Love Your Leftovers

I love leftovers. But a recent unscientific survey of the newsroom shows most people don’t share my passion. So I asked why. Here’s what they said:

“I don’t like eating the same thing again.”
“It doesn’t taste the same when I reheat it.”
“They get too old before I want them again.”
“They get mushy.”
“It wasn’t good the first time around.”

I completely agree. Sometimes certain foods do not lend themselves to being leftovers. But with a few simple rules, you can love your leftovers, too.

How to Love Your Leftovers:

1. Consider the dish: if you make too much food and you didn’t like it or it’s not a good leftover, odds are it will end up in the trash which costs you money. For example: seafood dishes are rarely good leftovers as are anything that is supposed to stay crispy. When you buy ingredients for these dishes, buy less so you can finish it the day you make it. It will save you big bucks in the long run.

2. Consider your storage: splurge on some good, plastic containers. Just covering leftovers with foil or plastic wrap usually doesn’t preserve things very well. If you use plastic containers, when you’re ready to head to work, your lunch is ready to go. Exceptions: things like fresh fruits and vegetables. Whole fruits and vegetables need to be stored in your crisper. Cut ones should be put in a bowl lightly covered with plastic wrap so they can breathe and you don’t end up with a soggy, watery mess.

3. Consider your time frame: raw whole and fresh cut items need to be consumed quickly or they will rot. Cooked leftovers can last a number of days in the fridge. If they smell ok and they’re less than a week old, it’s usually good to go.

4. Consider your location: storing items on the bottom shelf of the fridge ensures a longer shelf life. Remember from science class that cold air settles. If you have a lot of leftovers like pasta sauce, portion it out into plastic bags and freeze it. Then you can run it under hot water in your sink to defrost and use whenever you want.

5. Consider your reheating options: some foods like pastas do well in the microwave. I find meats do better in a covered dish in the oven. But if you’re in a hurry or at work, learn how to use the reheating options on the microwave. Remember, it’s already been cooked. If you cook it anymore, it will dry out. The reheat button can do wonders.

For those of you who don’t like eating the same thing twice or simply don’t want to eat leftovers, try this. Make your leftovers into something new. Slice leftover roasted chicken over a salad. Mix leftover ham into macaroni and cheese. Pour leftover pasta sauce over just about any meat. Mix up some leftover vegetables and drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over them for a chilled salad. Be creative! And you can love your leftovers, too.

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