Since we’ve started this blog, we’ve made a ton of food. Most recipes we make serve 4 (and sometimes 6!), therefore we’ve had to come up with inventive ways to use up what we don’t eat. Here are few that we really like and use often:
1) Fried Rice. We always have a bag of frozen Maine shrimp in our freezer. A lot of the dishes we make involve rice, so when we have leftover rice, we just fry it up! It’s simple and comes together really quick. Start by scrambling up an egg and pouring it flat into a skillet. Let the egg set, drawing in the edges of the puddle toward the center with a spatula so they don’t stick. When it’s set, flip the egg. You don’t have to do this in one piece, but make sure it stays flat. After the other side has cooked for a few minutes, slice the egg into strips, finish cooking through, and set aside.
Heat up some peanut oil in the skillet. Add some minced garlic and some grated ginger (we just eyeball it) and saute for a couple of minutes. Then add some diced vegetables–we use carrots, celery, and onion. Keep in mind how much rice you have when you’re cutting the vegetables…you want fried rice, not sauteed veggies! Saute until the veggies are tender, then put in the rice. Cook the rice on one side for a lot longer than you want to. When the sizzling slows down, that’s the cue to flip the rice. Cooking for a long time on each side takes out the water and makes the rice crispy. Flip the rice in pieces, like a cake. It should be golden brown on the underside. Cook the other side of the rice for a few minutes, then begin to stir the whole mixture together. This is when we add the frozen shrimp, along with some frozen peas. Cook until the shrimp and peas are warmed through, then add the eggs back in. Warm through once more and it’s done!
Serve with soy sauce and Sriracha. This makes a meal on its own!
2) Hash. We’ve made hash a couple of times with leftover potatoes and vegetables. We like to keep a pound of ground beef around just in case, and this is a great time to use it! Start by browning the beef in a skillet. Once browned, drain the fat and add diced leftover potatoes. Heat through, then add diced veggies. We use carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until veggies are tender.
Once, we made a super hash. Along with beef, potatoes, and the three veggies, we added frozen peas, frozen corn, and rice! We topped it off with some delicious Sauce Robert (I can hear Ginette Mathiot rolling in her grave right now…but it was so good!).
This heap of delight also makes a meal on its own.
3) Omelettes. Leftover greens and veggies make great omelette fillers. Sometimes we’ll grate some cheese and dice up some ham or turkey if we’re feeling fancy. Kevin’s secret to super fluffy omelettes is to separate the eggs and vigorously whip the whites until they’re bubbly. Then add the yolks and carefully mix together. Pour the eggs into a heated skillet with a little butter and cook until set. Add the fillings; the eggs will still be wet on the top. Fold in half and let cook for about a minute. Breakfast is served!
We can’t wait to bake some extra potatoes one night and make hashbrowns the next morning. That’s definitely on our to do list.
A lot of times, we have leftovers of what we make with our leftovers. This is okay with us. The second hand dishes keep better in the fridge and are gone pretty quickly, anyway.
Documenting our Dinner. 