Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
When you marry into (and give birth to) a family of picky eaters, you have to get creative when it comes to leftovers. Yes, they are expected to “eat what’s put in front of them”, yet even I get bored of having the same meal day after day. But I’m equally opposed to wasting food. That’s when it’s time to mix it up a bit in the kitchen. Even the word leftovers sounds like something no one wanted, like getting hand-me-down clothes that are tired and way past their time of fashion. But with a bit of sleight of hand and some fresh herbs, leftovers can be transformed into something completely different than the original meal.
Turning your leftovers into soup is one of the tried and true ways of cleaning out the refrigerator. After a dinner of beef kabobs, beef vegetable soup makes a perfect next day meal. Chop the leftover meat into smaller pieces and include any vegetables that were used on the kabobs such as onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Oh look there’s also some leftover corn from Tuesday and green beans from Wednesday! Those are going to find their way into the soup as well. Add some beef broth and fresh herbs, let it simmer while you read a chapter or two of your book, and dinner is served. If you have some day-old bread that’s a little crusty, it will be perfect to dip into the soup—for those that like to do that sort of thing. Leftover chicken will make a quick pot of chicken tortellini soup on a cold day. Think about it, most of the work has already been done. The chicken has been chopped and cooked, you just need to add some fresh new ingredients and broth. If it’s too hot for soup, turn your leftover chicken into tacos, quesadillas, or egg rolls.
Fried rice is another great way to combine dribs and drabs of leftovers into something delicious. Scramble a few eggs, then add your leftover protein of choice (chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tempeh). Cut up the half of the onion that’s been sitting in the fridge and start adding all the leftover veggies from the week. This is a great way to infuse your kids with lots of extra vitamins, and they will happily eat their vegetables without thinking about it. Cold, leftover rice actually works much better for fried rice than hot rice that you have just made. Add in some fresh herbs like thyme and you’ll have a filling meal and a happy family. This is one pot cooking, so you’ll save some clean up time as well.
Sometimes I plan my “second day meal” before my first. If I’m in the mood for sweet and sour pork, I’ll make a pork loin the night before and cut up some pineapple for dessert. Both of those will provide the key ingredients for sweet and sour pork the next day. If a Wednesday is forecasted to be overcast and cool, calling for a warm pot of chili, then you know the day before will be Taco Tuesday, including beef and black bean tacos. Dump the leftover meat and beans into a pot with a can of tomatoes, add some leftover salsa and you will be warming your body and soul in no time. Flat iron steak with baked potatoes may be on the menu for Thursday, but Friday night will turn that leftover steak into delicious and fast fajitas for Friday. Simply char some onions and peppers with the sizzling steak, wrap it into a warmed tortilla and let the weekend begin!
When it comes to reinventing your leftovers, the possible food connections and combinations are endless. And usually you will get out of the kitchen faster since the main ingredient will already be chopped and cooked through. Adding fresh herbs will give new life to the meal.
Shore Local News would love to hear how you “upcycle” your leftovers. Hopefully, you’ve been inspired to find creative ways to transform yesterday’s meal into something new. Please send your questions, comments, and pictures to shorelocalgarden@gmail.com
Tammy Thornton is a mom of four, a substitute teacher, and a Sunday school teacher. She is passionate about gardening and cooking, and loves the beach.
