Leftovers

you made a huge meal, and now you’re stuck…with leftovers.  if you’re me, you don’t want to eat the same meal twice in a row.  it was good the first time, but now it’s time to move on.  the best way to reuse meat leftovers is to put the meat into dishes that normally require you to cook the meat separately first.  here’s some suggestions.

salads

asian chicken salad - romaine, chicken, mandarin oranges, crunchy noodles, cucumbers with asian dressing

taco salad – ground meat with taco seasoning, over a mix of greens, shredded carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, with crunched doritos.

butternut squash salad

soups

curried butternut squash  - butternut squash, onions, celery, carrots, chicken broth, and curry powder

potato and leek – potatoes, leeks, onions, celery, carrots, white wine, chicken broth, and milk/cream

chicken noodle -  chicken, noodles, celery, carrots, onions, chicken broth, garlic

sandwiches

meatloaf - sourdough bread, meatloaf, and ketchup

chicken salad – chicken, celery, grapes, white wine, mayonnaise, on whole wheat

quesadillas – pork, provolone, mozzarella, pico de gallo, sour cream, tortillas

other

chicken pot pie – chicken, gravy, celery, carrots, onion, peas, corn, lima beans, pie crust

pizza – veggies, meat, pizza crust

zucchini boats – ground meat, tomatoes, zucchini, cheese

stuffed squash – meat, rice, tomatoes

stuffed peppers – meat, onions, corn, black beans, oregano, cumin, poblano pepper, garlic

this list should get your mind thinking and give you some new ideas to try.

Succotash

let’s say you’re making some mexican.  what goes with mexican food besides beans and rice (that isn’t deep fried)?  well maybe nothing else goes with it naturally, but in my eyes succotash does.  succotash is a dish made from corn and lima beans, and to me anything with corn goes with tacos, fajitas, chili rellanos, etc.  even if you don’t put it on the side of some quesadillas, try it with your turkey this thanksgiving.  that’s a classic combination.

Succotash
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ears of corn, or 2½ c frozen
1 (10 ounce) package lima beans
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
¼ cup basil

heat oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic. cook until onion is softened. add in corn and lima beans, cook for 5 minutes, then add tomatoes. season with salt and pepper and pour vinegar in. cook until tomatoes softened then turn stove off. sprinkle with basil and serve.

tips:

• have cherry tomatoes?  use them.  but please don’t use romas, beefsteaks, heirloom, or any other big variety of tomatoes…keep them small.  trust me, the big ones just don’t taste the same.
• leery of the vinegar?  don’t be, without it, the succotash won’t have enough flavor.
• frozen lima beans are great, frozen corn is not.  if corn isn’t in season, it’s better to go frozen since all frozen vegetables are frozen at the peak of perfection.  but something always gets lost when it gets frozen.  so if fresh is available…use it.