The Main Menu: After the (Easter) party is done, it’s time for leftover recipes

By JAN MAIN

After the party is over, Easter (that is!) – with any luck there are leftovers- delicious leftovers from the special feast – be it salmon, turkey, ham, veggies or dessert – any or all are important for the second or third feast.

Here are some tempters which may become all- time favourites! So good in fact, that you will have to make planned overs for next time!

Kedgeree

What a great word! But what does it mean?

Originally it was a spiced East Indian dish of lentils, rice and onions but the English made their own version with flaked smoked fish or salmon, hard-cooked eggs in a cream sauce with curry.

It became a popular English breakfast food during Victorian times then later kedgeree translated to dinner fare.

You wondered what you would do with all those leftover hard cooked Easter eggs and bits of smoked salmon or fresh salmon, not to mention cooked rice (if you have it). Kedgeree will use them all!

Such a great dish and such a great word!

2 – 3 cups (500 – 750 mL) cooked basmati or long grain rice
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
2 onions, finely chopped
4-6 hard cooked eggs
6 oz (175 g) leftover smoked salmon or cooked salmon
1/4 cup (50 mL) finely chopped fresh dill or parsley
2 tbsp (25 mL) fresh lemon juice and grated rind of lemon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1-2 tsp (5 mL) curry powder (optional)
3/4-1 cup (175 mL) sour cream or plain 4% yogurt

If you have leftover rice from dinner then you can use it (it should not be more than 2 days old). However, if not, cook, preferably basmati rice, its nutty flavour is delicious in this.

While the rice is cooking, melt butter and cook onions over gentle heat until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Peel and coarsely chop the hard cooked eggs and coarsely chop the salmon into about ½-1- inch pieces.

Finely chop dill or parsley, measure salt, pepper and curry powder and measure out the sour cream or yogurt.

Once the rice is ready, combine it with the chopped cooked onions, the chopped hard- cooked eggs, salmon, chopped dill, lemon juice and grated rind then fold in the sour cream or yogurt, salt, pepper and curry powder. Taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Spoon into a 6-cup (1 ½ L) baking dish and bake covered in a preheated 350 F (180 C) oven for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with a salad – recipe follows. Serves 4.

Scalloped Potatoes with Cheese and Ham

Those bits and pieces of the Easter ham are a great addition to scalloped potatoes with cheese. Just add a salad and you have dinner!

6 (about 2 1/2 pounds) potatoes. Peeled preferably Yukon Gold but any potato will do, peeled and thinly sliced.
Cheese and Ham Sauce
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter
1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt, black pepper and thyme
3 cups (750 mL) milk
1 1/2-2 cups (375 -500 mL) grated old cheddar
1-2 cups (250-500 mL) chopped cooked smoked ham

In a steamer, cook potatoes just until tender. Cool then slice into ¼ inch thickness.

Meanwhile, prepare cheese sauce. Over medium heat melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and cook until tender about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until flour pulls away from the side of the saucepan.

Stir in salt, pepper and thyme; gradually stir in the milk and cook over medium heat stirring until thickened.

Stir in cheese and cook stirring until it melts. Stir in ham. Taste. Adjust seasoning.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Gently fold potatoes into sauce then fold in chopped ham.

Spoon into a 13×9 (3 L) baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 4-6.

Salad with Spring Flavours

There are two flavours which say “spring” to me. They are lemon and maple syrup. These two combine to brighten and enliven a salad as you will taste in this combination.

Salad

2 heads, Boston lettuce, washed and dried
1 cup (250 mL) sliced red pepper
1 cup (250 mL) sliced English cucumber, in season in our greenhouses
1/2 cup (125 mL) thinly sliced fennel
1-2 oranges or mandarins, peel removed and oranges thinly sliced or mandarin segments.
Or carrots, steamed until tender crisp, or new potatoes or asparagus cooked until crisp tender

Maple Syrup Lemon Vinaigrette

3/4 cup (175 mL) vegetable oil
1/4 cup (50 mL) each, fresh lemon juice and maple syrup
2 tsp (10 mL) grated lemon rind (optional)
1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper

In a food processor or blender, combine oil, lemon juice, lemon rind, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour into jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad: Tear salad greens into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl or platter with red pepper, cucumbers, fennel and oranges or carrots, potatoes and asparagus.

Just before serving toss salad with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat salad.