May #KitchenClearout roundup and June linky

Summer's here and the time is right for dancing in the street ... well, maybe not, but it's definitely time for switching over to some lighter meals packed with fresh fruit, vegetables and salad ingredients, which is great for the waist but bad for the waste, as they are all things that tend to go off quicker than you can eat them. Never fear, my trusty bunch of #KitchenClearout participants have some cunning recipe ideas up their sleeves. Jane from Onions & Paper also had a genius idea - clearing out the recipe books that are cluttering up the kitchen (and the rest of the house - glad I'm not the only one), making three recipes and deciding whether to keep or pass on to the charity shop. Here's this month's roundup of cunning dishes to clear out the fridge and cupboards. 

Balmoral Chicken was an interesting way of using up a pack of haggis from the freezer, as well as some sweet potato croquettes. It's a chicken breast, stuffed with haggis and wrapped in pancetta.

Creamy Sweetcorn Chicken with Rice was what the kids ate while we ate the Balmoral Chicken, thrown together with the odds and ends from the fridge.

Chicken Potat-razzini was a cheeky twist on a classic American dish, Chicken Tetrazzini, which is usually made with pasta. Chicken, mushrooms, peas and potato in a creamy sauce, topped with breadcrumbs, parmesan and grilled onions - delicious, family friendly and perfect for using up leftovers.

Haggis puffs used up the rest of the haggis, along with cooked potatoes, tomatoes and cheese that were looking past their best in the fridge.

Red kidney beans, peas and ham hock salad was another delightful combination from Galina at Chez Maximka, and once again, she's produced a plateful of food that wouldn't look out of place in a posh restaurant.

Chalupas de salsa verde were little homemade corn tortillas that could be topped with green salsa and whatever other delights were in the fridge - in our case, some barbecued chicken and the end of a tub of feta.

I wasn't overly keen on Mexican soup, Sopa de Lima, with flavours of chicken, tomato and lemon that I found too bitter, but it finished off the barbecued chicken and a dried lemon that was lurking in the spice rack.

Peanut & Raisin Cookies used up the end of a tub of margarine and a bag of peanuts and raisins from a Christmas hamper.

Jane from Onions & Paper made a trio of dishes from a Madhur Jaffrey cookbook -  Chana Aloo Chaat, Chilli Champ and Aloo Gobi - which tasted great, used up loads of odds and ends and convinced her that this book was a keeper.

Another fabulous salad and another fabulous photo from Galina at Chez Maximka - Grilled Tuna and Courgette Salad. I think Galina should become a food stylist as she has a definite eye for photographic foodie flair.

Much less pretty but a decent family-friendly midweek meal all the same - Cheesy Tomato Topped Mince is like a lighter version of cottage pie, with tomatoes instead of potatoes.

Fancy joining in? Have a rummage through your kitchen cupboards, spice rack, freezer or fridge and see if there's anything that needs using up then come and share your creations with us. Or if it's way past its sell-by date, throw it in the bin and come and tell us what you found ! It would be great if you could add my badge and a link to this post for anyone else who wants to get involved.