No Leftovers Left Behind

These days, I've been doing a lot of cooking for one.  Not necessarily a bad thing, but solitary cooking does carry with it the drawback of having tons of leftovers, leaving me to ask myself, "Why did I feel it necessary to cook an entire pound of potatoes to make one salade nicoise for myself?" and "Why did I make about two cups of aji paste when I only needed 2 teaspoons?"  My poor roommate is probably asking, "How on God's green earth does one person manage to take up so much fridge space?!?" 

If this sounds all too familiar, it's time to set aside your gripes about logistics and volume because leftovers leave the home cook with endless possibilities.  Me?  I've got nothin' but love for leftovers, so I'll share with you some of my favorite ways to transform leftovers into entirely new and exciting dishes.

If you have leftover aji paste:

Spicy Tuna Salad

2 cans tuna in olive oil
1/4 c. sour cream
1 T. aji paste
1 T.  lemon or lime juice
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until blended.  Serve on tortilla crisps. 


If you have lots of leftovers from making Nicoise Peruvienne:

Aji Potato Salad

2 c. cooked potatoes, chilled
2 T. aji paste
1/4 c. sour cream
steamed green beans, sliced into 1-in lengths
handful chopped cilantro
splash olive oil
splash lemon juice


If you have leftover roast chicken or duck:

(Really?  Who has leftover duck?!?)

Spinach Salad with Roast Poultry

2 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. roast chicken or duck, shredded
1/2 c. soft cheese seasoned with herbs and/or garlic
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
vinaigrette

Combine ingredients in a salad bowl and toss with vinaigrette. 



If you have leftover beef or pork:

(Again, really?!?)

Fried Rice

2 T. soy sauce
2 t. toasted sesame oil
1 t. grated fresh ginger
pinch crushed red chile flakes

sesame oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cold cooked rice (must be cold, or it will turn mushy!)
1/2 c. cooked beef or pork
1/2 c. frozen peas
2 green onions, sliced into rings


First, make the stir-fry sauce by combining the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and chile flakes in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add a teaspoon or so of sesame oil.  Add the beaten egg.  Stir-fry the egg until it is firm.  Remove from wok and set aside.  Add more sesame oil if necessary, and add the cold rice.  Stir fry until the rice begins to crisp and is completely coated with the sesame oil.  Remove from wok and set aside (you can combine it with the egg). 

Now, add the beef or pork, peas, and green onions.  Stir fry for a minute or two, then add the stir fry sauce and stir fry for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Finally, add the rice and egg to the mixture, blend until rice is coated with the sauce, and serve hot.


If you have random leftover vegetables:

Soup:
Throw them in a pot with some chicken broth, a small can of tomatoes, and a can of cannelini beans.  Simmer for 20 minutes and woohoo, you made soup!

Pasta:
Throw your veggies in a pot with some Classico brand Alfredo sauce.  Add a little cooked chicken if you'd like.  Heat up the sauce over medium-low heat, add some cooked short pasta (such as rotini), and woohoo, you made veggie alfredo!

Polenta:
Make a batch of polenta following the recipe given here, and add diced veggies along with the butter.