Recycling Your Leftovers

Ugh, another weekend of wedding planning. I was hoping to keep things simple and elegant. The Chef's list keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.  I'm thinking of great locations for a simple outdoor ceremony with only family while he is talking with friends about renting out entire restaurants and bands and cash vars and all of that business. Sheesh!! I think we have the first ever Groomzilla going on! If you have ever had to plan a wedding, you know what a nightmare it can be. For example, I have decided that instead of a multi-tiered cake that costs hundreds of dollars and will be hanging out in my kitchen for weeks after, we're going to order gourmet cupcakes. Yes, I know, I'm a baker, I can easily make my own but what bride wants to make her own cake? I've played that game once before, when my oldest daughter was planning her wedding and we decided to do the majority of the food ourselves. No big deal at all, just required some planning and delegating, but then we got the brilliant idea that Mom the Baker, the same person as Mother of the Bride would bake the cake too. Bad bad bad idea. We ended up ordering the cake.

After a day of planning and researching and pricing and calling around, The Chef and I were ready for dinner. I made one of my favorite Sunday dinners, heck any day dinner for that matter- roast chicken. Some lovely fingerling potatoes were also roasted in the chicken drippings and a fresh green salad went alongside and I was left with most of a chicken to pick and use for another dish, and as I sat there picking chicken off the bones, ignoring the pleading stares and chops-licking of two cats and a dog, I got to thinking about leftovers. Leftovers often get a bad rap. Many people don't want to eat a repeat of the same exact meal so all too often those dishes of perfectly good food are ignored, shoved in the back of the fridge, only to be reborn as a penicillin farm in a bowl. 

What are you supposed to do with your leftovers if you don't want to eat the same thing the next day? Recycle them of course! It just takes a little imagination and a well stocked pantry of basics to pull of some serious leftover revision. For me it starts with a good selection of grains and pastas. If I have a good solid grain or two I can stretch the last of a roast pork, chicken or beef into a great second day dinner or, even better, a lovely lunch for a couple days.

So my story leads us back to Trader Joe's. I swear, it's purely coincidence! I just find so many delicious things there and have to share my ideas with you so..... bear with me here. This recipes used the Harvest Grains Blend. This stuff caught my eye every single time I went in the store and I resisted buying it for the longest time. I seriously have enough grains in the pantry to survive a year. I just couldn't help myself on this last shopping trip. The mixture is gorgeous. Big pieces of Israeli couscous combined with veggie orzo in different colors, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa combine to make a colorful, texture-filled dish. It's easy to prepare- just add to boiling water and simmer ten minutes. No draining. No fuss. You can use it in all kinds of dishes and it was so pretty I thought it would make a lovely salad. I just happened to have roasted a chicken for dinner and had the leftover chicken to pick and use so....... it was recycled into a tasty salad for lunch during the week. What else got recycled? The last cup or so of a bag of frozen mixed vegetables that was hanging out in the freezer and a half a red onion that was leftover from a salad. The simple dressing combined oil and vinegar with a spicy sweet honey mustard I was given by a friend and voila! Here is how I made it-

Leftover Chicken Couscous Salad

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 package Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend*

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2/3 cup oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup prepared honey mustard

salt and pepper

*I used this specific brand. If you can't find it, you can sub orzo, farro, rice or your favorite grains. You want 4-6 cups cooked product.

In a large saucepan heat water and butter to boiling per the directions on the package. When water has reached a full boil, add the bag of Harvest Grains Blend and stir. Return to boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff. Allow to cool slightly.

In a jar or large mixing cup combine the oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Shake or whisk to blend.

In a large bowl toss together the grain mix, the chicken, vegetables. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat. Cover and chill.

This salad makes a great lunch salad for taking to work or for picnics. I used the remaining chicken leftover from a roast chicken but you can purchase cooked chicken or cook up a couple chicken breasts or thighs to cube. Grilled chicken would bring a great flavor twist and so would barbequed chicken, with bits and spots of charred sweet barbeque sauce- oh yum! I think I better get another package of this grain mix and make it again !!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Spelt- Knocking Out the Foodie Resolutions One Grain at a Time

I'm not even two full months in and I'm already working on clearing my second Foodie Resolution of The List. This time I'm trying another new grain. Well, new to ME, it's actually quite ancient. This time we're going to give spelt a test drive in the kitchen. What is spelt? It's a very old type of wheat. sometimes called dinkle wheat. In my quest to learn more about spelt I discovered that this grain was one of the most common food crops in medieval times, and older. These days it's found mostly in Europe- American farmers abandoned it in favor of the more common wheat used for bread and flour. It does grow well with a lot fewer chemicals and fertilizers however, so with any luck, American farmers will start to reverse that trend and grow what has to be healthier- anything with less chemicals used during the growing season is absolutely better for us.

If your diet is such that you avoid gluten, spelt is not for you. It is wheat, after all, and even though it's packed with protein, fiber and tons of nutrients, it's also heavy on the gluten, and can be ground into flour for baking just like plain ol' wheat. 

