Incorporating leftovers in a dish

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pmeheran

Senior Cook
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
108
Location
Kingsville texas, south of c.c.
Today I had two smoked ham hocks in the freezer and thought they would be good in a pot of beans. Looking in the cupboard, I found a bag of anasazi beans, yum! The adobe milling company sells them. The anasazi beans are sort of like pinto beans, but cook up quicker and are creamier. For more information either go to Rancho Gordo or google it.

Well, to go on, I put some 1015 sweet onion, fresh garlic, red bell pepper and my left over yellow and zuchinni squash that I steamed with basil and butter last night, in the beans and I put in about a teaspoon of mexican thyme. Right now the pot is gently bubbling and making a delightful smell. My wife will peel some roasted New Mexico green chilis to go with hers. It's shame I am allergic to chilis. Since this potful is made with things I already had on hand, it amounts to a pretty cheap supper.
 
Sounds yummy. I love leftover usage too. I can't stand to waste even one little mushroom.
 
I was inspired so this is what I fixed today: 2 quarts of leftover beef stew (with carrots, onions, green beans, & potatoes), mixed 1 can of diced tomatoes, a Tablespoon of brown gravey mix, flour to thicken; poured over leftover cooked frozen buttered egg noodles, & biscuits.
 
I'm another one who likes to take leftover soup and turn it into a meal by adding it to pasta. Last week I had leftover cream of chicken soup that I brought home, tossed with pasta and added some leftover asparagus for a pasta Alfredo type dish with chicken in it. Good and cheap.
 
If leftovers are part of your food budget and menu planning, one thing to consider might be an extension of the adage regarding seasoning -- it's easy to add more, but difficult to remove. So, first dish should be relatively simple in flavor; your second leftover dish options will be greater, more varied and differentiated in flavor from the first dish; the reverse order is more difficult.

I've become better at cooking just the right amount for one meal, but I also enjoy the off-the-cuff challenge of creating a leftover dish that looks and tastes great.
 

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