Recipes: Don’t throw away those leftovers!

Smoked Sausage and Mixed Bean Cassoulet

A speedy supper for midweek, this cassoulet uses store cupboard ingredients which can be served with crusty bread to mop up the sauce or, if you prefer, leftover rice or mashed potato.

Recipe author: Love Food Hate Waste

SERVES: 4

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

360g pack jumbo frankfurters, sliced

400g can chopped tomatoes

400g can mixed beans, drained and rinsed

1 tbsp tomato purée

METHOD:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 3 minutes, add the sausage and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, beans and tomato purée.

Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with salad and crusty bread.

• Cook’s tip

Try using a tin of baked beans for a more child friendly flavour.

• Variations

Canned frankfurters are a good substitute and a useful store cupboard ingredient. Leftover cooked sausages work well too.

• Extra flavour

Add herbs, BBQ sauce or chilli for extra flavour.

• Freezer advice

Freeze ahead in portions for easy ready meals when you’re pressed for time.

• Vegan and vegetarian options

Add extra vegetables to replace the sausage or use a vegetarian sausage.

Chicken and Vegetable Fajitas

This spicy dish is based on Mexican wraps and a great way to use up left over chicken or turkey. If you have a glut of tomatoes you could also use these instead of the can of chopped tomatoes.

Recipe author: Love Food Hate Waste

SERVES: 4

PREP TIME: 10

COOKING TIME: 12

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp oil

450g (1 lb) mixed vegetables from the fridge or freezer, sliced (e.g. onion, pepper, courgette, mushrooms)

2-3 tsp fajita seasoning

400g can chopped tomatoes

250g (9 oz) leftover roast chicken, shredded

326g pack 8 tortilla wraps

To serve: grated Cheddar cheese and soured cream

METHOD:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the prepared vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the fajita seasoning and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, rinse the can with a dash of water and add to the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and heat through.

Warm the tortilla wraps according to pack instructions.

Divide the chicken mixture between the tortillas and roll up. Serve with grated cheese from the fridge and soured cream.

• Cook’s tip

Try using a pack of prepared stir fry vegetables to avoid wastage.

• Use up

Use up leftover vegetables in the fridge

• Variations

Swap the chicken for leftover roast turkey, beef, lamb or pork. Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned.

• Extra flavour

Any spicy seasoning mix can be used such as Jamaican jerk, Cajun etc

• Freezer advice

Not suitable for freezing.

• Vegan and vegetarian options

Replace the meat with extra vegetables and a can of kidney beans

Pear Tray Bake

This scrumptious desert is an ideal way to help use a glut of summer fruits like pears, apples or plums. Serve hot or warm with cream, ice cream or crème fraiche.

Recipe author: Love Food Hate Waste

SERVES: 6

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

150g (5oz) butter, softened

150g (5oz) light brown muscovado sugar

3 medium eggs

150g (5oz) self raising flour

2 ripe pears, peeled, halved and cored (350g)

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180oC, gas mark 4. Grease and base line a 22cm square tin.

Whisk the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time and whisk to incorporate. Gently fold in the flour.

Spread the cake mixture in the base of the tin and gently press the pears into the mixture evenly. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and the sponge is cooked.

• Cook’s tip

Sprinkle a little extra sugar on top before cooking to give a crunchy texture.

• Use up

Use up the glut of fruit from the garden or when cheaper when in season.

• Variations

Replace the pears with plums or apples

• Extra flavour

Add ground ginger or cinnamon for extra flavour

• Freezer advice

Cut into portions and freeze.

Creamy Mushroom Tagliatelle

A simple creamy mushroom sauce mixed with pasta. You can use whatever mushrooms you have available and then serve with your favourite pasta. If you have any leftover ham, you could also add that to dish as well.

Recipe author: Love Food Hate Waste

SERVES: 4

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp oil

1 onion, chopped

300g (11 oz) mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

250g (9 oz) tagliatelle or pasta of your choice

200g pack low fat soft cheese

25g pack parsley, chopped

METHOD:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.

Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelle in boiling water for 8 minutes until tender, (or according to the on pack instructions) Drain.

Stir the soft cheese into the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes the stir into the tagliatelle with the parsley. Season to taste.

• Cook’s tip

Any shape of pasta can be used depending on what is in the cupboard.

• Use up

Use up leftover half packs of herbs in the fridge or small amounts of pasta shapes left in the cupboard.

• Variations

Soured cream or crème fraiche can be used instead of soft cheese.

• Extra flavour

Try using dried mushrooms for an extra rich flavour – just soak according to the packet’s instructions. before you add to the dish.

• Freezer advice

Not suitable.

Savoury scones

These savoury scones are great with soups and stews. They’re best served warm with a blob of melting butter.

Recipe author: Love Food Hate Waste

SERVES: 12

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOKING TIME: 20-25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

450g/1lb self-raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

250g/9oz mixed carrots and courgettes

100g/3 ½ oz butter

100g/3 ½ oz hard cheese

5 tbsp milk

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter. Grate the cheese and stir it into the mixture.

Peel the carrots and grate them. Trim the courgettes and grate them – no need to peel them. Pat the vegetables dry with kitchen towel and stir them into the mixture.

Add the milk, a little at a time, to bring the ingredients together as a soft dough. You may not need to use all the milk.

Turn the mixture onto a floured board and pat it out to a thickness of around 2.5cm/1in. Cut it into rounds and bake on a greased baking tray for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden.

• Cook’s tip

Don’t twist the pastry cutter when you cut the dough into circles as this can distort the shape of the scones when they rise. Cheese that has gone a little hard is fine in this recipe.

• Use up

Carrots, courgettes, cheese

• Variations

Grated parsnips, pumpkin and beetroot also work well in this recipe, but don’t add more than 250g/9oz of vegetables in total to the dough mixture.

• Extra flavour

Sprinkle with a little extra cheese or dust with cayenne before baking.

• Freezer advice

Can be frozen after baking. Allow to defrost slowly, and reheat in the oven to serve.