'Too Good To Waste' recipes: From broad bean pod fritters to carrot ravioli

With a bit of smart thinking and a few quick fixes, you can whip up delicious dishes that use up all your leftovers. Here’s three recipes from Victoria Glass to inspire you

Turn less-than-fresh veggies into fritters for a quick and easy snack (Photography by Danielle Wood)

Broad bean pod fritters with sriracha mayonnaise

Don’t be suspicious of these furry husks. These fritters make a delicious, moreish snack – perfect with a cold beer on a sunny day. The batter can also be used for other vegetables that have seen better days, such as green beans, mangetout/snow peas or limp carrot batons.

Serves 4

200g/7oz/scant 1⅔ cups gram flour or plain/all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin 
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Good grinding of black pepper
About 25 empty broad/fava bean pods and outer skins from 500g/1lb 2oz whole beans
Sunflower, vegetable or rapeseed/canola oil, for frying
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1-2 tbsp sriracha (or to taste)
75g/2½oz/⅓ cup classic mayonnaise

Put the flour into a bowl and stir in the salt, cumin, cayenne and black pepper, then gradually whisk in 250ml/9fl oz/generous 1 cup of water, or enough water to make a batter the thickness of double/heavy cream. Discard any woody or stringy bits from the pods, usually found at the ends and along the joins of the pods. Cut the pods in half lengthways along the join, then cut them at an angle into roughly 5cm/1¾in lengths.

Pour enough oil into a heavy-based saucepan so that it is about 8cm/3¼in deep. Heat over a medium heat until the fat reaches 180C/350F, or until a small piece of bread sizzles when dropped in.

Working in batches, dunk the pods in the batter, then carefully lower them into the oil, being careful not to splash yourself with hot oil. Fry for a couple of minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. You can keep the cooked fritters warm in a moderate oven while you cook the rest, if you like. Continue frying the pods in batches until they are all cooked. Sprinkle the hot fritters with salt flakes.

Stir the sriracha into the mayonnaise to the strength you prefer and serve alongside for guests to dunk the fritters.

Tip: If your mayonnaise has split, you can rescue it by whisking a new egg yolk in a fresh bowl with a splash of water, before gradually whisking in the split sauce.

Carrot ravioli with hazelnut pesto and crispy carrot peel crisps

500g/1lb 2oz fresh pasta dough (see tip)

For the filling

300g/10½oz carrots, scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1cm/½in rounds (reserving the peel)
1 tbsp olive oil
15g/½oz/1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1½-2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp chilli/hot pepper flakes

Juice of ½ lemon
75g/2½oz goat’s curd
25g/1oz/⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, separated
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the hazelnut pesto

50g hazelnuts, lightly toasted
Green carrot tops, if available
1 large bunch of flat leaf parsley
½-1 garlic clove, crushed
Juice of ½ lemon
40g grated parmesan cheese
200ml extra virgin olive oil

For the crispy carrot peel crisps

Reserved carrot peelings, dried
Drizzle of olive oil

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. To make the filling, toss the carrots in the oil, season and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until tender and golden. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan and sweat the onion and garlic for 10 minutes until translucent. Season and stir in the chilli. Leave to cool. Transfer to a food processor with the carrots, lemon juice, goat’s curd, parmesan and egg yolk and blitz to a paste. Season to taste, if necessary.

Lightly flour the dough and roll it out using a rolling pin or pasta machine until it is thin enough that if you rest it on the open pages of a book, you can see the writing through it. Working quickly, put a long strip of pasta on the surface and put heaped teaspoons of filling at 5cm/2in intervals. Brush some beaten egg white around each mound of filling and place another sheet of pasta on top. Cup around each mound with your hands to expel any air bubbles and seal the pasta, then cut out with a 4cm/1½in cutter.

Blitz all the pesto ingredients to a paste, seasoning to taste.

Tip: To make pasta, make a well in 300g/10½oz/2½ cups “00” flour, add 3 large eggs and mix to combine. Knead on a lightly floured surface until the dough is silken and elastic. Wrap, chill for 30 minutes, then roll.

Wilted watercress and chicken wonton soup

Serves 4-6

For the wonton skins (makes 72)

250g/9oz/2 cups plain/all purpose flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 egg cornflour/cornstarch, for dusting

For the filling (makes 36)

1 tbsp sunflower oil
Small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, scrubbed and chopped
50g/1¾oz/¾ cup chestnut/cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Thumb of root ginger, peeled and finely grated
Good grinding of black pepper
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
100g/3½oz/2 cups watercress, finely chopped

For the soup

1.5l/52fl oz/6½ cups intense chicken stock
3 spring onions/scallions, finely sliced
Thumb of root ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
3 tbsp soy sauce
100g/3½oz/2 cups watercress, roughly chopped

This is the perfect way to turn a forgotten bag of watercress languishing at the back of the fridge into a first-rate supper. Homemade wonton skins are simple to make, but take a little time. This recipe makes enough to stash half in your freezer for another day – or use shop-bought if you can find them.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Beat the egg with about 5 tablespoons of water, then slowly pour it into the well. Roughly mix with a fork until most of the egg has been absorbed, then knead to a soft and pliable dough, adding a little more water if needed. Tip out of the bowl and knead for about 5 minutes until elastic. Put the dough in a large bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface until it is as thin as filo pastry and 24cm/9½in square. Cut each sheet into 8cm/3¼in squares and dust with plenty of cornflour/cornstarch before stacking them. This will make 72 wonton skins. Stack half with more cornflour/cornstarch (or they’ll stick together in a sad little lump), put in an airtight box and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight when you need them. Continue with the remaining skins.

Heat the oil for the filling and fry the onion, carrot, mushrooms and garlic for 10 minutes until soft. Stir in the ginger, pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the watercress until wilted. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. One at a time, place 1 teaspoon of filling on a wonton skin and brush the edges with water. Fold the skin in half, seal, then fold in the sides.

Bring all the soup ingredients, except the watercress, to a simmer in a saucepan. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the watercress and wontons and boil for 4 minutes before serving.

Extracted from ‘Too Good To Waste’ by Victoria Glass (Nourish Books, £14.99)