Thinking back to days gone by always brings memories of recipes with leftovers to the surface – some more successful than others! We’ve all seen how post-Christmas turkey seems to take on a hundred different forms as the family tries to see it off before the new year. The invention of one meal from a combination of others, or perhaps the salvaging of something ‘past-its-best’ as something new, can be something of a gamble. Here is a brief look at some of the most classic leftover dinners and at some foods which unquestionably improve with time.
Leftovers turn into great meals
Shepherd’s pie and cottage pie were both traditionally used as a way of using up leftover meat and potatoes, and to this day are some of the most delicious meals to be made from bits and bobs left in the fridge. You can always plan meals with leftovers in mind; in this way, a lamb shank and gravy are then turned into a pie or something similar.
Some of the most famous dishes have been created out of the idea of ‘leftovers’ and were traditionally a form of eating up the remainders of a hearty dinner. For example, the sandwich. This now world famous meal was created by John Montagu as an easy to make, easy to transport snack, while he was working or playing cards with his friends. Although in the beginning it was just a handy option to accompany him on specific activities, at present it has become one of the most in-demand lunches globally.
Adaptable foods
Some foods are not technically leftovers, but improve with time; for example, curry. If you leave a cooked curry overnight, then it gains a fuller flavour and will taste much better the following day or days. Curry itself can be a fantastic way of using up vegetables and meat; in fact, if you can get the spices right, it can be one of the most forgiving forms of cooking which, again, is a green light for leftovers.
Mashed potato is one of the most adaptable leftovers; in fact, the potato in all forms is easy to incorporate into most household dishes. Take ‘Bubble and Squeak’, for example, always a post-Christmas favourite. It’s a classic combination of leftover mash, sprouts and cabbage. Eaten on their own they might be a daunting prospect, but together they combine to make a tasty meal!
Banana bread is the perfect example of how something delicious can come from something seemingly ‘past its best’. The black and speckled bananas that sit at the bottom of the fruit bowl with nowhere to go have found their place! They are the perfect ingredient for banana-bread or cake and can even be turned into banana ice cream or scones. Another example of how something far-from-perfect can take on a new life as something magnificent. No one will ever know what the dishes originally looked like when you serve up some scrumptious delights for them, everyone is a winner, and nothing is wasted.
Think before you throw food away
So, the next time that you go to throw away the remains of a meal, take out a Tupperware and keep it for the next creation. Why not try something new? Who knows, maybe you could invent something that people will consider an everyday meal in the future? Or perhaps you can take a bit of time to plan a run of meals that complement each other and can combine into something different on the menu.
If you care about cutting waste, then change can start at home and we can all make a concerted effort to reduce the food waste we produce. In modern culture we seem to have lost the old ‘use, re-use’ mentality and we tend to throw away things we consider past their best. In a time where there is renewed focus on getting the most out of things, perhaps the fashion will return to maximising what we get from our food and minimising the waste we create in the process.
