Leftover Ideas!
Here in the "Leftover Ideas" section you can learn some quick and easy recipes made up from your post-holiday leftovers, as created by our casinos top chefs!
Easter Leftovers (4/3/2010)
Beef and Wild Mushroom Risotto
(-Courtesy Ruth's Chris Steak House)
1 small onion diced
2 Tbls veg. oil
2 cups arborio rice
3/4 cup red wine
1 qt beef stock
1.5 lb tenderloin cubed
2 cups chopped wild mushrooms
1/2 stick of salted butter
3/4 cup romano cheese
sautee diced onion in the veg. oil over med-high head until soft. Stir in arborio rice for one minute, and deglaze pan with red wine. let wine bubble for a few moments and start to add beef stock, one cup at a time. Will look very soupy at first, but once heated, the rices starches will start to soak up the liquids.
In a sautee pan, sear cubed tenderlion and add the beef to the rice mixture. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, and keep adding liquid slowly until rice is al dente and chewy. Reduce heat, and stir in butter, romano cheese, and wild mushrooms right at the end so they dont get soggy.
Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding
(-Courtesy Ruth's Chris Steak House)
1/2 gallon cubed leftover bread or croissants
1/2 gallon whole milk
1/2 lb salted butter
2 cups sugar
2 more cups sugar
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
9 eggs
pinch salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Bring milk, butter, and 2 cups sugar to a simmer in a saucepan. In a mixing bowl, combine last 2 cups of sugar, cinnamon, eggs, salt and vanilla and whip until smooth. Remove stockpot from heat, and slowly start to add simmering milk to egg mixture and whip to incorporate. slowly add cubed bread and dried cherries to the mixture. let mixture sit in room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring it occasionally. let chill over night, and add chocoalte chips. place into cups, bake at 300 for 40-45 minutes in a water bath, 3/4 of the way up the cup. bake until golden brown, with an internal temp of 170. Serve with caramel and ice cream.
Split Pea & Ham Soup
(-Courtesy Chef John Koza, Timbers Buffet)
2lbs. Ham or Keilbasa
4 cups Split Green Peas (Dry)
2 tbsp. Chopped Sage Leaf
1lb. Medium Size Carrots
2 Small Diced Large White Onion
(or
2 Medium size leeks)
4 stalks Small Diced Celery
4 Chopped Garlic Cloves
2 Bay Leaf
4 Thyme Leaf Sprig
1lb. UnSalted Butter
4 tbsp. Olive Oil Blend
Kosher Salt (to taste)
Black Pepper (to taste)
1.5 gal. Stock or broth
Method of Preparation:
1. Soak Peas overnight in cold water.
2. In a soup pot add butter & oil and heat
3. Add garlic, diced ham or kielbasa and sear to a light golden brown.
4. Now add all the diced vegetable, stir in the pot so all the veg are coated with the butter & Oil.
5. Season lightly with Kosher Salt & Pepper. Add the sage leaf and thyme sprigs into vegetable mixture and stir once again.
6. Drain Peas of water and double check for stones that might have made it through the bagging process
7. Add cold stock or broth and drained peas. Sir all together and bring to a slow boil. Remember to stir so the peas do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until peas are tender.
8. Take a blender and puree ½ of the soup. Once puree add back to the soup. Check for Salt & pepper seasoning adjustment
Asparagus & Bri Stratta
(-Courtesy Chef John Koza, Timbers Buffet)
2 bunches Chopped Asparagus
2 tbsp. Tarragon (dried)
Large Diced Day Old Bread
1 dozen Whole Eggs
6 cups Milk
2lbs. Brie Cheese
1lb. Cubed Swiss Cheese
2 cups Leek whites
Butter or Crisco (as needed)
Method of Preparation:
1. In a mixing bowl crack all the eggs and add the milk or cream & tarragon. Whisk the eggs together like you were to make scrambled eggs
2. Take the asparagus and leek whites cut it into ½” pieces.
3. Dice the Brie cheese into ½” cubes
4. In a large greased rectangular cake pan add the large diced day old bread and chopped asparagus and mix together.
5. Pour the ½ of the egg mixture over the bread, asparagus mixture and let soak for at least 4 hours in a refrigerator.
6. Pre heat oven to 350* - if you have a convection oven use a low fan mode at 350*
7. In the bottom of the oven place a heat proof pan of water
8. Add cubed Brie & Swiss cheese to the soaking bread mixture evenly over the top
9. Add remaining egg mixture over the top of the bread, asparagus & cheese mixture.
10. Bake in oven until done. You will use the toothpick method to test for doness. Remove from oven and let sit until cool to the touch.
11. Cut into desired sizes and it can be served hot or cold
Grilled Flatbread Sandwich with Braised Lamb & Tzatziki Sauce
(-Courtesy Rustic Kitchen)
Take what ever leftover lamb you may have and warm it up in a pan over medium heat. Take one flatbread and fold it in half. Stuff the flatbread with the warmed lamb meat, sliced red onion, sliced cucumber, sliced tomato & kalamata olives. Place a generous dallop of the Tzatziki sauce on the flatbread and sprinkle with shredded lettuce.
Flat Bread
1 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil, plus more for bowl
Method of Preparation:
Mix water and yeast in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes to proof. Gradually pour in 2 cups of the flour and stir to incorporate.
Mix for about 1 minute to form a sponge. Let stand, covered, for at least 1 hour.
Put sponge in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, add the salt and oil, then add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a dough.
Remove from bowl and knead. Place in a clean oiled bowl and let rise, slowly, about 2 1/2 hours. Divide dough into 4 balls, let rise again for 1/2 hour, and then roll into 10” disk. Brush dough with olive oil and place on the grill. Cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes and flip over. The flat breads can be grilled ahead of time and warmed when you need them.
Tzatziki Sauce:
16 ounces plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
Pinch kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced
Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Country Ham Carbonara
(-Courtesy Rustic Kitchen)
Chop any ham you have left over and add to a sauté pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Heat the oil over medium heat and add the ham cook the ham until it starts to brown.
Add 1 TBSP of chopped garlic to the pan and sauté. Add some left over peas and onions if you have any. Cook your favorite pasta to the directions on the box. Drain pasta and put it into the pan and toss together with the ham, peas and pearl onions. Meanwhile beat 2 eggs with a fork and add 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly drizzle the egg cheese mixture into the pasta while mixing it together. Season with salt and lots of fresh ground pepper and garnish with chopped parsley and more freshly grated Parmesan cheese.