Eat leftovers once a week

Raspberry, oat and banana muffins

When bananas begin to soften, they are at their best for baking – sweet and easy to mash. Here I use them in some simple muffins which are perfect for school lunchboxes. I like to use frozen raspberries but whatever frozen berry you have in the freezer is perfect – blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are all great.

Makes 12 small muffins.

Ingredients

125 g raw caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

150 ml light flavoured extra virgin olive oil

3 very ripe bananas, mashed (around 400 g)

100 g rolled oats, plus extra for topping

150 g self raising flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

150 g frozen raspberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with patty pan cases or simply grease the tray.

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil and whisk until well combined. Add the mashed bananas and whisk well. Add the rolled oats, self raising flour and ground cinnamon and whisk until just combined. Fold through the raspberries.

Spoon the batter into the patty pan cases and top with some extra rolled oats.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the muffins are cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool briefly in the tin then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

A simple lemon yoghurt cake which is perfect for afternoon tea and is a great way to use up excess yoghurt in the fridge. It stays moist for quite a few days thanks to the extra virgin olive oil and is bright and zingy. I’ve made an easy lemon glaze to top the cake. I’m always looking for ways to use up herbs, so here the cake is topped with some thyme leaves which adds some interest to this simple cake.

Serves 8 to 12.

Ingredients

3 lemons

250 g caster sugar

3 eggs

150 ml light flavoured extra virgin olive oil

200 g Greek yoghurt

250 g self raising flour

Lemon icing

150 g icing sugar

Juice of a lemon, as needed

Fresh thyme sprigs, to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 24 cm bundt cake tin.

Finely zest the 3 lemons and juice 2 of them (you should have 100 ml of juice). Reserve the third lemon for the icing. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until well combined. Add the extra virgin olive oil and whisk well, followed by the yoghurt. Add the lemon zest and juice and whisk to combine.

Add the flour and gently whisk until just combined. Pour the batter into the tin and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then invert onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

For the icing, whisk the icing sugar in a medium bowl with enough lemon juice from the reserved lemon to create a thick but pourable icing. Drizzle onto the cooled cake, top with thyme and allow to set before serving.

When I have leftover roasted cauliflower, I love turning it into a satisfying salad. Here I’ve detailed how to roast cauliflower too, which is also handy when you have cauliflower in your fridge that needs using up. Whichever route you go down, it’s a great midweek salad for lunch or a light dinner. I’ve used Moghrabieh or pearl couscous, but any grain is lovely here. Feel free to use whichever herbs you have on hand.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

500 g (around half a head) of cauliflower broken into florets

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp baharat spice

Sea salt, to taste

1 onion, halved and sliced

1 bunch silverbeet (around 300 g), washed and roughly chopped, including stems

150 g Moghrabieh (pearl couscous)

Large handful each of parsley, coriander and dill, roughly chopped

50 g raisins

50 g pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted

Pomegranate dressing

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Juice of a lemon

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1/2 tsp brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a bowl combine the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil, baharat spice and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to combine and tip onto the prepared tray. Arrange in a single layer and roast for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the onions with a pinch of salt until soft and beginning to colour, for around 10 minutes. Add the washed and still damp silverbeet to the pan and cook for 15 minutes, or until the silverbeet is very soft. During the cooking, add a little water to the pan to avoid it drying out. Add to the bowl with the cauliflower.

Cook the Moghrabieh according to the packet directions, drain and add to the bowl along with the herbs, raisins and pine nuts or almonds. Toss to combine.

For the dressing, simply combine all ingredients together in a jar, season with salt and shake to combine. Pour onto the salad and mix well. Check for seasoning and serve warm.

This is the perfect recipe if you have some potatoes in the pantry that are no longer looking their best. Simply peel and boil them for mashed potatoes and use them in these irresistible pancakes. It’s also a wonderful way to use up leftover mashed potatoes from the night before. I’ve chosen hot smoked trout to serve with these pancakes, but also bacon is tasty. Or keep it vegetarian and top simply with some watercress or roasted tomatoes.

Makes 10 pancakes.

Ingredients

500 g potatoes such as Desiree or Dutch Cream, peeled

60 g butter, melted, plus extra for cooking

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp finely grated nutmeg

Bunch of chives, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

125 g self raising flour

Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking

Hot smoked trout, flaked, to serve

Crème fraîche, to serve

Instructions

Quarter the potatoes and place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water, season with salt and cook for around 20 minutes or until soft. Drain and press through a potato ricer or mash in a medium bowl. To the potatoes, add the warm melted butter and mix to combine. Add the eggs, nutmeg and most of the chives, reserving some for serving. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the flour and gently mix until just combined.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add a little extra virgin olive oil and a knob of butter and when foaming, scoop in 1/3 cup of the mixture. Work in batches to not overcrowd the pan. Cook the pancakes for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping halfway and slightly pressing down with a spatula, or until golden and cooked through.

Serve with hot smoked trout, crème fraîche and extra chives.

Inspired by Okinawan taco rice, usually made with minced beef, this version makes use of leftover steak which simply needs warming through the onions and spices before being served. I have suggested the classic toppings but feel free to play around with them – salsa, coriander or cabbage would also be delicious.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 brown onion, sliced

Sea salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp smoked sweet paprika

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp soy sauce

60 ml chicken or vegetable stock

300 g leftover steak, sliced

12 5g cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 red onion, finely sliced

125 g cheddar cheese, grated

1 spring onion, finely sliced

Steamed Japanese short grain rice, to serve

Instructions

In a large fry pan over a medium heat, warm the extra virgin olive oil and add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until soft and beginning to caramelise. Add the spices and dried oregano and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the soy sauce and stock and simmer until almost reduced. Add the steak to warm through.

Spoon steamed rice into four bowls and top with the steak, some cherry tomatoes, lettuce, onion, cheese and spring onion.