It great to share Sainsbury’s Canapénds campaign as most are preparing to kick off the Christmas celebrations. UK families buy an average of £216 worth of food and drink per household for the festive period, but data from WRAP tells us that up to £340 million of food can be wasted in each month. We all know that Christmas can be an expensive time of year as we love to spend money on special treats for family and friends, so Sainsbury’s team of chefs have created a collection of delicious Christmas ‘Canap-énds’, providing a route for some smart savings this Christmas, that will impress your guests while making the festive budget go a little further.
New research launched today by Sainsbury’s revealed that 84% of the UK population can use leftovers from their Christmas dinner for up to four days to create new meals during the festive period.
Lemon salmon tartar, on cucumber with crème fraiche and dill
Makes 10
10 Cucumber slices, salted
2 tbsp crème fraiche
1 tsp chopped dill
Few sprigs of dill to garnish
Salmon marinade
1 x 150g salmon fillets
20ml of good quality gin
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of sea salt
Method
1. Chop the salmon very finely and place into a bowl with the marinade ingredients
2. Leave for 5-10 minutes, until salmon is just starting become opaque around the edges
3. Place a spoonful of crème fraiche on each piece of the cucumber pieces and add then top with a teaspoon full of salmon mixture. Sprinkle with dill
To help customers combat wasting food this Christmas, Sainsbury’s has teamed up with chef Thomasina Miers to create a series of ‘Thriftmas’ recipes, transforming leftovers of the classic Christmas dishes and ingredients which customers could otherwise struggle to use - into ingredients for inspirational new family meals.
Foods specifically purchased for Christmas reported by UK shoppers to be frequently leftover include turkey (13%), cranberry sauce (20%), Christmas pudding (15%) and those controversial Brussels sprouts (21%). In addition they also report to having ample amounts of gravy (15%), spirits (10%) and root vegetables (10%) to use up post-Christmas.
Based on these top leftover foods at Christmas, Thomasina has created a range of delicious and exciting recipe ideas including festive turkey & sweet potato samosas, a zesty Brussels sprout salad, and a hearty chicken, bacon and chestnut winter pie, using up that delicious leftover gravy. The Thriftmas recipes are designed to encourage customers to put a ‘little twist’ on their meals by adding in something an unexpected or adventurous ingredient to create inspirational new recipes.
Chef Thomasina Miers said “The week between Christmas and New Year is a time when we often have a surplus of typically Christmassy ingredients in the fridge - what is needed is some imagination and help to transform these ingredients into little feasts. I hope these recipes – made from commonly leftover Christmas foods and store cupboard ingredients - will inspire families to get creative, save money and most importantly cut down on food waste.”
To find out more about Sainsbury’s commitment to reducing food waste as part of their ‘Waste Less, Save More’ campaign and if you’re in need of some food-spiration, visit www.homemadebyyou.co.uk.
Spiced turkey & sweet potato samosas
Makes 121 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
½ small thumb ginger, peeled and grated
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 small (250g) sweet potato, peeled and diced
175g leftover turkey meat, shredded
A big handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
100g butter, melted
500g filo pastry
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place a pan over a medium heat and warm up the oil. When hot, add the curry leaves and once they have crackled and turned translucent, add the garlic, spring onions, ginger and green chilli and cook until the spring onions have softened. Add the chilli powder and garam masala and allow the spices to cook for another 2 minutes.
Stir in the sweet potato and a big pinch of salt and pepper and allow them to cook in the mixture for a minute or so before adding enough water (approx. 75-100ml) to just cover and placing a lid on top. Allow to cook for 5-7 minutes, checking occasionally that the mixture isn’t catching on the bottom of the pan. Add a little more water if the mixture appears too dry.
Once the sweet potato is just soft, stir in the turkey and the coriander and check the seasoning before transferring to a plate to cool.
When the filling is cool, lay a sheet of filo pastry horizontally in front of you on a clean, flat surface. Brush with melted butter and lay another sheet on top. Cut vertically into 4 equal strips.
Place half a tablespoon of the filling in the corner of each strip. Fold the pastry over the filling to make a triangle-shaped parcel. Keep folding the parcel into triangles until the sides are sealed and the pastry is all used up. Brush the final edge with melted butter to seal it. I’d recommend watching a YouTube video on folding samosas to get yourself started – they are very easy to follow.
Brush the finished samosa all over with melted butter and place on the baking tray ready to be cooked. Repeat the process until everything has been used up (you may have some leftover filling).
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning over once, until golden and crisp. Delicious hot or cold.
Sharing informative festive recipes and information with my readers.
