Leftovers

December – Leftover Stuffing Strata
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December – Leftover Stuffing Strata

Leftovers, I just love them. Here is a way to repurpose any leftover stuffing from Christmas. Any type will work although you might want to alter the type of cheese. I used goat cheese, parmesan would also be good. Toss in leftover greens to up the nutritional value.

I used leftovers from Kale and Caramelized Onion Stuffing in this strata but it would also have been delicious using my standard Sausage with Raisin Stuffing.

Leftover Stuffing Strata

  • Leftover stuffing – I had about 4 cups
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups half-and-half (or a mixture of cream and milk to make 2 cups)
  • 4 oz of soft goats cheese
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Liberally butter a 2 quart baking dish
  3. In a large bowl combine the stuffing, eggs, milky mixture, and crumbled goats cheese
  4. Pour into the prepared baking dish and let sit for at least 20 minutes to overnight
    Leftover Stuffing Strata

    Leftover Stuffing Strata

    Stuffing Strata

    Stuffing Strata

  5. Bake until the custard is set, this took about 55 minutes. If it was refrigerated, allow a few more minutes baking time.
  6. Let sit for 10 minutes once cooked before serving.

    Leftover Stuffing Strata

    Leftover Stuffing Strata

If you have more or less stuffing, adjust the components. It should be 1 egg and 1/2 cup of milk to each cup of stuffing.

Leftover Stuffing Strata

Leftover Stuffing Strata

I’m taking this to Fiesta Friday #98, folks are thinking about their Christmas menu, better plan for leftovers. There are two new co-hosts to assist Angie from the Novice Gardener, Sadhna @ Herbs, Spices and Traditions and Natalie @ Kitchen, uncorked.

December – Kale and Caramelized Onion Stuffing
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December – Kale and Caramelized Onion Stuffing

This recipe for kale and caramelized onion stuffing (or more accurately dressing since it is not inside the bird) came by way of the blog The Smitten Kitchen. I have modified it only slightly because the original called for the use of butter and I like the touch of sweet added by the raisins. I needed a dish that would appeal to both vegans and vegetarians, thus made some simple substitutions. It was delicious and everyone enjoyed it, non vegetarians and vegans alike. Two of the best things? The leftovers! The leftover croutons I didn’t use in the stuffing were absolutely amazing sprinkled over a hot bowl of tomato soup the next day. Because of being hand torn instead of cut, they had lots of crispy and crusty edges to add texture. Any leftover stuffing can be made into a wonderful breakfast strata combined with goat cheese, milk and eggs.

I don’t have any pictures of the stuffing. I took this dish to a large Thanksgiving party. I couldn’t shout out “stop everything, I need to take some pictures”! My family is used to me doing that, they only role their eyes and hit pause. But, I would not have won any popularity contests with the 18 people standing in the buffet line.  Do any of the rest of you ever have this problem?

I do have pictures of the strata made with the leftovers.

I’m going to post the recipe for the kale and caramelized onion stuffing with my modifications, click on the Smitten Kitchen link above to see the original.

Kale and Caramelized Onion Stuffing 

Serves 8

  • 1-1/4 pound loaf of sourdough or dense country style bread, crusts removed.
  • 1/2 cup of olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons of vegan butter substitute or more oil, divided (butter if not serving vegans)
  • 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced into half moons
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of honey or sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
  • 1 pound of curly kale, center ribs and stems removed, leaves chopped into large chunks.
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups of vegetable stock (or chicken or turkey)
  • 1/2 cup of golden raisins
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • 2 tablespoons sherry
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Slice the crusts off the bread (save, dry them and use for breadcrumbs) and tear the loaf into pieces roughly 1 inch in size. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to mix. Spread on a large rimmed baking dish and toast until golden brown and crisp but still a little tender on the inside. This took about 20 minutes and I turned them half way through. When cooked, cool slightly and pour into a large bowl.
  3. While the bread is toasting, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over low heat. Add the onions, toss to coat with oil and cover the pan. Cook undisturbed on the lowest heat possible for 15 minutes.
  4. Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium/medium high, add sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook the onions, stirring frequently for another 15 to 20 minutes until deep golden brown. Add 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar and use it to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan. Taste for seasoning and remove the onions to the bowl with the croutons.
  5. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pan and heat the garlic for 30 seconds, add the kale. Coat the kale with oil, then add 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth. Cook kale until wilted and somewhat tender (this will take 5-6 minutes). Add the sherry to the pan and cook until it almost all evaporates. Taste and season with the chili flakes, salt and pepper.  Add remaining broth and bring to a simmer.
  6. Pour the kale mixture over the croutons and onions. Toss to combine. Add the raisins and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning. Pour into a 3-quart casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 20 until the top is crisp and golden brown.

