A hugely satisfying way to use up odds and ends in your cupboard and crisper drawer
I
rarely, if ever, buy orzo, the rice-shaped pasta, but I was intrigued by barbecue chef Melissa Thompson’s poll on her Instagram stories asking: “Do you have a half-finished bag of orzo sitting in your cupboard?” She had more than 600 responses, almost 90% of which said yes. Thompson turned hers into a salad with pepper, spring onion, tomatoes and cucumber. Inspired, I rushed out to buy a bag (yes, I see the irony, too) and made a salad using leftovers. And, of course, ended up with half a bag of orzo in my cupboard.
I’ve called this an anti-recipe because I think recipes are often guilty of creating food waste by being too prescriptive. I want you to cook with love, confidence and creativity, using up whatever you can find. So, use orzo if you have it; if not, another pasta or even a grain can be quickly cooked up to create a satiating salad.
Build an imaginative meal using leftovers saved from a previous lunch. Stale or out-of-date – but still safe to eat – nuts, seeds and spices. You can tell if they’re off by the rancid, oily smell and bitter taste. Other foods you can revive and reuse: wrinkly veg and wilted herbs from the crisper drawer (revived in ice water), tinned or frozen vegetables, and odds and ends of cheese.
