Smart ideas for lockdown leftovers

I don't know why I'm still cooking roast dinners, with all the trimmings mind you - crispy potatoes, pumpkin chunks that get all sweet and caramelly around the edges, gravy - but I am. There's nothing quite as comforting as a roast, quite as settling. If the week's been a bit off, and what week hasn't lately, a Sunday where the house fills with the smells of a garlicky chicken in the oven, takes everything back to centre.

But in the weeks where I'm by myself, and I have been for lockdown, I find there's enough roast leftover to get me through the week. And sometimes that fact isn't settling, rather it's unsettling, a reminder that I never want to become one of those sad lonely people who cook one big meal and then eat the same meal every night that week. I know a woman who does that. Plates it up and has seven identical meals sitting in her fridge. I often wonder how awful it must be by day seven.

Which brings me to the curry. After I had used a good portion of the lamb for sandwiches and fritters (see recipe below) I put the rest in with a good dash of curry paste and some coconut milk and then forgot about it for a while, for too long probably. But this neglect allowed the meat to soak up the flavours, turning those last bits of meat into tender morsels. All of the vegetables went in for about 20 minutes as well, that caramelly pumpkin was a perfect addition. I grabbed some spinach leaves from the garden, sliced them up too, for some greenery. And eventually sat down to the most delicious meal.

One of my favourite cookbooks is Love Your Leftovers: Recipes for the resourceful cook, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the River Cottage team (Bloomsbury, 2015, $45). I love the idea of being resourceful. This one is as much about limiting food waste as it is about rethinking dinner and we all need to do more of that.

There are distinct patterns when it comes to food waste, the ingredients we throw out the most are bread, potatoes, milk, fresh fruit, cooked rice and salad. I have a punnet of blackberries in my fridge that need using, I've picked out a couple that have turned, so tonight I'll be thinking about a crumble or a smoothie. I'll check on that loaf of sourdough too (and no, I didn't make it), perhaps a bread and butter pudding would work a treat with those berries. I'm feeling a bit smug now, and Fearnley-Whittingstall says there's no shame in that.

"It's the sort of cooking that allows the cook, quite justifiably, to feel rather pleased with themselves," he says.

"And it's as efficient as it is tasty. Not only is it thrifty in a financial sense, the work you do for one meal pays dividends because subsequent meals are easier."

I've also been tuning into Best Leftovers Ever! on Netflix where the contestants, who are home cooks, are presented with leftovers having to transform them into something else. In one episode they had to turn health food into comfort food, or leftover takeaway such as burgers and chips into something else completely. It's fun and inventive. I'm going mad for recipes to use up leftover hot chips. Make a Canadian poutine, or smothered fries, by just smothering everything in cheese and gravy, call it fancy poutine and people will think you're rather clever.

1. Sift flour and cumin together into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture.

2. Add combined water, half oil, egg-yolk and zest to flour, mixing to a smooth batter. Season to taste. Set aside 15 minutes.

3. Stir in lamb, zucchini and onion. In a clean bowl, beat egg white until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter.

4. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan on medium.

5. Working in two batches, drop heaped tablespoonfuls of mixture into the pan. Cook for two to three minutes each side, until golden and cooked through.

6. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan if required. Serve with salad leaves and tomato relish.

Makes 12.

READ MORE FOOD & WINE:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: