Don’t waste festive trimmings
MY FORMER neighbour Sonja refers to leftovers as YMCA – Yesterday’s Meal Cooked Again. If the results are dubious, she substitutes Muck for Meal. Neither of us likes to waste food, so we were always trying to outdo each other with ways to disguise leftovers because there are only so many ham or turkey sandwiches you can enjoy after Christmas.
Try making fresh Vietnamese-style spring rolls with shredded turkey instead of the more traditional prawns. Combine soaked rice noodles, coriander, shredded carrot and cucumber in rice paper wrappers. Add some fresh chilli if you enjoy a bit of heat.
Little balls or cubes of leftover plum pudding can be turned into truffles by skewering each with a toothpick and dipping in melted dark chocolate. Chill until set.
Or make a delicious trifle with pudding combined with jelly, custard and fresh berries. Make the night before and refrigerate to allow the flavours to blend.
And all that ham (or you can use more of the leftover turkey or chicken) can be made into this delicious zucchini pie. The recipe is one my sister passed on some time ago.
It tastes just as good cold as hot. Oh no – more leftovers!
Zucchini pie Serves 4
INGREDIENTS: ◗ 1 Spanish onion, peeled and diced ◗ 1 cup diced ham or cooked turkey or cooked chicken ◗ 1 large grated zucchini ◗ 300g can corn kernels, including liquid
◗ 1 cup grated tasty cheddar ◗ 1 1⁄4 cups self-raising flour
◗ 4 large free-range eggs ◗ 1⁄4 cup olive oil ◗ 1 cup grated sweet potato or carrot ◗ fresh herbs, to garnish
METHOD: Preheat oven to 170°C. Using two tablespoons of the oil, cook onion over a medium heat until it softens. Mix in remaining ingredients until combined. Pour into greased baking dish or pie dish. Cook at 170°C for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with a tossed salad.