Top 20 'Scrap-to-Spectacular' Recipes to cook in 2025 - Goh Ling Yong
Welcome to the kitchen of the future—a place where creativity, sustainability, and incredible flavour collide! If you've ever looked at a pile of vegetable peels, a stale loaf of bread, or a chicken carcass and felt a pang of guilt tossing it in the bin, then you're in the right place. The 'scrap-to-spectacular' movement is more than just a trend; it's a mindful approach to cooking that respects our ingredients, saves money, and unlocks a world of delicious possibilities hiding in plain sight.
Here on the Goh Ling Yong blog, we believe that reducing food waste shouldn't feel like a chore. It should be an exciting culinary adventure. It’s about transforming the overlooked and underappreciated parts of our food into dishes that are not just edible, but truly exceptional. As we look towards 2025, let's make it the year we revolutionise our kitchens, turning our trash into treasure, one delicious recipe at a time.
Get ready to challenge your perceptions of what's "scrap" and what's a star ingredient. We've curated the top 20 scrap-to-spectacular recipes that will inspire you to cook more consciously and creatively. From savoury snacks to decadent desserts, these ideas will change the way you see your food forever.
1. Broccoli Stem Slaw with a Zesty Twist
We all love the florets, but that thick, woody broccoli stalk often gets the chop straight into the compost. What a waste! The stalk has a wonderfully crisp, crunchy texture and a mild, slightly sweet flavour, reminiscent of a kohlrabi. It’s the perfect canvas for a vibrant and refreshing slaw.
To make it, simply peel the tough outer layer of the stalk and then shred it using a box grater or a food processor. Toss the shreds with finely sliced red onion, grated carrots, and a handful of toasted sunflower seeds for extra crunch. The dressing is key: a zesty mix of Greek yogurt (or a vegan alternative), a splash of apple cider vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a dollop of Dijon mustard brings it all together.
- Pro Tip: Don't stop at broccoli! You can use the same method for cauliflower stalks, which are equally delicious. For an extra flavour boost, add some chopped fresh herbs like dill or parsley to your dressing.
2. Root-to-Leaf Carrot Top Pesto
Those beautiful, feathery green tops on a bunch of fresh carrots are packed with flavour and nutrients. Instead of tossing them, transform them into a vibrant, peppery pesto that rivals its classic basil counterpart. The flavour is earthy and herbaceous, with a unique character that pairs wonderfully with pasta, roasted vegetables, or as a spread on crusty bread.
Making it is simple. Just wash the carrot tops thoroughly and blitz them in a food processor with garlic, toasted walnuts or pine nuts, a generous amount of Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for a vegan version), a squeeze of lemon juice, and a steady stream of good-quality olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and you have a stunning, zero-waste sauce.
- Pro Tip: Carrot tops can have a slightly bitter edge. To mellow this out, you can quickly blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then plunge them into an ice bath before making your pesto.
3. The Ultimate Veggie Scrap Broth
This is the foundational recipe of scrap cooking. Never buy boxed broth again! Keep a large bag or container in your freezer and, throughout the week, add your clean vegetable scraps: onion and garlic peels, carrot and celery ends, leek greens, mushroom stems, and herb stalks. Avoid cruciferous veggies like broccoli or cabbage, as they can make the broth bitter.
Once your bag is full, simply empty the frozen scraps into a large pot, cover with water, and add a bay leaf and a few black peppercorns. Let it simmer gently for at least an hour (or longer for a richer flavour). Strain the liquid, and you’ll have a golden, flavourful broth that’s a perfect base for soups, stews, risottos, and sauces.
- Pro Tip: For a deeper, more roasted flavour, toss your vegetable scraps on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil and roast at 200°C (400°F) until they are caramelised before simmering them.
4. Crispy Potato Peel "Fries"
Don't you dare throw away those potato peels! When baked or air-fried, they transform into addictively crispy, chip-like snacks. This is a fantastic way to use up the skins from a big batch of mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes. The key is to make sure the peels are clean and thoroughly dry.
Toss the dry peels in a bowl with a light coating of olive oil and your favourite seasonings. Smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt are a classic combination, but feel free to get creative with rosemary, chili powder, or even a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and irresistibly crunchy.
