BBC Radio Wiltshire Recipes

Lovely Leftovers

Its that time of the year again foodies, albeit a very different year than those gone before. We’ve all had to adjust to a different life style and approach the last months with care and intrepidation, whilst we wonder whats going to happen next!

Some of us may not have any left overs to “love” this year, with restrictions making it impossible to meet up with members of our families. While others may have too much food hoping that restrictions may been eased.

Whatever your situation, you will find three recipes below which may inspire you. Wishing everyone a healthy, happy Christmas, with hopes that 2021 will slowly bring some normality into out lives. #staysafe.

Hear us on BBC Radio Wiltshire on Boxing day 26th December 2020.

Sweet Potato and Bacon Soup.

Serves 6, Allergens: Dairy. G/F Suitable for freezing.

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg Sweet Potatoes. Peeled and diced
• 250g Bacon. Diced. Can be a mixture of leftover cooked ham and bacon.
• 1 Large or 2 small Apples, Cored, peeled and diced.
• 1 large Carrot. diced.
• 2 Sticks Celery diced
• 1 Vegetable Stock Cube. OR Turkey Stock if you have some left over.
• 500ml Dry Cider, or water if you don’t like alcohol.
• 2 Cloves Garlic. Peeled & crushed.
• Seasoning.
• 3 Tbspns Olive Oil
• Left over stuffing.
• 6 Tbspns. Double Cream.

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the veg and bacon – or ham. Fry, covered for 10 mins until the veg have softened. If you have any left over, cooked carrots or parsnips add these as well.

Add the stock cube with 250 ml water. Pour over the cider, or add an extra 500 ml water if not using cider. Cover and simmer for 30 mins, until the veg are tender.

Add the crushed garlic and seasoning. Using a stick blender whizz until smooth.

Add extra water if you prefer a thinner consistency.

Ladle into bowls, swirl a tablespoon on cream onto each bowl, decorate with crumbled leftover stuffing.

Tuck into a hearty homemade soup

Eggs Baked with Smoked Salmon & Avocado

Serves 1 Allergens: Fish, Dairy, Egg. G/F. V

INGREDIENTS

• 1, Large Egg
• Butter for greasing
• 1/2 ripe Avocado. Perfect for using up those soft ones.
• Salt & Freshly milled black pepper.
• 1. Tbspn Cream
• 50g Smoked salmon, cut into strips.
• Paprika.

Method:

This recipe serves 1. For each person you will need to double up the ingredients.

Warm a small ramekin dish or other individual ovenproof container.

Thoroughly butter each one.

Mash the avocado in the bottom of the dish.

Carefully crack the egg into the dish and season well.

Spoon a Tbspn of cream over the egg.

Place the dish in a ovenproof pan. Fill with boiling water to within 1.3 cm of the rim of the dish. Cover and bake in a preheated oven 350 F, 180 c, Gas No. 4. for 10 – 12 mins. The whites should be set, but the yolks still runny. Scatter the smoked salmon strips on top, dust with paprika and serve with seeded toast fingers.

Smoked Salmon, Avocado

Boozy Leftover Pud

Serves 6, Allergens: Egg, dairy. V

INGREDIENTS:

INGREDIENTS. Allergens: Egg, Dairy. Serves 6 Oven 180 c 350 F Gas MK 5 Time taken 20 mins + Standing time & Cooking

Slices of Stollen Christmas Cake, Christmas Pud, Croissants, Sourdough Bread.

3 Large Free Range Local Eggs

150ml Double Cream

350ml Milk

2 Tbspns Rum, or Cointreau

Grated rind of 1 large Orange

1/2 Tspn Freshly grated Nutmeg & Cinnamon.

METHOD.

Butter a large oven proof serving dish & lay the slices of Stollen over the base, building several layers.

Beat together the eggs, cream, orange rind, liqueur & spices.

Pour over the sliced Stollen pushing the slices down to cover in the liquid.

Leave to stand for 40mins.

Bake in the centre of the oven for approx 45mins until the pudding is just firm in the centre.

Allow to cool slightly, before serving, dust with Icing Sugar and add a good dollop of Clotted Cream or clotted cream Ice Cream.

If you want to use Croissants slice them & spread with Nutella. The addition of some of those bananas, wasting in the fruit bowl, also compliments this dessert. Omit, the alcohol, for a fruity childrens pud.

For more ideas on what to do with your Christmas Leftovers. I will be on  The morning show at 9.45 on Boxing Day morning. 26th December 2020 BBC Radio Wiltshire

Boozy Leftovers Pud Ingredients

Fish is the dish

Daily recipe 27 March 2020

Hey all, how are you doing? Hope you are all keeping positive and ready for today’s recipe. How much fish do you eat each week? Fish, especially oily fish is a very important addition to our diets and a good source of Omega three and vitamn B12. To keep your immune system healthy you need to eat a well balance diet, including fresh or frozen fruit and veg. Sorry to be a spoil sport, but you also need to remember, while self isolating and lazing in front of the TV, you need to reduce your calorie intake. Less activity means less food. Simples.

