Category Archives: left overs

Guide To Freezing Food: What You Can And Can’t Put In The Freezer

by Mirabread, dairy, drinks, eggs, food storage, food waste, fruit, herbs and spices, jelly/jam, left overs, meat, nuts

Did you know that the United States is the global leader in food waste? In fact, nearly 40% of the US food supply is wasted each year. That’s approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food.

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), food spoilage is one of the main reasons why Americans throw out food. So how do we tackle food waste? The USDA suggests improving labeling, food storage, cooking methods, among others.

To help with the movement against food waste, let’s talk about one of the greatest inventions that can help avoid spoilage– the freezer!

Here’s some food for thought: freezing is one of the oldest and safest methods to preserve food, with no chemical preservatives needed. However, many of us are not sure how to properly freeze food.

Which food is safe to freeze? How long can you freeze food? Is it okay to refreeze thawed meat?

Print and stick these guidelines on your fridge door for every family member’s reference:

Food you can freeze

Truthfully, You can freeze almost any food, except for canned food or eggs in shells . Canned foods may be frozen once the food is out of the can.

Baked goods – Be sure to wrap it in parchment paper before you wrap it in plastic or foil. If possible, consider storing in glass containers.
Cheese – If it is brick or shredded cheese, such as cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack
Dairy – Be aware that cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, etc. can be a little more liquidy after thawing.
Raw eggs – It is not safe to freeze raw eggs in the shell. Eggs can be frozen either just the yolks beaten together, just the whites beaten together, or yolks and whites beaten together and then put in the freezer. Frozen whites will not loft after thawing. Be sure to label your package with the number of eggs. These are best for omelets, quiche, or baking.
Guacamole – Be prepared to eat it all when you thaw it because it turns brown pretty quickly (i.e., freeze in small containers).
Herbs (fresh) – Wash and dry thoroughly before freezing. You can also mince and put into an ice cube tray with some oil to make herbed oils for cooking or roll into butter and freeze this compound butter for cooking.
Honey – Theoretically, honey lasts a v-e-r-y long time, so there’s no need to do that.
Hummus – Fresh hummus is so much better.
Jam – Most jams are store-bought and shelf-stable. Otherwise, I’m assuming that you’re making your own and simply don’t want to process it. In that case, make sure there is some expansion room at the top of the container (this is called headspace).
Margarine – You can freeze it, but I DON’T recommend eating margarine!
Cow milk – Pour a little out of the container to allow for freezer expansion
Nuts – A freezer is a perfect place to store them because they don’t go rancid quickly from all of their natural oils.
Orange juice – Although it freezes better (i.e., won’t separate as much) in smaller containers, it needs to be stirred to bring back together after thawing.
Salsa – You need to make sure there’s a little space at the top of the jar for the salsa to expand. Thaw fully and stir to combine before eating.
Wine – Technically yes, it supposedly does well in ice cube trays. I’ve had mixed success with this. My recommendation is to get a mother of vinegar, a vinegar crock, and use leftover wine for making vinegar instead.

Food you shouldn’t freeze

Some foods don't freeze well, such as mayonnaise, cream sauce, and lettuce. Cooked meat tends to dry out when frozen, so raw meat and poultry will maintain their quality longer in the freezer.

Almond milk – It separates, and the texture is pretty gross!
Coconut milk – It’s best for baking or including in something else. I don’t like the way it tastes/feels after it’s been frozen
Deep-fried food – You’ll lose that nice crisp and make them soggy
Cream-based products such as sour cream – The texture will change. Frozen sour cream is best used in cooked dishes
Mayonnaise – The texture can be a bit off after it’s frozen. But mayonnaise is so easy to make at home that I suggest having the ingredients on hand rather than freezing it.
Soft cheese – Brie and camembert can be technically frozen, but their consistency changes after thawing. Goat cheese seems to freeze okay, but the flavor may change slightly.
Cooked pasta – If it’s not al dente, it could become mushy and disintegrate when you reheat it
Gravy – As long as it is flour-based. Cream or milk-based gravies will not freeze well
Vegetables with high water content – These foods can become soggy and water-logged when thawed.
Salad – Does not freeze well

How long can you keep food in the freezer?

