Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry

Super tasty with minimal ingredients, recipe adapted from The Flavour Bender.

You’ll need a saucepan.

Serves 6

Ingredients (when in italics available from the van)

2 large beetroots

1/4 onion

2 green chillis

1/2 teaspoon curry powder (approx 5p)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric (approx 13p)

1 tin coconut milk

Total cost of ingredients from Incredible Bulk approx £0.18 / £0.03 pp

Method

Peel beetroot and slice into thin batons, peel and slice onion and chop chillis.

Place beetroot, onion and chillis in saucepan with curry powder and turmeric and mix well.

Add can of coconut milk, mix and start to heat pan, bring to boil and then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 10 mins or until beetroot is al dente.

Serve with rice - we enjoyed with short grain brown rice but any rice would work!

Zero Waste Tips

Keep beetroot peelings to make vegetable stock - you can store veg peelings in freezer until you have enough to use.

Recycle your coconut milk can, recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours. For more fun facts on aluminium recycling click here.

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Vegducken

A great vegan dish for Sunday roasts and Christmas time. Easy to make waste free. This recipe is taken from One Green Planet.

You’ll need a saucepan, a blender, baking tray and foil.

Serve 6

Ingredients (when in italics available from the van)

1 butternut squash

1 courgette

1 aubergine

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

110g mushrooms, sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup dark speckled lentils, cooked (approx 150g 53p)

1/2 cup chickpeas, cooked (approx 150g 75p)

2 tablespoons dried rosemary (approx 25p)

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

salt and pepper

Total cost of ingredients from Incredible Bulk approx £1.53 / £0.26 pp

Method

Ensure chickpeas and lentils are cooked ahead of time.

Half vertically and scrape out the insides of the butternut squash, courgette and aubergine, leaving the squash about 1/2 inch thick and others 1/3 inch thick, Score the inside of each vegetable. Place squash in oven at 175 C for 15 mins to soften.

To make the filling add chopped onion, chopped garlic, sliced mushrooms into a pan and cook until soft.

Once cooked place in blender together with cooked lentils, cooked chickpeas, chopped bell pepper and rosemary and pulse until combined and uniform but still slightly chunky. Transfer to bowl and fold in breadcrumbs.

Now assemble your vegducken by taking the squash, add layer of filling, layer in aubergine, add layer of filling, layer in courgette and add layer of filling. Bring the two halves together and tie with string and wrap in foil. Place in oven at 190 C for 1.5 hrs. Remove, cool and slice.

Zero Waste Tips

Make your own breadcrumbs by pulsing up left over bread in blender and store in freezer until you need to use.

Don’t throwaway the insides of the vegetables - utilise in another dish or use to make stock.

Use recycled foil.

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Oat Milk

A cheaper and quicker dairy free milk to make yourself, super easy to make completely waste free. This recipe is taken from the first cookbook from Deliciously Ella.

You’ll need a good blender, a muslin cloth, sieve and bottle for storing oat milk.

Makes 1 litre

Ingredients (when in italics available from the van)

1 mug porridge oats (120g = £0.30)

Total cost of ingredients from Incredible Bulk approx £0.30

Method

Soak the oats in cold water for about 30 minutes.

Rinse and drain the oats before placing in blender with 3 mugs of fresh water (900ml). Blend until smooth (about 30 seconds).

Place muslin cloth on top of sieve over bowl and slowly pour liquid through. You’ll need to do this in stages and squeeze the muslin cloth to release all liquid and then scoop the oat pulp out of cloth as you go.

Pour milk into bottle and refrigerate, tends to last 3-5 days. Milk will separate as you store so give it a good shake before use.

If you like a sweeter milk you can try adding a little honey, maple syrup or a couple of medjool dates to the blender with the oats and water. Or if more savoury add a little salt.

Zero Waste Tips

Don’t waste your oat pulp- use in porridge, pancakes, nut roasts, spreads - get creative!

If you’re feeling lazy and using the milk for cereals, pancakes, baking etc you can skip the sieving stage and just use the blended milk as is and get all nutrients from the oats! You can also skip the soaking stage if in a rush.

