Nourishments—

Rethinking Leftovers

By Nancy K. Crevier

Perhaps if leftovers had a tastier name, they would not be so disdained. “Re-creations” might be a good term for the regeneration of those half-servings and partially devoured main courses that are often relegated to the lower shelf of the refrigerator, and soon forgotten.

I have friends who will not eat food from a previous meal, as though the essence of the meal has been devoured and cannot be recaptured. The remains of a perfectly good side dish or the several ounces of leftover chicken or fish are scraped into the garbage or fed to the dog. There is not even the pretense that these bits of flavor will ever see a plate again.

I, on the other hand, repackage every quarter cup of sauce, steamed vegetables, and salad that is left in the serving bowl at the end of a meal. Half of a turkey burger is wrapped and refrigerated, the lone ear of corn is tightly wrapped in plastic and tucked into the vegetable drawer. I have no qualms about pouring a little lemon juice and olive oil over one clove too many of garlic that has been crushed, and putting it away for the next day.

It’s not that I am trying to be purposefully frugal. I just know that when the next day or two gets crazy and I don’t have time to start a meal from scratch, with a little thought those pieces of former meals can rise from the ashes into a satisfying dinner, or be packed into a bag lunch that will be the envy of the office.

On a busy evening, an omelet or frittata is a quick and nutritious dinner. It is also the perfect vehicle for that crushed clove of garlic, those already sautéed zucchini pieces, the half-cup of grated parmesan, and Sunday evening’s remaining cup of puttenesca sauce to top it off.

Leftover meats or firm-fleshed fish can be combined with sautéed peppers, jalapeños, corn off the cob, diced squash, spices and salsa to make an interesting filling for tacos or burritos. Don’t forget to garnish it with the leftover salad, sliced into a chiffonade.

Mashed potatoes combined with grated sharp cheddar, the sauerkraut left over from making Rueben sandwiches, a little sautéed onion, some parsley and caraway seed and baked in the oven becomes a brand new side dish that is perfect with a broiled chicken breast and a side of green beans.

Oh, now there are leftover green beans? They will morph into a three bean salad tomorrow with the addition of kidney beans and chick peas, and a zesty vinaigrette.

Starting with a good vegetable or chicken stock, soup welcomes leftover vegetables and bite-sized pieces of meat or chicken, diced baked potatoes, or that one serving of pasta to round it out. Because the additions are already cooked, they can be added at the end of the cooking time, with only the base of the soup needing time to simmer.

Broken pieces of pie layered with Gran Marnier or Amaretto-laced whipped cream and drizzled with caramel sauce is a heady dessert that carries no shame in having started life as an apple pie. Don’t forget, for generations, day old bread has reigned supreme in bread pudding. There is nothing a little ice cream and rum sauce can’t revive.

I think there is something to the old saying that “Less is More.” The less a cook has to work with, the more creativity comes into play.

Recycling is good for paper products and plastic. Re-creation is for food. Go forth, and re-create.