Leftover Food

For Caitlin, food is a playground. There is no recipe that she cannot concoct after hearing a random list of ingredients you have to work with (trust us, we know).

For Caitlin, food is a playground.  There is no recipe that she cannot concoct after hearing a random list of ingredients you have to work with (trust us, we know).  Every ingredient is a chance to make something really fun and unexpected. She especially shines when it comes to leftovers (which works out well for us because we know that eating leftovers can be no fun).  So, we urge you to use leftovers in a new way.

Leftover food does not simply have to be re-heated and served the exact same way again. Oh no! Caitlin always reminds us that leftovers are already perfectly seasoned ingredients (theoretically), just waiting to be made into new and delicious dishes.

And so, let us introduce 3 different leftover ideas. These are dishes you can create to transform your leftovers. Consider this the next time you are shopping for staples – perhaps you ought to have potatoes, tortilla shells and chicken stock always on hand.

Potatoes

Leftover potato recipes: Top potatoes with leftovers to create a whole new meal.

• When cooking with potatoes, first you want to clean your potato and then poke with a fork to create places for the steam to escape. Cover with a paper towel, place on a plate, and then cook in the microwave. Cook 3 minutes for small potatoes, 4 ½ minutes for medium and 6 minutes for large potatoes. If the potato is extremely large you can cook it for 7-8 minutes.
• Once your potato is cooked let it rest for 5 minutes.
• While your potato is resting, dice up and sauté your left over ingredients – just to heat them through.  For example, if its ribs that are leftover with some onions, you will want to shred the rib meat, top with the onions and drizzle with some extra BBQ sauce.  Or if you had chicken fajitas leftover, do a quick sauté with your chicken, peppers and onions. Dice them up and top with extra salsa.
• After your potato has rested, slice it in half without cutting it all the way through, pinch the sides to open up your potato and then add your toppings.
• If you really want to go crazy, top the potato with cheese and a dollop of sour cream!

Tortillas

Caitlin’s husband’s favorite way of concocting dinners with leftovers is with tortillas. For him, everything goes into a tortilla.  And really, when you think of it, why should the tortilla be relegated only to Mexican food? The tortilla has no ethnic boundaries.

So, consider utilizing tortilla wraps in your future. They give the feeling of an entirely different meal, but, in reality, you are just giving the food a new delivery vehicle.  Just some food for thought for you:

• If it’s leftover breakfast food you have, chop it up, add some crumbled breakfast sausage and top with a little maple syrup.
• Add your leftover Chinese food to a tortilla! Create a bed of fried rice, add your chicken and then top with your sweet and sour sauce.
• Have a few extra pieces of leftover steak – not quite enough for a whole meal on their own? Sauté them with some eggs and onions, pop in a tortilla and add some salsa. You’ve got yourself a new meal.

Chicken Stock

Soup is the obvious when it comes to leftovers. The best thing about making soups is that it doesn’t matter if food gets over-cooked because you can just blend them and nobody will ever know. Here are a few ideas:

• Too many asparagus spears? Sauté with a little onion and garlic, add your chicken stock, simmer, blend, add a little cream and then you have a delicious cream of asparagus soup.
• Add some leftover smoked Mets or brats to a pot. Combine with some diced potatoes, chicken stock, maybe some green peppers, onions, corn, and simmer all day long. You’ll have a delicious thick chowder.

And so, the lesson is: get creative. Play with your food and think of ingredients in an entirely new way. Leftovers will never be boring again!