In these days of elevated food prices, every frugal cook is trying to find a way to make their family meals more affordable. If your coin purse is almost empty, rice and beans may be a staple of your kitchen. Rice and beans is not only affordable and delicious, it is also healthy, but quickly becomes tiresome.
But don’t despair! There is another option, an option that talented cooks can turn into an art form: leftovers! Leftovers should not be delegated to a last course option, when treated with care, your family will welcome your creativity, and your food budget won’t take a hit. The trick is to purposely cook more than you need for one meal. Deliberate leftovers. It is much more affordable to buy a little bit more and repurpose what is left over.
Almost any food can be re-served, with a few exceptions; seafood loses its luster pretty quickly, and some fruits and veggies degrade rapidly if not sealed in an airtight container. Buying a machine that is designed to suck the air out of plastic bags and seal the open end are affordable and a wise choice.
Leftover ideas generally fall into just a few categories: salads, sandwiches (tacos), pasta, rice and a large variety if appetizers (think if Italian bruschetta).
Perhaps the best example is the rotisserie chicken we have talked ab out before. Thighs and legs might be the first meal, followed by chicken salad made with the breast meat, and a nice chicken and dumplings, or stew can be had from the bones and the little bit of meat left on them.
White beans, black beans and red beans also offer an excellent base for a good meal. Sauté almost any leftover meat (chicken, turkey, ham etc) until brown, remove and set aside. Now sauté any veggies you might have, like onions, bell pepper, celery, jalapenos, asparagus, squash or carrots in butter, cook just to warm, (be careful not to overcook them!). Now simply add the beans, season well, and you will have a fine meal for your family,
Left over corn can be made into fritters by combining the corn, a little flour, and egg, shaping into a pancake like form, and frying until brown. Leftover mashed potatoes can similarly be made into patties and fried crisp. A ripe banana, along with crunchy peanut butter made a great sandwich (really! Try it!)
Any sandwich can be made better if you use homemade mayo or aioli. Simply add an egg to a container just larger around than you immersion blended, then slowly drizzle one cup of oil, while using the blender. Adding chopped garlic to the mix makes it aioli.
So, be frugal and creative, save some money and make your family happy, all at the same time.