- Pro Tip: For the absolute crispiest results, soak the peels in cold water for 30 minutes before drying them. This removes excess starch, leading to a superior crunch.
5. Candied Citrus Peels
Before you squeeze that lemon or orange and toss the peel, stop! Those peels are bursting with aromatic oils that can be transformed into a sophisticated sweet treat. Candied citrus peels are a beautiful garnish for cocktails and desserts, a flavourful addition to baked goods, or simply a delicious snack on their own.
The process involves simmering the peels in water to remove their bitterness, then gently cooking them in a simple syrup until they become tender and translucent. Once they're done, roll them in granulated sugar for a sparkling finish. The leftover citrus-infused syrup is a bonus—perfect for sweetening iced tea or drizzling over pancakes.
- Pro Tip: Use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the peel in long, wide strips, trying to leave as much of the white pith behind as possible, as the pith is the most bitter part.
6. Pickled Watermelon Rinds
This is a classic 'waste-not, want-not' recipe that will surprise and delight your taste buds. The white part of the watermelon rind, which is usually discarded, has a firm texture similar to a cucumber, making it perfect for pickling. The resulting pickles are a delightful combination of sweet, sour, and spicy.
After removing the tough green outer skin, cube the white rind and simmer it until tender. Then, submerge it in a hot pickling liquid made from vinegar, sugar, water, and spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise. Let them marinate in the fridge for at least a day to allow the flavours to meld. They're a fantastic accompaniment to grilled meats or charcuterie boards.
- Pro Tip: Save the brine! After you've enjoyed all the pickles, the flavourful brine can be used as a base for salad dressings or as a marinade for chicken or pork.
7. Parmesan Rind Broth Bomb
The hard, waxy rind of a Parmesan cheese wheel is a flavour powerhouse you should never throw away. It's packed with concentrated umami and nutty notes that can elevate soups, stews, and sauces from good to unforgettable. Think of it as a secret weapon for adding depth and richness.
Simply drop the entire rind into your pot of minestrone, tomato sauce, or bean soup as it simmers. The heat will soften the rind and release its incredible flavour into the liquid. Just remember to fish it out before serving, as it will be very soft but still a bit tough to chew.
- Pro Tip: Keep a bag of Parmesan rinds in your freezer. They last indefinitely and you can pull one out whenever you need an instant flavour boost for your cooking.
8. Stale Bread Panzanella Salad
Stale bread isn't a lost cause; it's an opportunity! Panzanella is a classic Italian bread salad designed specifically to use up day-old, crusty loaves. The stale bread acts like a sponge, soaking up the juices from ripe tomatoes and a tangy vinaigrette without turning to complete mush.
Cube your stale bread, toss it with a little olive oil, and toast it in the oven until golden and crunchy. In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread with juicy, chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumber, red onion, and fresh basil. Drizzle generously with a simple red wine vinaigrette and let it sit for about 20-30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to marry.
- Pro Tip: Use a sturdy, rustic loaf like ciabatta or sourdough for the best texture. Soft sandwich bread will disintegrate and become too soggy.
9. Banana Peel "Pulled Pork"
This might be the most mind-bending recipe on the list, but trust me, it's a game-changer for plant-based cooking. The fibrous texture of a banana peel, when cooked and shredded, bears an uncanny resemblance to pulled pork. It's a brilliant way to create a convincing vegan barbecue sandwich.
Scrape out the bitter white pith from the inside of the peel, then boil the peels to soften them. Shred the softened peels with a fork and then sauté them with onions, garlic, and your favourite smoky barbecue sauce. Simmer until the sauce has thickened and the "pulled" peels are tender and flavourful. Serve piled high on a bun with coleslaw.
- Pro Tip: Use the peels from bananas that are just ripe (yellow with a few brown spots). Overripe, black peels can be too thin and sweet for this savoury application.
10. Roast Chicken Carcass Pho
After you've enjoyed a delicious roast chicken, the journey isn't over. That carcass is the key to one of the most flavourful and soul-soothing broths you'll ever make. Making a pho-style broth is an incredible way to extract every last bit of flavour from the bones.
