Everyday food | Great warm breads, veggie patties and lasagna, which can be made using dried-out pieces of bread

Don't throw away stale white bread that's been forgotten on the table, as it's a great ingredient for many dishes. These three recipes use it in different ways.

Ingredients

3 large slices of light country bread
1 large zucchini (500 g grated zucchini)
½ pot of flat-leaf parsley
Grated zest of 1 (organic) lemon
1 egg
2 dl strong grated cheese
3 tablespoons wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Pestokerma
½ pot of flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice
200 g French cream
1 tablespoon pesto
In addition
2 + 2 tablespoons butter or margarine for frying
100 g baby spinach
¼ teaspoon salt
Preparation time 30 min:
1 rs (250 g) ricottajuustoa
1 dl cream
1½ dl finely grated parmesan
4 pcs (280 g) spicy fresh sausage
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 cans (400 g each) of canned cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
12 slices of white toast
3 large tomatoes
½ dl finely grated parmesan
In a pan
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Pizza and bread:
4 servings/8 pizzas
8 slices of wheat toast
200 g crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
150 g grated mozzarella cheese
100 g artichoke hearts, sliced (canned)
12 pitted olives
8 fresh mushrooms
4 slices of air-dried ham
½ pot of basil
about 2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Thinly slice the edges off the bread slices. Tear the slices into small crumbs by hand and place in a bowl.
Coarsely grate the zucchini and mix it with the breadcrumbs. Let the breadcrumbs absorb the liquid from the grated zucchini for about 5 minutes.
Chop the parsley. Wash the lemon and grate its zest finely. Add the parsley, lemon zest, egg, grated cheese, flour and spices to the zucchini. Mix thoroughly.
Using clean hands, shape about half of the mixture into four patties. Fry the patties in a pan over medium heat for about 3–4 minutes on each side. Keep the patties warm on a plate under foil and fry the other 4 patties in the same way.
Make the pesto cream. Chop the parsley and squeeze a squeeze of lemon juice into the bowl of a hand blender. Puree the pesto cream ingredients together.
Wipe the pan lightly with paper towels. Add fat, fry the spinach for about a minute and season with salt. Serve the zucchini steaks with the spinach and pesto cream.
Preparation time 30 min:
Grease a rectangular lasagna dish.
Combine the ricotta and cream in a bowl. Finely grate the parmesan and add to the mixture.
Cut the sausages into pieces about half a centimeter thick. Peel and chop the onion and garlic cloves. Fry the sausage pieces in a frying pan in their own fat for a couple of minutes. Add the onions and tomato puree and continue frying for a couple of minutes. Empty the canned tomatoes into a pan and heat until boiling. Chop the oregano and add to the mixture together with the spices.
Spoon half of the tomato and sausage sauce into the baking dish. Place 6 slices of bread on top, side by side. Spoon the remaining tomato and sausage sauce onto the bread and place another layer of bread on top. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the lasagna.
Slice the tomatoes and place them on top of the ricotta cheese. Grate the parmesan over the tomatoes. Bake in a 225 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Pizza and bread:
Roll the bread slices into flat cakes and spread them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Puree the tomato puree, salt, vinegar and sugar with a hand blender until smooth in a tall, narrow bowl.
Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the bread. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the tomato sauce.
Divide the artichokes and olives between half of the bread slices. Slice the mushrooms. Divide the mushrooms and ham between the remaining slices. Bake on the top shelf of a 225-degree oven for 10–12 minutes.
Scatter the basil leaves and drizzle olive oil over the hot bread. Serve immediately.

Warm sandwiches are comforting on the dark and cool evenings of early autumn. With this recipe, stale bread is given a new shape as mini pizzas. The slices of bread are rolled into flat cakes and delicious fillings are placed on top.

The hot breads from the oven are finished with olive oil and fresh basil.

Recipe: Raisa Laine / Gloria's Food & Wine.

If you only have a few dry slices of light bread, you can use them to make tasty zucchini patties.

The breadcrumbs play an important role, as they absorb the liquid released from the zucchini. The steaks are served with a tasty four-ingredient pesto cream.