At this time of year many of us have fridges bursting with the remains of Christmas Dinner.
From old sprouts, odd cheeses or the mountain of Christmas Pudding you made months ago. But what else – apart from Bubble and Squeak – can you do to be creative with your Christmas leftovers?
Helpfully Manuka Doctor has the following suggestions, all including a dollop of your favourite New Zealand honey for good measure.
1 . Honey and mustard sausage and sprout gnocchi
Left-over sprouts in your fridge? Make the most of them with this honey and mustardy sausage gnocchi for supper. It takes just 25 minutes to make according to BBC Good Food
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mustardy-sausage-sprout-gnocchi
Ingredients:
250g gnocchi
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 pork sausages (200g)
250g sprouts, shredded
100ml chicken stock
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tsp of Manuka Doctor honey 55 MGO
2 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche
½ small bunch of parsley, chopped, plus extra to serve
parmesan, grated (optional)
STEP 1
Cook the gnocchi in a pan of salted water following pack instructions. Drain and set aside.
STEP 2
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion over a medium heat for 8 mins, or until softened and turning golden brown. Squeeze the sausagemeat out of the skins and into the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 mins until golden brown. Stir through the sprouts and cook for a further 5 mins until softened. Add the stock and mustard, and bring to the boil. Stir through the Manuka honey, crème fraîche and parsley. Season. Tip in the gnocchi, tossing with 100ml water to loosen the sauce, and bring to a simmer for 3 mins. To serve, sprinkle with the extra parsley and parmesan, if you like.
- Manuka Chocolate sundaes with Christmas pudding
Use up leftover Christmas pudding or cake with this decadent, boozy sundae, drizzled with a Manuka honey and chocolate orange sauce and finished with toasted chopped hazelnuts.
Adapted from: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-sundaes-pear-christmas-pud
Ingredients
85g leftover Christmas pudding or Christmas cake, crumbled
3 tbsp brandy or orange liqueur (or use the juice from the pears)
410g can pear quarters, in juice
8 scoops of ice creams (we used stem ginger ice cream)
25g toasted chopped hazelnuts
For the chocolate orange sauce
100g bar dark chocolate
50ml double cream
1 tbsp Manuka Doctor honey 55 MGO
1 tbsp brandy or orange liqueur (or use orange juice)
zest 1 orange
Method
STEP 1
First, make some shavings from the bar of chocolate by dragging a large knife over the surface. You only need a little – enough to top the sundaes. Set the shavings aside and break the remaining chocolate into a saucepan. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and heat gently, stirring, until the chocolate melts and you have a smooth glossy sauce.
STEP 2
Crumble the cake or pudding into sundae glasses and drizzle over the alcohol or pear juice. Top with the pear quarters and ice cream. Drizzle over the Manuka honey, chocolate sauce and top with the hazelnuts and chocolate shavings.
- Manuka honey cheese board
A drizzle of honey is the perfect contrast to the saltiness of the cheese. It's a popular combination of cheese plates and one of the easiest things you can pull together when you're entertaining according to Food Blog “Spruce Eats”:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/pairing-cheese-and-honey-the-perfect-contrast-591303
There is a trick to pulling off this combination with perfection. Honey is meant to enhance the flavor of cheese, not smother it, so use it sparingly. Also, there are some types of cheese that are just a little better with honey than others, and we have some tips to help you navigate your cheese and honey choices.
The easiest way to serve Manuka honey with cheese is to drizzle a dollop of the honey over a wedge of cheese minutes before your guests arrive. You can also serve a jar of Manuka honey on the side of a cheese plate.
It helps to serve slices of baguette or crackers along with your cheese plate. These give the cheese and honey a solid foundation to build on top of, making it all a little easier to eat.
The Best Cheese for Honey:
Honey pairs well with almost any type of cheese. It is especially good with mild and creamy cheese, a spicy blue, an aged cheese, or a tangy, acidic cheese.
Types of cheese that are good with honey include:
- Ricotta drizzled with honey can be served for breakfast or even as a dessert. This pairing is fantastic with fruit like figs, apricots, and berries. You can also add a salty element by serving prosciutto on the side.
- Brie and triple cremes are lovely with a drizzle of honey and a garnish of nuts.
- Blue cheese is heavenly with honey. If you usually shy away from strong blues, this is the time to be more adventurous. The sweet honey will mellow out the strong flavour.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano and other aged cheeses, such as sharp cheddar, are delicious with a drizzle of honey.
- Fresh goat cheese and other tangy, acidic cheeses like feta are subdued with a drizzle of honey.