Hey, I cheated- I bought a package of already steamed baby
beets. It was easier and less messy.

The more we learn about whole grains the more we know we should be eating more of them, and spelt is a great choice. It's a hearty grain too, with more texture than rice, a bite similar to barley and a chewy nutty flavor. In fact, that nutty flavor and texture reminded me of wheat berries and got me thinking this grain deserves a prominent spot on the plate, like a main dish salad. If you have been reading along for any length of time, you know I'm a salad nut- I love making a big batch on Sunday and packing lunch dishes for 3 or 4 weekdays to take to work. Grains are perfect with crisp crunchy veggies and a little vinaigrette dressing, instead of a heavy mayo-based dressing, and sometimes a little cheese for even more heartiness.With a grain like spelt you can make these delicious salads all year long- just switch out the veggies to whatever is in season and fresh. Roasted vegetables, like beets and cubes of winter squash, also go wonderful in a warm salad toss, and fill you up with good things.

To start this dinner, get a good sized roasting chicken ready to go in the oven- generously spread the chicken, breast side up in a roasting pan, with softened butter. Season well with salt, pepper and herbs of your choice. Thyme is perfect for this dinner. 

Place the chicken in a 350 degree oven to begin roasting. Baste the chicken occasionally with the pan juices, and halfway through cooking, squeeze half a lemon over the chicken. Add the lemon half to the roasting pan- you can squeeze the roasted lemon over the cooked chicken at the end of roasting. Chicken should be roasted to an internal temp of 165 degrees.

Spelt with Roasted Winter Vegetables and Pecans

2 cups uncooked spelt

1 small bunch scallions

1 small butternut squash

6 baby beets
1/2 cup chopped pecans
big handful baby spinach leaves, rough chopped

1/2 lemon

1/4 cup pan drippings from roast chicken

salt and pepper
olive oil

To cook the spelt, rinse well, then combine with 5 cups water. 

Bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook over very low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed and grains are firm but tender. Drain off any remaining water and set aside.

Peel and cube the butternut squash. Toss with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and spread out onto foil lined baking sheet. 

Repeat with the beets. Season with salt. Place in the oven and roast the vegetables until just tender. Check after 15 minutes and keep checking every 5 minutes.

Slice the scallions and give the spinach a rough chop. 

In a large bowl combine the cooked spelt, the vegetables, the pecans, and toss. Squeeze the half lemon over and drizzle with the pan drippings from the chicken. Toss again, season with salt and pepper, and serve. 

This dish is so good and so filling. The hint of lemon goes so well with the richness of the chicken juices, and creates the perfect savory "dressing", coating the grains and vegetables perfectly. The sweetness of the beets and butternut squash really stands out, the pecans add a nice crunch and the spinach leaves bring even more fiber and a pop of green to the dish. The spelt is so protein-rich the leftovers are going to be a meal all on its own. The leftover chicken will get picked from the frame and tossed for a great lunch for the weekdays.

Food Culture- The Office Food Day

It's as American as apple pie. The pot luck. The pitch in. The food day. It's obvious that food is the center of many social events in our lives, and the workplace is no different. Whether it's holiday or theme, a big announcement or a farewell lunch for a departing co-worker, offices all over the U.S. hold food days as a way to socialize, and EAT.

The last few years I worked in an office of just three people. Not a lot of opportunity for food days there. Most days  I was in the office alone anyway. That's all changed, and now I worked for a major insurance company with lots of coworkers and lots of social activities and that often includes food days. This time around we are saying goodbye to a team member and enjoying a variety of delicious goodies. As a relatively new employee at my company I haven't been able to get to know many of the other employees very well yet, but that doesn't mean I won't miss our team analyst after his last day today. During training he was so patient and helpful, and encouraged me to think through the problems and questions myself when I got stuck. I swear he knows everything there is to know about annuities!

Our fearless leader Darla checks out the spread

Lots of yummy choices!

I came home all excited about Food Day. The Chef has graciously offered to take over the preparation of my contribution to the party. What's going on in our kitchen? Mini Meatball Subs with The Chef's famous marinara sauce. I didn't even have to ask, I just mentioned we were having a food day and he volunteered to make his famous meatballs and sauce.

The Chef's meatballs are super delicious- starting with good ground beef, not the super lean grind. You have to have some fat for tender juicy meatballs. Chopped onion and garlic go in the mix, along with seasonings, herbs, and Parmesan cheese. The meatballs are baked and then simmered in his homemade marinara sauce.

A crockpot full of meatballs becomes mini meatball subs with sliced mozzarella cheese and soft dinner rolls. These little sandwiches are a snap to put together at lunchtime and make a great party food too. They are a clever alternative to the typical potluck foods.

So as we give our coworker and friend a fine send off, loaded with food, there were lots of words of congratulations and well wishes. Of course, loads of food- from donuts to crackers and dips to crockpots full of smoky links, Buffalo chicken dip, a variety of chips and salsa and taco dip, fresh fruit, and bagels.