If your family is anything like mine, Christmas day is marked by preparing enough food to feed a small army for a week or more. Days are spent preparing, the best hams and lamb legs are ordered, collected, glazed and cooked, and by the time everyone has finished the long day of eating you're left lying horizontally in a food stupor.
But with room for perhaps one more mince pie of course. Okay, maybe two.
Come Boxing Day, your next task is to work through a mountain of leftovers - something that can be slightly overwhelming, especially when the fatigue of trying to get through pavlova for breakfast and ham for lunch and dinner kicks in.
This festive season, mix things up a bit by putting your leftovers to use with delicious recipes that will keep your tastebuds satisfied all the way to New Year's Eve.
The team at WW (formerly Weight Watchers) have put together their top picks which look so good, you might just be whipping them up throughout the year.
Pork and pineapple sliders
Have leftover roast pork from Christmas day? These sliders are the perfect way to use it up! The pineapple and maple syrup make them sweet, fresh and delicious.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Brown onion – ½ small, finely chopped
- Garlic – 1 clove, crushed
- Smoked paprika – ½ tsp
- Canned diced tomatoes – ¾ cup
- Maple syrup – 2 tsp
- Worcestershire sauce – 2 tsp
- Vinegar – 2 tsp
- Roasted pork fillet – 150 g, shredded
- Multigrain bread roll – 120 g, (buy 4 x 45g rolls, bread removed from centre)
- Canned pineapple in natural juice, drained – 2 slices, chopped
- Watercress – ¾ cup
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the onion, stirring, for 4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and paprika and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in tomato, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in pork and cook for a further 5 minutes to heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cut rolls in half horizontally and pull out the bread in the centre, leaving a 7mm border. Pile pork mixture onto bases and top with pineapple and watercress. Replace lids and serve.
- Notes: If you don’t have leftover roast pork, you can use pre-packaged pulled pork, found in the chilled meat section in supermarkets or shredded skinless barbecued chicken breast.
Prawn and bacon skewers with herb dressing
A simple but delicious nibble or starter to any barbecue.
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- Green prawns - 500 g, (8 large) peeled, deveined, tails intact
- Garlic - 1 clove, crushed
- Olive oil - 1 tbs
- Lean middle rasher bacon - 162 g, (Buy 4x45g rashers), rind removed, fat trimmed
- Lemon juice - 2 tbs
- Fresh dill - 1 tbs, finely chopped
- Fresh chives - 1 tbs, finely chopped
Instructions:
- Combine prawns, garlic and half the oil in a medium bowl. Thread prawns lengthways onto 8 wooden skewers (see note).
- Cut each bacon rasher in half lengthways. Wrap 1 piece bacon around each prawn, leaving tails exposed.
- Preheat a chargrill or barbecue grill over medium-high heat. Cook skewers, turning, for 5 minutes or until prawns change colour and are just cooked through.
- Meanwhile, combine juice, dill, chives and remaining oil in a small bowl. Serve prawns drizzled with herb dressing.
- Notes: You can use 4 slices (60g) prosciutto (fat trimmed) instead of bacon. Soak the skewers in cold water for 10 minutes before using to stop them burning during cooking.
Christmas Bliss Balls
Serves: 12
If you have leftover ingredients from those Christmas puddings and desserts, don't let them go stale in the baking drawer until next year. Throw them together in a food processor and they make wonderful bliss balls for a sweet treat when people pop round for a cuppa.
Ingredients:
- Raw cashews – 1 cup (150g)
- Shredded or desiccated coconut – 1 cup (80g)
- Maple syrup – 1 tsp
- Dried cranberries – 10g, finely chopped
- Pistachios – 5 g, finely chopped
Instructions:
- Process cashews, coconut, maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of water in a food processor until well combined and the mixture starts to hold together. Transfer to a bowl
- Stir in cranberries and pistachios. Roll into 12 balls. Refrigerate to chill.
