4 Easy Recipes Using Food Scraps

by Barry Lewis

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

Veggie Fritters

Veggie scraps (carrot peels, potato skins, broccoli stems, onion bits—you name it)

Approx 4 tbsp flour (or leftover mashed potatoes as a binder) plus more as needed

1 egg

Salt and pepper

1tsp paprika (or whatever spices you have lying around)

 

Watermelon Curry

½ leftover watermelon peeled, rinds chopped into cubes

1 thumb size piece of ginger , chopped

2 cloves garlic (or garlic purée from a tube)

1 tablespoon oil

2tsp medium curry powder

1 tin coconut milk

300ml chicken stock

Rice to serve

 

Coffee Ground Brownie

1 heaped tbsp used coffee grounds

Chocolate brownie batter

 

Pineapple core smoothie

1 pineapple core (chopped into small bits)

½ banana (for creaminess)

200g plain yoghurt

1tbsp honey

Handful of ice (optional)

Unit conversion table Print recipe

Don’t Throw That Away! 4 Surprising Food Scrap Recipes That Taste Amazing

Hey folks! Barry here, and today, we’re talking about something absolutely bonkers—turning food scraps into ridiculously tasty meals.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Barry, mate, have you lost the plot? Maybe! But trust me, these four recipes could save you money, cut down on food waste, and taste absolutely incredible… well, 3 of the 4 did!

From crispy veggie fritters to mocha chocolate brownies made with coffee grounds, you’ll never look at your bin the same way again. So grab your scraps and let’s get cooking.

1. Crispy Veggie Scrap Fritters (The “Everything Goes” Snack)

You know those bits of veg you always toss away—carrot peels, broccoli stems, potato skins? Turns out, they make epic crispy fritters. Think golden, crunchy, and packed with flavour.

How to Make It:

  1. Chop up your veggie scraps finely or grate them. Grate the broccoli stump for example, peeled carrot, just roughly chop.
  2. Mix with flour, egg and seasonings in a bowl. Shape into ball shapes, using extra flour as needed.
  3. Heat a frying pan with a little oil, then drop your fritter balls in.
  4. Cook for three to four minutes per side until golden brown.
  5. Serve with a dip, it was really nice with mustard!

Barry’s Tip: If your mix feels too wet, add a bit more flour. Too dry? A splash of water will sort it. Add loads of spices in!

2. Watermelon Rind Curry (Trust Me, It Works!)

Watermelon rind usually ends up in the bin, right? Wrong. Turns out, it’s amazing in curry—kind of like a mix between cucumber, apple or butternut squash.

How to Make It:

  1. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the rind, ginger and garlic until softened.
  2. Add curry powder and stir for a minute to coat.
  3. Throw in the coconut milk and chicken stock.
  4. Simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes until the rind is tender and it has reduced down and thickened.
  5. Serve with rice.

Barry’s Tip: If you have leftover veggie scraps, chuck them in. Curry is very forgiving, I added carrot in mine for colour and texture.

3. Coffee Ground Brownies

This one was probably the least great, it made it more chocolatey and coffee flavoured. Used coffee grounds still have loads of flavour, so instead of chucking them, we bake them into a chocolate brownies.

How to Make It:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
  2. Make up your favourite chocolate brownie batter, stir in the coffee ground.
  3. Pour into a greased square brownie tin and bake for twenty-five minutes or until papery and cracked on top.
  4. Let it cool (if you have the patience), then slice and enjoy. See what you think!

Barry’s Tip: It adds texture for sure, so perhaps add even more coffee grounds if feeling brave!

4. Pineapple Core Smoothie (Tropical and Zero-Waste)

Pineapple cores are tougher than a maths exam, but instead of binning them, blend them into a smoothie for a tropical treat.

How to Make It:

  1. Throw everything into a blender.
  2. Blend until smooth—this might take a little longer since the core is tough.
  3. Pour into a glass with ice if using, add a straw, and pretend you’re on a beach, just maybe more exotic than Weston-Super-Mare.

Barry’s Tip: If your blender struggles, soak the pineapple core in hot water for ten minutes first.

Final Thoughts: Zero-Waste Cooking = Tasty and Budget-Friendly

So, there you have it—four ways to turn food scraps into epic meals. Not only does this save money, but it makes you feel like an absolute genius in the kitchen and show off to your chums.

Which one will you try first? Or do you have a scrap-hack recipe I should try? Drop a comment below and let’s swap ideas.

If you enjoyed this, subscribe to my YouTube channel (you know the drill—like, comment, all that good stuff), and I’ll see you next time for more food fun.

Cheers, legends!

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