According to FoodSafety.gov, “frozen foods stored continuously at 0 °F or below can be kept indefinitely.” Note that the guidelines for freezer storage below are for quality only.

Hotdogs, bacon, sausage – 1-2 months
Luncheon meat – 1-2 months
Hamburger and other ground meats – 3-4 months
Fresh beef, lamb, and pork – 4-12 months
Cooked, store-wrapped ham – 1-2 months
Fresh whole chicken – One year
Raw eggs – One year
Soups and stews – 2-3 months
Leftovers, such as cooked meat and poultry – 2-6 months

Food Safety During Power Outage

During a power outage, the refrigerator can keep the food safe for up to 4 hours. It’s safe to discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers after 4 hours to avoid food poisoning.

You may also want to keep a nickel in your freezer to let you know just how much the contents thawed during a power outage. Put a cup of water in the freezer. Once it’s frozen place a nickel on top of it. If the power goes out the nickel let’s you know if your food stayed frozen. When you look at the cup after a power outage if the nickel is below the surface of the ice (or even, sadly, at the bottom of the cup) that let’s you know your freezer defrosted significantly and the items in it thawed and then refroze. They are most likely no longer safe to eat and should be thrown out. ⁠

Easy & healthy freezer meal recipes

If you’re looking for ideas on how to fill your freezer, refer to my Fast Fun Freezer Meals class. Get the information and recipes you need to prepare for a week’s worth of dinner — ready to put in the freezer in less than 90 minutes!

Do you have freezing or any food-related questions? Follow me on Instagram @theingredientguru; I’d be glad to reply to your comments!

Sources:

https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/cold-food-storage-charts
https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/freezing-and-food-safety

The Thanksgiving Leftovers Plan

by Miraholidays, left overs, thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. That delicious feast where we cook all of our favorite foods and enjoy family and friends gathered around the table. A bounteous array of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, family favorite recipes, and an almost endless parade of desserts. It is a holiday of plenty.

Erma Bombeck once said, “Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not a coincidence.” While I agree with the eighteen hours to prepare, hopefully, your meal lasts longer than twelve minutes.

In our rush to get to the big feast we sometimes forget some of the other important stuff. I've put together some thoughts on things to remember for the holiday so we can all have a happy, healthy, safe, and delicious day surrounds by those we love and enjoying our favorite foods.

Food Safety

According to the CDC, approximately 1 in 6 Americans get sick each year from foodborne illness. That's about 48 million people. As many as 128,000 of these people will wind up in the hospital. And raw foods of animal origin (such as poultry) are most likely to be contaminated. The holidays can present an enormous potential for foodborne illness. Combine a busy kitchen with a hectic schedule, a possible overload of guests, and high levels of cross preparation with raw meats and vegetables, and it all combines to make a perfect storm for food safety problems.

The CDC recommends the following rules regarding food safety:

Cook – make sure all foods, especially meats, are thoroughly cooked, a meat thermometer is especially helpful at this time of year
Separate – don't cross-contaminate your cooking surfaces and be sure to clean all boards and utensils between foods
Chill – bacteria can grow on foods left out more than 4 hours so refrigeration is advised
Clean – thoroughly wash your veggies, your hands, your utensils, your prep surface, repeatedly
Report – if you or someone you know becomes sick and you suspect foodborne illness report it to your local health department

My suggestions are:

Have multiple sponges, one for surfaces, one for pots, one for dishes
Microwave your sponges often, on high for 2 minutes, to kill bacteria
Have multiple towels for separate uses, hands, drying produce, drying counters, drying dishes

Feeding our fur-babies

While we're enjoying the plenty that comes with this particular holiday, we need to be mindful of the fact that many of the foods that we eat for the holiday are not good choices for our dogs. Many people give their dogs “table treats” throughout the year. On Thanksgiving, with so many people in the house, our furry friends may pull out all the stops when it comes to the piteous they-never-feed-me eyeball action. Many of those around our table might be tempted to sneak them “just a little bit.” The challenge is that all of these “just a little bit” pieces add up to quite a bit of food. Add in the fact that many of these foods are, in fact, not safe for consumption by dogs and you wind up with very busy veterinary emergency centers. No matter how much they try to convince us we need to remember that the following can be dangerous for dogs:

