How to use up roasted vegies and old bread, plus a recipe for mixed pulse soup.

Leftover roasted vegetable arancini balls

Makes: 10

INGREDIENTS

250g cooked leftover risotto

100g leftover roasted vegetables, chopped 50g grated cheese (mixed mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano)

100g plain flour

1 egg, beaten

100g breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil, for frying

METHOD

Combine the risotto, vegetables and the cheese in a mixing bowl and mix well to combine. Shape a heaped spoonful (or weigh 35g of mixture) into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make about 10 balls in total. Place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 shallow dishes. Dip each ball into the flour, dusting off the excess, then dip in the egg and then coat in breadcrumbs. Place the arancini balls on a plate, cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a saucepan – you can check if it's ready by pressing a wooden chopstick or skewer to the bottom of the pan; if it forms small bubbles around its base, the oil is hot enough. Fry the balls, a couple at a time, for about 4 minutes, or until golden all over.

Mixed pulsed soup

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

250g leftover mixed pulses (cannellini beans, borlotti beans, lentils, chickpeas, spelt)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

100g mixed vegetable scraps (onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes)

1 litre vegetable stock

1 bouquet garni with thyme, rosemary, sage, bay leaves

Sea salt and black pepper

METHOD

Soak the pulses in cold water the night before. The next day, drain well. Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the vegetable scraps for 5 minutes, then add the drained pulses. Stir and then cover with the vegetable stock. Add the bouquet garni. Bring slowly to the boil, season to taste, then cover the pan with a lid and cook slowly for about 1 hour, adding more stock if needed. Once cooked, remove the bouquet garni and drizzle with oil.

Ribollita with stale bread

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

150g mixed vegetable scraps (onion, celery, carrot, parsley)

250g cavolo nero, tough stalks removed and roughly chopped

150g savoy cabbage, sliced

225g tinned cannellini beans, rinsed

4 stale sourdough bread slices, cut into chunks

Sea salt and black pepper

METHOD

Heat the oil in a pan over low heat. Add the vegetable scraps and cook for 7-8 minutes. Stir in the cavolo nero, cabbage and beans. Cover with 500ml water and cook for 15 minutes. Add the bread and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste and drizzle with oil.

This is an edited extract from No Waste Kitchen: Hachette Healthy Living by Amelia Wasiliev. Published by Hachette Australia, RRP $19.99.