A thrifty chef shares her clever ways to eat, including turning broccoli stalks into chips and peeling carrots into potato chips.
Abi Thompson, 39, from Kent, regularly shares recipes, tips and tricks on TikTok, where she has more than 380,000 followers.
The Associate Director loves to create dishes that are not only cost-effective but also more sustainable, using ingredients that might otherwise end up in the trash.
Some of her most popular hacks involve using her air fryer to make delicious meals – with one clip alone reaching eight million views.
Abi Thompson, 39, regularly shares recipes, tips and tricks on TikTok, where she has more than 380,000 followers.
“My mom and dad bought an air fryer two years ago and they always understood how good it was, and then I eventually bought one,” Dad said.
To be honest, I thought it would be used a few times and tucked away in the cupboard, like every other tool I’ve bought over the years.
“But it was great and I actually love cooking in it.”
It’s so convenient, especially since I have really long days and the last thing I want to do is spend extra time cooking.
Plus they (the remaining ingredients) cost £0, since you likely threw those bits away.
Turn potato peels into crackers
One of Dad’s tips involves using potato peelers to make potato chips, as her clip has received over 363,000 views and hundreds of comments from amazed viewers.
In the video, she is seen peeling potatoes, adding the skins to a bowl, and washing them in cold water.
Then you pat them dry with kitchen paper and recommend drying them as much as possible to make them really crunchy.
Then she coated them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and tossed them into the air fryer for 10 minutes at 190 degrees.
In the video, she is seen peeling potatoes, adding the peels in a bowl, and washing them in cold water.
Then you coat them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss them into the air fryer for 10 minutes at 190 degrees.
Zed commented, “This might be the thing that makes me buy an air fryer.”
Another person said: “Good idea!”
Another person added, “So we’re eating garbage?” My father replied, “The garbage tastes good.”
Another user said, “I may have to start with the plump peels because these look so good.”
Another person added, “I just did this and they were great.”
‘What!? Great idea,’ agreed Debbie.
“We don’t throw anything in the trash in 2023!” said another grateful user.
Abby then showed her followers how delicious potato peelings – which many people give up – are when cooked
Users were so impressed with Abi’s video that one even tested it himself
Make chips from broccoli stems
Dad also made a video of how to turn leftover broccoli stalks into stir-fries, captioning the post: “Why didn’t I think of this before!” Broccoli potatoes?!? No waste which is great.
The clip has amassed 1.2 million views, as it shows Dad decapitating the broccoli before working the stems, slicing off any hard edges and peeling them off smoothly.
Then you cut the shanks into chip-sized pieces, add them to a bowl and add the oil, garlic granules, salt, and pepper, before popping them into the air fryer for 15 minutes at 200 degrees, and serving with a bowl of tzatziki.
Dad decaps the broccoli before working on the stems, cutting off any hard edges and peeling them smooth before adding the oil to them
Then I put them in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 200 degrees to crisp them up into chips
“Try these now!” said Danielle.
“A great idea,” Marcel added.
Naomi wrote: “No because I love broccoli. I must try this.
“Well, this is going to be a game changer!!!!” said L.
“That’s genius!” Ronda added.
Abby serves delicious french fries with some tzatziki – food that would otherwise be thrown in the trash
Users loved Dad’s idea of turning broccoli stems into chips, and one called it “a game-changer.”
What do you do with grilled leftovers?
Similar to the potato peeling hack, the food influencer shared a video of what to do with leftover carrot and parsnip peels, especially after a big roast dinner.
She captioned the clip, “Use those exfoliants well!” If you love vegetables, you’ll love this carrot and parsnip air fryer.
In the video, Abby grabs leftover crusts and adds them to a bowl with some sunflower oil, before simply placing them in the frying pan for 10 minutes at 200 degrees.
The food influencer shared a video on what to do with leftover carrots and parsnip peels, especially after a big roast dinner
Abi collected her peel and put it in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 200 degrees
She captioned the clip, “Use those exfoliants well!” If you love vegetables, you’ll love this carrot and parsnip chips air fryer.
TikTok users took to the comments to praise Abby for her hack, with one saying they’d try it with their peels.
The carrot and parsnip peels look nice and crunchy when you take them out.
“I’m thinking of adding this to a salad,” said Leila.
“Genius,” Matilda added.
“Woohoo great watch,” Jack wrote.
“I’m going to do this today with grilled peel,” Raab added.