Turkey skin, gravy, drippings – loaded with fat and spices, it's difficult for them to digest and could lead to pancreatitis
Turkey bones – these are very brittle and can splinter causing damage to the stomach and intestines
Bread, bread dough, stuffing, cookies, or other baked goods – dogs cannot digest these very easily and they can cause bloating or severe digestive distress
Onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, mushrooms, and nuts – these all contain different substances which can make your dog very ill
Chocolate – dogs cannot process the theobromine in chocolate. Consuming it can, depending on how much and how big your dog is, cause serious digestive upset and possible toxicity
Alcohol – especially beer, is very toxic for dogs

Leftovers

And after the big feast there will be leftovers. Probably lots of leftovers. Because let's face it, isn't that how most of us prepare for the big day? We pretend we're feeding an army (and maybe some of us are). Partly because we enjoy the cornucopia of favorite foods. But also because after cooking for two days, it's a great feeling to enjoy all these delicious treats again as leftovers. When we're planning for leftovers, however, we need to have a plan.

Substitutions

In order to make sure you have the healthiest leftovers possible be sure to start with the healthiest ingredients:

This soup base is an excellent substitute for that chemical-laden standby cream of mushroom
If your family are biscuit fans do this instead of the whack-and-bake variety
Don't buy the stuff in the can, it only takes a few minutes to make your own delicious cranberry sauce
If you eat gluten avoid the chlorine bleaching and bromates found in many commercial flours by choosing unbrominated and unbleached flours instead
Skip the crispy onions which come loaded with GMO ingredients and negative additives. Make delicious caramelized onions as a topping instead
Canned gravy usually has MSG, trans fats, sulfites, and caramel color, you can easily make your own
Pie fillings often come loaded with GMO ingredients, MSG, plus artificial flavorings and preservatives, making your own is fairly easy.

The plan

Most people plan their cooking day in great detail. What needs to go into the oven when, what gets cooked in which order, when family is arriving, and how to make the feast all appear on the table at the same time. While it's great to pay all that attention to the meal, we also need to be mindful of how to plan for after the feast. These are my top tips for dealing with leftovers after the holidays:

Don't throw out those bones, use them to make this delicious broth
And here's a couple of recipes using it plus a wonderful one for my favorite meatball soup
Leftover wine can be frozen into ice cubes and used later. A standard ice cube tray is 1 ounce which is the equivalent of 2 tablespoons
Instead of storing each leftover item in its own container make them into Meal Jars using wide mouth pint jars for a quick and easy lunch or dinner
Pie for breakfast – okay so it's not nutritionally very sound, but when you've got a delicious gluten-free, lower sugar pie, there's nothing wrong, in my humble opinion, with enjoying a slice of pie with breakfast
Here's a blog post on one of my favorite leftover strategies, Sequential Eating
And another article Musings on Leftovers

However you celebrate, whatever is on your table, whoever your gather with, I wish you a holiday full of joy and gratitude, health, and happiness.

Dinner In A Jar

by Miraleft overs, vegan, vegetarian

dinner in a jar

I'm not a fan of plastic for food storage. While there are times that it's unavoidable, my preference is for glass. So I save jars. Lots of them. They're great for dry goods, things like beans, grains, and spices. But they're also fabulous for efficient leftover storage. Take the picture above for example. It's ratatouille and polenta. After the meal rather than packaging up the leftovers into one container of ratatouille and one container of polenta I've assembled them into meals in the jar. Perfect for grab-and-go meals on the road or if I'm trying to save time and energy at home.

By assembling my leftovers into meal containers I avoid having to find a container for the ratatouille, find a container for the polenta, take them out when I want to serve them, put a container with less stuff back in the fridge (which takes up more space). Repeat with consecutive meals until there's just a smidge left in all the containers, the fridge is jam packed, there's no room, but there's not much food either. This is much more efficient and I love it.

