My grandmother was a child of the depression. She used to say, "Waste not, want not," frequently. Unfortunately, not everyone listened to her. New statistics say, 40% of the food in the US goes uneaten. We've always been pretty good about using our leftovers, but we've redoubled our efforts this year. And what little we do throw out, we compost.
I've gotten creative. Last night, we grilled steaks. (Yes, Erie's finally gotten warm enough to barbecue again!) We had leftovers...we've been trying to eat a lot less meat, so what used to be one meal is more than that now. So tonight, I sliced it thin, added mushrooms, heated them with some taco spices. I did black beans and onions in another pan. Then we topped them with salsa and Greek yogurt instead of of sour cream. (If you've never substituted it...try it. It's very good.) Served them on tortillas. There's a bit left for my lunch tomorrow. No leftovers!
An added bonus is, I cook a lot less because one meal can turn into two...sometimes three.
If you have any favorite tricks to using up leftovers, I'd love to hear them.
Holly
Yum!!!!! Looks good! Depends on the leftovers...Sometimes, if I have extra sausage, peppers and onions, I add them to scrambled eggs for breakfast the next morning...the hubby and son love that.
ReplyDeleteNini, Oh, that's a great way to use up leftovers! I do a crustless quiche and have thrown sausage, onions and peppers in there, too. Fast and good!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I cook this way all the time. We have very little waste.
ReplyDeleteLorna, I've always tried to, but now it's become almost a game. And we're doing even better!!
ReplyDeleteHi Holly,
ReplyDeleteWe're a large family (7 at the table, including grandma) so we don't have a lot of leftovers. Plus my 11 year old son loves a hot lunch so he usually takes anything that is left in a thermos to school. Occasionally, when we do have enough bits for a meal, I put all the containers on the counter, call it "encore presentations" and we do a buffet style where everyone gets to pick their favourites. Latecomers get the dregs.
But the best re-creation is to take leftover rice, vegetables and whatever meat is still around tossed with some green onions, a bit of bacon and an egg or two for fried rice. That clears the fridge and everyone's plate.
Cheers,
Alexia
Alexia, We've got six in our family...so I remember cooking for a crew. I love that your 11 yo likes the leftovers for lunch. I don't have to take mine to school, but I'm right there with him most days!
ReplyDeleteAnd I loved fried rice...that's a lovely way to clear the leftovers! And really love the buffet!