Hi, I’m Kay and I do cooking with pupils in the fantastic new catering unit at Pegasus.  Each month I’d like to share with you a favourite recipe for you to try at home as a family. Some recipes will be suggested by me and others will be guest “appearances” by a member of staff or a pupil’s favourite recipe which they have recently made in school.

This month I’ve chosen 2 really easy recipes which use up leftovers.

Bubble and Squeak

Ingredients: 1 onion , finely chopped

                     Left over potatoes – can be roast or boiled, finely chopped or mashed potato

                    Left over vegetables – anything you like

                    Left over meat/ pigs in blankets etc, finely chopped or a few rashers of bacon

                    Salt and pepper to taste

                    Oil to fry

Method:

  1.  Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook for around 5 minutes until the onion is soft and then put in a bowl.  If using bacon, grill or fry it until it is just cooked and put it in a separate bowl.
  2. Finely chop the potatoes and veg (use roughly equal amounts of each) and add to the bowl with the onions. 
  3. Mash this mixture all together using a potato masher, add in the chopped meat/bacon and mix again. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. With your hands, make into patties to fry by rolling a handful together then pressing flat.  
  5. Fry the patties for 5 minutes on each side, they should be slightly brown on the outside.  Serve with a fried or poached egg and enjoy.
  6. If you would prefer not to fry your patties, place on a greased oven tray and bake for around 20 mins at 180c/160 fan/gas 4.

                    

Leftover Pie

Ingredients: 1 block of frozen or fresh puff pastry (or ready rolled if you don’t have a rolling pin). 

                   Leftover meat and vegetables

                   enough gravy to cover (either left over or made up with gravy granules).

Method:

  1.  Pre-heat oven to 200c/180c fan/gas 5
  2. Grease a deep baking tin/oven proof dish.
  3. On the bottom of the tin put chopped meat and vegetables (including diced cooked potato/roast potato).  Anything at all you would like can go into this pie.
  4. Cover the leftovers with enough gravy to make it moist, but don’t add too much.
  5. Roll out puff pastry and place on top of meat & vegetable mix.
  6. Glaze pastry with a little milk to give a nice brown colour.
  7. Cook in oven for around 25 mins or until the pastry is cooked.
  8. Serve and enjoy.  Baked beans or frozen peas can go well with this or re-heated mashed potato.  (If you put mash in the pie it will make it a bit too mushy).

Alternatives -use a cheese sauce instead of gravy.

Mix in cooked pasta, top with grated cheese instead of the puff pastry and cook in the oven for around 15 mins.