November is here, and with it comes some lovely seasonal produce that’s perfect for warming meals, comforting puddings and a bit of batch cooking.

But what happens when you’ve bought a whole squash and only need half? Or you’ve got a few bits and pieces in the fridge that need using before they go past their best?

This month, I’m looking at how your Thermomix can help you make the most of what you’ve got. From finding different ways to use the same ingredients to making useful staples and freezing meals for another day, it’s all about getting more from your food and wasting less.

And, of course, I’ve got some delicious Cookidoo recipe recommendations to help you put it all into practice.

📢Important Cookidoo Subscription Update

A quick heads-up! Cookidoo is standardising its annual subscription price to £50 for everyone.

If you’re already paying £50, nothing changes. If you’re still on the original £40 subscription, the price will increase to £50 at your next renewal date.

Cookidoo has introduced lots of improvements over the years, with more to come!

Top tip: Always renew directly through the Cookidoo website rather than the Apple App Store to avoid additional charges. If you have automatic renewal set up, it’s worth checking how you’re being billed.

Make the Most of What You’ve Got

We all have the best intentions when it comes to using everything we buy, but sometimes life gets in the way. Half a vegetable gets forgotten at the back of the fridge, or we buy something for one recipe and aren’t quite sure what to do with the rest.

The good news is that your Thermomix can make it much easier to put those extra ingredients to good use. Here are five simple ways to make your food go further.

• Plan for the whole ingredient

If you’re buying something that you know you’ll have plenty of, don’t just plan tonight’s dinner. Think about what you could make with the rest.

Choose two recipes, make one for now and prepare another for later. Batch cooking and freezing portions means you’re making the most of your ingredients while they’re fresh, and giving yourself an easier meal another day.

• Let Cookidoo help you use what you’ve got

We often choose a recipe and then buy the ingredients, but sometimes it’s worth doing things the other way round.

Got something that needs using? Search Cookidoo for that ingredient and see what takes your fancy. You might discover a completely new favourite, and save yourself another trip to the shops.

• Save it before you lose it

If you know you’re not going to use something before it goes off, don’t leave it until it’s too late.

Chop it, cook it, freeze it or turn it into something that will keep longer. Your Thermomix makes it much easier to quickly prepare ingredients or turn them into something useful, without spending ages in the kitchen.

• Turn extras into useful staples

Not everything needs to become another full meal.

Extra vegetables can be turned into sauces, purées or homemade vegetable stock paste, while an abundance of fresh produce could become chutneys, jams or preserves.

Having a few homemade staples ready to go can make everyday cooking easier too.

• Keep a couple of rescue recipes up your sleeve

Some recipes are wonderfully flexible, making them perfect for using those last few ingredients.

Keep a few favourites saved in Cookidoo that you can turn to when the fridge needs clearing out. Think soups, sauces, compotes, bakes and puddings.

Sometimes the best meals come from using what you’ve already got!

Featured Recipes

This month, I’ve chosen a few seasonal ingredients and looked on Cookidoo – Thermomix’s recipe platform – for different ways you can use them.

The idea is simple. If you’re buying an ingredient for one meal, why not find another delicious way to use the rest? Make something for now, something for later, and keep those odds and ends out of the food waste bin.

Squash and Pumpkin

There’s so much more to squash and pumpkin than soup! They’re wonderfully versatile and work in everything from comforting savoury dishes to something a little different.
🎃Pumpkin Risotto with Bacon
🎃Butternut Squash and Chestnut Rolls

Apples and Pears

Whether you’ve picked up a bag of seasonal fruit or have a few pieces that need using, apples and pears can be transformed into all sorts of delicious dishes, both sweet and savoury.
🍏Raspberry and Apple Crumble, with the perfect accompaniment of Custard
🍐Pear and Goats Cheese Parcels

Lovely Leeks

Leeks are a brilliant autumn ingredient, bringing a lovely gentle flavour to all sorts of dishes. They’re great in soups, of course, but there’s plenty more you can do with them.
🧅Chicken and Leek Pie
🧅Spinach and Leek Frittata

Don’t Forget the Odds and Ends!

And what about those last few bits that haven’t made it into your other recipes?

Versatile Smooth Soup is a brilliant way to use a mixture of vegetables and turn them into a warming lunch.

It’s a delicious way to make sure nothing goes to waste.

I hope this month’s ideas inspire you to take another look at what’s already in your fridge before planning your next meal.

A little bit of planning, a few favourite recipes and your Thermomix can make a real difference to how much you get from your ingredients.