In honor of this week of Julia Child's 100th birthday, we've done a lot of things to make merry. Culinary adventures, seeking out new places we've never eaten before. Discovered a new favorite Mexican restaurant, and a wonderful little spot I loved so much I'm headed there for my birthday lunch.
Today for lunch, a riff on a suggested salad. Roasted potatoes, seasoned with thyme and basil. 1/4 inch thick rounds of italian sausage, which I like with a bit of crunch on the outside but not burnt. Drizzle of olive oil, a little parmesan cheese.
Tonight, for dinner, the dinner I intended to have last night, but leftovers from lunch were plentiful enough for dinner as well. We're having ratatouille and goat cheese subs, with more than enough leftovers for tomorrow.
It has been nice, this week of adventure. Enjoying the weather, the time to unwind... Even the work projects have gone wonderfully! Great food, great times. Gearing up for visits and new adventures. I love Fall.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Left-over Love
This morning, I was slicing up some of the roast beef my husband and I had for dinner last night and adding it to the omelet I was making him. After a few moments debating seasoning choices, I folded the meat in with the melting colby-jack cheese and, as I strategically placed cheese along the outer seam of the egg-burrito-shell, I started thinking about left-overs.
A few minutes ago I finished the cheesecake I was messing around with, finally getting the monster into the fridge. There was that roast beef again, staring intently at me from the second shelf, next to the washed and wrapped romaine lettuce.
We all have our quirks - I'm aware of at least 1 woman in the world who is a wonderful, fun and otherwise normal person who refuses to eat leftovers - but there is a segment of this country (and cultures across the world) who have to make creative use of what they have.... including the previously served. I'd make a refried beans joke here, but truth be told, I hold nothing but respect for the maligned side-and-sauce refried beans constitute in several cultural dishes throughout the New World.
Back to left-overs. For those of us who *do* partake of them, what do we do? Even revamps have traditional roots. There are classic moves, like making too many baked potatoes and turning them into potato soup the next day, or last night's chicken becomes today's chicken salad. They're great, but they aren't what I'm thinking about today.
What about the quirkier choices? This is the (lame) part of participation blogs where the person writing solicits personal experience from anyone reading, in the hopes of... well, to be direct, I have no idea what the hope is as I usually assume if you want to tell me something, you will. If not, I'd imagine you'll just read/skim what's here and go on with your day. But I digress....
Favorite Left-over REMIXES
Chicken Pieces - Make too many chicken breasts at the bbq yesterday, and everybody wanted hamburgers? Never fear! Even if that tasty white meat has been spiced, slice it up and prepare for the wonder of the 1950s: casserole time! One dish wonders changed the lives of most stay-at-home wives and mothers during the Nuclear Decade. Now, armed with your exquisite left-over chicken, that 2 cups of rice (or if you're looking to get fancy, that 2 cups of quinoa you've been dying to play with) and a couple simple additions becomes super-tasty casserole heaven! Suggestion: if you're going the condensed soup route, a splash of milk and tablespoon of sour cream go a long way in these kinds of dishes. A little zing, a little smoother texture, and it keeps the rice from wicking all the moisture from your other additions. Stir fry sauce and snow peas can make a decidedly oriental flare fantastic in this scenario as well, particularly if you're of the Italian-Dressing-As-Marinade variety of chicken cooker.
Roasts - Whether it's beef, pork or other fare (including, I'm told, zebra and bison), unless your portion prowess is precise in the extreme, left-overs are in your future. This morning was the first time I used pot roast in an omelet, but the imagination is your only limiting factor here. Shred it, cover it in bbq sauce and poof! you've got bbq sandwiches. Rice, veggies and a touch of soy or stir fry sauce can make a particularly interesting semi-fried rice creation. Even something as simple as thinly sliced roast on bread with favorite condiments and a side of the potato salad you made from left-over baked potatoes counts! Soups, stews, sandwiches, salads... like I said - you've got nothing holding you back here!
Veggies - That side of steamed broccoli that everyone liked but didn't finish? Not a problem. Aside from the ever-present soup option for veggies, other opportunities await your nutrient-rich sides! Salads are a favorite here, as are stir fry choices. I personally admit to adding left-over sides to rice, a small sprinkle of cheese and ta-da! new side dish (or excellent lunch option). Yesterday's evening stars are today's mid-day home run hitters! And don't be afraid to throw in other left-overs, like those left-over chicken pieces, and make that fried rice you've been daydreaming about for the past few days.
