Leftovers form the backbone of my lunches during the week. For some meals we don’t have any, but I usually prepare meals for 3-4 portions, depending on if Mazen is with us, so that we’ll have at least one extra serving to use in lunches. I’ve found that if I make more servings than that, say a soup that feeds 6-8, those extra portions go to waste. (Unless I have my act together and freeze some knowing I won’t eat all of it, but usually what happens is I realize I’m not going to eat something after it’s been in the fridge for 5 days and is probably not safe to freeze.) I hate wasting food and I know the more portions you make at once, the more efficient the meal, but I also know myself, my habits and my preferences and am realistic with my own expectations. I prefer to reimagine the leftovers into a new meal (usually a bowl/salad) instead of eating them exactly as we had them the night before.
So what I’m trying to say is there is a fine balance in our house between too little and too much food!
This was one of our recent dinners: baked panko-mustard salmon (inspired by this recipe!) over rice with diced bell pepper, wilted spinach, an herb dressing, parmesan and walnuts. Those strips are Dang Coconut Chips! I literally made this up on the spot!
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We had just a little salmon left plus about half a cup of rice and I morphed that into this yummy lunch the next day. (Yes, I am the queen of odd pairings, but there more flavor and texture the better IMO!) This whole bowl revolved around using Seaside Cheddar – it’s my current favorite!
Rice on the bottom with those two pieces of salmon, chopped heirloom tomato, nectarine, red peppers, a few greens (mostly for color – I was running low!) and Seaside Cheddar on top. Plus sea salt, pepper, and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. It was DELISH!
What are your lunch staples? Leftovers as they were eaten? Repurposed? Sandwiches? A jar of peanut butter at your desk?
I tend to have leftovers for both breakfast and lunch – I know, even breakfast! I really, really like rice, so I sometimes have it for breakfast… I like to tell myself I’m being sophisticatedly Japanese, haha. 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
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I freeze hearty soups and chilis after five days in the fridge, with no problem.
My lunch staple is typically a handful of greens with something thrown on top. Leftovers, hummus and red hot n blues, a veggie pattie, all tossed in a container with evoo & balsamic.
I do this all the time. I will incorporate my leftovers into one of three bases, depending on the season: greens, grains, or broth/soup. I ALWAYS get comments when folks at work see my delicious lunches, and they will ask for the recipe, LOL. No recipe, it’s just “repurposed leftovers.”
Leftovers make meal planning and prepping so much easier for me! I love to add greens to a dish and then top it with leftovers for lunch. We also have enjoyed spaghetti and other dishes with an egg for breakfast. I’ve become quite the savory breakfast lover. I enjoy random mixtures of flavors and textures, and I’ve always been inspired by what you combine!
Like your leftover-focused meals, lunches tend to be leftovers in bits and pieces. Often, I end up adding more veggies to the leftovers to give it some more umph. Salad greens are the best for that!