Time. There are 24 hours in every day, but sometimes it feels like less. So when I cook, I have to make it count for more than one meal. Cooking big is a time saver. If I have a little wiggle room during the weekend to cook, I try to fill the fridge for the upcoming week. But even quick week night meals can provide leftovers for another meal.
Okay, it’s no secret that I love leftovers. You can enjoy them for a second meal as is, but they can also be used as inspiration for a new dish. I use my leftovers both ways. If I cook a couple of extra pieces of chicken, that goes to work with me for a quick lunch at the office. Using that chicken as inspiration for another meal might mean a nice chicken casserole or chicken salad sandwich. Need some ideas? Let me outline my leftovers from the past few days.
Night #1. Leftover: Quinoa. Used the next morning as an addition to breakfast oatmeal to power it up. Quinoa is a plant based protein loaded with beneficial amino acids. It was a satisfying protein and grain breakfast following an early morning workout at the gym.
Leftover quinoa added plant protein to morning oatmeal.
Night #2. Leftover: Goat cheese. It was leftover from a beet salad. The next day goat cheese was a wonderful addition to a “gourmet” sandwich, adding delicious creamy flavor to a weekday brown bag lunch.
Leftover goat cheese not used for this salad added flavor to a sandwich.
Night #3. Leftover: Home made vinaigrette. I used this to drizzle over veggies going into the oven to roast. Homemade vinaigrette is super flexible and great to have around. It is a delicious way to add a wonderful layer of flavor to most anything.
Leftover vinaigrette. This isn’t just salad dressing. It has a zillion uses.
Night #4. Leftover: Roasted veggies. These leftover roasted veggies made the most amazing salad. I also threw in some of that leftover quinoa so it was a complete meal.
Roasted veggies made an awesome salad! The added quinoa was the perfect protein for this dish.
Night #5. Leftover: Pesto, with a bonus of shredded chicken. (Nonleftover: frozen cauliflower). This made a quick pasta dinner. Dinner was ready in the time it took for a pot of water to boil and pasta to cook. The cauliflower cooked up quick in the microwave. It was tossed together with the chicken and pesto for a quick and easy one dish dinner for a busy night.
By now I am sure you get the picture. Be creative. When cooking, cook a larger portion than you need. Toss leftovers in both the fridge and the freezer. And start embracing the ease of the next meal using leftovers. Let me know what ends up on your dinner table!
Leave a Reply