If you have any of my turkey and black bean chilli leftover, or any chilli or Bolognese for that matter, this makes a great lunch or dinner. Take roasted pepper halves, stuff them with the chilli, top with cheese, bake and serve on a bed of vegetables, nuts, and grains. No wastage, little time in the kitchen, and you’re rewarded with a hearty, healthy meal, ready in just over 30 minutes.
Loving your leftovers
If you open my fridge or freezer, you’ll find a mix of jars, bags, and tubs filled with leftovers. All ready to conjure up another meal. Whether it’s a cup of cooked rice, a small portion of Bolognese, or some pre-cooked vegetables, with a little imagination, you can magic up another delicious dish from practically nothing.
Salad bowl of grains and vegetables
Again, this is where you can get creative with leftovers. I’ll often have a small amount of cooked rice or quinoa in the fridge. Perhaps you have half a tin of beans. The vegetable element can be made up of what you have to hand. You might already have some roasted vegetables, or you would prefer to keep your veggies raw. If you don’t want to follow the recipe exactly, then the beauty of leftovers is that it’s all about what you have to hand. If you are starting from scratch, then I’m sure you’ll make enough to have leftovers for another day!
Last note on leftovers
With leftovers, not only do you save yourself time, but you also don’t want to be pouring money down the drain either. The conservative average estimate of edible food waste is 70kg of food or £250 per person per annum in the UK. Maximising all the food we buy can make a real difference to our weekly shopping bill. We have the means to preserve food a lot longer than they did a couple of generations ago. So let’s use the fridge and freezer to our advantage.
It’s true, I spray a lot of olive oil directly on food or into pans. I find that it distributes the oil much better, and you use a lot less of it. You can find refillable bottles in a lot of shops and online. Or, you can also buy bottles ready-filled. But refillable makes more sense.
To make a simple French dressing, add 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard into a small jam jar, season with a little salt and pepper and shake well to mix. For this salad, I also like to add 1/2 tsp of dried oregano.
This would make a great, quick and simple weeknight dinner, rather than lunch. Simply increase the amount of grains and vegetables in your bowl, and double the quantity of peppers and filling.
This is another salad where you can add in whatever takes your fancy, and whatever you need to use up in the fridge.
Baked peppers with turkey and black bean chilli
Ingredients
- 1 bell pepper large (or 2 small)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 150 g turkey and black bean chilli or similar (ie. Bolognese)
- 60 g feta cheese or cheddar cheese
- 100 g broccoli cut into very small florets
- 100 g cooked quinoa or rice
- 1/4 red onion finely diced
- 20 g walnuts broken into small pieces
- 50 ml french dressing see notes for recipe
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C
- Cut your pepper in half through the stem (if it's still intact) and de-seed. If your peppers are small, then use 2. Place them in a baking dish, it's good if they fit snugly so they don't move around. Spray or drizzle with a little olive oil, season, and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Take your broccoli and cut into small florets. Place in a small baking dish, toss in 1/2 tsp oil, and season. Place this in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Take your 2 serving bowls and share out the cooked quinoa (or rice). Sprinkle over the finely diced red onion and small walnut pieces.
- When your peppers have had 15 minutes, remove from the oven and spoon in the leftover chilli. Top with large, crumbly chunks of the feta cheese, season with a little more pepper, and put back in the oven for a final 15 minutes.
- When the broccoli is cooked, put half in each bowl, drizzle over the dressing and mix thoroughly.
- Take your stuffed peppers out of the oven when the time is up, and place one on top of the salad in each bowl and enjoy.
Notes
- I spray a lot of olive oil directly on food or into pans. I find it distributes it much better, and you use a lot less oil. You can find refillable bottles in a lot of shops and online.
- To make a simple French dressing, add 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard into a small jam jar, season with a little salt and pepper and shake well to mix. For this salad, I also like to add 1/2 tsp of dried oregano.
- You could always cook this meal for dinner, rather than lunch. Simply increase the amount of grains and vegetables in your bowl, and double the quantity of peppers and filling.
- This is another salad where you can add in whatever takes your fancy, and whatever you need to use up in the fridge.
