Filipino Christmas holidays are over the top! That’s a reality. Regardless of whether you've already given away half of the meals as take-away to guests, the fact remains that there will be that one dish you’ll be having for a few days, even a week.
Save the drama and whinging from your family by reinventing these dishes using easy-to-find staples in Australian pantries or with a quick trip to the supermarket.
With grocery prices increasing, it’s smart to be creative in the kitchen, reducing food waste and saving money.
Make Filipino-Aussie pies
Every Filipino celebration would have one of these: beef mechado, kaldereta, adobo, or a similar dish.
Here's what you’ll need: store-bought puff pastry.
- Cut the pastry in half diagonally
- Lay it on a baking tray lined with baking paper
- Poke holes onto the pastry using a fork, then spoon some mechado on the pastry, fold, and crimp with a fork.
- Brush with egg wash and bake in a 180°C oven until golden.
Filipino-Aussie pie using holiday leftovers.
Kaldereta or adobo pandesal. Yes, you can!
For the avid bakers, this will be easy. Using your fave pandesal recipe, add a spoonful of either of these leftovers, shape the dough, prove, and then bake. I think this is a winner!
Many ways with ham
Some Filipino families feature the centrepiece Aussie leg ham in Christmas gatherings, and they are the best leftovers! Here are just some ideas:
- Special Fried Rice: Add big cubes of ham to your regular fried rice, frozen green peas, corn, some seasoning, chilli flakes, and serve in bowls!
- Omelette: Add sliced onions, capsicum, and ham to beaten eggs, and cook slowly in a pan over medium heat. If you have leftover cheddar cheese from that Filo spaghetti, add it to the omelette for good measure.
- Ham and Potato Hash: Think corned beef, but different. Cut potatoes into cubes and cook in a pan until the edges are crisp. Add the ham and stir until slightly golden.
Spaghetti ala lasagna
This is a favourite of mine. If, by any chance, the spaghetti was overlooked because of the many other delicious dishes on Christmas lunch, keep it in the fridge and, in a day or two, make it ala lasagna. Here's what you need:
- Make a simple béchamel sauce by warming 250 ml (1 cup) of milk in a pot over the stove (or heat in the microwave), then set it aside.
- Melt 30 grams of butter in a small pot, add 30 grams of flour, and stir with a whisk until it becomes a paste.
- Slowly add the warm milk, continuously whisking until you have a thick sauce.
- Transfer the leftover spaghetti into an oven-safe dish, pour the béchamel sauce over the pasta, top with grated cheese, and bake in a 180°C preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Kwentong Palayok: Anong handa niyo sa darating na Pasko at New Year 2024?
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Fruits
This is one of the major excesses during holidays! Because we buy them, we also get gifted fruits during this time! What’s the best way to use them before they become soft and sad?
- Fruit Salad: Cut them into small pieces, add whipped thickened cream and some condensed milk, and you have a fresh fruit salad. Freeze these and thaw them half an hour before eating. The best fruits to use are apples, oranges, peaches, pears, blueberries, and grapes. These are way better than using canned ones.
- Pies! The sweet kind: Use really soft fruits - mangoes, peaches, strawberries. Cut up these fruits, then mix together in a pan over low heat. Add a tablespoon of cornstarch until the fruit mixture has a thick sauce consistency. Layer the fruit into an oven-safe pan or tray. Using store-bought filo pastry, scrunch filo sheets one at a time and place on top of the stewed fruits until the whole pan/tray is covered. Brush with melted butter and bake in the oven until golden and crispy.
- Sorbet! Great for summer: This is easy with a blender or food processor! The fun part is you can mix as many fruits as you want. Cut up similar fruits, e.g. berries, then transfer to a ziplock bag and freeze for 24-48 hours. When ready, add 2-3 tablespoons of caster sugar and a squeeze of lemon to the blender. Blend until you have a smooth sorbet. Some fruits are naturally sweet, so use less sugar. As a guide, about 220-250 grams of fruit, you’ll need 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Reduce to suit your preference.
- Freeze! To add to smoothies or simply when you feel like making fresh fruit juice, use a blender and add water to thin out the puree.
Adobong Lechon
We already know we can make paksiw with leftover lechon, but if you have no access to the popular brown sauce, convert it to adobo! Simply use your favourite adobo recipe and add the chopped lechon! You’ll want some extra rice with this!
Lumpiang Pancit
Yes, that leftover pancit can be reused! Cool the pancit before wrapping it with spring roll wrappers. Fry it as you would lumpia and serve immediately!
The trick to being creative in the kitchen, especially with leftovers, is looking inside your pantry and fridge! Eggs and leftovers are my favourites! If these ideas inspire you, ensure you have the pantry or freezer essentials that you can use again and again. And remember this mantra - love food, hate waste!
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