Bananas are one of the most commonly wasted foods in the UK, which is a shame considering they make a great binder for vegan baking. These vegan banana pancakes are great for using up brown bananas, and will give you a tasty start to your day.

These squidgy, moreish brownies have a delicious deep chocolate flavour and a little bite from the addition of walnuts. They are a great way of using leftover milk, which is one of the most wasted foods.

The flavour of the fruit really shines through in this ultimate rhubarb and oat crumble. Locally produced seasonal food is tasty and healthy as nutrients and flavours have fully developed. Eating local foods in season offers an environmental bonus.

Black bean chilli is a cheap and easy way to feed a crowd, especially if they've got different dietary requirements. It's also a great one for batch cooking at the weekend for delicious lunches that only need reheating. This recipe includes smoked paprika because it is delicious, but don't worry if you don't have any to hand as it's not essential.

Chutnies are a great way to use up fruits (both dried and fresh) and vegetables. This delicious Christmas chutney uses a blend of warming spices to make the most of what is available at this time of year.

This is a delicious plant-based take on the classic chocolate mousse dessert. You won't find a much simpler or tastier sweet anywhere try this dessert on your 'never vegan' pals and see if they notice it has no eggs or dairy.

Do your family and friends a favour and greet them with these hearty vegetarian friendly rolls. Make a ton, freeze and whip then out again and again. This is a great recipe for using up stale bread.

This is a delicious tiffin is a great way to use up any leftover festive treats like mince pies.

Vegetarian Wellington with 3 layers: mushroom and sage, roasted squash and garlic greens. This recipe was made at Food Cycle’s Pie in the Sky Community Cafe as a Christmas dinner centrepiece for our bunch of fantastic volunteers to enjoy. Give it a go and let us know your thoughts!

We have made this recipe with both shop bought puff pastry and homemade shortcrust. Both work well – the puff pastry is best if you want to make one large wellington while the shortcrust works well for individual servings.

Thriftmas gingerbread bauble biscuits.

Get thrifty this Christmas and make your own delicious tree decorations. It’s a great opportunity to spend time in the kitchen with your loved ones and build that festive excitement together whilst making your house smell sensational.

Sadly biscuits will go soft after about a week of hanging on the tree. Why not freeze half so that you have replacements to the ready. This means that each member of the family can have a period exhibiting their show in the Christmas tree gallery.

This recipe combines festive season favourites and can also be made using the abundance of festive leftover. The addition of lemon gives it a nice lift and a zing.

Where would Christmas be without a pudding? Currants and raisins, sugar and spice, orange peel, lemon peel, and everything nice. However if you tire of this precious pud, don’t let it sit neglected, freeze it in time, and transform into a delicious ice-cream in the summer months. Continue the Christmas spirit by daring to dash in a splash o' leftover rum or whiskey. A cheat's version of Rum and Raisin using leftover Christmas Pudding.

Turning sprouts into a spicy scrumptious side dish and everyone will come back for more. Give your sprouts a squash, pair them up with some chorizo and get a satisfying crunch by adding chestnuts.

Make a delicious turkey noodle soup to enjoy later in the month.

Use the turkey carcass for this soup. If not making straight away, you can freeze your carcass until you are ready. You can also use roasted chicken. This soup freezes perfectly. Make sure to allow the soup to cool completely before freezing in reusable bags or cliplock containers. Thaw bags of frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight when ready to reheat.

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This is a perfect #SavvyChristmas pud as it uses up all those bags of dried fruits you have in your pantry. Even better, you make and eat it now, meaning you can skip the months of pudding prep.

This spiced berry jam works a treat on toast or with savoury dishes. Try serving it with a festive (nut)roast or offer it as the perfect gift for a cheese loving friend. It’s quick and easy to make. Enjoy!

This is a simple recipe that uses leftover mince pies and wrapped chocolate, which people usually have large amounts of during the Christmas period.

This shortbread is a great way to use up leftover rosemary and of course lemon zest before using the juice.