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Spicy Lentil and Aubergine Pasta

A quick pasta dish that is easy to make with minimal waste, makes a super delicious mid week meal! You can substitute the aubergine for different vegetables and use what needs cooking! Recipe from the Every Day cookbook from Deliciously Ella.

You’ll need 2 saucepans

Serves 6

Ingredients (when in italics available from the van)

2 aubergines

1 red pepper

2 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes or fresh if available

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1/2 dried chillies (approx 8p)

2 teaspoons smoked paprika (approx 10p)

3 teaspoons cumin seeds (approx 23p)

2 teaspoons tamari / soy sauce (approx 20p)

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

100g lentils ( red split or dark speckled lentils 35p)

2 teaspoons tahini

500g pasta of choice (£1.75 wheat pasta, £2.50 spelt pasta, £3.85 corn pasta)

Total cost from Incredible Bulk approx £2.71 - £4.81 /£0.45 - £0.80 pp

Method

Slice aubergines and red pepper into small bite-sized pieces and place in large saucepan with all remaining ingredients except the tahini and pasta. Pour in 350ml of boiling water.

Place over a medium heat, return to boil and then reduce to simmer for 20-25 mins until lentils are cooked.

Meanwhile cook pasta about 10mins before the lentils are ready.

Once cooked drain pasta and stir into lentil sauce and stir in tahini to finish.

Zero Waste Tips

Remember to clean and recycle your tin cans, recycling aluminium takes 95% less energy than producing it from its raw materials and the recycling process generates only 5% of the greenhouse gas emissions. Aluminium can be endlessly recycled making it a great packaging material. Read more about aluminium here.

Try making your own tahini from package free sesame seeds!

If you don’t have puy lentils in the cupboard red lentils work well too.

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DIY Fruit and Fibre Breakfast Cereal

If you’re a fan of fruit and fibre we’ve got all the individual ingredients package free in the van so you can create your own and avoid single use packaging. Its also a great recipe to customise, swap items for your favourites in the van, add in seeds for extra goodness!

Serves 1

Ingredients (when in italics available from the van)

50g bran flakes (30p)

handful hazelnuts (approx 45p)

handful raisins (approx 13p)

handful banana chips (approx 14p)

Total cost from Incredible Bulk approx £1.02

Method

Place all in bowl and mix before adding milk of choice.

Zero Waste Tips

Making this cereal in small batches means you avoid food waste.

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Courgette and Carrot Strip Salad

An easy to put together salad that can be made completely waste free. Recipe from the Every Day cookbook from Deliciously Ella.

You’ll need a peeler and bowl.

Serves 3

Ingredients (when in italics available from the van)

2 Courgettes

3 Carrots

handful pumpkin seeds (approx 24p)

handful sunflower seeds (approx 15p)

4 tablespoons olive oil (approx 27p)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (approx 24p)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (approx 10p)

salt and pepper

Total cost from Incredible Bulk approx £1.00 /£0.33 pp

Method

Use a vegetable peeler to peel courgettes and carrots into strips, (you may find that once you get to the seedy core of the courgette its tricky to peel so you can leave and utilise in another recipe). Place the strips of carrot and courgette in a bowl with the seeds and pour the vinegar and oil over, sprinkle paprika, salt and pepper over and stir well. Salad will keep in fridge for up to 3 days.

Zero Waste Tips

Buy veg loose from local farmers markets and growers.

Utilise veg peelings by using to make your own veg stock.

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Carrot, Beetroot and Sesame Salad

A beautiful salad that is easy to make creating minimal waste. This easy recipe is taken from the Every Day cookbook from Deliciously Ella.

You’ll need a peeler, grater and bowl.

Serves 3

Ingredients (when in italics available from the van)

2 Beetroots

3 Carrots

4 tablespoons sesame seeds (approx 21p)

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (approx 36p)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

salt

Total cost from Incredible Bulk approx £0.57 /£0.19 pp

Method

Peel the beetroots and carrots, then grate using course side of grater. Mix the grated veg in a bowl with the sesame seeds, vinegar, maple syrup and salt.