Today is not so much a recipe, but suggestions for you to create tasty dishes using fish. Fish is a great brain food, so no excuses. Use you imagination.

Cook some brown rice or quinoa in vegetable stock, add chopped apple, walnuts and celery. Stir in some flaked smoked Mackerel , dress with olive mixed with crushed garlic, lemon juice and a teaspoon of horseradish. Sprinkle with chopped parley or dill. Serve with a light lunch or supper.

Cooked brown rice – leftover, perhaps – can be mixed with lightly fried, chopped onions, celery and grated carrot. Mix in tinned tuna fish, olives and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Spoon into halved, de-seeded pepper shells, sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in the oven until the peppers are just tender. approx 40mins.

In a food processor add two tins of sardines in olive oil, drained. Add half a grated onion, half a teaspoon of curry powder, two chopped hard boiled eggs and two skinned, chopped tomatoes. Process until smooth. Spread on toast and grill or serve with crackers.

Process two skinned smoked mackerel fillets, with 250ml greek yoghurt, chopped parsley and a teaspoon of grated lemon rind. When smooth, turn into a bowl, serve as a dip with cucumber, celery and carrot sticks.

Dip fresh Mackerel fillets in beaten egg mixed with a teaspoon of English Mustard and coat in rolled porridge oats. Lightly fry in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Serve with baked potatoes and grated carrot and orange salad.

There’s a few ideas to keep you going You can use different fish and vegetables, the choice is yours. Post your fishy photographs to twitter or Instagram, using the #northdevondoesfish. We will share them in next weeks blog. Stay safe. Eat healthy.

Stay safe, eat healthy

Spice it up

Start a saucy affair

How do you fancy something hot this summer? We all like a bit of spice in our lives now and again. Well, this week I’m going to give you all the ingredients you will need to “start a saucy affair”!

Some like it hot

There are any number of sauces and marinades on the market, all winking at you from the Supermarket shelves, with their bright labelling and clever marketing slogans all begging you to “EAT ME”. Do you ever pick up one of these products and read the ingredients? In most cases you will find the second one is usually sugar! Below you will find two recipes for sultry summer days, which are quick and easy to make and do not contain huge amounts of sugar, salt and other additives. Both recipes can be made in advance and stored in the fridge:

Reserved roasting juices

Spicy Barbequed Chicken

You will need one large fresh free range chicken, or you can use, chicken pieces, thighs, drumsticks etc. If using a whole chicken, turn the chicken onto its breast on a chopping board. Using a sharp knife. cut through the chickens back bone from one end to the other. Turn the chicken over, place in a roasting tin, flattening the chicken and make slashes into the breast and legs of the chicken, to help absorb the sauce into the meat. The chicken will cook through quicker, with this method.

Set the oven

• 1tbspn Mustard Powder
• 1tbspn Curry Powder
• 2tspns Chilli powder or to taste.
• 1tbspn Worcestershire Sauce
• 1tbspn Maple syrup
• 1tspn Cider Vinegar
• 4tbspns Tomato Ketchup
• 2tbspns Olive oil

Place all ingredients in a bowl, whisk together to emulsify.

Spread all over the chicken, rubbing well into the slashes you have made. Roast at 200c, Gas Mk6, 400f, for about 1 hour, ( or barbecue ) still thoroughly cooked through. (If you use the Barbeque for this dish, you will not have the juices for the salad).

Drain the juices from the roasted chicken into a bowl. Whisk in 1 crushed clove of garlic. (Reserve for pasta salad)

Remove chicken to a serving dish.

Pasta & Veg Salad

Pasta and Veg Salad

Cook 1 packet of wholemeal pasta, in salted boiling water, with a drop of oil, until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large wok or frying pan gently fry for 10 mins:

• 1 chopped red onion
• 2 chilli’s chopped (or to taste)
• 2 large courgettes. halved lengthwise & sliced
• 2 large red peppers, deseeded and sliced

Drain the pasta, Pour the reserved juices from the chicken over the veg, allow to bubble for 5 mins. Remove from heat. Add the drained pasta to the veg and mix to blend. Add:

• 4 chopped fresh tomatoes
• 2 tspns Capers, drained
• 2 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
• 3 tbspns Olives, drained.
• 2 tbsns Fresh basil and parsley chopped
• Seasoning to taste

Mix together well, season to taste, serve with the chicken and salad leaves.

Any left over pasta salad and chicken can be stored in the fridge and mixed together to serve for tomorrows supper.

Enjoy your home made food and say NO to convenience foods. Its better for you and your pocket.

Fresh and Healthy

Say No to convenience foods

Following on from last weeks blog: https://truffleicious.blog/2019/07/06/summer-salads/ This week we continue with the fresh and healthy eating theme. Firmly saying NO to pe-packed, sugar and salt laden convenience foods.

Convenience foods, are notoriously bad for you as well as being considerably more expensive than fresh foods cooked from scratch. The salt and sugars added to these products are there to enhance the flavour and texture of otherwise, tasteless, over processed ingredients.

Super Summer Salads

This week, I have for you a few quick recipes and tips, which I hope will inspire you to change both your eating and shopping habits for good.

