So after yesterday’s attack on the Christmas leftovers, and the ideas on the guest post at Skint Dad, we’re having another go at them today.
Use up those clementines
If you got over enthusiastic when buying the clementines, maybe buying a box or two when far fewer would have done, you could try preserving some of them in salt, like preserved lemons. I tried some ordinary oranges last year that worked really well. All you need to do is chop them up, cover them in salt and put into a lidded jam jar with a circle of greaseproof paper to protect the lid from rusting. Now store them for a few months before using, tipping them over every now and then to distribute the salty liquor. Use them anywhere you want an orangey citrus hit. Try them in couscous, rice, salads, stews and stir fries.
If you have moved past the feasting phase and onto the healthy eating, post Christmas diet, clementine segments work really well in salads. Toss together any leftover turkey or ham, clementine segments, chopped celery, diced fresh apple, including the skin, a few shelled walnuts or Brazil’s from the fruit bowl and dress with a zingy dressing.
To make salad dressings, you need 1 part acid to 3 parts oil. So here, whisk together a tablespoon of orange or lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of olive or veg oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add a teaspoon of honey or any kind of mustard. Toss through your salad and serve with green leaves if you have any.
A classic Turkey recipe
Yesterday, I forgot the classic Turkey curry. I posted a recipe for one last year, so here’s the link to it. Everyone has to have a turkey curry to use up Christmas leftovers!
Or, using the oil pastry, use the leftover turkey to make a turkey, brie and cranberry pie. Using the chicken and onion pie as the base, use turkey, a few slices of brie and some cranberries, in place of the chicken. Fresh cranberries or already made up cranberry sauce would work equally well for this. You could also add a little stuffing, some sliced pigs in blankets, some chunks of lovely ham, anything you have that would go together. Pies are a fantastic way to use up little bits of this and that
Tackle that Cheese Board
In last years Christmas meal plan, there is a Stilton quiche with a red cabbage coleslaw, that might use up some of that Stilton. Or replace the Stilton with whatever type of cheese you have kicking about. If you don’t have red cabbage left (or didn’t get any) use white cabbage. White cabbage has hundreds of uses and is one of the cheapest vegetables going, you get a lot of veg for your money, and it lasts ages too, so it’s good for smaller families, singles etc
Something I used to make often, but haven’t for ages is Welsh Rarebit. It uses 100g of cheese to make 2 portions of loveliness that can be used as a lunch or a main meal.
Welsh Rarebit
Serves 2
100g cheese
1 apple, grated, peel and all
Knob of butter
2 tblsps cider/apple juice/ water
1 lvl tsp flour
A dribble of Tabasco / Worcestershire sauce / grainy mustard
4 slices bread
Put the cheese, butter, liquid and flour in a saucepan. Heat very gently until it is a sauce. Add the apple and bubble very gently for a minute or two.
Now toast 4 slices of bread on one side only, turn over and spread the rarebit on the untoasted side. Grill until bubbling and golden
Serve immediately. Sliced tomatoes go particularly well, or some green leaves, or maybe a rasher or two of crispy bacon. If you are having this for a main meal, maybe add in a more substantial salad. Peel a couple of carrots into ribbons, or just grate it, and mix with a few salted peanuts/cashews and/or sultanas. Raisins would be even better if you have them as they provide a hard to get purple portion of fruit and veg.
Now, for that 100g cheese. This is where we can use up all kinds of combinations of Christmas Leftovers. I would use 50g Stilton and 50g cheddar, or all Stilton if you like it strong, or a third each of Brie, Camembert and goats cheese for a creamy version. Combine whatever you have, in any combinations you like the look of and pop it on that toast. The toast can be value sliced bread, a bakers loaf, thick sourdough, crusty rolls, baquette that’s gone a bit stale – what have you got?
That’s the Christmas leftovers for today, more to come tomorrow – have you run out of turkey yet?
Other ideas for leftovers
Christmas Leftovers – part 1. Soup, a Turkey & Cranberry Toast Topper, a Cheesy Tart
Christmas Leftovers – part 3. Turkey Burgers; Cheesy Pasta; Parsnip Dahl; Parsnip soup
Christmas Leftovers – part 5. Turkey Liver Paté ; Cottage Pie; Stock
And here are some more ideas in a post I wrote for Skint Dad
Ooh, that turkey, brie and cranberry pie sounds delicious! What lovely leftovers.