Leftover Magic

Party leftovers (not college-style) make opportunities for creative meals.

Who loves leftovers? Yeah, not so many folks. But I do. Not the mushy, microwave-heated version. I love being creative with leftovers by incorporating them into each new dish until they are consumed and nothing goes to waste…because I can be very lazy in the kitchen.  You see, leftovers offer a shortcut. When you are able to re-use already cooked ingredients in your dishes, it saves time and effort. It also feels good to use resources wisely. I believe using leftovers in yummy ways saves lots of precious dollars. Here are some examples to get you started:

• Leftover vegetables – dump them in a new soup or stew; if not already too soft, stir fry them to put over rice; add them to an egg omelet, scramble, or frittata; add to bean dishes; add to marinara sauce; put in blender with spices, butter, and something starchy like a boiled potato to make cream of veggie soup.
• Leftover pasta – keep it cold and add veggies and/or canned seafood and dressing (oil and vinegar) for a pasta salad; add to a brothy soup.
• Leftover sweet or white baked or mashed potatoes – grill in iron skillet with butter and put an egg on top for breakfast; if baked, dice and refry in oil and salt for a hash brown dish; put in blender with something creamy (milk of any kind, butter or oil of any kind) and spices and water to preferred thickness to make potato soup.
• Leftover rice – stir-fry in sesame oil with onion, garlic, and other herbs and add nama shoyu or tamari or soy sauce for a fried rice dish; add to soup or stew; if mushy, put in blender with spices and an egg and enough flour of any wholesome kind to make rice patties to fry up the skillet with oil of any (good) kind.
• Leftover water from boiling beets (So pretty it can’t go down the drain!) – store in mason jar to add to smoothies for a sweet and nutritious kick for the next week or so.
• Leftover water from boiling or steaming any vegetable – store in mason jars for making adding to any dish that calls for broth.
• Leftover meats – chop and top salads; chop and mix with greek yogurt, mayo, mustard, or other type dressing and spices to fill a sandwich; add to stir-fry or soup; add to omelet or quiche or egg scramble; add to hashed potato scramble; add to fried rice; add to quesadillas.
• Leftover rice and beans combo – mash or blend in blender with an egg and extra flour of any kind if needed to smooth and thicken to fry rice and bean patties in the skillet with a thick layer of oil on the bottom of the pan. 

Basically ANYTHING, even foods that didn’t turn out the way you hoped when you prepared them, can be remade into something beautiful and tasty…given a second or third chance…salvaged…saved and savored!

Thrilled to influence healthy, happy life changes in simple ways that empower us as the nurturers and healers of our own bodies, as the Goddesses of our kitchens, by bringing more ease and pleasure into your routines. Eat up! (And check out my new website that I am so stinkin’ proud of at heatherdiamondhealth.com.)

Happy health to you and yours.