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Since I started doing this blog and using a Twitter account I must admit to getting slightly obsessed by food waste. So when I saw a book by River Cottage called Love Your Leftovers. I thought that’s the book for me. Most of the recipes look great and very tasty but even I think twice about eating spicy fish skeletons! One recipe in this book that did have me intrigued was stem carpaccio, you finely slice the inside stalk of a broccoli and/or cauliflower and serve it with lemon juice and seasoning. Well I had to have a go at this, and surprisingly it tasted pretty good. I bet some West End Restaurants would give you this and you’d never guess what it was.

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Day 1
Breakfast
Toast and Jam or Porridge

Lunch
Egg and Watercress Rolls

Dinner
French Onion Tart, and Stem Salad

Snack
Coffee Cake

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RECIPE

French Onion Tart
Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 packet Ready made puff pastry

For the filling

2 tablespoons Oil
4 large Onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
80g Cheddar cheese, grated
Some beaten egg or milk
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C or Gas Mark 6.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the onions for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the white wine vinegar and brown sugar. Increase the heat and stir frequently for another 4–5 minutes until the onions turn a deep caramel colour. Cook for another 5 minutes, then reserve to cool.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry dough to about 35 cm and place onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle half the cheese over the dough, leaving a 5 cm border around the edge, then spoon the caramelized onions over the cheese. Fold the uncovered dough edges over the edge of the filling to form a rim. Brush the rim with beaten egg or milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake for 20–25 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and serve immediately.

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Broccoli Stem Carpaccio
Adapted from River Cottage Love your Leftovers

Serves 4

Ingredients

1-2 thick Broccoli and/or Cauliflower stems
Sprinkle of Thyme leaves
Pinch of Dried Chilli flakes
Feta Cheese or any similar cheese if you have it
Trickle of Olive Oil
Squeeze of Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper
A few Capers if you have them
Method

Using a Vegetable peeler or mandoline cut the stalks into thinnest possible slices.

Arrange the slices in a single layer on a plate and scatter over the other ingredients.

Trickle over the Oil and serve immediately.