Archive for leftover ideas

Pheasant Terrine

Posted in Food with tags , , , , on January 6, 2015 by David McInerny

IMG_4503Thanks to my son Alex for being a good shot and providing the fresh, local pheasant for this terrine. Making a terrine requires a few days of patience, but a minimum of actual work. It’s an excellent way to use up extra holiday meat also. It does require a small terrine mold (Staub is a great brand, carried at Williams Sonoma, $19.99).

The first step is browning any uncooked meat with chopped onion for flavor, which I did with the pheasant. In addition, I added ham and Polish sausage scraps from our holidays meals, as well as garlic, oregano, some heavy cream, a splash of cognac, pistachios, salt and lots of pepper. Pulse the meat in a blender, add to the remaining ingredients in a covered bowl and let all that good stuff get to know each other overnight in the fridge.

The next day, line the terrine mold with bacon, add the mixture, and cover with more bacon. Bake for 90 minutes at 350 degrees, and then allow to cool 30 minutes on the stove. Remove the lid and place the ceramic plate that comes with the mold onto the cooked loaf, and place two cans of vegetables on top of the plate for about 4-6 hours in the fridge. This will push the fat out and compress the loaf. Once cold, remove the plate and gently scrape off the gelatinized fat. Cover the loaf with foil and refrigerate overnight again to allow the complex flavors to develop.

Serve within three days as a cold, heavy appetizer with crackers and spicy French mustard. Really simple!

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Dressing Up Leftovers

Posted in Food with tags , , on April 11, 2013 by David McInerny

Those of you who follow my blog know that I find nothing more culinarily satisfying than pulling odds and ends from the fridge and pantry and getting creative with what I collect. The mark of success in this endeavor is when the family doesn’t realize that I’ve scrounged, and even provides compliments on a fun dinner idea. The key is to never reveal that you’re serving leftovers, that you didn’t feel like shopping, and definitely push the healthy aspects of your offering.

When I saw we had a big bunch of romaine lettuce in the back of the crisper, I knew I was in business. What’s healthier, and trendier, than lettuce wraps with a fun assortment of tidbits to fill them? Let the scrounging begin! Hmm, a partial sandwich bag of sprouts, three lonely strips of bacon not eaten at breakfast (how did that happen?), a couple of wilted green onions next to a hunk of cabbage, and two cooked Italian sausages from a few nights prior. In the back of the pantry I found a dusty can of chick peas. A gold mine.

I coarsely chopped the sausages and heated them in a small skillet with chopped cabbage, sliced green onions and a healthy dose of chili sauce. Dish one. After cooking a half-cup of white rice, I added two eggs that I fried in the sausage skillet after chopping them with the bacon strips. Dish two. Bean sprouts with a dash of sesame oil. Dish three. Chick peas with salt, pepper and olive oil. Dish four.

Arrange each selection in its own bowl and include soy sauce as a condiment with sliced garlic. Rinse and separate the romaine for easy self service. Healthy, pretty and tasty. Come and get it!

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