By Dani Renouf, RD, MSc, CDE
I don’t know about you, but I enjoy leftovers while the rest of my family doesn’t. However, I have found that creative uses of what you have on hand from holiday meals can make for joyful, delicious, and nutritious mealtime experiences and I hope to share some of my go-to tips with you in this article.
Depending on your celebratory and traditional foods, you can categorize leftovers into “food group categories” which makes it easier to upcycle leftovers into a deliciously novel meal. Here’s what I mean:
- Protein Category: if you have leftover turkey roast, or leftover protein of any kind, you can cut up and freeze this until you are ready to make either a delicious soup, add the protein to your favourite stir fry or vegetable pasta dish, or use it as a protein boost for your scramble eggs. Leftover cooked lentils or beans make for a great patty or a chili, as well as a bean bake, depending on your preference. Try using leftover beans or lentils in this burger recipe: https://www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca/kkcookbook/recipes/black-bean-burgers/
- Fruit and Vegetable Category: if you have leftover salad, refrain from adding dressing to it, which then prevents the salad from going soggy. If your salad is a coleslaw base, you can freeze all the shredded ingredients which can later be added to a soup or a stir fry or roasted vegetable tray. If you have lettuce or arugula as a salad, that can also be frozen and added to an omelette or collard greens mix which you can make by sautéing the leaves with garlic and olive oil. If you have a cut-up vegetable tray, all those vegetables can be roasted with olive oil and salt-free seasonings in the oven or added to a soup, which you can blend after cooking the vegetables in low-sodium homemade broth or water. With fruit, you can freeze leftovers that can be added to a smoothie, homemade popsicles or an oven-roasted fruit crisp. Stewing fruit can create a delicious fruit compote, which you can enjoy with oatmeal and plain yogurt for breakfast or snacks. One of my favourite recipes for salads is this salad in a jar: https://www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca/kkcookbook/recipes/salad-in-a-jar/
For those busy weeknights, I love using my leftovers for this delicious plant-based frittata: https://www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca/kkcookbook/recipes/tofu-and-veggie-frittata-vegan/
- Starch Category: if you have leftover rice, you can make rice patties, vegetable fried rice, or rice pudding. For leftover pasta, there are many options available, such as adding plain pasta to your favorite soup, making a baked pasta dish, or “reviving” the pasta after removing it from the freezer by cooking it on a stovetop with some extra water. Potatoes and root vegetables freeze very well after being double-boiled, so you can use them in a variety of ways, from mashed root vegetables to a hearty addition to a soup or baked along with other roasted vegetables. At your next leftover breakfast meal, be sure to try this recipe which will become your family favourite in no time: https://www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca/kkcookbook/recipes/root-vegetable-breakfast-hash/
So, I hope this has convinced you to look at leftovers in a whole new way, eat nutritious food, and save some time and money during the busy holiday season.