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Bring Me Your Leftovers - MadameD's Food Surgery

323 replies

MadameDefarge · 31/12/2013 14:39

Got a fridge full of nonsense, or indeed, rather lacking in anything?

This thread is to help those stumped for ideas with what they have lurking in their fridge/freezer/cupboard and need to knock something up.

I am here quite a lot, and as a professional (resting) cook I would relish the challenge to help people out!

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MadameDefarge · 01/01/2014 19:01

zablagione would be yum.

Or make custard? perhaps some homemade mayonnaise?

or make a tart, either sweet or savoury?

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MadameDefarge · 01/01/2014 19:02

so pleased ladies!

At last! An outlet for my talents that doesn't involve cleaning down kitchens at midnight!

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ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 01/01/2014 19:32

Well, if you ever want to clean down a kitchen at midnight I know one that could do with a once over... Grin

Great thread though. Thank you.

MadameDefarge · 01/01/2014 20:32
Blush
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fatsatsuma · 01/01/2014 22:54

This is a great thread Madame D! I have just frozen five packs of sliced cooked smoked gammon (and made a note not to buy such a big one next year...) Each pack weighs about 300g. I did a nice macaroni cheese with ham tonight. Any other suggestions for my frugal January meal planning? I have a pretty well stocked larder and fridge.

I've also frozen four similar packs of turkey...

MadameDefarge · 01/01/2014 23:08

I am just about to collapse in bed, but I have a similar issue here.

I plan to make lentil and ham soup. quite a lot, and freeze some. I'll do a recipe tomorrow. A ham and chicken pie (using either leftovers or thigh meat). you could do a variation on carbonara.

and nothing wrong with ham, egg and chips! Obviously a classic quiche lorraine would be yummy/ham and bean stew/ham and cheese puff pasties and to be honest, I just love a good old fashioned ham sandwich or three with good white bread and mustard, alongside a leek and potato soup.

I'll think about Turkey tomorrow (to paraphrase Scarlett O'Hara, though the one recipe that springs to mind is a turkey and ham pie (mash topping0 by rachel allen. Could also be great with a puff pastry top too.

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youretoastmildred · 01/01/2014 23:13

I made a violently concentrated stock today out of two chicken carcasses (one I threw in the freezer in shambolic despair a few weeks ago) and a bunch of tragic looking celery etc. I'm not ready to eat it yet as am feeling pretty fowled out so that will go in the freezer.

Cream really goes far! Still have a ton to eat up after having it with mushrooms today. I do love a fresh plain green salad at this time of year, and some shaved parmesan on it suited the mushrooms too

thanks for all the inspiration. I am enjoying feeling interested in food again after some time off the work treadmill immediately being followed by subsummption into choiceless family Christmas catering. I can remember when I used to dick about with herbs and things every day! (BC of course, before children, living alone, I always had good food and never ever threw a thing away) Sadly back to work tomorrow so soon it will be exhausted peanuts on the train again. sadface

MadameDefarge · 01/01/2014 23:17

excellent work yourtoast!

If you struggle with getting through cream then I suggest making fools out of it. Just whip until softly folding, nowhere near peaky, and fold in either (thawed) berries with a bit of sugar, or one of my faves is lemon curd, then squish a passion fruit over .

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youretoastmildred · 01/01/2014 23:19

Do you mean to eat straight away, or can you freeze them?

fatsatsuma · 01/01/2014 23:26

Thanks for the ham ideas. Will look forward to the turkey ones and the soup recipe - sounds v good Smile

BewitchedBotheredandBewildered · 01/01/2014 23:33

Fab thread MmeD, am taking lots of notes.

But would be very happy to move into our cupboard under the stairs, and you can have my bed.

DH optional Grin

PigletJohn · 01/01/2014 23:54

three tubs of clotted cream.

Selks · 02/01/2014 01:01

Forlorn contents of my fridge:

Rather too much double cream
An avocado
A mango
Brie
Stilton
Baking potatoes
Slightly droopy courgettes
Bacon
Bottles of lager
Half a bottle of advocaat
Too much chocolate
A solitary parsnip

PigletJohn · 02/01/2014 01:08

two sides of smoked salmon

a boned rolled pork leg

couple of tubs of beef gravy

tomatoes

some pate still in date

various vegs and pots

big net of miniature oranges of some kind

withered ginger root

PigletJohn · 02/01/2014 01:20

big stilton, big brie

some mackerel which doesn't appeal and may end up in the bin

PigletJohn · 02/01/2014 01:28

about a kg of shallots and a pack of teeny white mushrooms

(was intended for a turkey risotto or blanquette but the heaps of food are overwhelming)

StillSlightlyCrumpled · 02/01/2014 08:11

What a fabulous thread Smile.
Not leftover based but have friends over for dinner tomorrow night. They are very lovely but we always have great food at theirs. This time however we are including the children and I cannot think what to cook. I would do a chilli but we had that at theirs last time!

