Cooking dinner often means leftovers. Sure, a soup or stew is beautiful when reheated the next day. But sometimes you just can’t bear to eat that roast chicken any longer or you need a way to make some room in the fridge or freezer. This episode we have three recipes that are flexible enough to make use of leftovers while also bringing something different to the table. Roast chicken turns into a big (or small) batch of Cold Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cucumbers. Make a decadent Mr. or Mrs. Crunchy sandwich with some of that sourdough loaf before it goes stale. Or find an elegant use for the last of the grilled vegetables and cheese in a No Recipe Quiche. Leftovers have new life and you’ve got some new meals. Win, win!
Cold Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cucumbers, Mr. Crunchy with an Egg, and No Recipe Quiche
Cold Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cucumbers: Epicurious
As Kate works her way through three to four pounds of rice noodles, we stumbled on this flexible, easy, and fresh recipe from Julie Turshen. The most work comes from boiling and rinsing the noodles. The rest is just whisking up some soy sauce, fish sauce, honey and lime juice and tossing it with all sorts of fresh herbs and the leftovers of a roast chicken from last night. Light, yet filling, we love a salad like this for the rest of summer.
Tips:
- If you don’t have eight cups of chicken, don’t fret. Kate scaled this recipe down to ¼ the amount. Betsy made the full amount of noodles with a little less chicken. Both were delicious.
- This would also be great with baked or fried tofu or even shredded pork.
- Good for at least a day in the fridge, leave this out on the counter for a bit to relax the noodles and make it more pleasant to eat.
Mr. Crunchy with an Egg: Alton Brown on the Food Network
Baking a lot of bread lately? Make something of those loaves with this classic French sandwich made with decadent bechamel sauce, ham, and Gruyere cheese. Make a Mr. Crunchy (Croque Monsieur) with no egg or add one for a Mrs. Crunchy (Croque Madame). Either way, what a way to use that bread!
Tips:
- Follow Alton Brown’s recipe for bechamel sauce, and you’ll be all set. One small tip- make sure your heat isn’t too high. Otherwise the sauce may thicken too quickly and leave lumps.
- If lumps happen, you might be able to save your sauce by pushing it through a fine mesh sieve. Set the sieve over a bowl and pour in the lumpy sauce. Use a wooden spoon or spatula and stir to push the creamy sauce through. Any lumps will end up in the sieve.
No Recipe Quiche: Food 52
Don’t worry- there’s enough of a recipe for quiche for you to make killer use of that leftovers of feta, ham, and a bit of roasted vegetables from the night before. What Food 52 has is a basic framework: pie crust, eggs, cream, and fillings, paired with a technique that leads to creamy quiche every time.
Tips:
- We loved a combination of veggies and cheese with just a bit of meat thrown in for flavor.
- Check out the notes in the recipe for some delicious sounding options for fillings.
- Do make sure to not overcook your quiche. Take it out of the oven with still a bit of wiggle in the filling.
From the Smorgasbord:
A tres leches- like rice pudding, Arroz con Leche, from Marcela Valledolid on the Food Network was egg-free and oh-so delicious.
Make a lower alcohol content (low ABV) cocktail from Aperitif, by Rebekah Peppler. Have a nightcap that won’t leave you groggy in the morning. (Affiliate link- thanks for your support!)
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