The art of using leftovers.
By marguicha
@marguicha (223964)
Chile
March 31, 2012 9:02pm CST
When I had a big bamily, leftovers were not a problem. There was always one of us a little bit more hungry who wanted seconds or a visitor (maybe one of my daughter´s friends) who stayed over for dinner. But since I live alone, there are lots of dishes that mean leftovers. I cannot accept anything thrown away and many time you can´t make a dish for one person.
I have a friend that will eat the same food until she finishes it. I don´t like that either. So I turn some leftover pasta with pesto into a minestrone, some leftover rice into stuffed pimientos or zuchinni or, if it is a really small portion, into an omelette.
Do you give bigger portions of food if you made too much or do you save it and use it in another meal? Will you do a sort of "makeup" to the first dish or do you serve it as is? Share, please
6 people like this
19 responses
@peace001 (726)
• China
1 Apr 12
hi!it is really difficult to make a dish for one person.our doctor tells us that eating leftover dish is a bad habbit.when my husband is on business,i have to cook for myself.usually i will thrown it away,i know it wastes to much but for my health i cannnot accept to eat the leftover dish.
have a nice day.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
1 Apr 12
I keep my leftover food in the refrigerator. When I make two batches, I freeze one. My father was a doctor and a scientist and never said that using leftovers was a bad habit if you keep the food well.
@TheIzers (680)
•
1 Apr 12
Hi Peache, you just remind me to my late father. he could not eat leftover either, one day he ate leftover unintentionally and he got sick right after that, he stayed in bed for couple days. However, me myself have no problem with leftover usually I make up leftover to make it more interesting to eat like rice into veggie friend rice, omelet etc.
@laydee (12798)
• Philippines
1 Apr 12
I think it depends on the leftover you are talking about. I don't see anything wrong with eating leftover, most especially if you've stored it the proper way. I think it's only bad when the food is already bad.
Further, in my country, it's not good to throw food, there are people who go hungry and I don't think it's fair for one to be throwing food.
Have a great MyLot experience ahead!
@almond24 (1248)
• Hungary
1 Apr 12
I don't want to throw food away either. What I cook is usually more than enough for one day, so we either eat it again as a side dish with something else, or turn it into a sauce, topping or sandwich spread. Many things can be used on top of a pizza, or with pasta. If I have something that has to be used up quickly, but it's too much for a day or two, like spinach, I cook it and put it in the freezer to keep it for later.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
2 Apr 12
I find that leftovers are a good way to exersice my imagination. I´m always discovering new ways to turn them into somethung else. Sometimes I cook more to have easy to eat food on weekend and then I am invited out. Monday is a typical day of leftovers at my house.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
3 Apr 12
I love that challenge too. It much depends on the leftover and of the other ingredients you have at hand. I have some herbs in my garden that help a lot in those cases.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 12
I also live alone now since my mother passed away nearly six years ago and I still find it hard to cook for only one person, that is ME, so yes I do have leftovers, and like you I don't always want to eat the same thing for several days or nights in a row. What I often will do then is freeze my leftovers so when I am in the mood for that particular dish again, all I have to do is take it out of the freezer and re-heat it.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
3 Apr 12
I turn stews into soups and cream with the blender and add some milk and croutons made at home with stale bread. I make a cup of rice and that lasts at least a week, but I use it in several dishes. I also freeze some dishes.
@lynboobsy11 (11343)
• Philippines
27 May 12
I have problems too, since my daughter is not here I don't know what I'm gonna try to prepare for my lunch or dinner. I'm not fond of eating left over that's why I have a pet to eat what is left in the table. These past few days I only open a can of corned beef and meat loaf and I know it is not healthy for me this kind of dish. I don't like either to cook that I know I will not eat it all. Anyway only three days left my daughter will be home and I will start to cook again.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
27 May 12
I don´t use cans if I can help it, so I usually don´t have leftovers that have come in cans. When I don´t want to cook, I usually make sandwichs, so there are no leftovers.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
3 Apr 12
The only art that I have ever found that works for me when it comes to leftovers is to save all of the leftover food until the end of the week. When that time comes, we will have freezer cleanout day. That means that we will pick and choose what we want to eat from those things that have been left over through the course of the week.
