Meals from left-overs or when you don't feel like cooking much! I always cook more food than I need. Because I don't like throwing good food away, I am always making new mix of things to eat. Here are a few example;http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.557767250953017.1073741845.180695895326823&type=3&uploaded=6

What do you do with yours?

I am thinking of starting a new recipe thread for this, what do you think?

A lot of my leftovers are on purpose so I can take them to work for my baitbox (packed lunch/tiffin) so are just extra to take with me. However sometimes I might make extra of one bit (lets say meatballs) that I will add to something different for work (like salad or put on a pitta bread for work, where it was in a tomato sauce with pasta when originally made)

I also put a lot in portions and freeze it for a "rainy day", so when you come in late its an easy meal...

The other thing I do is when I'm cutting up veg while making other meals, I save the bits like leaves/stalks/ends of carrots, bits of peppers etc in a tub in the freezer for adding to soups and stews...

and yes its a great idea for this sort of hints and tips :-) There will be things that people do that are fantastic savings that we won't have thought of and vice-versa...

Steve

Your mind works like mine Steve. I am amazed at the amount of food some people throw away in their bins. It will be wonderful to be able to produce some sort of guide, but the problem is where to begin, how to start?

This is a good idea. I love parathas made from leftover dal (lentil).

Leftover mash into potato cakes :-)

Steve

Yes indeed, makes lovely Alu Tikki, yum!

Yes, have made alu tikki with leftover mash, just add chopped onions,coriander, chillies and salt to taste.

I make pilao out of it....fry in oil cumin or feenugreek seeds,(fry chopped onions--optional), turmeric powder then peas goes in (or any veg of your choice), add salt ....fry for a while then rice in..stir.

Indeed Rajneesh, everyone in India does it, just like Chinese make stir-fried rice from their leftover rice. The important thing is not to leave it lying around; it looks harmless but can give a nasty stomach upset!!

this is a typical example of re-working food at our house...

The chicken curry was one I made a while back and the leftovers were frozen. So defrosted for tea, added some freshly cooked plain white rice and some shop bought frozen samosas etc...

The leftover rice however has now become tomorrows baitbox (packed lunch), mixed fresh coriander leaf and lemon juice in the rice, mixed with some freshed salad and rolled pastrami.

http://i.imgur.com/4Yi1s1J.jpg

Steve

The question now is how to write it down; as a separate entity or add notes at the bottom of individual dish, what can be done if leftover? Writing under each recipe will be a massive job, but may develop over a period of time, if you guys helped :-)! Will it be useful though, I wonder if there are many people who use leftovers?

Re-using leftovers, thinking ahead when making one meal to provide for another etc, is more of a skill than a recipe...

I find that the more I've cooked, tried, eaten, seen, read, watched.. the more I can come up with ideas for things...

Its like that advert where one is saying there isn't anything to eat, the other spots the eggs and a courgette frittata is on its way...

Steve

My wife does a cold pasta dish with the meat from the odd chicken thigh that was roasted in the oven, but not eaten by our teenagers.

We use the meat from the carcass of a guinea fowl in what we call risotto (it isn't real risotto, but we don't care, since we like it).

Meat from a boiling fowl, used to make chicken stock, can be re-cycled in Singapore Noodles, or that Chinese Takeaway Curry recipe that is so popular here.

Leftovers from cooked dinners are often frozen in our household: even a small single portion can be taken by my wife to her studio in Toulouse when she's away at work.

We had some leftover chicken jalfrezi in the fridge the other day: you can snack on that, eating it cold. Beats eating a packet of crisps, if you're a snacker.

Paella is probably also good for leftovers, but we don't make it.

I hardly ever throw food away: it's such a waste, and leftover dishes can be so very tasty. I have always been struck by my brother's capacity to open a fridge

and rustle up something from whatever's left over in there: that's creative, I find.

Phil

Thinking about how to write this up.... ?

recipes that can use leftovers up.. ? maybe a page with some ideas and links to recipes that already exist ?

Eg fried rice dishes could easily use leftover boiled rice...

Soups and stews could use off cuts from other veg that you've been saving in the fridge...

I might be possible to link recipes by type i.e. "using up eggs" and link recipes that use eggs ?

Steve

another example of a re-work

This time from a healthy smoked sausage, chorizo and veg soup... the leftovers turned into a rich pasta dish with cheese and parsley mixed in

http://i.imgur.com/GBBuvpb.jpg

Steve

Something I do at the end of the week, when there are odd bits of meat, veg, rice and/or potaotes/and or plain pasta: chop it all up, adding a bit of fresh veg for a bit of crunch (grated carrots are good), as well as some spices and herbs to tie it all together. Saut? it all, adding perhaps a Greek yogurt for a bit of moisture if needed. Let it cool slightly. Depending on what you want to do next, you might want to add a beaten egg, if you decide to make patties. If not, rolling the leftovers in sheets of brick dough or piling all into a pastry shell work also. Pop into the oven, wait for things to go golden and serve hot with a salad.

Oh that sounds good! Thanks for sharing! :-)