What Do You Frequently Repurpose

TastyReuben

TastyReuben

Nosh 'n' Splosh
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In today's recycle-friendly environment, it's common to "repurpose" an item that's outlived it's original intent into something new (using my damaged Dutch oven as an artsy outdoor planter springs to mind).

In the kitchen this morning, I used some of the cranberry relish I made for Thanksgiving to flavor some maple syrup for my pancakes. Festive! Earlier, I also mixed the same relish with some cream cheese to make a cheerful holiday cracker spread.

With that in mind...what are the common ways you repurpose things in the kitchen? Last night's roast pork becomes tonight's pork-fried rice? The half-eaten roast chicken in the fridge for soup next week?

What are some common ways you use up your leftovers?
 
I rarely if ever actually have leftovers. If I cook for 1 meal, we eat what I cook and I'll scale what we cook to fit that meal.. If I'm cooking for 2 days, then we simply divide what's cooked into 2, one for each day and divide again. i don't cook "aimlessly". If I'm steaming veg, we simply steam only what we can eat.

We did have some tofu earlier this week that was passed its best in human terms so hubby diced it and fed it to the chooks. Anything white or yellow disappears without a trace.
I did point out that I could have tried making a korean (?) delicacy with it....

Now empty containers is another matter entirely.
Hummus pots are the most useful. The garage is full of them, Screws, hults, bolts, fuses, and so on... then the chooks have 10-15 of them, A pot is just the right amount to give a helping of seed to the chooks and each food bin has an empty on in it...
Then the freezer is also full of them. they are the right size for a single portion of soup, a double portion of vegan cheese sauce and also a great container for a batch of vegan butter.
 
There's a particular brand of gelato that Mrs. Fowler likes which comes in a rigid plastic container with a good, tight-fitting screw-on lid...
Talenti.jpeg

I hoard these empty containers like gold and she always makes fun of me 🤷‍♂️
They're great for so many purposes, from storing leftover gravy to organizing screws and nails in the garage.
 
My original intent was more food-focused, but I like how folks are including other kitchen items. Keep it coming!

Here's mine for today:

I made pot pies yesterday and had pie dough left over, so I rolled it thin, cut it out, sprinkled it with cheese and some seasonings, and baked it up into little cheesy cracker-like snacks:

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TastyReuben said:
My original intent was more food-focused, but I like how folks are including other kitchen items. Keep it coming!
Click to expand...
My bad! :oops:
  • Sometimes if I chop too many veggies for seasoning or marinade, they will go into a frittata the next morning.
  • Leftover bacon (yes it does happen lol) is always used up, either in a subsequent breakfast dish or as a salad topper, or BLT.
  • Leftover pork belly gets cubed up and is reserved for Fried Rice... this is probably my favorite food "repurpose".
 
TastyReuben said:
My original intent was more food-focused, but I like how folks are including other kitchen items. Keep it coming!

Here's mine for today:

I made pot pies yesterday and had pie dough left over, so I rolled it thin, cut it out, sprinkled it with cheese and some seasonings, and baked it up into little cheesy cracker-like snacks:

View attachment 76616
View attachment 76618
Click to expand...

You mean you didn't follow a recipe for once? :ohmy: :hyper:
 
TastyReuben said:
My original intent was more food-focused, but I like how folks are including other kitchen items. Keep it coming!

Here's mine for today:

I made pot pies yesterday and had pie dough left over, so I rolled it thin, cut it out, sprinkled it with cheese and some seasonings, and baked it up into little cheesy cracker-like snacks:

View attachment 76616
View attachment 76618
Click to expand...
chicken food!

just very occasionally, the puff pastry sheets we use (accidentally vegan ones) are not used in their entire sheet, but we end up with an inch wide strip cut off bith sides and not used. we'll bung those in the oven after turning it off and let them cook for 10-15 minutes. once cold they get thrown out to the chooks who fight over them something wonderfully... we'll deliberately not break them up because it's fun watching a chicken run around the garden with a brittle strip of puff pastry in its beak being chased by the other chooks... they will squabble (fight isn't the right word here) over who gets the bits . by the time they have done 2 or 3 circuits of the house the strip will have fed most of the flock just not the bird that is holding the remains (she'll get the last bit). some of the girls need the exercise ... (one weighed in at 4½kg at the weekend! ) it's flock behaviour and actually the closest they come to a wild response. they did the same when they find a wild treat anyway (such as a giant centipede). only a few girls know how to kill it, the rest watch and hope to claim the treat when it's dead. the pastry is a really good example, but it takes skill not to hold it too tightly as they run...
 
For non food items - plastic, paper, cardboard and cans, we have a designated can for curbside pickup.
Chicken - chicken soup, chicken salad, chicken pot pie, chicken and dumplings
pork, beef or venison roast - sliced for sandwiches, cooked with other leftovers in a meat pie, shredded for tacos or tossed with fried rice.
I try not to cook large portions. George is another story. He loves to cook a rack of ribs or a large roast. This morning he walked in with a Brisket. I am Ok with that. We have not cooked brisket in a long time. I will freeze the leftovers in meal size packs.
George has gotten better. He has learned to freeze game or fish in smaller packages. He can't resist a sale. He will buy bulk packages of chicken leg quarters or pork chops. He knows that he has to repackage the meat in meal size portions.
 
Leftovers always get re-used in this house, never wasted. Leftover meat of all kinds gets made into a pie, pasta sauce, pizza topping, taco/fajita filling. Or simply just used for lunches the next day. If we already have meals planned then the leftovers are frozen for later.

Leftover bread (which is very unusual!) gets made into breadcrumbs and frozen. We rarely have leftover veg, but they can be added to a stir fry, bubble and squeak, a pasta sauce or soup. I made a potato and leek gratin to go with dinner last night....we didn't eat it all so I blitzed the rest of it up in the food processor with a bit more liquid to make leek and potato soup for lunch today.
 
hubby cooked too much roasted green freekeh yesterday. the extra ⅓ of a serving went to the chooks this morning. they adore it.
an avo that was passed it's best and close to going off also went their way. oddly they also love that as well.
PS the green freekeh only went to them to stop me sitting and eating it plain as is as a snack. they also love cooked rice as well.
 
We usually eat whatever is leftover as lunch or a snack. If not used as a meal I use leftover veggies in pasta sauce or curries, I use leftover sauces with meats or snacks, and leftover meat or fish in a noodle dish or fried rice or something.
If I have too much leftover I just freeze it for another day where I don't feel like cooking.
Leftover bakery treats only happen in the festive season, and then I usually make bread pudding with them.
 
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