From fresh, crunchy apple and gammon salad to creamy Alfredo pasta, here’s our guide to making the most of those leftovers.

Instant ramen

Fry up leftover pork belly or roast and sliced mushrooms, with a packet of Thai red curry paste, two cups of stock and a cup of coconut milk, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cooked egg or ramen noodles, then dish up in bowls and garnish with chopped chillies and fresh coriander.

Hoisin duck wraps

Heat up shredded leftover roast duck and toss with hoisin sauce. Use the mixture to fill ready- or homemade pancakes along with pomegranate rubies, sliced radishes and micro leaves – or whatever else your little leftover-loving heart desires, really.

Creamy Alfredo pasta

Fry some chopped onion and garlic to taste in olive oil until soft, then add about a cup of cubed leftover gammon. Add a cup of cream and a few sprigs of fresh thyme, and simmer for five minutes until reduced. Add loads of grated Parmesan (no half meaures here!) and a half-cup of peas if you’re feeling virtuous, then season and toss with your favourite pasta (tagliatelle works great) and dig in.

Crunchy apple and gammon salad

Thickly slice any leftover gammon and pan-fry until warmed through. Toss some baby spinach, basil, sliced red apples and radishes and blanched sugar snap peas with a simple dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, honey and garlic, then top with the warm gammon slices.

Gammon pie

Make your leftover gammon into a pie filling like so: fry some garlic, onion and 2 cubed sweet potatoes in olive oil, add a few sage leaves and half a cup of wine and simmer for a few minutes before adding a cup of chicken stock and simmering for a further ten minutes. Stir in a tub of crème fraîche and 2 cups diced gammon. Tip into an oven proof pie dish, cover with ready made all butter puff pastry and bake until golden – around 20 minutes – in a hot oven.

Photos by Dirk Peters and Jan Ras.

Fridge filled with leftovers and little else? Stock up at on herbs and salads at Woolies, to put a fresh spin on your seconds.