Most of those of us in the Western world go on an over-indulging binge from the end of November until the end of January.
From Thanksgiving, through Christmas parties, to Christmas Day, Crimbo Limbo, New Year’s Eve and the traditional New Year’s Day “let’s go for a pub roast, I haven’t got the energy to cook”, we stuff our faces with high fat, high sugar, high salt treats.
When it comes to the big days themselves, often we’re catering for more people than we’re used to. Plus the last thing we want is to run out of roasties before everyone’s eaten (more than!) their fill.
So we over-cater and overstock.
Throughout December, supermarket trollies are piled high with foods we limit, or don’t eat at all for the rest of the year.
Then the family and friends depart and, if you abhor waste as I do, you regard the kitchen in horror.
What are you going to do with all those leftover cooked sprouts, roasties, brandy sauce, gravy…?
This year, I was proud of how I used up my leftovers.
And a participant in my 21 Day Declutter emailed me today to tell me how she used up hers.
It gave me an idea…
Time for a competition!
It’s easy to play. Just post your best recipe for using up Christmas leftovers in a comment below.
The recipe that gets the most “Vote up”s by the end of January, wins a free place on the 21 Day Declutter.
Next year, I’ll promote this post again from mid December to early January, so that the recipes can be used.
Join in now. Share your leftover recipes and/or “Vote up” the ones you like (by clicking the ^ symbol below the recipe).
Here’s one from me to kick it off. If I win, the prize goes to the next most popular recipe. 🙂
Split Pea & Brussels Sprout Soup
(Serves 2)
225g leeks (about 1 large/2 small)
1 celery stalk
1/2 tbsp sunflower/rapeseed oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
500ml water
1 tsp yeast extract
100g green split peas
225g leftover Brussels sprouts
150ml unsweetened soya milk (or another vegetable milk, or semi-skimmed cow’s milk)
Black pepper
Slice the leeks and celery and saute them in the oil until softened. Add the thyme, bay, water, yeast extract and split peas and simmer for 40 minutes or until the peas are soft. Discard the bay leaf, add the sprouts and puree until smooth. Stir in the milk and pepper and reheat.
And here’s one I made with the second red cabbage I bought before realising I only needed one!
Red Cabbage Chilli
(Serves 8)
6 red or white onions, chopped
6 celery stalks, chopped (or 1/2 tbsps celery seeds)
2 tbsps sunflower/rapeseed oil
3 green chillies, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped/crushed
1 tbsp mustard powder (or 1/2 tbsp mustard)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
3 cinnamon sticks
1 red cabbage (about 750g) (also works with savoy or white cabbage), chopped
3 400g cartons of chopped tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)
Black pepper
500g beans (e.g. kidney, pinto, turtle), soaked and cooked
Saute the onion and celery in the oil until soft. Add the chilli, garlic, mustard powder (not the mustard if you’re using it premade), cumin and cinnamon and continue sauteing for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the beans, and simmer for at least an hour until the cabbage is soft (savoy and white cabbage will take less time). Stir the beans through until hot.
I have two favourites, both very simple! 1) Brussels sprouts sliced and stir-fried in a little oil with leftover chestnuts or some bacon – completely transforms them, and worth trying on people who don’t think they like sprouts. 2) Christmas cake or Christmas pudding, crumbled and stirred into slightly thawed vanilla ice cream (can also be used in a trifle with leftover cream) – yum!
Thanks Jane and good luck. 🙂
Bubble & Crunch with a rich cranberry & red cabbage port sauce!
Mix together all your leftover veggies: Carrots, parsnips, roast potatoes, sprouts, roasted garlic, sweet potato, cranberry and chestnut nut roast (in my case) and add to a frying pan with a splash of olive oil.
Cook until brown and crunchy around the edges..
Meanwhile, blend your leftover red cabbage, re onion, cranberry and port dish, then slowly heat.
Serve the Crunchy Bubble surrounded with the rich sauce and Dig In!
Thanks Shanni. Mmm sounds good, especially with that sauce!
well if there is anything left over, (we eat most of it and often I do extra for this dish), I chop up all the veg into little squares, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, pumpkin and all the steamed veg, brussells, peas, swede etc mix with mayonnaise. Then serve this with salad and thing else that is left over, nut roast, cheating chicken and ham.
Any mince pies or christmas pudding left over, is very nice crumbled up with flavoured soya yoghurt – mmmmm
I’m glad I’m not the only one who does extra roast veg to ensure there are leftovers. I like it cold the next day, with chutney.
For leftover pud: mix with a generous glug of sherry & melted dark choc, form into walnut-sized balls,
chill. Top with a blob of melted white choc, chill again. Ta-dah, mini pud truffles!
If feeling creative you can top the white choc with bits of cherry and soft green liquorice to look like holly/berries before the 2nd chill, but it’s not essential.
Ooh, I don’t reckon they’d be leftover long in my house!
Turkey curry. Olive oil in casserole pan, red onion, then garlic, then any sprouts, carrots, and leftover veggies, then turkey, add 3 jars of Lloyd Grosman Jalfrezi curry sauce, then half a jar of leftover pickles ( Waitrose mustard piccalilli, is good) and juice of 1 lime. Can add rice, if you want to use just 1pot, but need to add a little more liquid. I usually add a can of coconut milk, too. Any cream or youghurt can be added now. Cook about 15mins and put in a Wonderbag, (see website or Facebook). Wonder bag is free cooking! Cooked in 2 hours, yummy in 4 and yummier in 6!
Thanks for your entry Ruthie and good luck.
No recipe because no leftovers—because no cooking !! I’m afraid I’m suffering from a severe bout of GRANOREXIA 🙁 This is a relatively common complaint that sets in on retirement, for people who’ve cooked all their lives (for 7 in my case) & feel overwhelmingly reluctant to cook ever again 🙂 Enjoy your leftovers, everyone x
Haha. I love it.
CONGRATULATIONS to Wendy K who is, right now, enjoying her free 21 Day Declutter. It may be February but I’m thinking of making a Christmas pudding – just so I can make her Mini-Pud Truffles.