The two jars in the picture demonstrate the different ways of filling your jar. It's important to remember that you want to use wide mouth openings, otherwise it's more difficult to get stuff out. Putting your base (in this case the polenta) on the bottom and your saucy stuff (the ratatouille) on top makes a perfect on the go meal. I can heat and eat straight from the container. Yes, I'm talking reheating in the microwave oven. Not my preferred method of heating but when I'm out and about I don't usually have the option of reheating on a stove top.

The other method, with the sauce on the bottom and the base on top is fabulous when you can dump everything out onto a plate. When you turn it over the base is on the bottom and the sauce is on top.

This meal was so delicious I know I'm going to be making it again soon in the near future. And because I know you want to make it too, here's the recipes.

Ratatouille

1 large eggplant
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
2 sweet bell peppers
5 medium to large tomatoes, cored and diced
1/4 cup olive oil plus more if needed
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
2 teaspoons fresh basil, minced
sea salt and pepper to taste

Cut the eggplant into 1″ cubes
Sprinkle with salt and let sit 1 hour
Rinse and drain eggplant
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in pan
Add diced onion and saute until starting to soften
Add another 2 tablespoons olive oil and the eggplant
Stir to fully coat eggplant
Turn heat down to medium and add remaining ingredients
Stir frequently for another 10 minutes
Turn heat down to low and simmer 15-20 minutes

I love this ratatouille over polenta, but it's also great on a baked potato or just by itself.

This polenta recipe is the one from The Pantry Principle, if you'd like you can put fresh mozzarella on top of the polenta after it's been cooked and then put the hot ratatouille on top. This will cause the mozzarella to melt into ooey deliciousness and makes the whole meal delightful.

Polenta

So easy to make at home that you'll wonder why you ever bought it. The homemade version is much more versatile and, by choosing organic cornmeal, can be GMO free polenta.

1 C. cornmeal
1 t. sea salt
3 C. water

Bring water and salt to a boil
Reduce water to a simmer
Very slowly add cornmeal (this is important to avoid lumps)
Cook approximately 20 minutes until mixture thickens
Remove from heat and pour into a pie plate (for triangles) or a cake pan (for squares)
Let polenta set for 10-15 minutes
Cut and serve

Enjoy!

13 Tips To Prevent Food Waste

by Mirafood waste, left oversfood waste, tips

This video about food waste from the BBC highlights just how much food is wasted in developed countries. Some of it is due to confusion about labeling but much of it is due to carelessness. Food has become so cheap that we don't value it and discard it easily.

The GMO connection

Food waste is balanced by the unfortunate sadness of health issues from people consuming too much food (and often the wrong kinds of foods). Cultural habits tend to encourage finishing everything on our plate, even if we've already had enough to eat. But this can be a lead-in to weight gain and obesity. So while it's certainly not a good idea to polish off your plate simply because it's there, it's also not good to throw away large amounts of food.

Given the high number of people who don't have enough to eat in the premier nations, let alone the rest of the world, this is a major issue. Yet iI=f we continue to think there's not enough food this continues to pave the way for more GMO foods. Unfortunately, the increased use of GMOs causes increased use of pesticides, not the decrease that was initially promised. GMO also appears to be strongly tied to an increase in Irritable Bowel Disorders as it destroys intestinal flora.

What to do about food waste?

How do we address this issue? How can we stop the senseless destruction and waste of massive amounts of food? Remember this is food which took many man-hours to grow, nurture, harvest, transport, produce, and provide. And which you had to work hard to earn the money to pay for it. Food which might have provided a meal to someone in need.

One suggestion is to look at our consumption habits. If we routinely throw out certain fresh foods perhaps we're buying too much. If we collect foods in containers, letting them turn grey and fuzzy before we throw them out, perhaps we are preparing too much. Or perhaps we're not just packaging them attractively enough to be appealing for a second or third meal. Below are some great tips to help you stop wasting food, and money.

Strategies to help reduce food waste

1. Shop more frequently

Some people see this as a pain. However, while it's important to have a fully stocked pantry of staple products, it can be better for food waste to shop 2-3 times per week for fresh items buying only what you need for the next couple of days. This requires menu planning and making it a habit to not impulse buy.

