Encore! Encore! Creative Ways to Let Leftovers Take Another Bow

In our kitchen, we recycle leftovers. We are aware of how our eating habits, including the food we waste, can be detrimental to climate change. But also—and anyone who transforms leftovers to create something new will concur—we know that those leftovers are the delicious start of a whole new meal. It’s better for your wallet, too, to cook with what you already have.

Leftovers. They can be as little as a quarter cup of gravy that transforms simply sautéed mushrooms and peppers into a delectable sauce fit to cling to pappardelle. Orange peels left after juicing that become a flavor bomb when you simmer them soft and pulp them up. Mashed sweet potatoes that intensify the flavor of your homemade bread, giving it a beautiful orange hue. Or create a veritable fritter fest using beer or tempura batter for larger pieces, or flour (or breadcrumbs) and egg to bind together chopped or mashed leftovers. Here are a few of our favorite meal “makeovers.”

FILO FOLDS

Once you discover the ease of using filo dough (from the freezer; there is no ease in making your own), the next step is to fill and fold the sheets with whatever leftovers you have, into any shape you want. We’ve made shrimp curry parcels, ground lamb and chickpea (from a stew) triangles, roasted vegetable pies and sweet filo cups using apple stuffing left over from making apple pie.

LENTILS LOVE LEFTOVERS

There is no more forgiving a pulse than lentils. They love to liaise with the widest range of flavors and textures. A lentil dish really doesn’t need a recipe, just a basic method of cooking lentils—brown, Puy, beluga—soft. After that, lentils will roll with any sauce you have left; with any chopped vegetables, meats or other pulses; and with any garlic, heat and spices you want to add. Finish with a dollop of Greek yogurt, some fried onions and fresh herbs and no one will be the wiser that they ate this same food yesterday.

RANDOM RISOTTO

Risotto is another perfect vehicle to repurpose leftovers and turn them into a delectable new dish. Start with a basic risotto and gradually add your favorite leftovers: for instance, coarsely chopped sausage, small chunks of roasted butternut squash, beetroot or parsnip. Even a good cupful of Bolognese sauce becomes a different dish when stirred into creamy risotto.

TUTTI TRIFLE

Trifle is a classic English dessert of layers of soaked cake, jelly, fruits, custard and cream. Many versions exist out there, perhaps because this dessert is so perfect to incorporate other, leftover desserts. Didn’t finish the pudding, or have fruit compote galore? Layer it with your choice of cake (or use leftover Orange Peel Polenta Cake!) and top it with cream.