| Dec. 1st, 2007 @ 10:44 pm 2-In-1 Dinners: Put Leftovers To Good Use |
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By Becky Billingsley
eDiets Contributor
Are you one of those people who regularly stick leftovers in the refrigerator, and then routinely pitch them in the garbage a week later when they sprout bluish-green fuzz? I am occasionally guilty of that, and get extremely mad at myself for wasting food.
My parents grew up during the Great Depression, and consequently were frugal. Their kitchen had a whole drawer devoted to neatly folded and slightly used tinfoil, and Mom was even known to wash and recycle Styrofoam cups.
It was a given that Mom wrote her grocery lists with the purpose of using leftovers in a second meal. Monday’s pot roast became Tuesday’s Italian beef sandwiches, and Wednesday’s roast chicken was reinvented as Thursday’s soup.
Mom saved more than money by planning meals this way, because usually those second-time-around meals were quick and easy. Often her healthy versions of "fast food" were served on days when she was busy with errands or projects. Everyone benefited from her method: Dad was happy because the grocery budget was within reason, Mom was thrilled to not have to spend hours in the kitchen, and we kids got balanced hot meals almost every single day. We ate in restaurants about once a month, and usually that was lunch in a diner.
Since I’m the editor of a fine dining magazine, my family and I eat out a lot more often than once a month. However, I also love to cook and every week usually have at least one dish that pulls double dinner duty.
So in honor of my late Mom, otherwise known as Patricia Jeanne Stanley Maxson, today’s Smart Shopper list is 10 Ways to Have a Second Healthy Meal for Less Than $3.
These are not haute cuisine, but they are tasty, healthy, quick, easy and inexpensive recipes for busy families.
1. Round Steak and Wild Rice/Vegetable Beef Soup
Price of ingredients added to leftovers: $2
Meal 1: Both of these meals are easy. The first day, I put two large pieces of round steak in a baking dish, dump in a box of Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice mix (not the quick-cook version) and add 4 cups of water. Cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake about three hours at 325 degrees.
Meal 2: Put the leftover meat and rice in a slow cooker. Add 1 single-serve can of V-8 vegetable juice, 1 can of condensed tomato soup, 2 beef bouillon cubes, 2 handfuls of diced baby carrots and 1 can of drained green beans. Add enough water to fill the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker on high for two hours, then turn it down to medium for the rest of the day. Before serving, correct the seasoning with fresh cracked black pepper (it already contains plenty of salt).
2. Pot Roast/Italian Beef
Price of ingredients added to leftovers: $1.25
Meal 1: Cook a pot roast with your favorite method. If you’ve never cooked a pot roast, try using one of those cook-in-a-bag products that you’ll find near the sauce mixes in the grocery store. You can also cook vegetables with the roast. Before cooking, sprinkle the roast with one packet of dry onion soup mix and a little crushed red pepper. When you put away the leftovers, save the liquid from the roast.
Meal 2: Shred your cold roast and put it in a saucepan, along with any leftover cooking juices. Don’t put the vegetables in the pan; if there are any leftover veggies just warm them in the microwave at suppertime and serve them separately. Bring the roast to a simmer, and add more crushed red pepper; make it as spicy as is pleasant for you. About 15 minutes before it’s time to eat, stir in a teaspoon of dried oregano. Serve the meat on buns.
3. Roast Chicken/Chicken Wraps
Price of ingredients added to leftovers: $3
Meal 1: Make roast chicken for your entree; make sure it’s a big bird. After supper, remove the meat remaining on the carcass and refrigerate.
Meal 2: If you have never roasted a pepper, you’ll be happy to discover how easy it is. Cut two red bell peppers into fourths, and remove the seeds and ribs. Place them, skin side up, on a baking sheet and place under a hot broiler. Cook until the skins become blackened, about five to seven minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven and place immediately in a brown paper bag, and fold it tightly shut. After a few minutes, take the peppers out of the bag and the skins should slip off. Slice the skinless pepper quarters into long skinny strips. Slice your leftover chicken and sauté in a small amount of olive oil; sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Serve the peppers and chicken rolled in tortillas; you can add sour cream and/or provolone cheese to the filling, if desired. For a low-carb version, use low-carb tortillas. Note: If your kids whine about the roasted red peppers, substitute shredded lettuce for them.
4. Pork Chops or pork roast/Mexican Casserole
Price of ingredients added to leftovers: $2.50
Meal 1: Cook pork chops or pork roast in your favorite manner; if making pork chops be sure to make at least six extra. Refrigerate leftovers.
Meal 2: Cube the cold cooked pork. Place in a mixing bowl and add 1can drained kidney beans, one can tomato sauce and 1 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese. Add zesty seasoning as desired, such as salsa, jalapenos, hot sauce or dried chili powder. Pour into baking pan and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until heated through and bubbling. Remove from oven and sprinkle with crushed low-fat and/or low-carb tortilla chips. Bake five more minutes and serve.
