Leftovers of the third kind

When talking about excess food, there are planned leftovers, unplanned leftovers and something in between.

I once said that there were three kinds of leftovers, planned leftovers, when one purposely cooks extra food with the intention of making last for two meals, unplanned leftovers, when there is some food left because people were not very hungry or some did not turn up, and unavoidable leftovers, such as those from a roast turkey. That is not entirely so. Turkey leftovers should be really classified as planned ones because we can buy what we need, just a prepared turkey breast, for instance or think in advance how to use the extra meat.

Leftovers of the third kind are half way between the other two; we are talking about the food left when only part is used for a particular recipe. We would count here parts of the vegetables, such as broccoli or Swiss chard stems, which are perfectly edible but not used most of the times. However, food is not getting cheaper and those leftovers still have valuable nutrients that can help to keep a family healthy and happy. Leftovers of all kinds may come as a pleasant and delicious surprise.

Planned leftovers are easy. Their second coming as cold roast, curry, sandwich, and re-heated soup was intentional and everything should be already in place to make it an appetizing one.

Unplanned leftovers can be re-heated to feed one or two the next day, which may be boring, or they can be stored until there is enough food for all, and make a comeback as an informal buffet, which may take forever. With some imagination, and the probable addition of more ingredients if they are meant to feed a family, unplanned leftovers can be the origin of very exciting meals.

These semi-planned leftovers will need equally imagination, extra ingredients, specific recipes, and a conscious effort not to waste anything to become food with a plan.

Meat

• Add some vegetables to leftover meat to create another meal, or make them into a pie with only a top crust, or top and bottom. Take inspiration of the recipes for lamb menestra, suggestions for empanadas, or Cornish pasties.
• Ground meat can be cooked in a variety of dishes, from a simple sloppy Joe, browned and served with mashed potatoes, chili con carne, cottage or shepherd’s pie, Bolognese or meat sauce for pasta or jacket potatoes, and burgers.
• Find a recipe that needs cooked meat. Cooked ground meat can be used for stuffed peppers or stuffed zucchini.
• Turkey leftovers can become a casserole and cooked chicken meat can easily become a chicken mousse, chicken terrine or served in gelatin.
• Leftover pork meat can be sautéed with onion and served with French fries or hash brown.
• Beef bones, lamb bones, poultry carcasses can flavor hearty broths which, in turn, become soups and sauces – Freeze bones until you have enough for a large batch.
• Fat can be melted, purified and used for cooking. Keep different types of fat in separate containers.

Fish

• Leftover fish can be used for empanadas, stuffed vegetables, fish pie, fisherman pie, kedgeree, fish mousse, or served in gelatin.
• Fish bones and heads can be used to make fish broth which, in turn, can flavor rice dishes, be turned into soups, or thickened with gelatin to make fish cold pie, or mousse
• Any fish soup can take small amounts of different fish and seafood.
• A small amount of fish would be great in patties, croquettes, or mixed with white sauce and baked.
• Fish chunks with the addition of a few vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, are wonderful in kebabs. Add a second type of fish or seafood to make the right amounts.
• Cooked with the addition of butter, cream cheese, gelatin, or mayonnaise, fish chunks can become mousses, terrines, pates, and dips.

Eggs

• Egg whites can be added to your next omelet, while egg yolks can be stored in the fridge, in milk, and added to home custard, quiches, pies or cakes.

Bread

• Stale bread is used in some recipes such as gazpacho or bread puddings.
• Following the inspiration of a bread and butter pudding, it can be turned into savory dishes.
• Turn it into croutons or dried in the oven and crumbled, it can be used to coat fish, meat, patties or as topping for a vegetable or fish bake.

Dough

• Use ends of bread or pizza dough for individual pizzas, pies, quiche, pasties, savory cookies, galettes, or cheese straws – any savory dough can be used this way, and you can use leftover meat, fish or vegetables as filling, or cheese bites left after a party.
• Leftover dough from a pie or tart can be made into mini jelly pies, or sweet galettes, or kneaded with half its weight of powdered sugar and made into cookies.