Place the chicken carcass in a large pot with charred onions and ginger, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Cover with water and simmer for several hours. The resulting broth will be deeply aromatic and complex. Strain it and serve over rice noodles with leftover shredded chicken, fresh herbs like mint and cilantro, bean sprouts, and a squeeze of lime.
- Pro Tio: Don't be afraid to add other "scraps" to the broth pot, like the mushroom stems or carrot ends from your freezer stash, for even more depth.
11. Cauliflower Leaf & Core Gratin
The tough outer leaves and dense core of a cauliflower head are perfectly edible and delicious when cooked properly. Instead of binning them, turn them into a creamy, comforting gratin. The leaves wilt down like cabbage, and the core becomes tender and sweet.
Chop the core and leaves into bite-sized pieces and blanch them for a few minutes to tenderise. Drain well and place them in a baking dish. Cover with a simple béchamel sauce, top with breadcrumbs (made from stale bread, of course!) and a grating of cheese, and bake until golden and bubbly. It’s a hearty side dish or a satisfying vegetarian main.
- Pro Tip: The large, dark green outer leaves have the best flavour. Wash them thoroughly, as grit can hide in the crevices.
12. Aquafaba Meringues
Aquafaba, the viscous liquid from a can of chickpeas, is pure magic. It whips up just like egg whites, making it an incredible vegan substitute for making meringues, mousses, and macarons. It’s the ultimate "free" ingredient that most people pour straight down the drain.
To make meringues, simply drain the liquid from a can of unsalted chickpeas into a clean, grease-free bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip the aquafaba until it forms soft peaks. Gradually add caster sugar while continuing to whip until you have a thick, glossy, and stiff meringue. Pipe onto a baking sheet and bake at a low temperature until crisp.
- Pro Tip: A small amount of cream of tartar or a splash of lemon juice will help stabilise the aquafaba and create a stronger meringue structure.
13. Pineapple Core & Skin Tepache
Don't throw away the tough core and spiky skin of a pineapple! In Mexico, these scraps are used to make Tepache, a lightly fermented, fizzy, and incredibly refreshing probiotic drink. It's wonderfully simple to make at home and tastes like a tropical paradise.
In a large glass jar, combine the pineapple core and skin with piloncillo (or brown sugar), a cinnamon stick, and a few cloves. Cover with water, leaving a few inches of headspace. Cover the jar with a cloth and let it ferment at room temperature for 2-3 days. You'll see bubbles start to form. Strain the liquid, bottle it, and chill before serving.
- Pro Tip: Use the scraps from a ripe, organic pineapple for the best flavour and to avoid any pesticides on the skin. Be sure to wash the outside of the pineapple well before cutting it.
14. Leek Green & Feta Tart
The dark, tough green tops of leeks are often discarded in favour of the tender white and light green parts. However, when slow-cooked, these fibrous greens become silky, tender, and intensely flavourful. They are the perfect filling for a rustic, savoury tart.
Thinly slice the leek greens and sauté them slowly in butter or olive oil with a bit of garlic until they are completely soft and sweet. Let the mixture cool, then stir in some crumbled feta cheese and a beaten egg. Spoon this filling into a pre-baked pastry shell and bake until the filling is set. It’s an elegant lunch or light dinner.
- Pro Tip: Leek greens can be very gritty. The best way to clean them is to slice them first and then wash them thoroughly in a large bowl of cold water, letting the grit sink to the bottom.
15. Shrimp Shell & Head Stock
If you're buying shell-on shrimp, you're getting a two-for-one deal. The shells and heads are packed with an intense seafood flavour that creates a liquid gold stock. This stock is the secret to phenomenal bisques, paellas, risottos, and cioppino.
After peeling your shrimp, sauté the shells and heads in a pot with a little oil until they turn pink and fragrant. Add some aromatic vegetables like onion, celery, and garlic, along with a splash of white wine or brandy to deglaze the pot. Cover with water, simmer for 20-30 minutes (no longer, or it can turn bitter), and then strain carefully.
- Pro Tip: For an even richer flavour, toast the shells in the oven before simmering them. This deepens the flavour and adds a wonderful roasted note to your stock.
