Lovely Leftovers

You know the score. No matter how many food shopping lists you make – and remake – you still end up with a fridge bursting with leftovers by St Stephen’s Day. So, here’s how to give these bowls of veggies, cold cuts and extras a new lease of life!

Nuts are a seasonal staple in most households. Try blitzing them into a nourishing pesto (try our healthy pesto recipe here). Add any remaining fresh herbs and some garlic to liven up meats and whole wheat pasta.

With meat usually playing centre stage over Christmas, it can be a welcome change to make veg the star of the show. Transform greens like sprouts, kale and broccoli into delicious, nutritious Green Veggie Fritters that weigh in at only 1 Bite per serving.

Here’s how: Shred 250g of greens with a few sprigs of fresh dill, 30g of leftover cheese (reduced fat), salt and pepper. Add a finely chopped clove of garlic, the zest of one lemon, three eggs and mix well. Pop heaped dessert-spoon amounts onto a hot oiled pan, flatten and cook for about two minutes on each side. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and Unislim’s yummy Beetroot Hummus.

By St Stephen’s Day, you’ll probably be in the mood to deviate from traditional flavours. At 4.5 Bites for the entire recipe, this easy warming Thai Turkey Coconut soup hits all the right notes. (serves 4)

To make it, bring 500mls of stock and a tin of low-fat coconut milk to the boil. Reduce the heat and add a teaspoon of brown sugar, two trimmed and bashed lemongrass stalks, three shallots, two small chillies chopped, a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger chopped, 3 kaffir lime leaves and let simmer for five minutes. Then add 100g of oyster mushrooms (optional), 200g of cooked turkey, 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce and the juice of half a lime. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Mm-mmm.

We also have delicious recipes for Ham Pasta Bake and Turkey Tagine!

There you have it! Don’t let any food go to waste by making these delicious meals with your Christmas leftovers!