The Thrifty Cookbook: 476 Ways to Eat Well With Leftovers (55 page)

As the rice absorbs the stock, add another ladleful and repeat the process until, after 15–20 minutes, the rice is cooked but not falling apart: it should have a very slightly nutty bite to it. The stock should be just about used up, but it is impossible to be absolutely precise about how much you will need. You may have a little stock left over, or you may have to top it up with some hot water from the kettle.

Once the rice is cooked, gently stir in the butter and Parmesan and season to taste. Serve immediately, with more Parmesan at the table to grate over the top, accompanied by a crunchy green salad.

Leftover chicken and lemon
Add 1–2 teacups of meat and the zest of ½ lemon about 5 minutes before the rice is cooked. A few frozen peas would be nice here too. To ring the changes, roast sweet potato or lightly browned sliced fennel could be added with the chicken.

Frozen peas
Defrost about 1½ teacups of peas. Cook half of them gently in a good tablespoon of butter. Add a tablespoon of grated Parmesan when they are tender and whiz into a green gloop in a food processor. Stir this through the cooked rice, along with the whole peas. It will turn a luscious spring green. Scatter chopped mint or basil, and more Parmesan, on top.

Broad beans or asparagus
Add 1–2 teacups of broad beans or asparagus, chopped into 2–3cm lengths, to the rice, giving them just enough time to cook (about 6–8 minutes). Scatter over torn prosciutto right at the end.

Frozen prawns
1–2 teacups of defrosted cooked prawns (or cooked fish, broken into pieces) can be added once the rice is cooked, along with plenty of chopped herbs such as parsley, basil or sage. Use fish stock if you have it. You could substitute fennel or leek for onion at the start. Omit the Parmesan.

Leftover beef
Cut the rarest pieces into strips, adding them with some very finely chopped rosemary and sage once the rice is cooked. Use a glass of red wine rather than white wine at the very start.

Mushrooms
Fry 1–2 teacups of sliced mushrooms in a little olive oil or butter until tender. Beef up the flavour, if you like, by adding some reconstituted dried mushrooms, following the instructions on the packet and squeezing them well before chopping them and cooking with the rest of the mushrooms. Keep all these to one side. Add a crushed garlic clove to the onion at the start. Make the risotto as usual and add the mushrooms once the rice is cooked, giving them just enough time to heat through. Finish with the Parmesan and a good handful of chopped parsley.

Roasted peppers or sun-dried tomatoes
Use bought or home-made (see
page 44
). Both are delicious on their own or with leftover chicken and lots of herbs. Add them 5 minutes before the rice is cooked.

Onion
Double the quantity of onion, using whatever variety you have, slicing them finely and softening them in oil right at the start. If you like, replace the vermouth or white wine with a glass of sweet sherry or Marsala and add a sprig of rosemary to the rice as it cooks (and remove it before serving). Separately fry a few more onions until golden and use as a final flourish over the top, along with some more grated Parmesan.

Beetroot
Use leftover roast beetroot, or roast it first in the oven at 180°C/Gas Mark 4, then slip off the skin when cool. Chop roughly. Add to the risotto 5 minutes before the rice is cooked. It will, of course, turn the rice pale purple as it stains each creamy grain.

Parsnip
Peel the parsnips and dice them quite small, then add to the onion at the start, softening them for 5–10 minutes. If you have it, replace the white wine with cider. When the risotto is ready add lots of cheese – Parmesan or a creamy, mild, blue cheese such as dolcelatte (so Richard, my editor, tells me – this is his recipe).

This spicy rice dish from the southern states of America uses long grain rice and just about anything you have lying around. It’s a great vehicle for mixed vegetables, with either leftover chicken or frozen prawns. Don’t be alarmed by the length of the ingredients list below – just use what you have and ignore whatever you don’t.

This recipe is just a starting point. For example, to make use of Christmas leftovers, use ham and turkey together, adding a 400g can of chopped tomatoes after the onion has cooked and reduce the quantity of stock accordingly. You could also convert it into a pasta dish by replacing the rice with small pasta such as macaroni, which gives the Creole thing an ironic Italian twist.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 hot chillies, deseeded and finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon chilli flakes

3 or 4 sausages or 1 good-sized chorizo sausage, skinned and chopped

360g long grain rice

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon paprika

1.3 litres stock

any mixed vegetables you have: a couple of red peppers, cut into strips, for example, and a teacup or two of diced courgettes, peas, beans or cauliflower florets

2 teacups (about 200g) diced cooked chicken

2 teacups (about 200g) defrosted raw prawns

salt and pepper

Tabasco sauce, to serve (optional
)

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan, add the onion, garlic and chillies and cook until softened but not browned. Add the sausages or chorizo and cook until the fat begins to run and they start to colour. Add the rice, bay leaf and spices and stir well so that the rice is coated in the oil and flavourings. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. After about 10 minutes, when the rice is half cooked, add the vegetables and then the leftover chicken and continue to simmer until the rice is just about done. Watch the rice: if it is just covered by stock, all will be well, but if it begins to look too dry, add a little more stock as needed.

Stir in the prawns and mix well. Turn off the heat, put the lid on the pan and leave for 3–4 minutes, to allow the prawns to cook in the heat of the rice. If you are using tiger prawns, however, you will need to add them with the chicken, as they will take 10 minutes to cook; smaller prawns will need almost no cooking and will become tough if overdone. Season to taste and serve hot, with a dash of Tabasco sauce for more bite.