Recipes: What To Do With Your Leftovers This Summer

Turn extra potatoes and parmesan into this textural masterpiece. Photo / Babiche Martens.

If your pantry has an unexpected bounty of extra food these holidays, make sure it doesn’t go to waste. These recipes from Angela Casley make use of potatoes, cheese and fish, if you’ve encountered an accidental surplus.

The trick to re-enlivening leftovers is utilising condiments and fresh herbs. With a dollop of chutney, a sprinkle of parsley or a squeeze of lemon, you’ll be glad you weren’t quite able to finish whatever was left on your plate.

Crispy potatoes with pea puree and parmesan

Serves 4

Cheese and potatoes, yum. Making the pea puree at the last minute will ensure it stays a vibrant green colour, adding to the visual feast. Get creative with your cucumbers, slicing and chopping, or making ribbons with a potato peeler.

Pea puree

1 cup cooked peas

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp capers

1 Tbsp juice from the capers

2 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts

Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad

500g new potatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup grated parmesan

½ telegraph cucumber

1 Tbsp toasted pine nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes or until softened. Remove and drain. Tip them onto an oiled baking tray. Using the back of a spoon, crush them roughly. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle over the garlic. Bake for 10 minutes. Then add the parmesan and season, and place back in the oven for a further 8 minutes or until golden and very crispy.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, make the puree. Using a stick blender blitz the peas, garlic, capers and juice, lemon zest and juice, pine nuts, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Smother the puree on to a large platter or plates. Chop some of the cucumber and peel some into ribbons. Place on to the platter. Top with the crispy potatoes.
5. Sprinkle over the pine nuts and dot any extra puree around.

Fresh avocado is a welcome topping for this spiced savoury pancake. Photo / Babiche Martens

Spiced potato pancake

Serves 4

The golden colour of this potato pancake is gorgeous, with the fried potato, eggs, and turmeric adding to the flavour. A nonstick pan is an idea; otherwise, line the base of your frying pan with baking paper before adding the eggs so the pancake will flip out quickly.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup garlic chives, chopped

1 medium potato, grated

1 medium kūmara, grated

½ tsp turmeric

2 cup shredded cabbage

5 eggs

½ tsp salt and pepper

To serve, optional

1 avocado, sliced

½ lemon, squeezed

Roasted cherry tomatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the chives and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the potato and kūmara and cook slowly to soften for 8-10 minutes.
3. Add the turmeric and cabbage and stir until well combined, continuing to cook until the cabbage has wilted.
4. Whisk the eggs with the salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables and stir through. Place it into the oven for 15 minutes until set in the middle. Remove and tip onto a plate.
5. Cut into wedges and add your favourite topping.

Use extra fish in this warming rice bowl. Photo / Babiche Martens

Kahawai kedgeree

Serves 4

If you have the time, you could cook the rice the evening before. This makes whipping up this kedgeree super quick (and adds an extra luscious texture to the rice). By the time the eggs have boiled, the kedgeree recipe will be ready to enjoy.

4 eggs

2 cups basmati or long-grain rice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 green chilli, sliced

1 Tbsp medium curry powder

1 tsp paprika

100g cherry tomatoes, halved

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

400g flaked kahawai

½ cup chopped parsley

½ cup sage leaves, fried

Lemon wedges, to serve

1. First, cook the rice as per the packet instructions. Then cool completely.
2. Hard boil the eggs – cool and peel. Set aside.
3. Warm the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, garlic, pepper and chilli. Cook slowly for 5-6 minutes without browning. Stir through the curry powder and paprika.
4. Add the rice, stirring until it is evenly coloured. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, lemon and parsley. Then fold in the flaked kahawai.
5. Serve with lemon wedges and crispy sage leaves.