Christmas Leftovers!

Just a short post about Christmas leftovers! 

We all love Christmas food on Christmas day! But after that it gets a bit boring? So here are three recipes I tried out at a cooking demonstration today. They seem to have gone down well with the group. Sorry there are no photos I always find it is too busy to take photographs at these events.

Smoked Salmon with Yogurt Pancakes

      This is a great way to stretch a small amount of smoked salmon around a large group. The yogurt in the little pancakes gives them a nice tang, as if they have been made with some sourdough starter.  

Pancakes

150g self raising flour

½ tsp salt

1 egg

150g yogurt

150ml milk

butter for frying

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the salt.

Break the egg into the flour and start to whisk gently drawing more and more flour in until thick. Then add in the yogurt a spoonful at a time and whisk again.

When all of the yogurt is added in, whisk in most of the milk to make a thick batter.

Or put all the ingredients into a blender starting with half the milk, then the yogurt and the egg and blend till smooth. It will need to be thinned with the rest of the milk.

Make the pancakes by spooning 1dsp of batter onto the frying pan together to make a small pancake. Cook till dry on top and then flip over and cook until golden on the other side.

Add some more butter and continue to make the pancakes.

You can do 5-6 at a time on a large pan, keeping the earlier ones warm in a low oven until the rest are cooked.

1 shallot

½ tub sour cream

a bunch of dill

2dsp capers

lemons

smoked salmon

Very finely dice the shallot, chop the dill and capers and add them to the sour cream. Taste the sour cream mixture and season with pepper and lemon juice.

Top each pancake with a blob of sour steam and a twist of smoked salmon. Serve with lemon wedges and a grind of black pepper.

Cashew Nut & Brussels sprout Stir-fry

      This is great for unexpected vegetarians and is a different way to enjoy these seasonal mini cabbages.

1 large onion

2 cloves of garlic

2.5cm piece of ginger

1 chilli (optional)

1 red or yellow pepper

6-8 button mushrooms

10-12 Brussels sprouts

2tbs sunflower oil

2tbs soy sauce

1 tsp nam pla

50ml water

pepper

100g cashew nuts*

2 scallions

2tbs chopped coriander

Peel, halve and slice the onion thinly.

Peel and slice the garlic.

Peel the ginger and cut into small matchsticks.

Cut the chilli in half and remove the seeds and membrane slice very finely.

Cut the pepper open and remove the seeds and membrane, slice it into 1cm wide strips.

Slice the mushrooms.

Peel and finely slice the Brussels sprouts

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. When the oil shimmers add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens.

Add the pepper, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms.

Stir-fry for a minute or two and add the soy sauce, nam pla and water. Cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down to low. Leave to cook for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile toast the cashews on a dry frying pan over a medium to high heat.

Finley slice the scallions at an angle and mix with the coriander.

Take the lid off the vegetables taste and season with pepper and  add the cashews and stir them through. Sprinkle on coriander and scallions and serve with rice or noodles.

*If you are using salted roasted cashews rinse them in a sieve under the tap to remove the salt, then dry them with kitchen paper before heating then through on the dry pan.

Christmas pudding Sundaes

      The diet starts in the New Year!

Left over Christmas pudding

Butter

3tbs mixed nuts

1tbs oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1tbs sugar

Good vanilla ice cream

Whiskey

Dates

Whipped cream

Crumble the Christmas pudding into dessert spoonful sized chunks.

Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the pudding in a single layer. Toss and fry until hot through and beginning to take on some colour.

In another pan gently fry the nuts in the oil. When they start to take on a colour add the sugar and cinnamon stir round until beginning to caramelise and turn out onto a sheet of baking parchment to cool.

Put a scoop of ice cream into the bottom of a glass dish and add a layer of hot pudding, a dessert spoonful of whiskey and then some more ice cream and a some cinnamon toasted nuts. Decorate with whipped cream and a date or two.

Happy Christmas to one and all, and a peaceful New Year!