I sincerely hope left-overs don't just seem humdrum and annoying, glaring at you from your fridge with the taunt This is the way you served me, this is the only way you can eat me until I'm gone! Aside from the innate B-Movie-Horror angle of "The Broccoli That Wouldn't Die," I tend to feel that, unless it was so alarmingly good the first time you have to have it the same way again, letting left-overs remain in their primary state is missing a chance to get creative.
Be brave! Experiment! The worst thing that happens is discovery. I've discovered more than one way to make food no one wants to eat. That's half the fun! Enjoy your left-overs, and remember that everything deserves a second chance.
A few minutes ago I finished the cheesecake I was messing around with, finally getting the monster into the fridge. There was that roast beef again, staring intently at me from the second shelf, next to the washed and wrapped romaine lettuce.
We all have our quirks - I'm aware of at least 1 woman in the world who is a wonderful, fun and otherwise normal person who refuses to eat leftovers - but there is a segment of this country (and cultures across the world) who have to make creative use of what they have.... including the previously served. I'd make a refried beans joke here, but truth be told, I hold nothing but respect for the maligned side-and-sauce refried beans constitute in several cultural dishes throughout the New World.
Back to left-overs. For those of us who *do* partake of them, what do we do? Even revamps have traditional roots. There are classic moves, like making too many baked potatoes and turning them into potato soup the next day, or last night's chicken becomes today's chicken salad. They're great, but they aren't what I'm thinking about today.
What about the quirkier choices? This is the (lame) part of participation blogs where the person writing solicits personal experience from anyone reading, in the hopes of... well, to be direct, I have no idea what the hope is as I usually assume if you want to tell me something, you will. If not, I'd imagine you'll just read/skim what's here and go on with your day. But I digress....
Favorite Left-over REMIXES
Chicken Pieces - Make too many chicken breasts at the bbq yesterday, and everybody wanted hamburgers? Never fear! Even if that tasty white meat has been spiced, slice it up and prepare for the wonder of the 1950s: casserole time! One dish wonders changed the lives of most stay-at-home wives and mothers during the Nuclear Decade. Now, armed with your exquisite left-over chicken, that 2 cups of rice (or if you're looking to get fancy, that 2 cups of quinoa you've been dying to play with) and a couple simple additions becomes super-tasty casserole heaven! Suggestion: if you're going the condensed soup route, a splash of milk and tablespoon of sour cream go a long way in these kinds of dishes. A little zing, a little smoother texture, and it keeps the rice from wicking all the moisture from your other additions. Stir fry sauce and snow peas can make a decidedly oriental flare fantastic in this scenario as well, particularly if you're of the Italian-Dressing-As-Marinade variety of chicken cooker.
Roasts - Whether it's beef, pork or other fare (including, I'm told, zebra and bison), unless your portion prowess is precise in the extreme, left-overs are in your future. This morning was the first time I used pot roast in an omelet, but the imagination is your only limiting factor here. Shred it, cover it in bbq sauce and poof! you've got bbq sandwiches. Rice, veggies and a touch of soy or stir fry sauce can make a particularly interesting semi-fried rice creation. Even something as simple as thinly sliced roast on bread with favorite condiments and a side of the potato salad you made from left-over baked potatoes counts! Soups, stews, sandwiches, salads... like I said - you've got nothing holding you back here!
Veggies - That side of steamed broccoli that everyone liked but didn't finish? Not a problem. Aside from the ever-present soup option for veggies, other opportunities await your nutrient-rich sides! Salads are a favorite here, as are stir fry choices. I personally admit to adding left-over sides to rice, a small sprinkle of cheese and ta-da! new side dish (or excellent lunch option). Yesterday's evening stars are today's mid-day home run hitters! And don't be afraid to throw in other left-overs, like those left-over chicken pieces, and make that fried rice you've been daydreaming about for the past few days.
I sincerely hope left-overs don't just seem humdrum and annoying, glaring at you from your fridge with the taunt This is the way you served me, this is the only way you can eat me until I'm gone! Aside from the innate B-Movie-Horror angle of "The Broccoli That Wouldn't Die," I tend to feel that, unless it was so alarmingly good the first time you have to have it the same way again, letting left-overs remain in their primary state is missing a chance to get creative.
Be brave! Experiment! The worst thing that happens is discovery. I've discovered more than one way to make food no one wants to eat. That's half the fun! Enjoy your left-overs, and remember that everything deserves a second chance.
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