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50% Less Cooking
without hitting the fast
food button! Don't you just cringe when some clever
kitchen type tells you what you could be doing with the
leftovers in the fridge, when it's plainly obvious the
leftovers will stay there until they walk out by
themselves!
More often than not, saving
money with leftovers, although a great idea, takes a lot
of time in preparation and relies on many other
ingredients being available. So..........
Design your own leftovers!
Cooking twice as much as
you need 'by design' allows you the extra time tomorrow
with the added bonus of knowing what you're going to cook.
Dithering around in the
kitchen working out who wants what and what you forgot to
buy, takes ages. If you know you've already got a portion
of the evening meal ready in the fridge, life becomes a
lot less stressful.
Most 'in-the-pot' dishes
like bolognaise, chile, casseroles and stews can all be
made in double quantities in very little extra time. Make
sure you thoroughly reheat meat dishes until very hot. The
only real problem with in the pot recipes is that you're
obliged to eat the same meal two nights in a row. Although
you can serve it with rice, pasta, or potatoes to add some
variety.
If you've managed to cook
enough rice to feed the neighborhood, don't throw away the
leftovers. Let the rice cool completely, place in a bowl,
cover with plastic food wrap, and refrigerate. Then the
following evening you have a base for a new and exciting
meal...try these ideas:
- Egg Fried Rice: Make a
plain omelette and remove from pan. Cut into small
pieces and set aside.. Put cold leftover rice in the
pan and stir gently. Add omelette pieces, stir and
heat until hot right through. Serve with Chinese style
ribs, or veggie sausages.
- Special Fried Rice: Fry
in olive or nut oil a finely chopped onion, tomato,
green pepper and a few sliced mushrooms. Add leftover
rice to pan. Stir gently. Add sweetcorn for colour and
a few chopped walnuts if liked. Serve with any meat,
fish, egg or veggie dish.
- Rice Salad: In a large
bowl, mix leftover rice with fresh raw chopped
vegetables; onion, tomato, sweet pepper, celery,
sweetcorn, and any other favorites hanging around in
the fridge. Chill for half an hour before serving. A
half mayo-half natural yogurt dressing can be gently
stirred in if liked. To create a whole summer meal in
a bowl, add chopped boiled egg, cooked flaked fish,
pieces of ham or cooked chicken or even nuts and
raisins!
Potatoes can easily be
turned into 'designer leftovers'
Cooking a whole tray of
jacket potatoes will take no longer than cooking one or
two, just a few extra minutes scrubbing time needed. Store
leftovers in the fridge.
- Flat Fries: Slice and
shallow fry leftover jackets in hot olive oil and some
mixed dried herbs or cumin spice. Turn occasionally.
Serve hot with anything.
- Family Omelette: Peel
and dice leftover jackets and gently fry in olive oil,
with a chopped onion. Pour over beaten eggs and add
some grated cheese. Cook gently for a few minutes.
Turn and cook the other side. The omelette will
probably fall apart during this manouevre. Just push
it back together. No-one will know! Serve hot with a
green salad.
- Rough Potato Salad: Peel
leftover jackets and chop roughly. Mix in a large bowl
with sweetcorn, tuna and a little chopped onion or
chives. Serve with a mayonnaise sauce.
Hot mashed potato, served
with a delicious gravy, is always a family favorite. Make
twice as much and delight the family two days in a row!
Cool the leftover mash thoroughly. Place in a bowl, cover
with plastic food wrap and refrigerate.
- Baked Mash: Put leftover
mash into a large bowl and stir in cooked flaked white
fish, bacon pieces, or cooked vegetables. Place in a
greased ovenproof dish, top with grated cheese and
bake in a medium oven until hot right through.
- Burger Mash: In a large
bowl, mix leftover mash with a little beaten egg, some
chopped chives or very finely chopped onion. Then form
small balls in your hands. Flatten slightly and, if
available, coat with breadcrumbs or chopped nuts. Fry
as you would a burger!
- Cottage Pie: Cook minced
beef, or veggie equivalent, a chopped onion and a tin
of tomatoes together and place mixture in a large
lightly greased ovenproof dish. Spoon leftover mashed
potato over the top, and sprinkle on a little grated
cheese, if liked. Heat through thoroughly in a medium
to hot oven and serve hot with green vegetables.
Cook a slightly larger
chicken and keep the leftovers covered - and maybe hidden
- in the fridge. A vegetarian equivalent of chicken will
work equally well with these dishes.
- Quick Chicken Curry:
Pour a home made curry sauce or a jar of ready - made
over cut up leftover chicken pieces and heat through
thoroughly in a hot oven. Always make sure re-heated
meat is steaming hot right through. Serve with rice or
jacket potatoes.
- Chicken Salad: Mix cold
leftover chicken with a finely chopped onion and stir
in a half mayo, half natural yogurt dressing. Add a
few walnuts for an extra special treat. Chill for 30
minutes and serve with any dish..
- Chicken Stir Fry: Put
cut up chicken pieces in a frying pan with a little
olive or nut oil. Mix in thinly sliced sweet peppers,
onion, tomato and any other bits in the fridge that
look healthy enough to eat. Cook gently for a few
minutes, ensuring the chicken is thoroughly hot. Then
mix into a bowl of hot cooked noodles. Serve with an
oriental style sauce.
Hot Tip: Planning a few
menus in advance will mean you are always in control of
nourishing and tasty meals, and no need to lean guiltily
on the microwave waiting for the latest TV dinner to cook!
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About
The Author
Linda
Gray is a freelance writer based in a log
cabin in a wood. See what else goes on
between the trees over at http://www.mylot.org.
Drop in anytime! |
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