A Love/ Hate Relationship...with Leftovers

September 6, 2012

For those of you who know this Foodie, you probably know how much I dislike leftovers.  It is a rare occasion that I take any unfinished food home from a restaurant, friend's house, etc.  I just don't like the idea of something cooked for the second time or the re-heated texture (too soggy or tough) or taste of said food on another day.

Over the years, I have learned some passable tricks for "re-packaging" foods of yesterday.  One of them is leftover beef or chicken, marinated or plain.  Many years ago, we were out with some friends and I'm thinking it was actually pre-kids... (I could easily go off on a tangent here, but I won't) and we went back to their house for some late night chow and he whipped us up some fresh quesadillas with a leftover piece of steak sliced thin and sandwiched in between that cheesy tortilla.  It was super satisfying and perhaps my memory is slightly tainted because of the adult beverages I had that night, but borderline delicious.  Whenever I have leftover steak or chicken now, my go-to lunch, appetizer or dinner in one of the days following is the quesadilla.  Easy to make and in my house we have all of those ingredients on hand (shredded cheese, tortillas and a little cooking spray or olive oil- pepper and other veggies also optional) and the bonus is, my kids eat quesadillas now too.

I love pizza.  To tell you the truth, I don't really know anyone who doesn't.  I usually have a pre-made crust on hand for a last minute snack or meal or Pillsbury makes a pizza dough or you can always go old school with a Pillsbury crescent roll crust. I buy a wheat version at Whole Foods, but recently tried Mama Mary's thin crusts with a crowd of people which got the thumbs up from both kids and adults (more about that in a minute).  I've made mini pizzas on the Indian bread, Naan or on pitas or the "kid-friendly" English Muffins.  There are so many different things on the market to choose from.  It occurred to me last night that pizza is really an open canvas for leftovers and basically to get rid of anything that's in your refrigerator.  In no time, I whipped up a pizza on a whole wheat crust with a little tomato sauce, peppers, mushrooms, shrimp, mozzarella, ricotta and parmesan cheese.  With a little garlic powder, oregano and basil, you're on your way and this new concoction was fresh and tasted great.  Think of all of the variations that are possible and inexpensive because you already have everything at home!  Until now, I totally didn't think of this as "leftover" but it kinda was!

Last, there is the "Leftover Challenge"... My family and I were away last week on vacation in North Carolina with 2 other families.  On the day we arrived, we went shopping for 11 people for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The first couple of nights we had basics that were cooked fresh: hamburgers and hotdogs, another night chicken and steak, etc.  The FUN part was as the week went on, assessing what was in the fridge and deciding what we could make to feed 5 kids and 6 adults.  I mean it, I enjoyed the challenge of thinking out of the box in order to use what was on hand with minimal additions from the store.  Afterall, we didn't want to have a full fridge of stuff that needed to be thrown in the garbage at the end of the week.  Some favorites of the week were blueberry pancakes, lots of sandwich combinations and top nights included a Mexican fiesta where there was plenty of chicken, beans, rice and vegetables for fajitas, tacos and quesadillas and make-your-own pizza night where we bought personal pizza crusts (Mama Mary's) and all of the kids and adults got to choose there own toppings from meals and veggies that were cooked, sliced and diced earlier in the week.  Almost everything that we put out for both meals was stuff that we already had on hand.  I'm here to tell you that much of this group of 11 had the same things with small variations for lunch the next day and they were THRILLED about it!  I'm still trying to fit back into my jeans.  Oh wait, that wasn't only from this vacation.  Haha!

You still won't likely catch me taking extra stuff home from a restaurant, but I wanted to share these ideas  for "fresh leftovers" and let you know that I am re-thinking the actual meaning of leftovers and I'm likin' it!

Thanks- Foodie

Fishing in the Outerbanks for our next meal (just kidding)

Foodie Favorites is Back!

September 4, 2012

Doesn't everyone like a comeback?  Well, after 3 years from my last posting, Foodie is back...

Where has the time gone?  It's been busy but we've still enjoyed our Foodie Finds, I just didn't make the time to write about them. I've realized over the last few weeks that blogging about our favorite recipes, restaurants, wines, etc. was still a great way to talk about and share some of the stuff that I love.  Bear with me while I'm finding my groove again and we'll be on our way!

After a 3 year hiatus, I didn't have writer's block per se, but it wasn't easy to decide what to write about so I'm going to start simple with a recipe I made when some friends were over a couple of weeks ago.  The recipe was for Gnocchi with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Pesto compliments of Cooking Light magazine from September 2010.  (yes, I'm behind on my magazines as well!)  The recipe was only a guide for me as I used what I had on hand to make it even easier.  Enjoy the original recipe, the Foodie version or make your own version by swapping in other veggies or pasta.  It's super fast, tasty, and easy.

