Fast food - Easter leftover recipes

...Actually, these make good use of leftovers any time you have a roast dinner, but particularly useful today after Easter culinary indulgence!


The recipes are also particularly appropriate today, when the weather is cold, wet and gloomy!


I'm not one for measurements etc. in cooking (I don't do baking - sorry!) and find that my "chuck it all together" approach usually works well!  The recipes below serve 2 and can be adapted depending on how many you're trying to feed and how much food you have left over!  


Apologies also to the vegetarians for the hearty meat content in these recipes, but the same principles can be used using leftover vegetables and vegetable stock to make a tasty sauce or soup.


Pasta with rich beef ragu - serves 2:

• Cooked roast beef, chopped up into small pieces/chunks
• One small red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Beef stock - cube/gel/paste, or whatever you have (leftover gravy also works!)
• 400g tin tomatoes - or chopped fresh tomatoes if you have them
• Any leftover vegetables (goes towards your 5 a day!) - carrots work well
• Blob of tomato puree
• Dash of Lea & Perrins
• Glug of red wine
• Glug of good olive oil (I'm using Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil at the moment)
• Fresh rosemary and thyme or dried mixed herbs/Bouquet Garni (again, whatever you have!)
• Salt and pepper to taste

This is so easy - it really is a case of throwing in all the ingredients and leaving it to simmer!

1. Chop the onion and garlic and fry gently in some olive oil.  
2. Add the leftover veg and chopped beef and cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until it is all warmed through.
3. Add the tomatoes and stock, stir, and bring to the boil
4. Add the wine, tomato puree and Lea & Perrins, with another glug of olive oil - this really gives the sauce a rich flavour
5. Reduce the heat and simmer - meanwhile, cook your pasta according to pack instructions
6. Add the herbs, salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until piping hot
7. Serve on top of pasta with a generous helping of grated fresh Parmesan - or any leftover cheese you have from your festivities!

Something that made this particularly nice last time I made it was using chickpea flour pasta.  It's fresh pasta that cooks in around 4 minutes, and doesn't contain any wheat - great for those with wheat/gluten intolerance.  I used the Dell Ugo range available at Waitrose - you can get Fusilli or Spaghetti (I used Fusilli and it was yummy!)

The ragu can also be made from scratch with fresh lean mince or any other meat - just cook the meat with the onions and garlic in some oil at the start then leave to simmer in the sauce.  

Creamy chicken casserole - serves 2

• Cooked roast chicken (whatever you have left!)
• 2 large tablespoons low fat cream cheese/reduced fat creme fraiche
• Chicken stock/gravy granules (whatever you have in the cupboard!)
• 2 cloves garlic
• One large/2 small onions (red or white are fine - or spring onions if you have them)
• Any leftover vegetables - leeks, carrots, sweetcorn, peas, cabbage - anything works well!)
• Glug of white wine
• Any herbs - rosemary and thyme work well, dried mixed herbs/Bouquet Garni, or even a bit of tarragon for a different flavour
• Dash of Lea & Perrins/soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste (it doesn't usually need salt, especially if you're using soy sauce and/or gravy granules, but lots of black pepper works well)

1. Chop the onion and garlic and fry gently in a little oil ( I use olive oil but you can use whatever your prefer).  
2. Add the leftover veg and chicken and cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until it is all warmed through.
3. Add the stock, wine, cream cheese/creme fraiche, stir thoroughly
4. Reduce the heat, add the herbs, salt and pepper (if needed) and simmer
5. If the sauce needs thickening, add a little cornflour or a tablespoon of gravy granules and stir thoroughly
6. Serve with leftover/fresh potatoes, wholemeal rice or even pasta - the beauty of this casserole is that it goes with everything!

This casserole can also be made from scratch with fresh chicken and fresh/frozen vegetables, cooking the chicken first by poaching in stock with the veg and herbs.  

If you have a slow cooker, both recipes are also great to throw in the slow cooker and leave to cook throughout the day.   

Hope you enjoy the hearty comfort food!

 - Rachael