No waste veggie sausage and mash

While I’m always improving, I – like everyone –  have been known to let food go to waste. Usually that means something got left in the back of the fridge or a jar that didn’t get used up in time. Meal planning and clever use of the freezer has tackled much of what would once have been binned. However there is another area of food waste I’ve been giving my attention to lately, and that’s how we use or throw away the parts of a plant or other foodstuff that we see as disposable when they’re actually entirely edible.

Humans are a particularly picky species, casting off things just because they don’t look quite right or we’re unfamiliar as to how to use them.

According to Hellmann’s, more than half of us reject perfectly good-to-eat ingredients simply out of habit, adding to a growing food waste problem in the UK.

It’s easily done – we get into a routine and suddenly a whole load of food and flavours have gone to waste. And that’s shame because there really are some hidden gems on offer that you might be currently tossing on the compost. 70% of Brits revealed that the majority of ingredients they throw away at home are deliciously edible bits we chop off or peel during our cooking prep.

Take potato skins, for example: did you know that the skin is the part with the best, most delicious potato flavour? Or how about the lovely crunch and sweet, subtle taste of a carrot greens? You’re missing out!

Hellmann’s has been having similar thoughts it seems and the result is their Hellmann’s Ketchup Made of Red and Green Tomatoes. It’s made by harvesting and using not just the red tomatoes, but the green ones too,  which means 2.5 million tomatoes a year from across Europe go into a hungry tummies instead of into the bin. That’s a big win for the environment and for flavour, as using green tomatoes doesn’t just help to reduce food waste, it also makes the ketchup tastes great. It’s tangy, light and tastes wonderfully fresh – we’re all enjoying it.

No waste veggie sausage and mash

To hero all the food that all too often goes to waste, I’ve been inspired to create this food-waste-fighting take on sausages and mash.

The crisp on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside sausages are made from cauliflower florets, breadcrumbs, paprika and a little ketchup. The mash is made from fluffy potatoes and cauliflower heart. The potato skins are baked as ‘chips’ to form delightfully crisp little treats. And not even the cauliflower leaves go to waste, they’re roasted to crisp perfection.

Here’s how to make these delicious veggie sausages and mash.

Ingredients

For the vegetarian sausages

• 1 medium cauliflower, florets roughly chopped – keep the leaves and root!
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 spring onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp Hellmann’s Ketchup Made of Red and Green Tomatoes
• 10g (0.3 oz) fresh parsley, roughly chopped leaves and stalks
• 100g (3.5 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• Spray oil

For the potato and cauliflower root mash

• 700g (24.5 oz) potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped – keep the peel
• The root from your cauliflower
• 3 tbsp soft butter
• 50-100ml (1.7 – 3.4 floz) milk
• 10g (0.3 oz) fresh parsley, roughly chopped leaves and stalks

For the potato peel crisps

• The skins from your potatoes
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

For the roasted cauliflower greens

• The leaves from your cauliflower
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

For the potato peel crisps

Put the peel onto a greaseproof tray with the oil, salt and pepper.

Mix well and pop in the oven while the sausages are baking (see below) for 10-15 minutes until crisp.

To make the potato and cauliflower root mash

Slice the cauliflower into florets, leaves and heart.

Pop the potatoes and cauliflower hearts into a large pan, cover with water and boil for 20 minutes until soft.

Drain.

Pick out the cauliflower hearts, mash the potatoes well, then add the butter, milk, salt and pepper and mash again.

Chop the soft, juicy pieces of cauliflower heart and add back into the mash.

Add the parsley and mix well.

To make the roasted cauliflower greens

Put the peel onto a greaseproof tray with the oil, salt and pepper.

Mix well and pop in the oven while the sausages are baking (see below) for 10-15 minutes until crisp.

To make the vegetarian sausages

Preheat the oven to 220C/430F (200C/390F fan).

In a food processor add the cauliflower florets, paprika, and spring onions and blitz to a fine crumb.

Add the ketchup, parsley and breadcrumbs and blitz again.

Tip the sausage mix into a bowl and stir in the egg.

Pick up the mix in 50g lumps and roll into sausage shapes – you should get ten in all.

Place the sausages on a greaseproof baking tray.

Spray well with oil, roll over and spray again so that they’re coated on all sides.

Bake for 25-20 minutes until they’re a deep reddish-golden-brown.

Serve the mash, cauliflower greens, sausages, and crisps on to plates!

Don’t forget to add a good dollop of ketchup to dip your sausages into!

Are you thinking of trying no waste recipe this at home?

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No waste veggie sausage and mash

Course: Burgers and sandwiches

Keyword: no waste, sausage and mash, vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Calories: 1495 kcal

Author: Emily Leary

Delicious veggie sausages accompanied by roasted cauliflower greens, potato skin crisps, potato and cauliflower heart mash.

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Ingredients

For the vegetarian sausages

• 1 medium cauliflower florets roughly chopped – keep the leaves and root!
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 spring onion sliced
• 1 tbsp Hellmann’s Ketchup Made of Red and Green Tomatoes
• 10 g fresh parsley roughly chopped leaves and stalks
• 100 g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• Spray oil

For the potato and cauliflower root mash

• 700 g potatoes peeled and roughly chopped – keep the peel
• The root from your cauliflower
• 3 tbsp soft butter
• 50-100 ml milk
• 10 g fresh parsley roughly chopped leaves and stalks

For the potato peel crisps

• The skins from your potatoes
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

For the roasted cauliflower greens

• The leaves from your cauliflower
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

Metric - Ounces

Instructions

For the potato peel crisps

1. Put the peel onto a greaseproof tray with the oil, salt and pepper.
2. Mix well and pop in the oven while the sausages are baking (see below) for 10-15 minutes until crisp.

To make the potato and cauliflower root mash

1. Slice the cauliflower into florets, leaves and heart.
2. Pop the potatoes and cauliflower hearts into a large pan, cover with water and boil for 20 minutes until soft.
3. Drain.
4. Pick out the cauliflower hearts, mash the potatoes well, then add the butter, milk, salt and pepper and mash again.
5. Chop the soft, juicy pieces of cauliflower heart and add back into the mash.
6. Add the parsley and mix well.

To make the roasted cauliflower greens

1. Put the peel onto a greaseproof tray with the oil, salt and pepper.
2. Mix well and pop in the oven while the sausages are baking (see below) for 10-15 minutes until crisp.

To make the vegetarian sausages

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/430F (200C/390F fan).

2. In a food processor add the cauliflower florets, paprika, and spring onions and blitz to a fine crumb.
3. Add the ketchup, parsley and breadcrumbs and blitz again.
4. Tip the sausage mix into a bowl and stir in the egg.
5. Pick up the mix in 50g lumps and roll into sausage shapes – you should get ten in all.
6. Place the sausages on a greaseproof baking tray.
7. Spray well with oil, roll over and spray again so that they’re coated on all sides.
8. Bake for 25-20 minutes until they’re a deep reddish-golden-brown.
9. Serve the mash, cauliflower greens, sausages, and crisps on to plates!
10. Don’t forget to add a good dollop of ketchup to dip your sausages into!

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