Make your own dressings

Its really easy and much more cost effective to whisk up you own dressings. If you make a large amount in one go – I make 1ltr – and divide it equally into four different screw top jars. Empty gin or wine bottles are excellent or storing dressings, you are also doing your bit to save the planet at the same time. Special equipment, is not needed to make dressings. A simple balloon whisk will do, failing that a fork will combine the ingredients. After decanting into the storage bottles or jars, give them a good shake before serving, the ingredients will then emulsify – make sure the top is securely screwed on -.

Gin bottle dressings

• For the basic recipe you will need:

• 180ml extra virgin Olive oil or Rapeseed oil

• 60ml white, red or cider vinegar

• 5ml Dijon on coarse grain mustard

• Freshly ground salt and black pepper

Makes 240ml. Place all the ingredients into a large jug or bowl and whisk together, taste and adjust seasoning to taste.

You can experiment by using different flavoured oils, mustards & vinegars to your liking. If you find olive oil to strong a taste, replace half or all with rapeseed oil.

If making double the above recipe, divide into four. Add to each of the four portions of oil, add one of the recipes below:

Garden fresh herbs

• Fresh Herb Vinaigrette 4 tabs Chopped herbs. eg: Basil, Mint, Thyme, Lemon Balm, Dill etc. A simple dressing for any salad.
• Garlic and Chilli Dressing Add as many fresh crushed garlic cloves & chopped chillies to your taste. Drizzle over you home made pizza or mixed with sweetcorn & pulses for a ziggy bean salad.
• Blue Cheese and Chive Dressing Mash 100g Blue Cheese with 2 tabs Milk. Add 2 tabs, freshly chopped chives. Whisk into the oil dressing. Gorgeous with wedges of Iceberg Lettuce.
• Feta and Dill Dressing Mash 100g Feta Cheese with 2 Tabs Lemon Juice, Stir in 2 tabs freshly chopped dill. Whisk in the oil dressing. Lovely served with a traditional Greek Salad, or a simple cucumber salad.

You can experiment with the different ingredients, to make your favourite dressing, to use with your BBQ goodies.

Instead of buying tubs of Coleslaw or Potato Salads try making your own, by combining, grated or shredded veg (carrots, courgettes, red onions & fennel), or cooked potatoes with one of the dressing above. Your options are endless. Go on. Have a go, you know you want too.

For more recipes you can make from scratch, click the link below:

More Recipes

Use your leftovers

Leftover tips & recipes

Good morning fellow foodies. I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas? you are probably feeling a few kilo’s heavier & a few pounds lighter today!! To address the balance, here are a few tips & recipes to help you use up those leftovers. After all, do you really want your hard earned cash, dumped in the bin?

If you were up early enough, you will have heard me on The Graham Rogers, Morning Show BBC Radio Wiltshire at 8.50 this morning, sharing these ideas, with the good people of Wiltshire.

TURKEY  (cooked)

Left over turkey breast can be sliced into finger sized strips, dipped in beaten egg & tossed in a mixture of Polenta & grated parmesan. Leave in the fridge for 30mins. Fry lightly in olive oil, turning once & serve with a dip of pesto, mixed with mayonnaise, for the Italian touch.

If its Spicy you are after. Follow the above, but replace the ingredients as follows: Dip in beaten egg & a Tbspn Soy Sauce & coat in sesame seeds. Serve with sweet Chilli Sauce.

Boil some macaroni. Make up a cheese sauce, or use a can of Campbells condensed Tomato Sauce. Layer in a casserole, Macaroni, cooked turkey chunks, chopped peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, olives etc. Finish with a layer of macaroni. Pour over the sauce, or soup diluted with a little of the Macaroni cooking liquid & sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in a medium oven for 20-30mins.

CHEESES – SALAMI – HAM ETC

Place left over cheeses in a food processor, with chives & some butter. Process until smooth. Pot in small ramekins, seal with clarified butter & serve as a spread. (For adults, use stilton & a couple of Tbspns Port)

Recipe for savoury Truffles can be found by clicking the blue link.

Savoury Truffles Love your Leftovers

VEG & SALAD

How about a different take on that Boxing Day Bubble & Squeak. Whisk yourself up a Breakfast Frittata

Left overs. Breakfast Frittata

Have you looked in the salad drawer? I bet a sad looking lettuce & cucumber, lurk there, together with a few spring onions, the odd pepper & that bag of healthy shoots, that would go with….. you can’t remember what!
Well dig them all out, heat some oil in a large saucepan & throw them all in. Saute for a few minutes with a tspn cumin, add some veggie or chicken stock & bring to the boil. Simmer for 30mins & blitz with a hand blender. Season & serve with a spoonful of Greek yogurt on top.

Left over Veg soup

CHRISTMAS PUD & CREAM
Got an ice-cream maker?
Make a basic custard mix, allow to cool, stir in 500ml double cream & 1 tbspn Brandy. Process according to your manufacturers instructions, 10 mins before the end of freezing time, crumble in Christmas Pudding, or any meringues you may have left over.

Christmas Bombe

That it foodies. Hope you have found some inspiration to use up those leftovers. Have a great Boxing Day & Happy New Year.