Leftovers are brilliant. They are a source of delicious, simple meals for days after Christmas or even the evening of the big day when you fancy something light and tasty but aren't in the mood to do much cooking. We're not talking stuffing sandwich or turkey curry, though. These are cracking fuss-free festive leftover ideas.
Try shredding some leftover turkey and popping it in a tortilla wrap with some slices of avocado, diced tomato, red onion and coriander. For extra zest serve with a little salsa or a yoghurt dressing – just squeeze a couple of drops of lime juice into a couple of tablespoons of natural yoghurt and you're away.
A firm family favourite, and absolutely delicious to boot, is vegetable hash. The principle is simple; roughly chop all your leftover veg – it helps if you have some potatoes and parsnips for body – then shape into individual patties. Place in frying pan and brown slowly on both sides until golden, then serve with a poached egg.
Stilton and cranberry sauce are two more things that end up hanging around after Christmas. Fortunately, the two go very well together. Make cheese on toast using the stilton instead of cheddar and serve with a spoonful of cranberry sauce on the side.
Christmas pudding ice cream is a great way to use up any leftover pud. Simply let ice cream defrost until soft, then crumble through some pud and serve. Be sure not to refreeze the ice cream though.
Fancy a tasty omelette? Just pan fry diced vegetables, potatoes and parsnips or bacon or sausages to add to an omelette along with a sprinkle of grated cheese.
The best tip though is a reader suggestion. After the 25th most of us end up with too much chocolate and too many nuts, biscuits and dried fruit – all ingredients which lend themselves to a fridge cake. Melt down a 200g bar of dark chocolate and 125g of butter in a bowl over boiling water with two tablespoons of golden syrup. Mix in biscuits, raisins, sultanas and anything else you are using, then pour into a tray and chill overnight.
Serve cut into slices and enjoy a delicious way to use up all the stray goodies hanging around.
