Spruce up your leftovers into a whole new meal

Christmas lunch and dinner are done and dusted for another year, so what to do with all those leftovers? There is always the easy way out, whipping up innumerable sandwiches but there is a much tastier way of using up the excess roast meat that is taking up too much space in your fridge.

Here the chefs from Capsicum Culinary Studio – SA’s biggest culinary school with six campuses across the country – share some recipes using festive meat leftovers as well as a quick, simple dessert that incorporates Christmas pudding scraps.

Ham and Turkey Pie

Ingredients

• 35g unsalted butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 35g all-purpose flour
• 250ml chicken stock
• 60ml dry white wine
• 125ml double cream or crème fraiche
• 320g cooked turkey, chopped
• 90g ham, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 375g puff pastry
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• cranberry sauce

Method

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and add diced onion and chopped leek.

Once soft, add the flour and stir until mixture bubbles.

Add chicken stock and wine and cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking to remove any lumps. Add cream and cook for a further minute. Season to taste, then stir in the turkey, ham, chives and spring onion.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a 30cm x 33cm rectangle. Cut in half lengthways to so you have two 15cm-wide pieces. Place one pastry sheet in a greased rectangular dish and spread with the cooled turkey/ham mixture. Place second half of pastry over the filling, pressing the edges to seal well. Brush all over with the beaten egg, then make two little incisions in the middle in the shape of an X.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Serve hot with cranberry sauce and a green salad.

Roast Pork Ramen

This recipe uses pork but you can use just about any leftover roast meats to make this delicious Asian-inspired dish. Leave out the chillies if you do not like your food too spicy.

Ingredients

• 400g cooked pork, sliced
• 500g ready-cooked egg noodles
• 1 litre chicken stock
• Ginger, thumb-sized piece, shredded
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey
• 1½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 small red or green chilli, de-seeded and thinly sliced
• 4 soft-boiled eggs, halved (optional)
• 300g bean sprouts
• 300g spinach or bok choi

Method

In a large pot bring the stock to the boil and add the ginger, soy sauce, chilli, sesame oil, brown sugar/honey and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust to personal preference, adding more of any of the ingredients above.

Add the sliced pork and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the noodles, spinach/bok choi and simmer for a further two minutes. Divide between 4 bowls and garnish with egg halves, extra sprouts and extra chilli (optional).

Christmas Pudding Ice Cream

A fabulous – and very quick - way to use up that leftover Christmas pudding. Best served in choc-dipped cones but can also be enjoyed in bowls.

Ingredients

• 600ml double cream
• 1 tin condensed milk
• 300g left-over Christmas pudding
• Waffle cones
• 200g chocolate chips, white, milk or dark

Method

Place the cream and condensed milk into a large bowl and beat with a hand-held beater to form stiff peaks.

Crumble the Christmas pudding and fold it into the mixture, using a large spoon, until evenly combined.

Tip the mixture into a 900g loaf tin and freeze overnight.

For cones, place chocolate chips in a bowl and place the bowl over a pot of boiling water (do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl).

Stir until chocolate has melted. Dip rim of cones into the melted chocolate and place on wire rack for chocolate to set. (Keep leftover chocolate sauce to drizzle over the ice cream).

Remove from the freezer for 5 minutes before scooping onto the cones.