2. Only buy what you will use

This can be a challenging habit to implement. Oftentimes we purchase because it's on sale. Or we think 'I've always wanted to make that.' Perhaps we say to ourselves 'I think I just saw a recipe for that.' And if we don't get to that item, it winds up in the trash. If we only buy what we know we will use there will be much less waste.

3. Plan for leftovers

When cooking a whole chicken, for example, plan the meals that will be the result of that original meal. Have several recipes on hand that call for cooked chicken (including this fabulous pot pie recipe). This strategy works for any meal that you make.

4. Scaling back

As household dynamics change you may no longer be cooking for a large number of people. Also, many recipes are written for four to six servings. Learn how to scale back your favorite recipes or to plan that half of the meal will be stored in the freezer for a later meal.

5. Sharing purchases

Grocery stores or warehouse shopping stores make bulk buying less expensive. For example, 10 pounds of onions is much less expensive than purchasing them either on a per pound basis or in a three-pound bag. However, unless you're planning on making frequent batches of onion soup you can't go through it all quickly enough. If you share with one or two friends everyone gets the benefit of the less expensive price and there is bound to be less waste.

6. Attractive use of leftovers

Using wide mouth pint jars to make a meal-in-a-jar from leftovers somehow seems much more attractive to people than looking at a collection of containers where you have to open and peer at each one to decide which one(s) you want to eat. This food saving tip also includes learning to make a composed plate with perhaps one new food (usually a quick saute of some kind) and arranging everything well on the plate. If you put the same attention into arranging a plate of leftovers as you do a plate of freshly cooked food, people will respond positively. If you plop it wherever on the plate and just lump it there, they are less enthused about the meal.

7. Rummage cooking

I'd love to see a t.v. show on this concept (rather than the immensely stocked everything-you-could-imagine pantries) and it's one that takes a bit of practice. This is where you notice that the refrigerator is getting full. Learn to look at the ingredients gathering in your refrigerator and begin to plan what you can make for a menu using up those last bits. In the beginning, it may be a soup or stew. But as you learn to put flavor profiles together you'll begin to have more varied meals. While not all of them may be successful as a "menu" chances are, because you made them, they are all tasty, something you enjoy, and a great way to prevent waste.

8. Serve smaller portions

It's always better to go back for seconds than to have too much on the plate. Studies have shown that we eat more than we think if we have larger portions in front of us.

9. Dehydrating

If you have food that is still edible but you either have too much or it will go bad before you can use it dehydrating it can be a good way to preserve it. Use either a dehydrator or dry in your oven on low (approximately 170 degrees) until dry.

10. Save the scraps

Remember that ends and peels of things such as carrots, onions, celery, and mushrooms can be saved in the freezer until you have enough to make a bone broth. Don't throw them out when you can get a little more nutrition out of them and make a super tasty broth.

11. Pickle the peels

Most people discard the stems of broccoli and cauliflower leaves. These are actually edible and can be a great way to make kimchi, a delicious fermented food. If you’re not familiar with how to make it this cookbook has a number of recipes to get you started.

12. Save the seeds

Pumpkin and squash seeds are a wonderful snack, nutrient dense, and super easy to prepare.

Pumpkin and Squash Seeds

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Instructions

Simply wash thoroughly to remove the gunky bits, rinse the seeds, toss with a little olive oil and your seasoning of choice.
Then place in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in a 250° F oven, turning occasionally, for 35 minutes.
Turn the heat up to 325° F for another 10-12 minutes until dry and crisp (keep stirring every 5 minutes).

13. Make chutney

If you’ve got some fruit that’s getting a bit over-ripe it’s perfect for making chutney. Here’s a super simple chutney recipe:

Chutney

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

one pound of fruit peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup water
1 pound of tomatoes, chopped
1 medium diced onion
1/4 cup Thompson’s organic raisins
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon molasses
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard seed

Instructions

Place fruit and water in a medium sauce pan, set to a boil, and cook until fruit is slightly soft.
Add remaining ingredients to saucepan and stir to combine completely.
Turn temperature down to a simmer.
Stir and cook until mixture has reduced and thickened, about 1 hour.
Ladle into sterilized canning jars, seal, and water bath 15 minutes.