There are some things, however, that I am trying to work on ways of repurposing, such as a pot roast or chili (which becomes chili sauce for hot dogs).
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
3 Apr 12
Hi dorann,
I suppose that the use of leftovers is very different when you have a large family. When my husband was alive and the girls were home, I made 2 cups of rice and they were eaten in a jiffy. Now I make one cup and it lasts for over a week.
@dkramarczyk (6)
• United States
2 Apr 12
I have no problem with reusing leftovers. I do it all the time. There are a lot of foods that you can't really serve in a different way, all you can do is heat them up and eat it. My husband, if I save macaroni and cheese, will heat it up and put ketchup in it. I personally think it's weird, but he enjoys it. There are some things, like tuna helpers, than you could probably heat up and use in a sandwich. It sounds pretty good to me. But there are plenty of ways that leftovers can be used, so I don't see a point in throwing away good food that someone is bound to eat in some way or another.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
2 Apr 12
Omelettes and soups are some of the ways I recycle my leftovers. I have chives in my garden and oregano and basil. So I usually mince some herbs to change the flavour. Even when I make sandwichs, I add some herbs once in a while.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
1 Apr 12
When I do cook I usually cook enough for a few meals worth. While reheating, depending on what it is I might add extra of something. Like with tortilla soup, each bowl was just a little different because of what I added to the second heat up, or the third. As for anything else, I figure I enjoy it enough that I don't want to make it different. Now if it's something I can put into a sandwich I will, such as ham or turkey.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
2 Apr 12
I have some sandwichs that I love as is, but there are times when I want to change the taste a bit. I use cheese, lettuce, avocado among other foods to change the taste of a sandwich. Usually, I do this with leftover roasted chicken.
@savypat (20216)
• United States
1 Apr 12
Since there are two of us here to eat, I make a big pot of beans, and I make them rather plain. During the week I will change this dish each day. Ususally I scoop out enough for one meal and store the rest. The first day may be rice and beans, the next day ham, after that comes chillie beans, then a mexican dish. If any is left it goes into a soup of some kind. Not only do I get to cook as I always have for a larger group, but I keep my eyes open for new ways to enhance those beans.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
2 Apr 12
I usually soak a kilo of dry beans and I cook them with no salt in the pressure cooker. I only use what I need and save the rest in the freezer. I love dry bean salad in Summer with diced onion, a bit of vinegar, oil, salt and pepper and minced parsley.
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
1 Apr 12
Sometimes I used leftovers as ingredients in other dishes. Leftover veggies I throw in a special container in my freezer, and later use them in soups and stews. Mostly I freeze anything left in plastic containers. When I've used up my containers, it's time for a 'buffet night'. I microwave them all and dinners is like a buffet. My son (27 now) has always said that those were his favorite nights.
If I lived alone, I'd still freeze them for a quick meal later. Just add a salad or a luscious dessert. 
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
2 Apr 12
I always have veggies in the freezer and broth from all sorts of boiled meat, fih and veggies. I use all that in soups and creams, specially in Winter. I love a soup on a cold day.
@Cutie18f (9546)
• Philippines
1 Apr 12
We did that a lot back in the day when we had a small restaurant. It is good to have different kinds of dishes everyday so those that do not get sold today are turned into different dishes. At present, I don't do that anymore since we do not have any restaurant and I am now buying enough food. Besides, I have three dogs so there are no left-overs to worry about.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
2 Apr 12
Some leftovers were disposed of in a different way when I had my dog. But she mostly ate pellets and my food was a sort of treat. There are many everyday dishes that are easier to make for more people. Stews for instance, are not the kind of dishes I´d bother to make only for myself. So I make more without potatoes and freeze part of it. I add the potatoes later as I don´t like frozen cooked potatoes.
@god_is_good (683)
• Philippines
1 Apr 12
I didn't know that there's the art of using leftovers. I just pause for a while upon reading your discussion and think about the leftovers we usually have. Since you're alone these days, there will be leftovers most of the time and you are very creative. We have leftovers usually but our pet get to eat them. The reason we have pets is for them to take the leftovers. When the leftovers are still in good condition, we still preserve them and eat them in the next meal. Good day.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
2 Apr 12
I live alone but many people drop by to visit. They will never leave my house feeling hungry. And now we are two as I hired a lady to help me after I was diagnosed with a lymphoma. I didn´t know how I would feel and did not want to be alone.
