Elly Curshen's quick weeknight recipes for using up leftover greens, bread and vegetables

The Guardian

12-05-2025

These are all about taking the spoils of the weekend, whether that's leftovers from Sunday lunch, the bits you couldn't finish from a takeaway or the last scraps from a party spread, and stretching them out to make joyous weekday lunches. I'm concentrating on ideas, rather than recipes as such, because using up the odds and ends from the fridge needs to be part of the flow of your cooking to avoid waste. Everything is quick, easy, involves minimal prep and, crucially, is endlessly open to adaptation.
Prep 5 minCook 15 min
Serves 1
1 medium egg
Leftover naan or roti, or frozen paratha cooked from frozen in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes1 spring onion and/or fresh herbs – coriander is perfect
Chutney, such as mango, raita, mint, lime pickle
Chilli crisp – I like Laoganma
Bring a small pan of water to a boil, then add the egg and set a timer for six and a half minutes. (To save time, boil and peel a few eggs, then keep them in a sealed container in the fridge, where they'll be fine for three days.)
Meanwhile, sprinkle a little water over the leftover naan and stick it under the grill for a minute on each side, to wake it up a bit. (If you are using frozen paratha, remove from the packaging and put directly into a large, hot frying pan and cook as per the packet instructions.)
Finely slice the spring onion and roughly chop the herbs, if using. Spread some chutney over the naan, then peel and quarter the boiled egg and arrange it on top. Add the spring onion, herbs, if using, and chilli crisp, then roll or fold up and eat over a plate.
Prep 5 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 1
2 tsp olive oil1 small handful leftover greens (cooked or raw), such as cabbage, green beans, kale, cauliflower leaves, peas and/or broccoli, all roughly chopped 2 slices bread2-4 tbsp cottage cheese, or cream cheese or creme fraiche
1 tbsp chilli jelly or jam, or sweet chilli sauceFlaky sea salt2 tsp toasted mixed seeds – toast a whole bag, then store in a jar to have to hand
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the leftover greens. If they are already cooked, just let them heat through and char a bit (avoid the temptation to jiggle them around too much); if they're raw, stir-fry with a splash of water until tender, then leave to char. You want hot, slightly blistered greens that retain their bite.
Meanwhile, toast the bread, then spread it with the cottage cheese. Pile the hot greens on top, then immediately stir the chilli jam into the empty hot pan, add a splash of water and warm through for 30 seconds, until the jam liquefies (if using sweet chilli sauce, skip this step). Spoon the sauce over the greens, finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and some toasted mixed seeds, and serve hot.
Prep 5 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 1
30g mixed olives, pitted and roughly chopped20g very finely diced red onionA few mint leaves, roughly choppedA splash of red-wine vinegar (about ½ tsp)A few grinds of black pepper2 slices bread, such as seeded sourdough, or crackers, or cruditesHummus – you'll need about 1 tbsp per slice of bread
Mix the olives, onion and mint in a small bowl, then stir in the vinegar and black pepper, and set aside while you toast the bread.
Spread the toast with the hummus, pile the olive salsa on top and eat immediately.
Elly Curshen is a food writer based in Bristol.