Use these tips and chances are you'll not only save time and money, but you may also discover a newfound creativity in the kitchen.

Reinventing Comfort

by Mirabreakfast, change, grains, habits, health, left overs

When I was a little girl my mother used to make something called rice cereal. My brother and I loved it. Leftover white rice in a bowl of hot milk with a huge dollop of butter and a spoonful of sugar on top. It brings back memories of the small kitchen we had when we were young. Sitting at the table with my brother, legs swinging, enjoying this dish which we viewed as a treat.

When my children were growing up I would make the same dish for them. And they loved it just as much. Even now my 16 year old will assemble a bowl if we have the ingredients at hand (which we often do). It was a great way to use up extra rice — filling, tasty, and warming to the tummy. I even served it on occasion to overnight guests. One such guest, a dear friend from my high-school days, exclaimed about this wonderful breakfast, wanting to know where the recipe came from. My answer? My mom. And probably from her mom. I think it was simply a frugal way to use leftovers. But it sure was, and still is, tasty.

Sometimes you have a day where you want comfort food. This morning was one of those days. As I was assembling, and then happily eating, my bowl of comfort I realized that I have changed the recipe. Modified it to be more in line with my healthier eating habits. But it was still just as comforting, warming and satisfying as it ever was. Reflecting on this I realized that the concept of comfort food is a state of mind. Yes it's a comfort to the tummy and makes us feel good; but part of what makes us feel good is the memories associated with that food. Changing the food doesn't change the comfort level as long as the basic concepts are the same.

So I'm making an offer, what are your comfort foods? What do you eat when you feel the need for that emotional lift? Share the recipe and the concept below. If you'd like (and please ask below) I'm happy to make suggestions to help boost the nutrition or health factor while still helping you get that bowl or plate of comfort you are after. Eating well to be well doesn't mean we can't still have comfort.

Reinventing Comfort

by Mirabreakfast, change, grains, habits, left overs

When I was a little girl my mother used to make something called rice cereal. My brother and I loved it. Leftover white rice in a bowl of hot milk with a huge dollop of butter and a spoonful of sugar on top. When I had children I would make the same dish for them. It was a great way to use up extra rice — filling, tasty, and warming to the tummy. I would even serve it to guests sometimes. One time a friend exclaimed about this wonderful dish, wanting to know where the recipe came from. My answer? My mom. And probably from her mom. I think it was simply a frugal way to use leftovers. But it sure was tasty.

Musings On Leftovers

by Mirahabits, left overs

Today's blog entry is a guest post written by my Aunt Carol (and yes that's capitolized because I think she's “just capital”). She'd sent these musings to me as an email but I loved it so much I wanted to share her thoughts with all of you. With her permission here they are:

Your article on sequential eating is an affirmation of the way that I've been cooking all my adult life.

Mystery Dinners

When our children were small I used to save the empty trays from tv dinners, putting leftover entree portions in the main compartments, add some frozen vegetables, half a baked potato, leftover pie filling in the dessert compartment, etc. I would serially fill the various compartments when I'd have the appropriate leftovers. Then cover each tray with aluminum foil* – I did not mark what was inside, who had the time for nice details like that? 🙂 When Yosef and I went out to dinner, our kids had the treat of choosing a “mystery tray” – a wholesome form of gambling (but pretty safe because they were meals that they already liked anyway) and each one would be getting something different. The babysitter would heat them up and our kids had exciting meals, telling us the next morning what each one had had (I never heard about trades, though that might have been possible).

I imagine that like you, most of your readers, still having one or more children living at home, prepare meals for families. As an older widow with occasional guests, I often freeze part of the cooked ingredients for a recipe before assembling let's say half of the total recipe, I also freeze individual portions of stews or soups, or what will in future be pot pies or Shephard's pies, so that they'll be ready for the crust or mashed potato topping when I am making those things for other meals.