16. Sourdough Discard Crackers
Anyone who maintains a sourdough starter is familiar with the concept of "discard"—the portion you remove before feeding. Instead of throwing it away, you can use it to make incredibly crisp, tangy, and addictive crackers. It's one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to use up your discard.
Simply mix your sourdough discard with some melted butter or olive oil, a bit of flour to make it a rollable consistency, and your choice of seasonings. Herbs like rosemary and thyme, seeds like sesame and poppy, or even just flaky sea salt work beautifully. Roll the dough as thinly as possible, score it, and bake until golden brown and snappy.
- Pro Tip: The flavour of your crackers will depend on the maturity of your discard. A freshly-fed discard will yield a milder cracker, while one that's been in the fridge for a week will be much more tangy and sour.
17. Apple Core & Peel Vinegar
Making your own raw apple cider vinegar is surprisingly easy and a fantastic use for the cores and peels left over from making an apple pie or apple sauce. Homemade vinegar is alive with beneficial bacteria and has a much more complex and delicate flavour than store-bought varieties.
Place your apple scraps in a large, clean glass jar, filling it about halfway. Dissolve some sugar in water (about 1 tablespoon of sugar per cup of water) and pour it over the scraps until they are fully submerged. Cover the jar with a cheesecloth secured with a rubber band and let it ferment in a dark place for a few weeks, stirring daily. Eventually, it will transform from sweet cider to tangy vinegar.
- Pro Tip: You may see a gelatinous layer form on top. This is the "mother," a sign of a healthy fermentation process. You can save it to kickstart your next batch of vinegar.
18. Mushroom Stem Duxelles
Don't snap off and discard those mushroom stems! While they can be a bit tougher than the caps, they are full of the same earthy flavour. One of the best ways to use them is to make a duxelles, a classic French preparation of finely chopped mushrooms sautéed with shallots and herbs.
Finely mince the mushroom stems (a food processor makes quick work of this). Sauté minced shallots in butter until soft, then add the mushroom stems and cook until all the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is deeply browned. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. This rich paste is a fantastic filling for omelettes, a topping for steak, or a base for a flavourful sauce.
- Pro Tip: This technique works with any kind of mushroom stem, from simple button mushrooms to portobellos or shiitakes. The flavour will vary depending on the mushroom used.
19. Coffee Ground "Soil" Brownies
Used coffee grounds still have a lot of life left in them. While they're great for your garden, they can also add an incredible depth of flavour to baked goods. In brownies, they impart a rich, earthy, mocha-like flavour and a delicate texture that is often called "chocolate soil" in high-end restaurants.
Simply mix a few tablespoons of dried, used coffee grounds directly into your favourite brownie batter. The grounds will add a subtle bitterness that balances the sweetness of the chocolate and enhances its flavour. The result is a brownie that is intensely rich and complex, with a grown-up flavour profile.
- Pro Tip: Make sure your grounds are completely dry before adding them to the batter. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake them in a low oven for 10-15 minutes to dry them out.
20. Stuffed Bell Pepper Tops
When you slice the top off a bell pepper to stuff it, what do you do with that top? Don't toss it! These little "lids" make perfect, single-bite appetisers. They are adorable, reduce waste, and are incredibly versatile.
After removing the stem, the top of the pepper forms a perfect little cup. Fill it with a mixture of cream cheese, herbs, and garlic for a simple, fresh bite. Or, for something heartier, stuff it with a bit of cooked quinoa, black beans, and corn, top with cheese, and bake until warm. They're a fun and delicious way to use every part of the pepper.
- Pro Tip: Choose peppers with a relatively flat top to ensure your mini-stuffed pepper cups can stand upright.
Cooking from scrap to spectacular is a journey of discovery. As my good friend and fellow food lover Goh Ling Yong often says, the most sustainable kitchen is a creative one. It's about looking at an ingredient not for what it is, but for what it could become.
Start with one recipe that intrigues you. Maybe it's the crispy potato peels or the fragrant carrot top pesto. Once you see how easy and delicious it is to reduce waste, you’ll be hooked. Let 2025 be the year you unlock the hidden potential in your kitchen scraps and cook with more intention, flavour, and joy.
Which of these 'scrap-to-spectacular' recipes are you most excited to try? Do you have your own favourite zero-waste kitchen hack? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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