With Lent just around the corner on 1 March, you may be considering giving up a certain food for 40 days – chocolate, sugar, carbs… or whatever your guilty food pleasure may be. Why not give up food waste? According to charity consumer campaign, Love Food Hate Waste, the average UK citizen throws away around £200 of quality food away every year and for families, the figure soars to around £700. Think about all the other things you could be spending that money on – a sunny holiday in the Mediterranean, a spa weekend, a brand new TV, or a wardrobe refresh – whatever you’re into, I bet you can think of something better to spend your money on than food that’s going to end up in the bin.
Love Food Hate Waste will be running a 40 Day challenge over the Lent period, from 1 March – 13 April, to raise awareness of how small changes in the way you buy, prepare, serve and store food, can make a big difference in reducing leftover food waste.
To help you think about how best to use up your leftovers, I’m sharing one of my favourite recipes for using up popular spring leftover, roast lamb – lamb, leek and mint risotto. Rich and aromatic, this is the perfect way to transform leftover lamb into a hearty, comforting meal.
Lamb stock forms the base of the risotto and if you have any leftover from when you roasted the lamb that would be ideal to use, but if you used it all to make gravy, use a Knorr lamb stock cube or, if you’re using a leg of lamb, use the bones and trimmings to make your own lamb stock.
In a nod to St David’s Day on 1 March, my recipe uses leeks; the national emblem of Wales. Leeks have many uses as leftovers such as in salads, soups and casseroles.
Lamb, leek and mint risotto
Ingredients
- 150g Organic Arborio Rice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp Freshly chopped mint
- 100g Leftover cooked lamb,
- 1L Lamb stock (boil bone if need be)
- 2 leeks
- 50g butter
Method
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and sautée the leeks over a gentle heat for one minute, until softened.
2. Meanwhile, pour the lamb stock into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to the boil.
3. Combine the rice with the leeks, stirring until the rice is fully coated in the melted butter and oil.
4. Add the lamb stock gradually, a ladle at a time, stirring continuously. When the rice becomes plump and the mixture thickens, stop adding stock.
5. Add the lamb, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook for a further ten minutes, until the meat is heated throughout.
6. Serve the risotto immediately, garnished with freshly chopped mint.
Tell me about your favourite leftover recipes below 🙂
Love the lamb and mint combo? Check out these recipes before you head off:
This is sponsored by Love Food Hate Waste.
Not a bad idea to do – I think we could all do it
I agree, and think of the money we’d save too!
This is a really fantastic challenge by Love Food Hate Waste. And I didn’t even know they existed until I read your post! I will try this risotto over the weekend.
I’m glad you like the idea of the challenge. Let me know how the risotto was if you tried it out 🙂
My husband is a big fan of lamb so would really like this. My favourite leftover recipe is bubble & squeak
I love a good bubble and squeak 🙂
Love this recipe we have got some lamb we need to use up and this meal will be perfect.
This sounds delicious, I’ll have to try it out!
I hate to waste food so using leftovers in another dish is something I heartily approve, this looks lush x
It was really nice 🙂 And I was glad I didn’t waste food, as it’s something I’m really trying to cut down on.
I’ve never thought of making a lamb risotto, great way of using leftovers. I use currys to make use of leftovers, you can throw all sorts in those.
Me neither until now, but I had some leftover lamb and I haven’t done a risotto in ages, so I thought I’d give it go! Lamb curry is delicious though, it’s making me hungry thinking about it!
I really love lamb and this recipe looks so delicious! I’m a fan of creating recipes for using up leftovers as well x
It was really good, I’d definitely make it again 🙂
This sounds delicious, I absolutely love Lamb and risotto of any sort. I actually make a Mushroom, pea and bacon risotto when they need to be used up in the fridge and it’s beautiful!
Mushroom, pea and bacon risotto sounds lovely! I love experimenting with different ingredients in my risottos.
Mushroom, pea and bacon risotto sounds lovely! I love experimenting with different ingredients in my risottos.