Any ideas for something I can make in the day kind of one pot ish to serve with rice, pasta or potatoes? I obviously need to shop for it but have a good store cupboard of herbs, spices etc.

Am not a fabulous cook sadly & end up getting in a right state! Thanks in advance. Smile

arfishy · 02/01/2014 08:59

This is a fabulous thread and your recipes sound lovely. It's heading to 50' here so we're on our summer menus. DP went mad Christmas food shopping - there were only three of us and I've been eating turkey sandwiches and mince pies for days. We have enough food to get us to the next millennium if I work out what to do with it all.

I have 3 cheeseboards left - Brie, Stilton, Cheddar, Gouda, herby soft cheese (not boursin), feta, goats cheese, and about a million dips (hummus, skinny hummus, tzatziki, chilli pesto etc)

Carrots, a few kg of tomatoes, a few kg of fresh cherries, eggs, potatoes, all manner of pasta, couscous, red & green lentils, polenta, rice (basmati/long grain/sticky), entire ham in the freezer, chicken, filo pastry, puff pastry, wraps, bruschetta, soured cream, double cream, antipasti - both types of olives, mini stuffed pepper, marinated roasted aubergine, roasted peppers, more feta, 1kg bacon, lettuce, cucumber (lebanese/continental & qukes), falafel, tofu, noodles.

I've already used up all of the leftover root veg in a giant bubble and squeak, but have a small amount of mash.

We used up some of the bacon and cream in a carbonara last night and have a storecupboard groaning at the seams with more stuff.

This is so embarrassing when there are people using foodbanks. DP went completely mad (I usually do the menu planning, Christmas day is the only one he caters for) and then only ate meat, while DD refused to eat anything outside of her usual repertoire. I'm sure I've put on 3kg just trying to avoid wasting it.

So far I'm planning to take the falafel and hummus to work, make tomato and basil soup, a cucumber & mint couscous and lentil spag bol.

IDismyname · 02/01/2014 10:55

Madame D - I salute you! Fab work with all the leftover queries...

I have a couple of recipes to help few people out:

  1. Nigellas 3 Cheese Strata - Great recipe from Nigella for left over cheese of any description, any left over bread etc. Needs a while to all soak in.
  1. Pastilla by Jamie Oliver recipe for left over lamb, but chicken or turkey works well.
  1. Mary Berrys Boston Baked Bean recipe which uses pretty cheap ingredients and can 'swallow' chunks of gammon in it quite happily!

HTH someone out there....

youretoastmildred · 02/01/2014 11:27

arfishy, you sound quite stressed by all that food! I hate waste too.

Did you know you can freeze cheese? (I have only just remembered this.) If you have very interesting and flavoursome cheese in huge amounts, it can all get a bit much. You can cut them into manageable chunks and put them in the freezer and another day it will be a dinner - you can have an interesting cheese soufflé with a nice posh flavour.

I would say your ham in the freezer and anything in jars or dried (antipasti? lentils etc) is really not a priority as you can take weeks to get to those if you like. Tell us more about the fresh stuff, the salad, the cream and sour cream, the bruschetta etc (what is it exactly? A made bruschetta? What is it made of? Who made it? what state is it in now?)

MadameDefarge · 02/01/2014 12:29

Stillslightly - jamie tray bake chicken is ridiculously easy and fab. serve with jacket tats, roasties, polenta,mash, and a green salad.

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MadameDefarge · 02/01/2014 12:33

Piglet. If they are still packaged, I would freeze one of the smoked salmons. For the rest, I would just be scoffing as is, but a great recipe is pasta, cooked. a tub of creme fraiche (perhaps some clotted cream in your case) lemon and herbs. cook pasta , stir in a cream and chopped smoked salmon, squeeze of lemon juice, plenty of pepper and voila!

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MadameDefarge · 02/01/2014 12:38

Piglet, don't worry about the shallots. You will get through them eventually.

The mushrooms, I would do mushrooms on toast as a treat.

Saute the mushrooms in butter and half a crushed garlic clove. if you have any sherr/madeira/brandy/white wine throw in a splash, cook out alcohol, add cream, let bubble down. season well, inc chopped parsley or tarragon if you have some.

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MadameDefarge · 02/01/2014 12:39

something yummy with mackerel and cream

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MadameDefarge · 02/01/2014 12:44

selks, I would make myself a bacon and avocado sandwich.

Then I would saute chopped onion, bacon and courgette until soft and moving towards caramelised,. Mix in some double cream and grated stilton. cook cream out. season.

Serve either with pasta (increase cream content) or with baked potatoes.

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