Waste not, want not! Delicious ways to make use of all your homegrown veggies

Did you know that growing your own vegetables has major benefits for the environment? Not only is it a sustainable way to feed your family, but it also means less pesticides, reduced transportation costs (of getting you and those groceries to your local store), plus plants naturally clean the air we breathe.

Many home gardeners commonly fill their plots and patios with easy-to-grow produce like tomatoes, cucumbers and green beans, so we've put together a series of recipes for three sustainable, vegan and, of course, tasty dishes to make sure none of your backyard bounty ends up as food waste.

Be sure to also check out our recipes for Oven-dried Tomato Tart With Sesame Pesto and Cucumber & Dill Pasta Salad...

 

Vegan Blackened Green Beans with Lemon and Seasoning Salt Recipe

Reminiscent of a crawfish boil, this dish is perfect for a late summer, family-style feast. For fun, serve on some paper and lay out for nibbling.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound green beans
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • Lemon wedges

SEASONING SALT

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • ½ tablespoon dried parsley or dill
  • ½ tablespoon chili powder
  • ½ tablespoon ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 250 F.
  2. Before frying, pat green beans with a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture then spread out on baking tray. Leave to dry at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes.
  3. While the beans are drying, mix together all of the ingredients for the seasoning salt in a small bowl and set aside.
  4. Add the oil to a large pot and heat on medium-high until simmering.
  5. Divide beans into four equal groups for frying.
  6. Add the first batch of beans to the hot oil and cover for the first 30 seconds to avoid any spitting.
  7. As the beans start browning, use tongs to flip and move them around.
  8. Once they are evenly browned (around 3 minutes in total), use tongs to remove beans from the pot and place on a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
  9. While beans are still warm, place in a large bowl, along with a good dash of seasoning salt, and toss to combine. Move to another plate and let sit in the oven while other beans brown.
  10. Repeat until all portions of beans have been browned and tossed with seasoning sauce.
  11. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve (no longer than 30 minutes).
  12. Serve with lemon wedges and extra seasoning salt.

Serves 4-6