Ways I Reduced Food Waste This Week – Apples, Tofu, & Cherry Tomatoes

Kira Simpson

Welcome back to another week of food saving, a series where I show how I rescue fresh produce from the depths of my crisper drawer, saving it from ending up in landfill.

This week’s food saving involves some ripe cherry tomatoes, a few apples, and a block of tofu that was at its use-by date.

This week’s video can be found here, and all my weekly waste posts and recipes are saved under the guides tab on Instagram.

Vegan spicy Sticky Tofu

Apple Muffins

The vegan apple muffins were made using a recipe from Rainbow Nourishments. These muffins are moist and sweet, and so delicious. We demolished them in one weekend! Anthea is my go-to for vegan baking; I’ve never had a fail following her recipes!

Cherry tomatoes

For lunch on Saturday I sauteed the cherry tomatoes in a pan with a little olive oil, and once they were soft, I mashed them lightly then spooned them onto some thick pieces of fresh sourdough. Topped off with feta, fresh basil from the garden, flaky salt and a drizzle of garlic-infused olive oil. I am drooling thinking about how good it was. It’s funny, I can make the most decadent meals, but often it’s the simplest ones that are most loved and requested to be made again.

vegan apple muffins
food waste recipes cherry tomatoes
vegan sweet spicy tofu recipe

Spicy, Sticky Tofu

Serves four with rice and veggies on the side

You’ll need

  • 1 block of firm tofu
  • 1 Tsp corn flour
  • 1 Tsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp Gochujang (sriracha works as well)
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • Sesame seeds and spring onion to garnish

Instructions

  1. ​Start by pressing your tofu. I use a tea towel and a stack of heavy books. Leave for 20 minutes so the tea towel can absorb the moisture.
  2. Break the tofu into small chunks and toss with the olive oil and corn flour and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly crispy.
  3. To make the sauce, mix the gochujang (or sriracha) maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce (or tamari), and you can add more or less of each ingredient depending on your taste, to make it sweeter, saltier, or spicier.
  4. Heat your fry pan and add in some olive oil and garlic, lightly brown, then add the tofu and sauce.
  5. Stir in the sauce, so the tofu is coated and let simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
  6. Serve with rice and greens, and top with sesame seeds and spring onions.

This will keep for up to five days in the fridge in an airtight container.

Kira Simpson

Kira Simpson is an environmentalist and sustainability expert. She started The Green Hub as a blog in 2015, which has since grown to become one of Australia’s largest education sites dedicated to helping people live a more sustainable lifestyle.