We can't wait for your feedback.  After not posting for 3 years, our followers have dwindled down to only a loyal couple so tell your friends to join our mailing list at www.foodiefavorites.blogspot.com and they'll be e-mailed directly every time there is a new posting.

Bon Appetit!

 

Gnocchi with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Pesto (Cooking Light, September 2010)
Ingredients:
2 quarts plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
1 (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi (I used 4 cheese tortellini instead because it was in the fridge)
4 cups (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 1 pound)
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves*
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted*
2 tablespoons pre-shredded Parmesan cheese*
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice*
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic*
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil*

*Instead of making the pesto which I'm sure would have been delicious and a good use for all of that basil you're going to have left over in your garden, I used a few spoonfuls of pre-made Buitoni's Pesto with Basil that you can find in most supermarkets.

1.  Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven.  Add gnocchi to pan; cook 4 minutes or until done (gnocchi will rise to surface).  Remove with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl.  Add asparagus and shrimp to pan; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done.  Drain.  Add shrimp mixture to gnocchi.
2.  Combine remaining 1 tablespoon water, basil and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides.  Drizzle oil through food chute with food processor on; process until well blended.  Add basil mixture to shrimp mixture; toss to coat.  Serve immediately.  Yield: 4 servings (serving size 2 cups).

Find other healthy recipes at www.cookinglight.com.

"Please Sir, I Want S'More"

August 26, 2009

As the school year is getting closer and the inevitable school orientations and back to school play groups and play dates are happening, it seems like everyone that I've talked to has gone to Hershey Park at some point this summer. And why not, there does seem to be something there for kids of all ages...rides, games and even some other treats.

Senor Food, one of the biggest kids I know (and I say that lovingly!) shares one of his favorite Hershey memories which just happens to be food related...

Senor Food:
"Let's start with the ultimate Hershey treat...and when I say ultimate, I mean it- the S'more. I hope most of you have experienced this culinary masterpiece previously. Now a regular S'more is made with 2 Graham Crackers, a marshmallow and a square of chocolate. In Hershey Park, they do things a little differently and while change isn't always a good thing, in this case it is a great thing! They use 2 giant sized soft, fresh chocolate chip cookies and in between they pack 10 marshmallows and 1 full Hershey bar!!! I recommend sharing it as it is just too rich to consume alone. The one problem is that you need to be inside the amusement park to purchase one so if you include that in the cost, it unfortunately does make this tasty treat kind of expensive, but in my opinion it is well worth it! If you find yourself in Hershey, this is not to be missed. Arriba!"

If you haven't made it to Hershey yet, it is not too late- they are open lots of weekends throughout the fall and I hear they have great Halloween and Christmas celebrations or there is always next year! www.hersheypark.com

Happy Trails!
Foodie

Ginger-Garlic Chicken with Fresh Fig Pan Sauce

August 24, 2009

Where does the time go? It is hard to believe that the summer is almost over. Make sure you continue to take advantage of all those seasonally fresh ingredients that are still out there since they'll be gone as quick as those warm summer days.

Last week I whipped up this recipe from Cooking Light to take advantage of all of the figs that are in season at this time of year. Oooohhhh...yuck...figs you might say? Did you read Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham?? Don't knock it until you try it because I was a "fig hater" (silly because I don't know if I ever had them before). But, while shopping at Whole Foods one afternoon, they were serving up samples of a fig spread with brie on petit toasts. It was love at first bite! I am a fig convert and you can ask anyone who has been at my house as of late because I am serving up that tasty little appetizer on a regular basis!

Anyway, enough history, this recipe is fresh, tasty, light and fairly easy to make.

Ingredients:
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion bottoms
1 pound ripe Kadota or Brown Turkey figs, cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion tops
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound each chicken breast half to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.

2. Combine ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and garlic in a small bowl; mash with a spoon to form a paste. Rub paste evenly over chicken; cover and chill 20 minutes. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. (Foodie note- I found it definitely took longer than 2 minutes on each side to cook so make sure you check that it is fully cooked before taking it out of the pan. Also, unless you have a huge frying pan, you will probably need to work in batches.) Add green onion bottoms to pan; saute 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add figs; saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, vinegar and sesame oil. Remove from heat; spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with green onion tops and sesame seeds.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size- 1 chicken breast half and about 1/3 cup sauce)
Calories 318, Fat 7.3 grams (sat 1.1g, mono 3.2g, poly 2.2g)

Bon appetit!
Foodie