5. Meatloaf/Low-Carb Cheeseburger Casserole
Price of ingredients added to leftovers: $2
Meal 1: Make meatloaf using your favorite recipe, and refrigerate the leftovers.
Meal 2: Chop half a head of cabbage into wedges. Cooking in boiling water until tender. Dice one large sweet onion and sauté in a small amount of olive oil until translucent. While the onion is cooking, crumble the leftover meatloaf into a mixing bowl. When the cabbage is cool enough to handle, chop into bite-size pieces and add to mixing bowl. Add onion and one can diced tomatoes, undrained. Add 1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese and 1 teaspoon garlic powder; mix well. Put in baking pan and cook at 350 degrees, or until heated through and bubbly.
6. Sausage and Peppers/Peppy Pasta
Price of ingredients added to leftovers: $2
Meal 1: Make a simple entree of broiled, grilled or sautéed sausage and green bell peppers; use kielbasa, Italian sausage or smoked sausage. Make enough to have leftovers, and refrigerate. Note: You can also sauté onion with the sausage and peppers.
Meal 2: Boil, according to package directions, whole grain pasta. While the pasta is cooking, chop the leftover sausage and peppers (and onions if you used them). Place in a sauté pan, and add two cloves chopped garlic. Simmer two minutes. Add a can of diced tomatoes, undrained, and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper; simmer two more minutes. Sprinkle on your favorite Italian herbs, such as basil and oregano; simmer one minute. Serve over pasta.
7. Ham/Cheesy Potato (or cauliflower) Ham Soup
Price of ingredients added to leftovers: $3
Meal 1: Serve baked ham as your entrée. Refrigerate the leftovers.
Meal 2: Peel and dice two large potatoes. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Do not drain. While the potatoes are cooking, chop three ribs of celery and one onion, and saute in a small amount of olive oil. Add celery and onions to the cooked potatoes and water. Chop the leftover ham, and add to the soup pot. Add one can of condensed cheddar cheese soup, one can cream of celery soup and enough skim milk to make the desired consistency. Bring to a simmer and correct seasoning with celery salt, garlic salt or white pepper. Reduce heat and keep warm until ready to serve. For a low-carb version, substitute cooked cauliflower for the potatoes.
8. Sirloin Steak/Super Low-Carb Stroganoff
Price of ingredients added to leftovers: $3
Meal 1: Make sirloin steak your entrée, and make extra; refrigerate the leftovers.
Meal 2: Slice the steak into bite-size pieces and set aside. Slice mushrooms -- enough to make 2 cups. Sauté mushrooms in a teaspoon of olive oil and 1/4 cup red wine. Add steak to pan, and cook just long enough to get the steak hot. In a saucepan, blend 1 cup reduced fat sour cream, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 3/4 teaspoon hot paprika. Bring to simmer and keep warm. To serve, ladle about 1/4 cup sour cream mixture on plate and top with a serving of steak and mushrooms.
9. Ginger-Soy Chicken/Cupboard Stir-Fry
Price of ingredients added to leftovers: $2 to $3, depending on the stir-fry ingredients.
Meal 1: Marinate chicken in a blend of fresh chopped ginger and lite soy sauce; grill or bake.
Meal 2: Hunt through your refrigerator and cupboard for stir-fry ingredients, such as fresh carrots, onions (sweet yellow or red or green onions), bell peppers, frozen pea pods, frozen or fresh broccoli, frozen or fresh cauliflower, mushrooms, asparagus and cabbage. Chop the ingredients into bite-size pieces and place together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, blend lite soy sauce, red pepper paste (or crushed red peppers) and chili sauce. Pour this mixture over the vegetables and toss; let marinate 30 minutes before cooking. Chop leftover chicken meat and place in bowl. Heat your wok, or an electric skillet, and add 2 tablespoons light oil, such as canola oil. When oil is hot, add vegetables and stir-fry about three minutes. For softer vegetables, cook a little longer. Add meat and stir-fry another minute, or until chicken is hot. Serve immediately.
10. Spaghetti and Meatballs/Italian Wedding Soup
Price of ingredients added to leftovers: About $2, if you use chicken bouillon cubes.
Meal 1: Make tiny meatballs, about 2/3 the size of a marble, and sauté them until done in a small amount of olive oil. Before adding marinara to make spaghetti, take half the meatballs out of the pan and refrigerate them.
Meal 2: Thaw a box of frozen chopped spinach, and drain well. Chop one onion, three ribs celery and a big handful of baby carrots. Mince two cloves garlic. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and add vegetables; saute about three minutes. In a soup pot, put 6 cups chicken stock or broth, or 6 cups water and four chicken bouillon cubes. Add vegetables and simmer one hour. Add meatballs and simmer until meatballs are hot. If desired, sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese. |
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