We threw away 68,000 tons of perfectly good food over the summer. Let that sink in for a moment.
Overstocking, the heat, spontaneous social plans and having less motivation to cook were some of the main culprits, according to new research by Boursin. The most commonly wasted ingredients included sad vegetables, soggy pasta, wilted salad leaves and stale bread. Surprisingly, chicken, fish and even cheese made the top 20 list of frequently wasted foods.
In an effort to put a stopper in this cycle, Boursin has teamed up with Great British Bake Off star Manon Lagrève to serve up simple solutions for reducing food waste.
Aimed at the 67 per cent of us who prefer to cook simpler and less time-consuming dishes through simple family friendly recipes, Lagrève’s recipes showcase how British culinary classics can be easily elevated with the nation’s favourite indulgent cheese, Boursin, and a unique French twist.
So dig out the leftovers from the fridge, grab a pack of Boursin, and get cooking.
Vegetable Provencal Boursian tian
Provencal tian is similar to ratatouille, but cooking slightly differently— (Boursin)
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
150g of dry rice
2 tbsp of Boursin Garlic & Herbs, plus 1 tbsp to top the Tian with
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 courgettes
1 aubergine
6 tomatoes
1 red onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp of herbes de Provence
Salt and Pepper
Method:
1. Slice the aubergine and place face down in the tin, generously season with salt and leave to soak and release moisture.
2. Place the rice in a pan, with 300ml of water, ½ tsp of salt, cover and bring to boil. Once it is boiling, remove from the heat and leave for 10 minutes covered.
3. Wash and slice courgettes, tomatoes, onions and garlic.
4. Rince the aubergines, pat dry with a kitchen towel and brush with some olive oil.
5. Pre heat the oven to 180C fan oven. To assemble the Tian, drizzle some olive oil at the bottom of the tin, spread the cooked rice and crumble the 2 tbsp of Boursin on top.
6. Cover the rice with the vegetable slices, tomato, courgette, aubergine, onion, garlic then drizzle with olive oil, herbe de provence, and season well with salt and pepper.
7. Cook for 45 minutes to 1hour and serve hot!
Almond and Boursin grilled cod, with frites and peas
Boursin makes for a delectable savoury topping for grilled fish— (Boursin)
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 filets of cod, skin off
50g of shaved almonds
2 tsp of Boursin Garlic & Herbs
1 egg
1 tbsp of breadcrumbs
Fresh chives
1kg of potatoes
45ml of vegetable oil
500g of fresh peas
1 medium onion
2 tsp of salted butter
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp of mayonnaise
1 tbsp Boursin Garlic & Herbs
Salt and pepper
Method:
1. Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into thin French Fries. Place them in a large bowl of hot water and leave them to soak for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 220C.
3. Rinse and pat dry. Add the vegetable oil, 1 tsp of coarse salt and mix with your hands. Transfer to a large roasting tin to create one layer. Put a timer on for 20 minutes.
4. In the meantime, prepare the crust by mixing the almonds, Boursin, eggs and the egg.
5. Slice the onions and place in a roasting tin with the peas, garlic and salted butter diced. Add the cod on top of the peas, season with salt and pepper then divide the crust and spread it on top of the cod.
6. Use a spatula to mix the French fries in the oven and place at the bottom of the oven, turn the temperature down to 210C and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Make the Boursin mayo and serve the fish on top of the peas, add some dill and the French fries. Voila!
Creamy plant-based Boursin pasta (vegan)
Plant-based cheese makes this vegan pasta extra creamy— (Boursin)
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
400g of dry pasta (or leftover cooked pasta)
100g of fresh peas cooked.
100g of pine nuts
300g of cherry tomatoes
1 pack of Boursin Plant-Based (130g)
2 tbsp of olive oil
½ red onion
A small bunch of fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Method:
1. In a pan, fry the diced onions with the olive oil for a couple of minutes, then add the cherry tomatoes and fry for 3 minutes.
2. Use a spatula to pop in some of the tomatoes. Add the pine nuts and a couple of tbsp of water if needed. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Cook the pasta in salted water respecting the package instructions.
4. Remove the sauce from the heat, mix the Boursin in with a fork in a bowl, then add to the tomato sauce. Finally pour the just cooked pasta over the top.