It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Zero Waste Tips

Buy veg loose from local farmers markets and growers.

Utilise veg peelings by using to make your own veg stock.

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Spiced Pear and Apple Crumble

Who doesn’t love a crumble?! A great mix of ingredients that are easily found package free or within recyclable containers making this a great zero waste pudding! This easy recipe is taken from the Every Day cookbook from Deliciously Ella.

You’ll need 2 saucepans, a mixing bowl, a baking dish and a blender.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients (when in italics available from the van)

For fruit layer

5 red apples

3 pears

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (approx 13p)

1 teaspoon ground ginger (approx 13p)

150g raisins (75p)

For crumble layer

200g pecans (£5.00)

300g porridge oats (75p)

2 teaspoons ground ginger (approx 26p)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (approx 26p)

8 tablespoons date syrup

4 tablespoons coconut oil

Total cost from Incredible Bulk approx £7.28 /£1.21 pp

Method

Start with fruit layer by peeling apples and pears, then chop them into bite-sized pieces, discarding cores.

Place chopped fruit into saucepan with cinnamon, ginger and raisins, plus enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Let the fruit gently cook over a medium-low heat for about 20 mins until soft.

Preheat oven to 200 C.

While the fruit cooks make the crumble layer by placing pecans in food processor until they form a flour. Tip into a bowl and mix in the oats.

Place coconut oil, date syrup, ginger and cinnamon in a saucepan and gently heat the mix until coconut oil melts and then pour into the oat mix and stir all together.

Once fruit has cooked place into the baking dish and spread crumble layer on top. Bake for 20 mins or until top turns golden brown and serve.

Zero Waste Tips

Get creative and use what fruit and nuts you have at home. Crumbles are great for using up fruit that is on the turn so utilise soft fruit and use in crumbles!

Pecans make this dish more expensive so feel free to switch out to cheaper nuts; almonds and walnuts work well and add a nice flavour.

Switch out date syrup for maple if you have that at home, or you could even replace the syrup with demerara sugar - adding some to both the fruit and the crumble to taste.

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Nut / Seed Vegan Milk

Dairy free nut and seed milks usually come in tetrapak containers and although they are recyclable they’re not the easiest to recycle due to the many components so we prefer to avoid the packaging and make our own as and when we need it.

You can make milk from any nut or seed, here are some of our favourites:

Hemp Seed - a great quick vegan milk, no pre-soaking or straining needed. Simply blend and you are good to go! (Not good for heating as separates, so for an alternative quick recipe see Oat milk!)

Cashew Nut - a lovely creamy milk. Best to soak for 4-6hrs before blending. We find straining not always necessary with cashew as usually blends well but for use as milk in drinks best to strain.

Walnut - A delicious nut milk. Best to soak 6hrs/overnight and will need straining after blending.

To make your own vegan milk you’ll need a good blender, a muslin cloth, sieve and bottle for storing milk.

As a general rule seeds will need to be soaked for around 4hrs and nuts for 6hrs.

Use a 1 to 3 ratio, mixing 1 part seed or nut to 3 parts water, for example for a small bottle of milk, measure 100g of your chosen nut or seed (pre-soaking weight) and blend with 300ml water.

To strain use muslin cloth placed over sieve and slowly pour milk through and squeeze cloth - you’ll be left with nut/seed meal and your milk!

Pour milk into bottle and refrigerate, tends to last 3-5 days. Milk will separate as you store so give it a good shake before use.

If you like a sweeter milk you can try adding a little honey, maple syrup or a couple of medjool dates to the blender with the nuts and water. Or if more savoury add a little salt.

Zero Waste Tips

Don’t waste your nut / seed pulp - use in porridge, pancakes, nut roasts, spreads, baking and granola.

If you’re feeling lazy and using the milk for cereals, pancakes, baking etc you can skip the sieving stage and just use the blended milk as is and get all nutrients from the seeds/nuts!

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