Leftovers + creativity = delish dish

It’s a common misconception that people who own restaurants eat lavishly at home. Perhaps there was a time when this was true. When every night dinner was a creative feast, ever changing in the culinary spectrum. There could be homemade pasta one evening, then lovely Indian curry made from scratch the next.

However, once we home cooks take that plunge and open our own public establishment, the home kitchen tends to gather dust — just ask my poor husband. Some six months ago, before the restaurant opened, he was spoiled rotten with my kitchen efforts. (How do you think I snagged him?) And, well, now that I’ve gone legit in the business, the poor guy has one of two choices: eat by the bar at my restaurant, or canned goods and leftovers.

Even myself — exhausted over the weekend, the groceries didn’t get done like they used to and now it’s like one-time big time grocery shopping and it has to last. I no longer make purchases on a whim but everything has become strategic planning. What lasts long in the ref? What can double up for two recipes? What can serve as a healthy quick fix?

Although I’ve promised my hubby to make more of an effort, now that the resto is somewhat running as smoothly as it possibly can for the moment (one must always be ready for imminent disaster), last night I found myself in the same situation as many of us working folk: wiped out, hungry, and the refrigerator horizon looking bleak and desolate.

After a little prayer for inspiration to the spirits of the stove, I rummaged through forlorn-looking vegetables, wilting herbs, shriveled up lemons … bracing for the possibility of finding some alien-esque creatures languishing in the bottom drawer. With courage and creativity I managed to make a gorgeous dish that with some tweaking might make an appearance on our resto menu. Desperation begets ingenuity!

With some frozen octopus pieces, a sad, wobbly carrot, two near-death potatoes, a handful of dried lentils, a can of crushed tomatoes, a splash of two-week-old open wine and a generous dosage of spice and everything nice, a beautiful octopus stew was born!

One mustn’t forget that many rustic dishes were born out of leftovers and odds and ends. The countryside was all about no wastage — using everything down to the last crumb. So there’s no shame in putting together a meal from the languishing remains in your chiller or pantry. It’s all about thinking strategically and using as much imagination as possible. Here are some tips to turn the remains of the day into a true delight:

1. Buy hardy and versatile fresh ingredients. I love salad greens but with my busy schedule they would more often than not end up a pile of green mush in the plastic bag. The wastage is just depressing and wrong. I switched to cabbage and carrots. Red and green cabbage and carrots last longer in the refrigerator, are a great source of fiber and when they are no longer as crisp, they work just as well in soups, stews or stir fries. Eggplants, zucchini and squash are great as well, although I’ve learned that as soon as I buy them, it’s better to just slice them up and roast with some olive oil in the oven then they are ready to eat and they last much longer. Broccoli and cauliflower, too. Then you just throw them in however you want. Lemons are also great at holding up and they can brighten any dish!

2. Don’t be afraid to freeze, but do it in small batches. I’ll make a bunch of tomato sauce, chicken stock or Bolognese and freeze in individual portions, ready to reheat or jazz up. The basic Bolognese I make isn’t just for pasta; sometimes I’ll make a chili con carne by throwing in some stock and a can of beans or defrost and use it to make a moussaka or stuff a vegetable. Freeze your chopped herbs (it will lose flavor but still work well on cooked dishes), peeled ginger stems, fresh chili, leftover tomato paste, even fresh chopped vegetables. When you buy meats or fish and don’t think you’ll be able to use it all as soon as possible, freeze as well. Chicken breast works really well — just make sure to separate the pieces with some wax paper or in different containers or you’ll end up with one frozen block! Remember, what is defrosted cannot be refrozen.

3. Keep a good selection of dried goods. Lentils, beans, pasta of all shapes and sizes, quinoa, couscous, red rice, noodles … the Romans used to live on pasta and beans because they didn’t perish so easily and were easily transported. Versatile, you can make all kinds of things with them. Lentils can take you from Spain to India depending on the spices. Beans can make a nice Tex-Mex chili or go into a fresh Italian salad. Pasta and rice can be thrown together with almost anything! I once made pasta with canned cream corn, onions, garlic, cayenne, Parmesan and some fresh marjoram because that’s all I had. It was sooo good.

4. Don’t be afraid of canned goods but choose them wisely. I don’t usually go for canned meats (usually very high in sodium), but I do keep some canned tuna and especially all kinds of canned vegetables: chickpeas, green peas, corn, black beans, artichokes, bell peppers and all kinds of canned tomatoes (whole, diced and crushed).  I keep some soups on hand, which I like to ameliorate with some fresh herbs, cream and fresh veggies. I go for organic and less sodium when the budget permits. The idea is not to use the canned good on its own, but to always take it to a different level by adding it to your dish or adding things to make it better.

5. Spice up your life! Spices. Spices. Spices. They last long when kept properly and a little can go a long way. Mixing and matching spices can take the same dish and turn it from Italian to Mexican to Moroccan to Indian. Learn how to make good flavor combinations and use your cookbooks to look at flavor profiles. It’s also the best way to remove that “canned goods” tinny taste.

6. Hot for hot sauce! I love anything spicy! And it just makes anything all that more exciting. If you’re not one for hot stuff, keep condiments on hand like different kinds of oils, mustard (I use so much Dijon), soy sauce and vinegars that you can blend in when you feel like it.

7. Onions and garlic. They last a lifetime when kept properly and again, you can chop them up ahead of time and store. Garlic in olive or canola oil keeps well in the refrigerator and onions can be frozen. Fry them out slowly in hot oil or butter — they add depth and can take any boxed food item and turn it homier.

8. Regarding technique: patience is key. It’s all about cooking flavors lovingly and slowly, truly blending everything together. Most tomato-based dishes or even store-bought tomato sauce has this sour taste and bright red color. My grandmother always taught me that tomato sauce is only ready when the orange oil comes up and it turns a hearty orange-red. A mere 20 minutes of slow cooking will make all the difference. Remember basic recipes for leftovers. Some dishes are just more suitable to leftovers: soups and stews are perfect for hiding not-so-fresh veggies. Pastas and stir-fries are great for using leftover meats and cooked dishes. Frittatas and egg scrambles are great for using leftover cheeses.

9. Sweet treats! I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but sometimes you do need some dessert. I always have some chocolates in the fridge or maybe some ice cream in the freezer. The Magnum people sent over some Strawberry Magnum, which was a happy surprise last night after my octopus stew. I gobbled it all up! They’re easy to keep and easy to serve when there are impromptu guests. Always keep some cookies or wafers around to jazz up a scoop of ice cream.

10. Use creativity, strategy and risk taking! Most of my favorite recipes to date have been born out of desperation. Use your cookbooks as guides as to what works. Map out the flavors in your head and before cooking, pre-select what you might do. Last night I had some kangkong stems I wanted to use but at the last minute decided they had no place in my stew. Originally I was going for something Italian, but then I thought some cumin, cayenne and paprika might help mask the freezer taste of the octopus. A drizzle of olive oil, some finely chopped parsley and a smidgen of lemon made for a surprisingly nice, hearty and healthy dish. Don’t be afraid to take risks and make things work. If they don’t, oh, well! Laugh it off, cross it out and try again. Just remember to serve and experiment only on your loved ones in case it’s a total disaster. At least they’ll still love you after!