With coronation street parties coming to a close, and leftover quiches, salads and barbeque dishes making their way into the nation’s lunch boxes over the next week, it’s easy to see how things might get boring pretty fast.
Here, Phil Bianchi, food expert and co-founder of The Gift of Oil, gives his top tips for livening up your leftovers, to continue the celebrations this lunch time.
A crudité refresh
“Crudité, or carrot, cucumber, and celery sticks, is a staple of any street party, but after a day or two these once crisp veggies will start to bend or wilt. For an instant refresh simply submerge them in ice water for around 20 minutes before gently patting try. Viola, good as new! This trick works for most raw salad veggies, so it’s always worth a try before heading to the compost bin.”
Be a microwave-dodger
“When it comes to reheating baked goods, like the must-have coronation quiche, I’d always recommend steering clear of the microwave. While it’s quick, microwaving will leave you with a major soggy bottom, and take away from any freshness. Instead pop any leftover quiche into a pre-heated oven for 15 – 20 minutes for a freshly baked taste, every time.”
Get creative
“Another official street party dish was Nadiya Hussain’s baked aubergine with yoghurt dressing. For a new take on the dish, thinly slice the cooked aubergine and add into a fresh salad. The dish goes wonderfully with tomato, mozzarella, olives and pomegranate seeds, so mix everything together and dress with a chilli and lime olive oil for a delicious new flavour combination. Another great idea is to recreate a classic brunch dish like shakshuka, with a combination of aubergine, tinned tomatoes and baked eggs.
Don’t forget the BBQ
“If your coronation party catering was all about the barbeque, there are loads of different ways to use up leftovers – without needing to re-create your plateful for three days in a row. Meat, such as steak or sausage, is extremely versatile and can be thinly sliced and added to new dishes very easily. A hearty sausage pasta, or Philly cheesesteak sandwich always go down a treat!
Add flavour
“Finally, with leftover desserts it can be tempting to grab a spoon and dig in, but there’s always room for improvement. Drizzle a warming balsamic, such as our chocolate and coffee infusion, over your lingering trifle for that much loved tiramisu effect. It works equally as well with ice-cream, strawberries, or even yoghurt, so whichever sweets treats made it to the end of the day at your celebration are sure to be brought back to life, with one quick splash.”
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