5. Serve the pasta, top with some peas, a tsp of plant-based Boursin and some fresh basil.
Boursin and spinach stuffed chicken roulade
Roulade is a classic French dish that will impress your guests— (Boursin)
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
300g of baby spinach
2 tbsp of breadcrumbs
100g of Boursin Garlic & Herbs
4 slices of Jambon de Bayonne or Parma ham
1 big white cabbage
2 tbps of salted butter at room temperature
2 tbsp of Boursin Garlic & Herbs
500ml of boiling water
2 tbsp of olive oil
A sprinkle of parsley
Method:
1. Place the baby spinach in a colander and pour the boiling water over to cook it. Then press it against the colander to remove as much moisture as possible.
2. In a bowl, mix the cooked spinach, breadcrumbs and Boursin to make a paste.
3. Spread a chicken breast, then slice the thicker side from the inside to extend the chicken breast and make it thinner and larger. Spread 1 tbsp of the Boursin mix in the middle and roll the breast to make a tight roulade. Then wrap the chicken breast with the Parma ham and place in an oven dish. Repeat with the rest of the chicken breasts. Set aside in a roasting tin.
4. Pre heat the oven to 200C fan.
5. Cut the cabbage into wedges and dip in water to add moisture. Drizzle a roasting tin with olive oil and place the wedges on top. Mix the Boursin and butter together and brush it over the cabbage wedges. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Place the chicken on top of the oven shelf and the cabbage at the bottom and roast for 30 minutes.
7. Baste the chicken with the juices a couple of times through cooking.
8. Serve hot and sprinkle with parsley.
Boursin and butternut squash filled conchiglioni (vegetarian)
Big pasta shells are the perfect vehicle for a creamy, garlic filling— (Boursin)
Ingredients:
For the stuffing:
500g of squash or pumpkin, diced skin off
1 tbsp of olive oil
100g of parmesan
100g of Boursin Garlic & Herbs
For the sauce:
2 cans of good quality diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 bunch of fresh basil
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp of olive oil
Extras/alternatives:
Mozzarella
Extra Boursin Garlic & Herbs
500g of large conchiglioni
Method:
1. Pre heat the oven to 220C and roast the squash with the olive oil for 30 minutes until tender.
2. In the meantime, start to make the sauce. Add the olive oil and the diced garlic and fry on medium heat for a few minutes, add the oregano and half of the fresh basil and fry for another minute. Add the canned tomatoes, the stock cube and 100ml of water.
3. Add the sugar and leave to simmer on low heat until the end of the recipe.
4. In a blender or a food processor, add the rest of the stuffing ingredients and the roasted squash and season then, blend for a minute. Pour that into a piping bag.
5. Season the tomato sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Optional, you can use your food processor to blend it to a smooth sauce if you wish.
6. Pour the tomato sauce onto an oven dish and start to fill up the Conchiglioni one by one, simply using the piping bag. Spread the filled Conchiglioni on top of the tomato sauce.
7. Top with the mozzarella and crumble some Boursin. Cover with tin foil.
8. Cook for 40min at 200C covered, then remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes.
Boursin hachis parmentier
Hachis parmentier is a type of casserole that’s perfect for leftovers— (Boursin)
Ingredients:
500g of mince beef
1 shallot
1 onion
3 carrots
2 cloves of garlic
30g of butter
Salt and pepper
1kg of potatoes
50g of butter
200ml of warm milk
½ tsp of nutmeg
1 broccoli
100g of Boursin Garlic & Herbs, plus extra to crumble
Method:
1. Peel and dice the potatoes and transfer to a large pan, cover with cold water, generous amount of salt for 30 minutes.
2. Dice the carrots, onion, shallot and garlic. Heat up a pan, add the 30g of butter and the carrots, onion, shallots and garlic. Fry for a few minutes until softened.
3. Add the minced beef to the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the meat to your oven tin and set aside.
5. Boil and cook the broccoli in salted water for 8-10 minutes. Drain the water, then mash the broccoli with a masher or a fork and add the Boursin to it.
6. To make the purée, drain the water from the potatoes, then add the warm milk, the 50g of butter and season well with salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes with a masher to make the purée.
7. Preheat oven to 220C fan.
8. To finish the Hachis, spread the purée on top of the mince, spoon the broccoli on top of the purée and make some swirls with a fork. Sprinkle some Boursin on top.
9. Place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes and serve hot with a small, dressed salad.
