C<$>HRISTMAS is traditionally a time to eat, drink and be merry, but when you’re rushing around the supermarket trying to make sure that you’ve got everything you need for that delicious Christmas dinner, then it’s easy to overestimate how merry you are actually going to be.Most of us go well and truly overboard when we’re preparing our festive feast and usually find ourselves with enough cold turkey, sprouts and potatoes to last us two or three lifetimes.

If it seems a shame to throw it all away, but you just can’t face the thought of living on turkey sandwiches for yet another week, then don’t despair — there are plenty of interesting things that you can do with those leftovers.

And don’t worry if preparing a major Christmas banquet has left you seriously sick of cooking - most of these dishes require absolutely minimal preparation.

TURKEY, CRANBERRY AND ORANGE SALAD

THIS simple seasonal salad uses up leftover turkey and cranberry, and is simply perfect if you just can’t face a big cooked meal again so soon after Christmas dinner.

Ingredients

200g (6.5oz) mixed salad leaves

2 large peeled and segmented oranges

250g (6oz) cooked turkey, diced

25g (1oz) chopped walnuts

For the Dressing<$>

2tbsp cranberry sauce

6tbsp olive oil

1tbsp red wine vinegar

1tbsp dried parsley or coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Method<$>

Arrange the salad on a large serving plate and top with the orange segments, turkey and walnuts. Stir the dressing ingredients together, and then drizzle over the salad. Serve right away — ideally with some warm crusty bread.

TURKEY PIE

THIS no-fuss pie needs minimal cooking and will help you use up some of that leftover turkey.

Ingredients

500g (16oz) cooked turkey cut into chunks

225g (7.5oz) puff pastry

1 tin chicken soup

1 tin mushroom sauce or natural yoghurt

50g (2oz) frozen peas

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 onions

salt and pepper to taste

milk or beaten egg to glaze the pastry

Method<$>

Mix the turkey, peas, lemon juice, onions soup and yoghurt together in a casserole dish. Roll out the pasty until it is roughly half an inch thick, and use it to cover the casserole. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (gas mark 6) and then cook for 20 minutes.Turkey Poulette

NOT quite a turkey sandwich, this recipe serves four and makes for a perfect Boxing Day lunch.

Ingredients

8 slices of bread, toasted and buttered

Enough leftover turkey to cover the bread

Six slices of bacon

5 tbsp butter

6 finely chopped green onions

4 tbsp flour

1 1/2 pint milk

120g (4oz) grated cheddar cheese

30g (1oz) Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

dash of Tabasco

1/2 tsp paprika

Method<$>

Put the leftover turkey on top of the bread. Grill or fry the bacon until it is crispy and crumble it on top of the turkey. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a pan and sautee the green onions for about five minutes. Over a low heat, add the flour, and stir for a further three minutes before slowly adding the milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, while continually stirring. As the sauce begins to thicken, add salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste, the Parmesan and half the cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and then put over the turkey and bacon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and serve.

TURKEY TORTILLAS

GIVE Boxing Day a subtle Mexican flavour with these delicious and easy to prepare tortillas.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons plain yoghurt

2 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1/4 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 8-inch non-fat or low-fat flour tortillas, warmed

4 red leaf lettuce leaves

120g (4oz) thinly sliced roasted turkey breast

4 slices of swiss cheese

1/2 a finely chopped red onion

1/4 medium peeled cucumber, cut into 8 thin slices and halved

2 medium Italian plum tomatoes, each cut lengthwise into 8 slices

Pepper to taste

Method<$>

Mix the combine yoghurt, mustard, honey, and pepper in a small bowl, and then spread the mixture evenly over the tortillas. Top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 30g of turkey, 1 slice cheese, 2 tablespoons onion, 4 slices of cucumber, and 4 slices of tomato. To create a warp, fold the sides of each tortillas towards the centre so they overlap and then serve.

BUBBLE AND SQUEAK

BUBBLE and Squeak is traditionally made with cabbage, but if you’re facing a mountain of leftover Brussels sprouts, they can be used instead. It’s also a perfect accompaniment for leftover cold meats.

Ingredients <$>

450g cooked potatoes

225g cabbage or Brussels sprouts

Method<$>

Mash the potatoes and cabbage or sprouts together, and season with salt and pepper. Using damp hands, form the mixture into small cakes, gently flatten them and then dip each one in flour, before frying them in hot oil. When the cake has browned, turn it over and cook the other side.

STIR-FRIED BUBBLE AND SQUEAK

FOR a slightly spicier take on an old favourite:

Cut the potatoes into cubes, shred the greens and stir-fry them together in a wok with a tsp of grated ginger, a clove of crushed garlic and a dash of soy sauce. Leftover parsnips or any root vegetables can also be cubed and added to the wok. The recipe goes well with scrambled eggs and sweet chilli sauce, and you can also add any leftover parsnips to the stir-fry. *****

But remember, while it’s a good idea to use up leftovers, it’s even more important to be safe.

Leftover turkey should be taken off the bone, cut into small pieces and placed in a dish. Once refrigerated, it should be eaten within three days. Always reheat leftovers until they are piping hot — although be careful not to overcook them as if this can make them mushy — and don’t reheat anything more than once.