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PlantYou’s food hacks can save you more than $1,000 on groceries

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It’s no secret that groceries feel more expensive than ever right now, and that’s made worse by the fact that the average American home throws away. 322 cups of food per yearI’m determined to use up all the food, sauces and other things basic principles of cooking I buy. That’s how I found it Carleigh Bodrug. Her PlantYou page and her Scrappy Cooking series (plus her new cookbook!), makes creating wonderful recipes easier and more fun than ever.

What is scrappy cooking?

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“Scrappy Cooking is the concept of transforming the world’s most wasted foods into delicious recipes—and getting started is as easy as chopping a broccoli stem into a stir-fry,” she tells me via email. “Seriously, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Look at the plants you bring into your home every week and see if there are ways to reuse them.”

I converted some of them with the help of Carleigh’s Instagram page broccoli stems in fries and used up the last of mine peanut butter for a noodle salad sauce. If you want to turn your groceries into a unique meal but aren’t sure where to start, Carleigh recommends looking at every aspect of the plant.

“Every time I bring a plant into my home, I think about what part of the plant is being thrown away, and then I investigate whether it is safe to consume (this part is important)!” she says. “Once I determine that it is edible, the fun begins. A good example of this is something called celery, which I often buy. I threw away celery leaves for years, only to find that they taste almost exactly like parsley and I made an excellent base for a tabbouleh-style salad.”

Is PlantYou vegan?

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Yes, many PlantYou recipes are vegan and all plant-based! Some of Carleigh’s favorite recipes include: mocha chocolate granola with coffee grounds“chips” made from beet greens, and pickle juice as a marinade (something I learned Chick-Fil-A do!). These recipes may sound intimidating or time-consuming, but that’s exactly why Carleigh’s PlantYou social media exists.

I can speak from experience that the videos are easy to understand and put into practice. (Plus, the recipes are super versatile, because “when you cook with just plants, if you mess something up, you can almost always fix it!”). But there are a few steps that always make these messy processes easier.

“The low-hanging fruit for reducing food waste in your kitchen actually starts before you go grocery shopping,” says Carleigh. “I always advise people to sit down for an hour one day a week and then make a whole base meal plan, detailing what they plan to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then, before they go to the store, shop their refrigerator and pantry to avoid duplicate purchases. Now it’s time to put together a shopping list and only buy what you have a plan for! If done right, this will eliminate 80 percent of your food waste.”

What can I buy to save money on food?

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In addition to prepare meal (take a look at our favorite apps to combat food waste, too!), the chef + author of PlantYou recommends having a few recipes that use a bunch of ingredients at once. “It’s really important to rely on basic recipes that allow you to ‘clean out the fridge,’ and that’s basically what my new Sloppy cookbook is about,” says Carleigh Bodrug. “I wanted to provide people with great basic recipes (like stews, curries and stir-fries) where they can swap out the vegetables and produce items they have on hand every week to reduce waste and save money.”

“By using up leftovers, repurposing ingredients and being more conscious of the food you bring into your home, you will notice that your grocery bill goes down,” she continues. “The average American family of four wastes more than $1,700 on groceries each year – which equates to a phone bill every month! Not only is Scrappy good for your wallet, but it feels great to know you’re making healthier choices and contributing towards a more sustainable planet.”

Okay, so you know what you want to eat, and you did it budgeted for groceries, what now? “I look for ingredients that are versatile and can be used in multiple recipes to minimize waste,” says Carleigh. “Quality, longevity and durability are key factors in my purchasing decisions.”

What is the correct way to store food?

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After preparing recipes like the Fiesta Fries below, it’s important to store them properly so they stay fresh for as long as possible. “Use high-quality food storage and meal prep containersand keep fruits and vegetables separated to prevent them from spoiling,” says Carleigh. “Different types of food require different conditions for optimal long-term storage. This applies to fresh produce, but also to dry food and canned food.”

We all have days when we don’t want to cook (including PlantYou’s Carleigh Bodrug), which is the perfect opportunity to support a local business. “On days when I don’t feel like cooking, I usually rely on quick and easy options like smoothie bombs from my freezer, which are in my new cookbook,” she says. “I also often have homemade soup on hand that I have made ahead of time or frozen in the freezer. Sometimes my husband and I choose to order from local restaurants in our small town in Ontario, especially on Friday evenings after a night out. long work week. It’s a convenient way to support our favorite vegan small businesses while enjoying a worry-free meal.”

PlantYou’s Fiesta Fries — Delicious loaded fries you can make today!

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Ingredients:

  • 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut to desired size, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch recommended
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 cups Vegan Ground Beef or your favorite vegan ground beef substitute
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, pinto beans, or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 yellow or red onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and diced. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or extra virgin olive oil

Recommended toppings:

  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced Handful of fresh coriander (optional)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup sunflower cream sauce

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with a reusable baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl, combine the sliced ​​potatoes with the garlic powder and salt and stir until coated.
  3. Place on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes, or until crispy, turning halfway through.
  4. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, combine the ground “beef” with the black beans, onion, red pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder and water. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to turn translucent.
  5. Place everything on a serving plate with the fries on the bottom, topped with the minced meat mixture and the desired toppings.

Excerpted from PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking: 140+ Zero-Waste Plant-Based Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet by Carleigh Bodrug. Copyright © 2024. Available from Hachette Go, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

cArleigh Bodrug is the CEO and founder of PlantYou, a New York Times Bestselling cookbook author and self-taught plant-based chef, famous for her simple takes on low-waste and vegan recipes. With over ten million followers on her social channels, Carleigh has taken social media by storm with her simple and delicious, low-waste recipes, making plants the star of the show.

Her latest book, PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking: 140+ Zero-Waste Plant-Based Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet, is available NOW!

Check out our Weekend Scroll for more delicious recipes!

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