients

1) 4 green onions, cut 1 inch long
2) 3 oz zucchini matchsticks (about 1/2 cup)
3) 3 oz onion, sliced
4) 1⁄3 cup sweet potato
5) 1 fresh mushroom, sliced
6) 3 oz carrot matchsticks (about 1/2 cup)
7) 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
8) 1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
9) 3⁄4 cup water
10) 2 Tbsp your choice of oil for frying

❖  Combine green onion, zucchini, onion, and sweet potato in a bowl. Add flour, salt, and 3⁄4 cup water. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

❖  Heat up a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.

❖  Add about 2 tablespoons of your choice of frying oil and swirl it around to coat the skillet evenly. Add the batter to the skillet, and spread it out evenly.

❖  Turn down the heat to medium, and put the sliced mushroom on top. Gently press them in with a wooden spoon or spatula.

❖  Cook for 4-5 minutes until the bottom turns a crispy light golden brown. Grab the handle of the skillet and twirl it around so the pancake moves and is cooked evenly underneath.

❖  Flip over the pancake. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.

❖  Serve with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, hot pepper flakes (optional), and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

These are only a few of the many ways you can make new dishes with what you used to think was waste. There are so many other things you can do with scraps like making natural exfoliant with leftover coffee grounds, or freezing herbs in oil using an ice tray, and more. I definitely recommend you try some of these out. It’s almost like your own science experiment at home!

It’s also a great idea to regrow your veggies! Most of the time when you buy vegetables that have roots on the bottom, you cut them off and throw them away. However, if you plant those roots in soil and water them, you’ll soon be starting your own vegetable garden! For the most nutrients, you should purchase organic produce rather than the non-organic ones. Since no pesticides are used, the peels of the vegetables are considerably safer to consume. Plus, the use of pesticides is not a great idea since they can cause health defects in humans. They also cause soil erosion which isn’t ideal for the crops. However, it is totally understandable if you don’t have access to organic produce due to its higher cost. Just make sure to wash and scrub your veggies properly before use. If you are uncomfortable ingesting the peels and skins, that’s okay! But do remember to put your scraps into the compost bin so they can be used for a greener good!

 

References

Marcellina. (2021, September 1). Crispy Potato Skin Chips. Marcellina In Cucina.https://www.marcellinaincucina.com/parmesan-crisps-2/

CUBBin the Kitchen. (2022, January 24). Vegetable peel soup • cubbin the kitchen.https://www.cubbinthekitchen.com/vegetable-peel-soup/

Maangchi. (2024, March 8). Vegetable Pancake (yachaejeon). Cooking Korean food with Maangchi. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/yachaejeon