left overs

[lyndafaye]

I am cleaning out the fridge as it is day before grocery day.
I have containers of food that I am throwing out since the left overs
didn't get used.
I am really trying to use foods up instead of tossing it out.
But I never seem to make things that people want to eat.
I am always trying to cut down on what I cook but not much luck there so I am always trying to find ways to use up things in a healthy way.
Watching chef at home today he had a great way to use up potatoes.
He says it is a Swiss dish here it is.
grate potatoes add a bit of onion or leave it out. add salt and pepper
heat the frying pan with oil and a bit of butter.
put the potatoe mixture into pan and make a large pancake.
fry it on med heat to form a dark thick crust.
turn pan out on a plate add more butter and oil and slide the uncooked side
down back into the pan.
you can top it with smoked salmon then a sauce of sour creme, dill salt and pepper.
I think this is one I will try minus the fish.
it is using up left over potatoes and it is healthy, quick and easy.
does anyone have other ideas to help us cooks who can't cook small.

[InkiePinkie]

I'm in the same boat lyndafaye!
It's rare that I DON'T have leftovers. I like to re-heat them for my lunches, as I come home for lunch. If there is way too much, meaning enough for another meal, I will freeze it if possible. At the end of the week (Friday) I make dinner a hodgepodge meal. I simply re-heat all the left overs, make an all purpose gravy, bake some rolls, and make a salad. After that, whatever is left gets tossed.
I'm hoping others will post their ideas for left overs here though! I'd love to see some new ideas!!

[Carol Ann]

I really don't like leftovers but dh loves them. One way to use up some of the leftovers is to make soup with them. If you have a few veggies left over, freeze them in a container for later and when you make soup, throw them in. I also drain my vegetables in a container and freeze that to use for soup at a later time.

[InkiePinkie]

I have a very old cookbook which has a similar idea in it Carol Ann. It suggests taking all of your left overs, as you have them, and add them to a pot of stock. As you accumulate left overs over the week, just keep adding them. (I imagine you would have to keep it refrigerated!).
It also goes as far as suggesting using your vegetable parings and any cooking liquid from potatoes and pasta and such. Another suggestion for that same soup was to scrap the left overs from your dinner plates into the stock as well!! I KNOW I wouldn't go quite that far, but it goes to show you how people had to make every morsel stretch, when times were tight!

[dolphin]

This sounds like something my MIL would do, only we never really know how long the leftovers were already in the fridge for!

[Golden Eagle]

Sorry, but food safety flashed right in my face when reading this.
Please be careful with this type of food preparation!! Food safe rule is cook once, reheat once and then throw away. It is not safe to keep adding foods and continuing to cook and reheat over and over.
You could accumulate your left-overs separately, in the fridge and make a large veg (or meat (if you have some type of bones) for a stock for soup. Or if you boil it down a little more, you can condense it and freeze it in ice cube trays and use it for bullion cubes, way better than those ones you buy in the store that are full of MSG. After the cubes are frozen you can shake them into a Tupper-ware or Ziploc and then wash and reuse the tray.
Turkey or beef stock need to be simmered for 4-6 hours
Chicken or ham 3-4 hours
Veg 20 minutes
Make your soup immediately or cool properly in ice bath and then refrigerate or freeze.

One of the things with your recipe for potato pancakes was to add cabbage LyndaFaye, we used to make this in the UK and it is called bubble and squeak, just add a little flour to it and it will hold together better.

If you find that you are having a hard time using up left over meals, why not pack them and find a senor in your area and give it to them, they will be grateful. You could also warm it later at night and take it and a nice hot coffee to an area in town that you know there will be homeless and give it to someone, you will make their day and help your community.
_________________
Be an organ donor; give your heart to Jesus.
Exercise daily; walk with the Lord.

[InkiePinkie]

Oh, I completely agree about food safety!
I was by no means suggesting making this kind of soup. I only posted this as a matter of interest, as I found it in a very old cookbook. Reading old cookbooks is a hobby of mine.

