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Tag: leftovers

Leftover Cabbage Fritters

Cabbage Fritters So, after I made the cabbage dish, I had quite a bit of it leftover in the fridge. I thought of serving it again a few days later but somehow wanted to transform the vegetable into something else. Cooked cabbage tends to be mushy- which is fine but that is what I don’t like about it. I decided to do something about it and change it up into something crunchy and even more delicious.

What do you do with delicious leftovers?? You make fritters, of course! I decided to add an egg, peanuts, raisins and the secret ingredient- panko breadcrumbs. I love using these Japanese breadcrumbs. They provide a delicious crunch in everything.  I incorporated everything and cooked them in a non-stick pan with a bit of oil.

The crunchy fritters were delicious- the chopped raisins provided a surprise burst of sweetness and the peanuts were crunchy. It was amazing to transform the cabbage into delicious fritters. Now I can’t wait to make the cabbage again so I can eat the fritters again!
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Pulled Chicken Mexican Soup

Pulled Chicken Mexican Soup So, what do you do with leftover pulled chicken?? Well, you make pulled chicken Mexican soup, of course! I admit this idea did not come to me right away. All I wanted was to come up with a completely new dish to make with my leftover chicken. I thought about it quite a bit and finally decided on a soup. I am not a big soup person- not sure why. It is an ideal one pot meal that can be very healthy and easy to make.

This one in particular was extremely good- I think because I had a great starting point- the pulled chicken. If you want to make this recipe and don’t want to go through the hassle of making the chicken- I have a suggestion for you. I would buy a rotisserie chicken, pull the meat off the legs and the thighs and sprinkle with smoked paprika and some lemon juice. Let the chicken marinate for an hour and then follow the recipe. The result won’t be the same as what I made but it will be very close and definitely very tasty.

It was very quick, I started with some olive oil and added some corn flour (maize flour)- to thicken the soup. I was going to use regular flour but then I though corn flour will give the soup a more authentic taste. I added a can of pinto beans, salsa and some roasted corn. The soup came out delicious. All the ingredients complemented each other really well. I made a little more guacamole and served a big dollop right on top. Everyone was very happy and satisfied…

  • 1 to 2 cups leftover pulled chicken
  • 1 can pinto beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
  • 2 tablespoons corn flour (corn meal)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup leftover or bottled salsa
  • 2 cups frozen, roasted corn
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • Salt

Heat a heavy saucepan and add the olive oil. Add the mashed beans and corn flour. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salsa and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken, roasted corn and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer half covered for at least an hour. Check for seasonings and serve with cheese quesadillas.

Leftover Shrimp and Sausage Paella

Leftover Paella This is what I came up with the leftovers from last night’s dinner. I had some shrimp- not too many, so I chopped them up into small pieces so a little goes a long way.

My husband loves paella, especially the kind with lots of red sauce- he is crazy about anything with red sauce.

I made this paella with arborio rice since it is creamier than the regular one. I cooked it like a risotto but didn’t stand in front of the stove, stirring constantly. Instead I added most of the broth at once and let it cook. It resulted in a very delicious and perfectly cooked paella.

To start the process, I crumbled up the leftover chorizo and cooked it with the onions and garlic. I added rose wine because that is what I was drinking. Tomato sauce and chicken broth later, I had a yummy dish. By adding the frozen peas, I had a one pot meal.

A neighbor and my daughter’s friend stopped by and joined up for dinner. They both ate up the paella and complemented on the taste.

Next time you have leftovers- make a paella!
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Potato Cakes- Using Up Leftovers..

Potato Cakes3 This is a great way to use up leftovers. I had quite a bit of the potato salad left over from the Thai themed barbecue. I wasn’t sure what to do with so much potato salad.

As I was thinking, potato cakes came to mind- especially since I also had the leftover mango salsa.

I added panko bread crumbs, an egg and some cheddar cheese to the salad and mixed it all really well. I shaped them into small cakes and sauteed them with a little oil. It took almost no time to make- and so easy. The best part was that they tasted delicious with the mango salsa. For myself I drizzled a bit of sriracha sauce which added a nice tangy, spicy aspect to the dish.

We had the potato cakes for lunch. I made a salad on the side- perfect for a weekend meal.
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