The Thrifty Cookbook: 476 Ways to Eat Well With Leftovers Read Online Free PDF Page B

a splash of oil

Olive oil, crushed garlic, lemon juice, chopped parsley, chopped thyme, sage or rosemary
Olive oil, dried chilli flakes (or chopped fresh chilli), grated fresh ginger, chopped coriander and/or chopped mint
Yogurt, a splash of olive oil, chopped basil and/or mint (you could add a dash of Tabasco to this, too, or a teaspoon of harissa paste from a tube)

Harissa paste thinned to a coating consistency with olive oil
Olive oil, crushed garlic, lemon juice, thyme or rosemary
Olive oil, ground cumin, lemon juice, garlic

Equal amounts of runny honey and soy sauce, plus lime juice and crushed garlic (this also works for spare ribs or barbecued chicken)
Olive oil, red wine, bay leaf
Olive oil, black pepper and coriander seeds, both coarsely ground

Olive oil, crushed garlic, lemon juice, chopped thyme
Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, bay leaf or chopped sage
Olive oil, honey, grated fresh ginger, soy sauce

Plain cold meat and fish are all inestimably nicer with a good robust chutney or pickle. Think of cold roast beef, spicy tomato chutney and a great fluffy baked potato filled with good butter; or cold lamb with a caper-y salsa verde. Leftover Christmas turkey and ham sandwiches positively sing with a great dollop of onion marmalade or chilli jam.
There are also times of the year when gluts of apples, tomatoes or soft fruit threaten to drown you with the spectre of imminent waste. Using them up (or taking advantage of their low price by buying a bagful) doesn’t mean you have to turn yourself into a domestic factory, either. Chutneys benefit from keeping for at least six months and will last for several years: we don’t have that brand of forbearance and usually have to ration them in the month or so before the time comes round to start all over again.
In the same spirit, a simple salsa verde or ‘Bagnetto’ (see page 46 ) will use up the last of a bunch of herbs (if you don’t want to chop and freeze them) and there are easy dips that demolish languishing veggies. A mini-chopper makes all these not just easy but quick – and they will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, while dried tomatoes and peppers bottled in oil will last for a month or so.
These are leftovers’ playmates – to gild a simple bit of crusty bread or lift a soup, salad, sandwich, bowl of rice or pasta or even a basic baked potato out of the ordinary. They’re also one of my favourite ways of using up food – because they repay over and over again.

        
For foods designed to keep, like chutneys and jams, it’s important to use a scrupulously well-washed jar, such as a Kilner, Parfait or jam jar, and to make sure that it doesn’t already smell strongly of pickling spices. To sterilise the jar, use it straight from the dishwasher, or wash it out well with hot water and put it into the oven at 150°C/Gas Mark 2 for 15 minutes. Fill the jars before they cool and, with jams, place a wax disc (available from kitchen shops) on top before putting on the lid.

You can make this jam with any glut of fruit. Under-ripe fruit has more pectin (which helps jam to set) but very ripe fruit can also be made into jam. I don’t bother with special jam-making sugar, which contains added pectin – ordinary granulated does just fine. Make sure the fruit is dry first and prepare it by hulling, stoning or peeling it as usual. Raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, plums, currants, blackberries, even rosehips and apples are all good – on their own or in combination. Jam should keep well for a year or so. Once you have opened the jar, if a thin mould forms you can scrape it off, along with about a centimetre of jam from below it, with no health dangers.

Use equal weights of white sugar to prepared fruit (see above). In a large pan, preferably stainless-steel, very gently heat the fruit and sugar together, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has completely dissolved.

Turn up the heat and let the jam bubble quite rapidly, skimming off some of