Quiche

The dishes that I do not like to freeze and defrost later are quiches (they get soggy and the vegetables get too soft when frozen, defrosted then reheated). I make mine crustless, just rubbing a bit of butter around the bottom of the round flat pan, to grease it, sprinkling on a layer of bread or toast crumbs before adding the sauteed vegetables, grated cheese, and then the custard. I try to plan to first serve this entree when I have guests coming over. However since this is an easy and favorite dish with me, I sometimes grate different kinds of cheese (another good use for leftovers) on different portions. I usually cut my quiche into wedges and may decide that half will be cheddar, and half Swiss, etc. I change the side dishes during the subsequent days — a baked potato, reheated grain with spices, or different salads. This makes for a tasty variety and is an easy way to use up leftovers.

Sharing Leftovers

What is even more delightful is that I have a friend to whom I often give a portion or two of something tasty that I have prepared; she does the same with me. This way we both have more variety in our meals. What I give to her often becomes a treat for lunch at home, before she leaves to teach at the university; what she gives to me becomes a delicious, surprise dinner. As you can anticipate–we also share many recipes, enjoying one an other's tastes in food and both being whole grain, organic food enthusiasts. Many people think of inviting friends over for a meal, but sharing dishes to be eaten at home is also a generous, friendly gesture and fits well into the full life of commitments that many of us choose these days. It does not replace sharing sit down meals with guests, it's rather a personal-catering-with-love, service.

I want to explain that it's not a one-on-one direct exchange–I give her A so she gives me B. Rather when, for example I baked muffins (and I'd been explaining to her son the difference between cupcakes which are a new treat to most Israelis – a few enterprising women have even opened successful delivery of home-baked cupcakes for special events services- and muffins), I saved and froze a few of my last batch of corn muffins that contain niblets. Then when I baked oat-berry muffins with raisins and maple syrup, I packaged up a few of each, along with a baked apple and some chestnuts and gave them to her when we next met.

A few days later when we again met she brought me a wedge of a delicious cake she'd baked that contained chunks of apple and some grapes in the batter and gave me a jar of her homemade granola – which I plan to sprinkle on a sliced banana, top with yogurt then enjoy for breakfast.

Savoring the cake with a cup of tea, enjoying this breakfast gift, these are, to me, like little hugs.

I found the part about cupcakes and muffins interesting. Who knew that there were people who didn't know about cupcakes? And I love muffins. They're actually one of my favorite ways to use up leftover food items; I'm a fan of both savory and sweet muffins. The most genius way ever to make muffins is using Amy Dacyzyn, The Tightwad Gazette's, amazing recipe

Basic Muffin Recipe

2018-11-08 17:21:53

Save Recipe

Ingredients

2 to 2-1/2 cups grain
1 cup milk (or other liquid)
Up to 1/4 cup fat
1 egg
Up to 1/2 cup sweetener
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Up to 1-1/2 cups additions

Instructions

Grain: Use 2 to 2-1/2 cups of white flour.
Or substitute oatmeal, cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, rye flour, or flake cereal for 1 cup of the white flour.
Or substitute 1 cup leftover cooked oatmeal, rice, or cornmeal for 1/2 cup of the white flour and decrease liquid to 1/2 cup.
Milk: Use 1 cup. Or substitute buttermilk or sour milk (add a tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup milk).
Or substitute fruit juice for part or all of the milk.
Fat: Use 1/4 cup vegetable oil or 4 Tsp. melted butter or margarine.
Or substitute almond for part or all of the fat.
The fat can be reduced or omitted with fair results if using a wet addition.
Egg: Use 1 egg. Or substitute 1 heaping T. of ground flaxseed and 1 T. of water.
If using a cooked grain, separate the egg, add the yolk to the batter, beat the white until stiff, and fold into the batter.
Sweetener: Use between 2 Tsp. and 1/2 cup sugar.
Or substitute up to 3/4 cup brown sugar.
Or substitute up to 1/2 cup honey or molasses, and decrease milk to 3/4 cup.
Baking Powder: Use 2 tsp. If using whole or cooked grains or more than 1 cup of additions, increase to 3 tsp.
If using buttermilk or sour milk, decrease to 1 tsp. and add 1/2 tsp. baking soda.
Salt: Use 1/2 tsp., or omit if you have a salt-restricted diet.
The following ingredients are optional.
Additions can be used in any combination, up to 1-1/2 cups total.
If using more than 1 cup of wet additions decrease the milk to 1/2 cup.
Dry Additions: Nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut, etc.
Moist Additions: Blueberries, chopped apple, freshly shredded zucchini, shredded carrot, etc.
Wet Additions: Pumpkin puree, applesauce, mashed, cooked sweet potato, mashed banana, mashed cooked carrot, etc.
If using 1/2 cup drained, canned fruit or thawed shredded zucchini, substitute the syrup or zucchini liquid for all or part of the milk.
Spices: Use spices that complement the additions such as 1 tsp. cinnamon with 1/4 tsp. nutmeg or cloves.
Try 2 tsp. grated orange or lemon peel.
Jellies and Jam: Fill cups half full with a plain batter.
Add 1 tsp. jam or jelly and top with 2 more Tsp. batter
Non-sweet Combinations: Use only 2 Tsp. sugar and no fruit.
Add combinations of the following: 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 2 Tsp. grated onion, 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, 2 Tsp. parmesan cheese.