@roselavon025 (133)
• Philippines
1 Apr 12
I don't cook a lot but I know the benefits leftovers can do. My mom used to kept them and make something out of it in our next meal. She used to match it with veggies.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
1 Apr 12
Depending on what you have as leftover, you can do many kinds of foods from starters to main courses. I use leftovers usually for omelettes and soups of many kinds, but meat has other uses and so does fish.
@olivia52779 (66)
• United States
1 Apr 12
I live alone so I understand your problem with leftovers. I either try and freeze my leftovers in small containers for quick lunches in the next few weeks when i don't feel like cooking or I make something else from them. For example, last week I grilled steak and had leftovers. I used to leftover steak and made a steak fajita. The other day, I had leftover mashed potatoes and I created an interesting and tasty egg dish with eggs, mashed potatoes, salsa, and cheese. Another time, I had some leftover fruit, so I cut it up and put it in with some oatmeal. I think there is always something you can do with leftovers, you just have to be creative. This can actually be a lot of fun.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
2 Apr 12
I do that sort of thing! And many times the dish made with the leftovers is more interesting than the first one. Usually the inicial disch is a normal food you have eaten many times. The leftover dish sometimes is an awesome wonder!
! And many times the dish made with the leftovers is more interesting than the first one. Usually the inicial disch is a normal food you have eaten many times. The leftover dish sometimes is an awesome wonder! @BrittneyD (50)
• United States
1 Apr 12
Most dishes I serve them exactly how I orginally had them. However, chicken and turkey are the two items that I "makeup". My family loves chicken, and turkey, salad. I am not a big fan of these two items reheated. Plus it is really easy to chop up the meet, add some may, season to taste, and put on bread. With everything else I follow the, "If it's not broke, don't fix it," train of thought.
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
1 Apr 12
Hi Marg, i don't really like to waste my food as well. Whenever there is a leftover, i will turned it into something more delicious by adding some different types of stuffs into it. Since my parents home have a pet dog, so it won't be a problem to me now. In case we can't finish any food, i will just bring over and give it to the dog. At least, we are not wasting any food. Nowadays food are getting more expensive, so it is wise not to waste any of them.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
1 Apr 12
I shared some food with my dog when I have one. But now I don´t have a dog. Still, I do throw away any leftovers. I have learned to make small portions but there are some foods that I freeze in part (such as cooked dried beans) or that it keeps well in the fridge (such as white rice).
@shibham (16977)
• India
1 Apr 12
Hi marguicha...
My mom cooks at my home. if some foods get uneaten, then it is kept in the freeze to eat on the next meal. Mom never throws uneaten foods and if the condition of food is not perfect to eat, then i have cows who eat them. Alternatively we get milk from her. lol
have a nice time.
@marguicha (223964)
• Chile
1 Apr 12
I would be very unhappy if I had to throw away food that I have made with my own hands. It takes work and love to do it. Fortunatly for those of us who own a frefigerator, we can keep the uneaten food in good contition.
@kolsti87 (521)
• United States
1 Apr 12
This is good to ensure that no food is wasted and everyone is fed because you never know when you may be in need of food and then you'll be glad that you never wasted any of it when you had it. Also, there are less fortunate people who can't afford food so if you waste yours, it's really a shame. So I applaud you just for doing that!
Pretty much if I have a lot of food, I'll just put it in the refrigerator and then microwave it the next day to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or possibly a midnight snack for when I'm up at night and get a snack craving.
Pretty much if I have a lot of food, I'll just put it in the refrigerator and then microwave it the next day to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or possibly a midnight snack for when I'm up at night and get a snack craving. @marguicha (223964)
• Chile
1 Apr 12
I think that one of the good things about using leftovers is that you gradually learn to cook less food. That way other people will be able to get some food too. But even if you don´t care about that, it is a lot cheper not to waste food.
