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List #1: My favourite ways to eat leftovers

A version of Mee Goreng using some leftover rice and chicken and some other bits and bobs from the fridge.

If you read my 101 list carefully (don’t worry if you didn’t) you may have noticed #5—50 lists blog project. This is the first entry.

So leftovers, some people love them, some people loathe them. I’m a lover of leftovers. Maybe because I’m the main (only?) cook around here. Here are some of my favourite ways to finish off the leftovers.

  1. Eat them as is. Sometimes it’s a matter of reheat and eat, or just eat.
  2. Make a bowl. Works for both veggie and protein leftovers. Add some kind of grain and some tasty extras.
  3. Make fried rice.
  4. Make fritters. Good for small portions of veggie or protein leftovers. I don’t use a recipe. I put in some flour, an egg or two, pepper, salt and some liquid. Some added herbs are good if you have them. Serve with a salad.
  5. In a similar vein – Okonomiyaki. I normally make coleslaw with an olive oil and vinegar-based dressing and you can easily toss the leftovers into an Okonomiyaki batter. Serve with soy sauce/vinegar dipping sauce.
  6. Frittata. Great for leftover roast veggies.
  7. Shepherds pie for leftover roast veggies and meat. Fry up a base of onion, carrot and celery if you have them. Add a can of tomatoes and simmer. Add the leftover roast, top with mashed potato and bake.
  8. Wraps or tacos for leftover roast meat.
  9. Bubble and squeak
  10. This lamb, carrot and freekeh salad is fabulous with leftover roast lamb.
  11. Sometimes we have roast lamb just so we can have this Old School Left-Over Lamb Curry.

Do you like leftovers? What are your favourite ways to finish off the leftovers? Do you make extra food so you can have leftovers?


Comments

3 responses to “List #1: My favourite ways to eat leftovers”

  1. I LOVE leftovers. Like just adore them. My favourite way to eat leftovers is to make a bowl – usually a salad with lettuce topped with whatever leftovers are in the fridge – or a wrap. Adding an softly fried egg to the mix is generally a guaranteed win as well!

  2. I’ve warmed up to leftovers over the years. I used to have an inexplicable dislike, but now I like them. Generally I just eat whatever plain, sometimes cold, sometimes warmed up, but other times I will take whatever is left and put it into a scramble or something like that. Or a burrito/wrap. Your ideas all sound great.

    1. I find the convenience of food without having to cook outweighs any deficit in taste but things like casseroles and curries usually taste better the next day so that’s a double win.