[lyndafaye]

when my children were living at home I would turn leftovers and whatever was in the crisper day before grocery day into soups or stews.
my husband hates soups and stew to him is meat potatoes and gravy. Though he will now add carrots if they are the ones peeled in the bags. \
I grew up on the soup and stew at the end of the week since my mother worked and she could put it on sometime in the morning and when it was supper time the pot was ready.
My husband did as well but his mother was a terrible cook so now he won't even try them.
I used to do the idea of seniors but this is a small town and I don't know just where the seniors live most live with relatives or leave town.
Also no homeless folks here either.
I am getting better at not cooking too much each meal but soup is something I cannot cook in small amounts.
I do quite a few chicken stews and then put tea biscuits on top of them and call them chicken pot pies which my husband does like. one end has lots more vegetables than the other.

[InkiePinkie]

Well, I must admit that this week I'm glad I had frozen left overs in the freezer! The entire family has been sick all week, and the last thing I felt like doing was cooking! It was really nice to reach into the freezer, and have a homemade chicken soup one night, hamburger soup another night, left over roast beef another night.
Golden Eagle, you would know the answer to this question. Once left overs are properly frozen, how long will they keep in the freezer??

[Golden Eagle]

Depends on if it is a deep freeze or a fridge freezer, but here is an average amount that you could store properly cooked, cooled and frozen foods:
Leftovers of meat and veg-2-3months
Soup-4 months
Bread- 2 months
Ground meat - 2-3 months
Roasts or steaks- 10-12 months
Chicken - 6 months
Fish - 2 months
Veg and fruit - 12 months
Remember that your freezer needs to be -18oC and dont overload it.
Always make sure you reheat all left overs to a minumum of 74oC

Shame about the seniors and homeless Lynda Faye, I know there are many who would be thankful for them.

Left overs are awesome when you have a housefull of sickies, (especially when the head cook is )
_________________
Be an organ donor; give your heart to Jesus.
Exercise daily; walk with the Lord.

[mom2hannah47]

[lyndafaye]

mom2hanah interesting that you would know her. But at least two of her children hated her cooking and I happened to marry one of them.
one way I get away from having left overs is making packet meals.
It also means I get the spices I like and he gets the ones he likes and we are both happy at meal time.
I also have a large steamer so can cook the entire meal in one go which is nice since many nights I can barely stand at the stove so into the steamer compartments and onto the plates which is a great thing when you hurt. Not much to think about when the pain meds kick in.

[shel999]

To be honest I did not view all of the replies to your post, so if this was already suggested, I apologize. However I find that stir-frys are appropriate. Even if you make a large batch (which I often do), they keep well for a few days and can be reheated for lunches or another dinner. Combinations are endless when it comes to veggies, meat, and carbs, and you can experiment with different cuisine styles to open your family up to new things. Luckily, they're also very healthy (if cooked in minimal oil, loaded with veggies and lean protein, and eaten with brown rice or whole grain pasta).
Another thing I often make is chili; healthy eating is a pre-requisite so I often substitue a large portion of the beef with ground chicken or turkey. I load it up with veggies and beans and it freezes very well! Of course, you can't go wrong with vegetarian bean and vegetable chili.
I also make soups with leftover vegetables on a regular basis as those freeze amazingly well too. I do like to make homemade cream of mushroom or broccoli soups, and although the cream may turn you off, a little never hurt anyone. I also have lower-fat recipes for both and if you'd like either one, feel free to ask me and I will be happy to share.

[bhjprescott]

My freezer always has two large ziplock bags near the front. One is marked "stock": this gets washed onion peelings, washed carrot peelings, stalks from fresh herbs, ends of brocolli, chicken and meat bones....when the bag is full I make stock. The other bag is labelled "soup": this bag gets cooked veg, chopped chicken and meats, the other half of the onion that wasnt used for my recipe, and anything in the veggie drawer of the fridge that won't get used before it goes soft. The resulting stock and soup makes fabulous soup and is readily available. I also use my blender to finely chop fresh herbs with chicken or veggie stock, freeze the mixture in ice cube trays and label the bags "herbs for soup". At this time of year I am ready for almost anything. My freezer has bags of chopped onion, peppers, carrots, turnip, peas, beans etc. as well as grated cheese. I take advantage of cheaper prices when food is on sale, or in season, or from my garden. I also have a pizza box full of rolled pastry, ready for pies or quiche in the winter months. And by the way, if you look at leftovers as "planned-overs" instead and put almost everything into a "stock", "soup" or make pre-packaged meals for the freezer then you will be ready for anything.

[mlisagarcia.xoxo]

completely agree about food safety.


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