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INDY POWER: MY SUSTAINABLE NOTEBOOK
Step inside the world (and kitchen) of plant-based food blogger extraordinaire Indy Power of The Little Green Spoon as she talks us through her six tips on being a more sustainable cook and shares a special recipe from her book for good measure…
The Little Green Spoon by Indy Power
1. SHOP LOCAL AND IN SEASON
"Fruit and vegetables are usually more delicious, cheaper and more nutritious as they’ve ripened naturally. Local strawberries at the moment are incredible. I love jumping out of the car and buying them on the side of the road whenever I see them" explains Indy.
2. RELY ON REUSEABLES
Indy points out her biggest tip "is to always have extra reusable bags in your car, that way you’re never stuck at the checkout."
I’m very lucky to live right by the sea so I’m passionate about ocean waste and do all my runs and walks along the coast. My favourite swimming spot is the Vico Baths in Dalkey.
Indy Power
3. AVOID EXCESS PLASTIC
"I try to buy as much fruit and veg as I can, sometimes that means forgoing something if it’s wrapped in unnecessary plastic and trying something else that’s available loose.” Indy continues “putting pressure on supermarkets by not buying items like this is the only way that they will change."
4. LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS
A big advocate of leftovers, Indy shares her secrets, "anything that won’t be used in the next day or so I freeze. There’s nothing better than defrosting a gorgeous home cooked meal from a few weeks ago on a busy week night when you don’t want to cook."
5. USE WHAT YOU HAVE
Indy reveals that every few days she does a fridge raid, "I make a big tray of random roast veg, whatever is about to go off. Then I use them in salads, curries etc. over the next few days."
6. PLAN AHEAD
Getting organised is half the battle, take a leaf out of Indy’s book by "planning a few meals for the week ahead and make a shopping list, this will help you cut down on your waste. Be sustainable with your time too and make life easier where you can. Investing in a kitchen kit that stands the test of time and cuts down on your workload is a big win. I’m a little obsessed with my Vitamix, it makes the best runny nut butters and creamy hummus in seconds flat. I use it every single day."
SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND PISTACHIO PESTO
This will soon become your favourite pesto. Marry roasted pistachios with sun-dried tomatoes and basil and you’ve got a winner. You can use this on courgetti, in salad dressings, as a marinade or as a dip.
INGREDIENTS
75g pistachios
75g sun-dried tomatoes
25g basil
2 garlic cloves
80ml olive oil
Pinch of coarse salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Dry roast the pistachios for 10 minutes.
While they’ re in the oven, roughly chop the sun - dried tomatoes and basil and mince the garlic. Add them to your food processor with the olive oil and blend until you have a chunky paste. Add in the pistachios and a pinch of course salt and blend until the pistachios are mostly broken down. I like to have some very fine and some chunky.
Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.