Two-for-one meals that turn leftovers into something wonderful
Leftovers don’t have to be unloved. Once you realise their full potential, you can reap the rewards, says Lizzie Kamenetzky
Iadore leftovers. A fridge full of bits and bobs, ready to be turned into something wonderful. The hard work has been done – now you can reap the rewards. The sad thing is that, as a word, “leftovers” sounds so humble and unloved. It tends not to be a word to excite passion. It speaks of dishes made out of desperation and of reheating tired ingredients. But once you realise the full potential and the fun you can have with a little left over from a wonderful meal, how you cook will be revolutionised.
The way we shop has a lot to do with why people are not embracing leftovers. Shopping to cook a different meal every night not only risks unused ingredients sitting in your fridge until they perish, but also any leftovers being thrown away – ironically because you have something planned for the next day that you don’t want to waste.
The Batch but Better way of cooking is good for the bank balance, the planet and your skills as a ready-for-anything cook. Once you break away from over-shopping, you will feel such relief that you’ll never go back. Of course, you still need to plan a bit. The reality is that in order to have leftovers, you need to cook. For three or four nights of the week, plan to cook something delicious, then experiment with the leftovers and some fridgeraiding for the rest of the week.
Fridge-raid cooking produces some of my most wonderful dishes. I hope you will be inspired to discover your own leftover favourites.