By Amy Dacyczyn

The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

I love hearing these musing on ways to share food and ways to make our leftovers more interesting. If you have ideas about that I'd love to hear them.

*These days we know that aluminum foil is not a great choice for food contact. It does happen to be, however, a great way to protect foods in the freezer. My suggestion is to put a layer of parchment paper or freezer paper on top of the food and then wrap it in aluminum foil. Remove both the paper and the foil before reheating.

Top Tips For Sequential Eating Or How To Use Leftovers

by Mirabreakfast, left overs, recipes, substitutions

Although I am a fan of leftovers others in the house are less excited by the repetition of certain dishes. Being a big fan of not wasting food, and a new fan of Jonathan Bloom's blog Wasted Food I try to look for creative ways to repackage if you will, the offerings at the dinner table.

One way to do this is to take a moment and plan your menu, seeing what can be re-created from what you have already made. Here are a couple of examples of planning meals so that you are using leftovers for the next meal. I should note, by the way, that my favorite method is to turn dinner foods into breakfast foods as it makes food prep in the morning – a typically hectic time – a little easier.

The best and easiest sequential plan is to roast a chicken. Leftovers can be turned into a different dish, such as a pot pie. And the bones, of course, get turned into a delicious nourishing broth.

Making Tuscan Stew with polenta for dinner typically means there is leftover polenta. I take that polenta, pan fry it, top it with an over easy egg, top that with some homemade mushroom marinara and it becomes breakfast. Since polenta is made with stoneground, or fresh ground, corn meal, it's a delicious way to add some fiber to your morning and help get you off to a good start. Pan frying the polenta gives a nice change to the texture and provides a tasty base to the egg and sauce. And in case you're wondering, the Tuscan Stew by itself is delicious as leftovers and I typically have it for lunch the next day.

One of my favorite dinners is from my Fast Fun Freezer Meals. It's sauteed sausage, onions, and peppers. The leftovers usually get turned into an omelet in the morning. Adding leftover veggies or dinner dishes into omelets, frittatas, or an egg scramble of some kind is a great way to utilize them. All the prep and cooking is done, which makes breakfast cooking a snap.

For dinnertime leftover usage we can get creative by rummaging through the fridge. Soup and/or chili is a great way to incorporate a lot of little-bit leftovers. Adding fresh sauteed onions, a tasty broth or sauce, and making sure the spice combinations go together well (in the case of soup, curry does not pair well with Italian spice, I'm just saying…) you can hide almost anything. Add in a salad and it's a whole new meal.

Last but not least is the shepherd's pie trick; you can hide almost anything under that crust. Taking your leftovers, combining them with added vegetables, if needed, under a mashed potato or sweet potato crust which is then baked in the oven, you've got a new meal that doesn't take a lot of time, saves money (because you're not throwing out ingredients) and keeps everyone from getting bored with the same old leftovers.

Taking a few minutes to plan your meals will save you time and money while still allowing you to provide delicious and nutritious meals for your family.