More Ideas for Leftovers

I love it when I opened up e-mail and someone’s sent me great money saving tips or recipes. This is an e-mail I received from The Spice Hunter. It got my attention and as this week’s topic is leftovers, I thought I’d share it with you.

If there’s a collective groan every time you reach for the Tupperware stockpile in your fridge, it’s probably time to spice up what you reserve. While eating leftovers saves money, time, and resources, there’s no reason eating virtuously has to be boring. Below are tips from the flavor experts at The Spice Hunter to help you transform your leftovers into a delicious meal, incognito: www.spicehunter.com

Third Time’s the Charm: Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
Don’t throw away bread that’s going stale. Here are three ways to serve:
•Croutons: Rip into chunks and sauté in olive oil. Serve in a salad topped with leftover meat, cubed and re-spiced.
•Meatballs: Rip bread into pieces and mix with 1 lb. of ground chuck or turkey, half a cup of dry oats, half a cup of milk, and1 egg to form balls. Roll in flour, Spice Hunter Italian Seasoning and Paprika and bake.
•Freeze It: When bread starts to go bad, rip it up and freeze. Keep adding, and then you can make either of the above at any time, as well as bread pudding.
Bonus Tip: Cereal past its prime makes a great chicken breading. Just coat chicken breasts in egg, roll in crushed cereal, top with spices (if the cereal’s sweet, try allspice and nutmeg) and bake.

Twice is Nice•Omelettes: Doesn’t matter if dinner was chicken, burgers or burritos – throw what’s left in an omelette and top with your favorite spices. If you have leftover potatoes (baked, roasted or mashed), sauté in olive oil and serve alongside.
•Pizza: Keep a frozen crust handy. Top with leftovers to make your own piadini (essentially, salad on top of pizza). Throw it in the oven as you’re eating dinner, and have it ready to go for lunch the next day.
•Fajitas: Cut leftover steak, chicken or pork into strips and add Spice Hunter fajita seasoning. Serve with veggie strips and cheese.
•Burgers: Make Mexican-style burgers with leftover rice, beans and veggies – just mix with ground beef or turkey before grilling.
•Soup: Puree leftover vegetables and add to broth. Spice to taste for a simple veggie soup.