Miranda is a food writer, home-baking expert, director of The Kitchen School and passionate foodie. She was also a finalist on the first series of The Great British Bake Off. Miranda has written two books, Biscuit and Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can both published by Ebury Press. 

Cheats Risotto, Thai Curry and Bubble and Squeak are submissions from our customers.

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 2 rashers bacon, chopped
• 100g chestnut mushrooms
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 100ml cider or white wine
• 200ml chicken or turkey Stock
• 150ml double cream or crème fraiche
• 800g leftover cooked turkey, shredded
• Few chives

Method

1. Melt the butter in the pan, and fry the leeks, mushrooms and bacon.
2. Add the flour and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Gradually add your choice of either cider or white wine and the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 minute.
4. Take off the heat and add the cream, chives and turkey and heat through thoroughly.
5. Serve with pasta or rice.

Ingredients 

• 600g cooked turkey, chopped into big chunks  
• 150g plain yoghurt 
• Juice of 1 lemon 
• 3 tbsp red wine 
• 4 tsp mild curry paste 
• 1 onion, finely chopped 
• 1 tbsp tomato puree 
• 2 tbsp apricot puree  
• 300ml mayonnaise 
• Sliced apricots  

Method 

1. Fry the onion in a frying pan, making sure that it doesn’t turn brown.  
2. Stir in curry paste and cook for 1 minute. 
3. Add the wine, tomato puree and squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Let it simmer until it has reduced to about 4 tbsp. Allow to cool. 
4. Add the apricot puree, mayonnaise, yoghurt, sliced apricots and cooked turkey.  

Try serving with a rice salad and stirring through a spoon of mango chutney at the end.  

Ingredients

• 350g fresh pasta
• 200g broccoli, cut into small florets
• 400g cooked turkey, chunked
• 175g mushrooms, quartered
• 4 tbsp sundried tomato paste
• 80g soft cheese with garlic and herbs
• 284ml single cream

For the topping:

• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 85g mature cheddar, grated

Method

1. Cook the pasta al dente, following the guidance on the packet.
2. Cook the broccoli for about 5 minutes.
3. In a separate pan, fry the mushrooms, and then add the sundried tomato paste, soft cheese and cream.
4. Stir together the pasta, sauce, broccoli and cooked chicken, and pour into an oven-proof dish.
5. Sprinkle the grated cheese and spring onions on top and bake for 20 minutes at 190 C.

Ingredients

Sour cream pastry: 
(This is twice the amount you will need for the pie, freeze the rest for another time)

• 500g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 300g unsalted butter
• 250ml full fat sour cream

For the filling:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 leeks (300g) washed and finely sliced 
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh or dried thyme leaves – a few sprigs
• 300g roast turkey, shredded into pieces.
• 150g roast ham, 
• cut into chunks
• 3 tablespoons of plain flour
• 300ml of turkey stock, (or you could use some leftover gravy with some boiling water added or 2 chicken stock cubes with 300ml boiling water)
• 2 tablespoons of brandy or cognac
• 1 egg (for egg wash)

Method

1. Chop the cold butter into cubes and leave to soften for about five minutes.
2. Whizz or whisk together the flour and salt, use your hands (or the food processor) to rub in the butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the sour cream and whizz again or mix with a knife until it comes together as a dough.
3. Press into two flat discs, wrap tightly in cling film and chill for at least an hour.
4. Put the leeks into a deep-sided frying pan or casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, cook until soft. Add a tablespoon of water if they start to go dry.
5. Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and stir until melted.
6. Toss the flour over the turkey and ham,  then add to the pan with the buttery leeks.
7. Stir and after a few minutes add the hot stock (or gravy) and brandy and let it bubble for about five minutes until it is glossy and has thickened.
8. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7 and put a flat-sided baking tray ready to stand your pie dish on.
9. Take the pastry out of the fridge and dust with a little flour, I find it easiest to roll it out between two pieces of non-stick baking paper. Roll until about 0.5cm thick. Use a biscuit cutter or bottle lid to cut a few shaped holes in the pastry.
10. Tip all the filling ingredients into your pie dish.
11. Brush the top edge of your pie dish with egg and then lay your pastry on top, trim but leave 2cm extra to allow for shrinkage
12. Use a fork to press around the edges.
13. Brush the top with egg wash and put into the preheated oven to bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and crisp on top.

Ingredients

• Your favourite rice (enough when cooked to half fill a casserole/baking dish)
• Leftover turkey/goose/gammon/stuffing (as much as you want to get rid of)
• Frozen mixed veg (French beans/carrots/peas/peppers – whatever your supermarket has int he mix)
• Condensed chicken soup (Campbells) one or two tins depending on size of dish and whether you have left over gravy to include)
• Left over gravy options
• Onion
• Garlic
• Cheddar (or any left over cheese) enough to cover the dish in the oven
• Tomatoes (optional) for decoration

Method

1. Cook your preferred rice until just done, but with a little bite, drain well
2. In your casserole dish fry onions and garlic until golden
3. Add cooked rice and stir in, condensed soup from can (do not thin), left over gravy if using, leftover turkey of whatever, packet of frozen mixed veg (adjust quantity if only serving a few)
4. When mixed well cover thickly in grated cheese and sliced tomato
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes in preheated oven until piping hot and cheese has melted and browned

Ingredients

• Leftover Turkey/Goose/Duck
• Jar of red Thai curry paste (green works)
• Onions
• Garlic (finely chopped, not crushed)
• Chillies (optional)
• Leftover uncooked vegetables (French Beans, Carrots, Peppers, Broccoli (ideally sprouting), Baby Sweetcorn, Spring Onions cut into thin strips (carrots ideally ribbons)
• Can of Coconut milk
• Can of Bamboo shoots
•  Fish Sauce
• Lime Juice
• Sugar
• Coriander leaves

Method

1. In a hot wok or large pan fry onions for 2 minutes and garlic and chillies for 60 seconds.
2. Add veg and cook until hot but still al dente.
3. Add turkey and coconut milk, bring to simmer
4. Add sugar, fish sauce and lime juice to taste – bring to boil and serve with boiled rice, and garnish with chopped coriander.

Ingredients

• Cold meat
• Left over veg (inc lots of cooked sprouts)
• Onions
• Garlic
• Potatoes

Method

1. Boiled potatoes are best, so peel and boil (you can still add left over roasties later) – drain and slice
2. Meanwhile fry the onions until soft, add the garlic and the newly boiled potatoes. Cooked until slightly coloured.
3. Halve left over sprouts, slice left over roasties and parsnips, the add along with other leftover veg – peas, carrots or whatever you have. Still well and fry for a 5-10 minutes turning to give all some colour.
4. remove from heat and press down in pan. Lightly drizzle in oil and place in pre heated oven until piping hot and the veg has taken on a slight “crust”
5. Serve alongside cold meat and pickles, with an optional fried/poached egg on the bubble and squeak

This is the goose biryani recipe I use, which is absolutely wonderful and dare I say it better than the roast goose? I’m sure I’ll be making this again!

https://maunikagowardhan.co.uk/cook-in-a-curry/christmas-goose-dum-biryani/