How Two Leftovers Converge into Lunch

I have just eaten (as I start writing) a rather splendid and sudden lunch - it went like this ...

1.   I had, outrageously for me, roast rack of lamb for dinner the other day - delicious but I couldn't eat it all

2.   Real man's lunch for the past couple of days has been ham and pease pudding but the pudding outlasted the ham so ...

3.   I made myself some pease pudding curry which I also couldn't eat all of, so ..

4.   I made dal roti.

5.   I filled it with the thinly sliced leftover lamb which I cunningly laid onto the flatbread whilst the second side was cooking, just to warm through slightly

6.   I slid the finished, lamb topped roti onto a plate, added a little salad and Greek yogurt, folded it in half and took a picture.

7.   I then ate it and patted myself on the back - not choking, just congratulating myself.

As we sat down for lunch I proudly exhibited my meal to my darling at which he commented "I have absolutely no idea what that is!" and tucked into his sausage sarnie. 

Which reminds me of an odd handy tip; if you slice a sausage diagonally it will go farther when filling a sandwich.  I know mathematically this doesn't work out but it does culinarily. The picture below is of 2 sausages on a stottie and, as readers from Up North will verify, a stottie is fairly large, about 7" or 180mm across.

Speaking of Leftovers ...

Of all the foods in the world leftovers are my favourite ingredient and using them my favourite way to cook. If I find myself with random bits and pieces to use up I am delighted and often inspired; I enjoy the challenge of making them into a good meal and then I enjoy eating it! 

This is a fun and economical way of discovering new ideas and dishes; sometimes the result of playing with leftovers is so pleasing that the end product becomes a regular.

So I wrote a book ...

Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers

Read more here.

Leftover Dal? Leftover Porridge? No worries!

~  Menu  ~

Dal Roti with Cashew Nut Salad

White Wine Spritzer

 Honey Oatmeal Scones and Coffee

Having run the gamut of things to do with leftover Pease Pudding (soup, fritters and dal) I had a little of the spiced pudding, aka dal, left and was going to make myself a dal vada/ fritter of sorts when inspiration struck.  

Pin for later, perhaps?

What would happen if I mixed flour into the dal to make a dough?  

This is what happened ...

Dal Roti – Instructions

~    Mix enough flour (I used plain flour but rolled the dough out on wholewheat – probably chapatti flour would be best) into the dal to make a workable dough.

~   Roll into walnut sized balls and then roll out into thin rounds.

~   Fry in a lightly oiled pan till the first side is speckled with brown turn and do the second side.

What a nice surprise these were!  I quickly whipped up a salad, added some cashews and a simple balsamic dressing and dolloped a spoonful of Greek yogurt (fusion!) on the top.

This was all very spur of the moment – I am sure these little breads would be great used to scoop up curry or similar.

After lunch I messed around in the fridge, as one does, and came across a cup of cold porridge.  Obviously I was delighted, who wouldn’t be?  

As I was fresh from munging flour into cold dal my mind ran along similar lines and I decided to make …

Honey Oatmeal Scones

Based on an Original Idea by Mrs. Beeton!

Quite a while ago now I wrote an article for Vegetarian Living on Mrs. Beeton’s Vegetarian Cooking and this was one of her good ideas.  In my grandmother’s edition Mrs. B says to knead into cold porridge “as much flour as will enable it to be rolled out ¼” thick but that was a bit too basic and heavy for me so here is my version

300g cold porridge
30g soft butter
1 tbsp honey
self-raising flour
(or plain flour and baking powder in the rations 100g flour:1 tsp baking powder

~   Preheat oven to 375ºF/190ºC/170ºC fan/gas 5.
~   Mix together the first three ingredients and then work in the flour to make a soft, sticky but manageable dough.
~   Knead lightly then roll out on a floured board to a thickness of about 20mm.
~   Cut into rounds or other shapes and lay on a greased baking tray.
~   Brush with milk and bake for 20-25 minutes till risen and golden.

Other ideas for cold porridge can be found here .

Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers

I have so many ideas for leftovers of all sorts that I wrote a book. Originally it was called The Leftovers Handbook but the second edition has a new cover, a new name and, best of all, a new and cheaper price. In it I give ideas, recipes, handy hints, cook's treats, storage instructions and food pairing for over 450 possible scraps and remains.

Never waste a good eating opportunity again! - read more here.