Hey, I am back. Didn't want to let go of the golden opportunity to wish you all Happy New Year. So how did you celebrate Christmas? Must have had a gala time. But having a party at home means cooking loads of food and then wondering how to deal with the leftovers. Well, here I come to your rescue. Check out the tips below:- Make omelette from left-over cooked meat, fish, and vegetables.
- Cook Escabeche and sarciado made from left-over fried fish.
- Bake potato stuffed with left-over chopped meat and fish.
- Mix left-over meat, fish or vegetables with mashed potato and shape into balls. Lightly dip in flour, egg, coat with breadcrumbs and pan-fry. Fry left-over rice. Add flaked fish, chopped meat, egg, shrimps, and seasoning for more nutrients and flavor.
- Toast left-over bread with margarine or sugar or make a pudding.
- Cold meats and hot potatoes – oven cooked, like hash browns are a yummy combination.
Biksemad
Sliced onions are fried till golden and then leftover caramel potatoes and roast pork (including the apples and prunes) are added to the frying pan. This ‘hash’ is served with a fried egg on the top and jam on the side!
Ham can:
- Be fried and served witheggs for breakfast.
- Be added to cooked pasta with oven roasted tomatoes and olives.
- Make a quick pizza topping (use Lebanese bread for base) with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Be added to a summer risotto, with herbs, peas, and parmesan.
- Croque monsieur – fried cheese and ham sandwich, still popular.
- Freeze the bone for winter pea and ham soup.
Cold turkey with potatoes and anchovies
Ingredients
: Leftover turkey, chopped, new (waxy) potatoes, ideally Pink Fir Apple or Ratte, ½-1 small can anchovies, chopped roughly, ½ clove garlic, crushed to a purée with a fork, few spring onions, or 1 small red onion, sliced finely, olive oil, lemon juice, fresh parsley
Method
Mix the anchovies with the garlic, 1 tbsp of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.Toss this mixture with the turkey and onion and leave to macerate while you boil some new potatoes until tender.Slice the potatoes when still warm and toss immediately with the turkey and some chopped fresh parsley leaves.Other possible additions include black olives, capers and sun-dried tomatoes.
Chocolate cheesecake
Ingredients
For the cheesecake
125g/4½oz bourbon biscuits, 65g/2½oz butter, melted, 100g/3½oz good-quality dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids, 200g/7oz full-fat cream cheese, 400g/14oz ricotta, 75g/2½oz golden caster sugar, 3 eggs, 40g/1½oz cocoa powder, 125g/4½oz good-qualty Christmas pudding, cooked, crumbled into pieces (optional), 125g/4½oz good-quality dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids, 125ml/4½fl oz double cream, 15g/½oz butter, good-quality chocolate, grated, cocoa powder, for dusting, clotted cream, to serve.
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/Gas 4. For the cheesecake, crush the bourbon biscuits into crumbs and place into a bowl. Pour over the melted butter. Press into a 14cm/6in spring-form cake tin to form the base. Place the chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water and melt, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Place the cream cheese, ricotta and sugar in a food processor and blend until smooth. Next add the eggs, then the cocoa powder and the melted chocolate. Stir in the Christmas pudding, if using. Spoon the mixture onto the base. Place the cake in the oven and cook for about one hour, or until cake is springy to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin.When cool, turn out of the tin and top with chopped or grated chocolate and a dusting of cocoa. For the sauce, place the chocolate and cream in a clean bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. When melted, whisk in the butter. The sauce must be prepared just before the cake is served, because it can't be reheated. Serve large slices with a big spoonful of sauce and a dollop of clotted cream. Dust the edge of the plate with cocoa.
Beef rolls
Ingredients
remains of cold roast or boiled beef, salt, pepper, minced herbs, 1 roll of puff pastry
Method
Mince the beef tolerably fine with small amount of its own fat. Add a seasoning of pepper, salt, and chopped herbs. Put the whole into a roll of puff-pastry, and bake for ½ hour, or longer if the roll is bigger. Beef patties may be made of cold meat, by mincing and seasoning beef as directed above, and baking in a rich puff pastry.
Christmas Crumble
Ingredients
6 plums, stoned, 4 apples, suitable for cooking, peeled, cored and quartered, Zest from 2 orangesPinch of nutmeg, Pinch of mixed spice, 3 tbspns of honey, 25g candied peel, 25g sultanas.
Crumble Mix
300g plain flour, 225g chilled butter, diced, 100g caster sugar, 150g chopped mixed nuts, 1tspn mixed spiceMethodPre heat the oven to gas mark 6/200C.Place the fruit into an oven proof dish; add the orange zest, pinch of nutmeg and mixed spice and the honey. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the candied peel and sultanas.
Cheesy Roast Beef Wraps
Ingredients
4 flour tortillas, 1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing, 1/2 lb. thinly sliced roast beef, 1 bunch green onions, chopped, 1 tomato, seeded and chopped, 4 slices romaine lettuce, 8 slices American cheese.
Method
Place tortillas on work surface and spread with salad dressing. Layer remaining ingredients on tortillas and roll up, enclosing filling. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until serving time.