Refried recipes
A little imagination turns restaurant leftovers into new favorites.
Leftovers don’t have to look or taste like leftovers anymore, listlessly plopped from doggie bag to plate with possibly a quick zap in the microwave. Smartly use those leavings, whether from restaurant meals or takeout chow, to create something new and delicious. In so doing, you’ll even be making your country proud.
Worried that people who eat out more often, especially fast food, are more likely to be overweight or obese, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ChooseMyPlate.gov program urges, among other suggestions, that one avoid oversize portions. “Take home half of your meal,” the program’s website urges.
And, of course, there’s also the question of taste.
Here are some ideas, so you don’t have to waste leftovers anymore.
Fried chicken: Turn cold pieces of fast-food fried chicken into a salad. Kevin Pang, my colleague, offers this: Cube the chicken, toss with mayonnaise, preferably the Japanese Kewpie brand, Sriracha sauce and fresh lime juice. Wing the proportions to suit your taste. Add cubes of green apple, peeled or unpeeled, and 1-inch pieces of fresh green onion.
Gyro or shawarma meat: Turn those slices into a salad, based on one from Australian chef Matt Wilkinson in his new cookbook, “Mr. Wilkinson’s WellDressed Salads” (Black Dog & Leventhal, $27.95). He calls for leftover roast leg of lamb, but gyro leftovers work well too. For Wilkinson’s salad, mix together 1 large grated carrot, torn pieces of fresh mint, parsley and cilantro leaves; a little toasted coconut; and raisins. Toss with “a splash of good white wine vinegar and some plain yogurt,” he says. Serve the salad over the meat slices, accompanied by grilled bread.
Rice: Make Pepin’s rice pudding, adapted from his upcoming book: Heat 2 cups cooked white rice and 3 1⁄2 cups milk to a boil in an ovenproof saucepan. Cover; bake at 350 degrees, 30 minutes; the rice should be very creamy. Stir in 1⁄2 cup dried cherries or cranberries, 1⁄3 cup maple syrup, 2 teaspoons grated lime zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1⁄4 cup sugar and
1⁄2 cup sour cream. Let cool. Serve with a blueberry sauce, if you like: Heat 1 pint small blueberries and 1⁄3 cup sugar to a boil in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Boil, 1-2 minutes. Cool before using. Also, you can stir rice into a large quantity of water, and make the rice porridge known as congee; garnish with cilantro sprigs, diced chilies, leftover roast chicken or pork. Or make fried rice: Stir-fry with beaten egg, minced green onion and garlic, salt and some leftover cooked vegetables — peas, chopped red or green pepper, diced carrots.
Tortilla chips: Make these chilaquiles, adapted from Tribune Newspapers writer Russ Parsons’ recipe: Stir 8 beaten eggs into some chopped onion and po- blano that you’ve sauteed. Don’t stir. After eggs begin to set, stir in 2 cups roughly broken up tortilla chips. Season with salt. Once eggs are nearly set, stir in some grated cheese (Cotija, jack, Chi- huahua). Finish cooking; serve with more cheese, topped with chopped cilantro, salsa, sour cream.