Mouth watering, well-dressed festive season leftovers
It’s just so much easier to get back into the festive spirit if you know how to get clever with the leftovers…. And if you’ve stocked up with a variety of Staffords sauces ahead of the festive season!
Here’s some great ideas to not only turn yesterday’s centerpieces into luxurious feasts but to also perk up those tasty trimmings with a saucy twist. From mint and cranberry jellies to mustards and our famous chilli and garlic pastes, we’ve got them all and some pretty delicious and super easy-to-make recipes too!
So don’t waste time, or food, just get creative and you’ll be back on the beach in no time having wowed family and friends with a miracle meal of leftovers!
1.Festive Leftovers Picnic Loaf
Serves 6-8
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Resting time: 2 hours to overnight
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
1 crusty round or oval white loaf (needs to be quite a deep loaf)
4-6tbsp Staffords Mint Sauce, Staffords Old Style Mustard or Staffords Cranberry Jelly
leftover cooked beef, lamb, pork or turkey, thinly sliced
leftover cooked chipolata sausages, thinly sliced lengthways (optional)
leftover cooked stuffing, thinly sliced (optional)
fresh lettuce or baby spinach leaves
tomatoes, thinly sliced
roasted red peppers from a jar
Provolone, thinly sliced
Method:
1 Carefully slice the top off the loaf and pull out most of the bread, leaving just a thin layer attached to the crust (be careful not to break the crust).
2 Depending on which leftover meat you are using, spread the Staffords sauce of your choice inside the loaf. Fill with layers of meat, sausage, cold stuffing, lettuce or spinach, tomatoes, peppers and Provolone, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as you build the filling.
3 When full, replace the top of the bread and wrap tightly in foil. Place in the fridge with a weight on top and leave for a few hours or overnight.
4 Cut into thick slices and serve with extra Staffords sauce.
2.Mango and Gammon Skewers
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
3tbsp olive oil
1tbsp Staffords Balsamic Vinegar
5ml staffords chilli paste
5ml Staffords cranberry jelly
2ml Staffords, ginger paste
2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
2 cups leftover cooked gammon, cut into 2cm cubes
4-8 wooden skewers (depending on length), soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Method:
1 Mix together the olive oil, Staffords Balsamic Vinegar, chilli paste, cranberry jelly and ginger paste.
2 Assemble skewers with alternate cubes of mango and gammon.
3 Brush with Staffords sauces blend and braai for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until char-lines appear and gammon is heated through. Baste with the glaze as needed.
3.Rainbow Salad
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
1 cup leftover cooked lamb, fat removed and meat shredded
10ml Staffords Apple jelly
20ml balsamic vinegar
1 pack soba noodles or baby marrow noodles, cooked until just done and shocked in ice water to stop cooking, drained
4-6 raw Brussels sprouts, finely shredded
4-6 Button mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 large avocado, diced
2 cooked beetroot, diced
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
2tbsp pumpkin or sunflower seeds
2tbsp leftover festive nuts, roughly chopped
2tbsp dried cranberries
2tbsp pomegranate seeds
big handful fresh herbs (parsley, basil, mint, chives etc), roughly chopped
Dressing:
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2ml Staffords garlic paste
Method:
1 Whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
2 Heat lamb in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the apple jelly and balsamic vinegar, allow to caramelize
3 Combine remaining ingredients on a platter, top with the lamb and dressing and serve immediately.
4. Sticky, Spicy Turkey with Avocado
Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Worth the effort
Ingredients:
2 large avocados
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1tbsp olive oil
1tsp Staffords Chilli Paste, or to taste
2tsp Staffords Ginger Paste, or to taste
2tbsp Staffords Cranberry Jelly
1 cup leftover cooked turkey, chicken or duck, shredded
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh peas, blanched and shocked in ice water, drained
handful herb sprouts
Staffords Cranberry jelly to serve
Method:
1 Peel and remove the pips from the avocados. Whizz in a blender with a splash of water if you want a smooth purée, or simply mash if you prefer more texture. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and add a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent discolouring.
2 Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the Staffords Chilli Paste, Staffords Ginger Paste and Staffords Cranberry Jelly and cook, stirring, for a few seconds. Add the shredded turkey and cook, stirring, until turkey is heated through, coated in the sticky, spicy glaze and some bits are crispy.
3 Place the avocado in a shallow dish or into individual cups. Top with spring onion, peas, turkey, sprouts and Cranberry jelly
To serve:
* Dollop over poached eggs on toast for breakfast.
* Serve in individual cups as part of a buffet lunch.
* Smear onto toasted pitas or flatbreads for an instant pizza.
* Scoop up with nacho chips.
5. Turkey Quesadillas
Serves 2-4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Worth the effort
Ingredients:
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1tbsp olive oil
1 cup leftover cooked turkey, shredded
½ cup leftover cooked stuffing, crumbled (optional)
4 flour tortillas
3ml Staffords chilli paste
3ml Staffords ginger paste
1 cup melty, stringy cheese like Mozzarella, Cheddar or even a combination of leftovers from the festive cheese platter, grated
Method:
1 Gently fry the onion in the olive oil until it becomes translucent. Add the turkey and heat through. Add the stuffing, if using, and fry for 1 minute more. Add the chilli and ginger paste.
2 Meanwhile, heat and lightly grease a large frying pan (or spray with low-kilojoule spray). Top with ¼ cup cheese and half the turkey. Add another ¼ cup cheese and another tortilla. Toast in the pan, carefully flipping once, until golden brown and cheese has melted. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
3 Cut each quesadilla into 8 wedges and serve.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites Roodepoort Record, Krugersdorp News and Get It Joburg West Magazine
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!