I’m taking this to Fiesta Friday #98, folks are thinking about their Christmas menu. There are two new co-hosts to assist Angie from the Novice Gardener, Sadhna @ Herbs, Spices and Traditions and Natalie @ Kitchen, uncorked.

Leftover Stuffing Strata

  • Leftover stuffing – I had about 4 cups
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups half-and-half (or a mixture of cream and milk to make 2 cups)
  • 4 oz of soft goats cheese
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Liberally butter a 2 quart baking dish
  3. In a large bowl combine the stuffing, eggs, milky mixture, and crumbled goats cheese
  4. Pour into the prepared baking dish and let sit for at least 20 minutes to overnight

    Stuffing Strata

    Stuffing Strata

  5. Bake until the custard is set, this took about 55 minutes. If it was refrigerated, allow a few more minutes baking time.
  6. Let sit for 10 minutes once cooked before serving.

    Leftover Stuffing Strata

    Leftover Stuffing Strata

If you have more or less stuffing, adjust the components. It should be 1 egg and 1/2 cup of milk to each cup of stuffing.

September in the Kitchen – Salmon and Sweet Potato Burgers
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September in the Kitchen – Salmon and Sweet Potato Burgers

Leftovers, don’t you just love them? They really spur my creative thoughts. In this case, it was about 2 cups of leftover grilled fresh salmon from the night before. What to do with it? I wanted something warm (cold salmon salad didn’t do it for me on a crisp autumn night). I have had delicious fish croquettes made with leftover white fish and mashed potatoes. What about salmon and sweet potatoes? If I used yams they would have a lovely pink color. What do you think? It was worth a try. Success! I added some finely chopped Serrano chili to counter the sweetness and add a touch of heat.

Salmon and Sweet Potato Burgers

Salmon and Sweet Potato Burgers

Salmon and Sweet Potato Burgers

  • About 2 cups of leftover salmon, flaked (canned would probably work as well)
  • 1 large cooked sweet potato or yam (or 2 smaller ones), removed from the skin and mashed
  • 1 Serrano chili, seeded and shopped finely
  • 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
  • 4 finely chopped green onions
  • Soy sauce, I used about 2 tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Panko for coating (I used gluten free Panko)
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • For serving, sliced avocado and more chopped cilantro
Salmon and Sweet Potato Burgers

Salmon and Sweet Potato Burgers

  1. Combine the flaked salmon, mashed sweet potato, chili, cilantro, scallions, soy sauce and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Taste for seasoning before adding the beaten egg. You may need to add a bit more soy sauce or salt. Once to your liking, add the beaten egg.
  2. Spread the panko (or bread crumbs) on a plate.
  3. Form the salmon mixture into burger like portions with your hands, coat with the panko and place in a single layer on a plate. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  4. Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil, sauté the burgers for about 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked through.
  5. Serve with avocado and more chopped cilantro.
Salmon Burgers

Salmon Burgers

 

March in the Kitchen – Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Rice
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March in the Kitchen – Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Rice

Why you ask is this called Brussels sprouts with rice rather than rice with Brussels sprouts? There are more sprouts than rice in this recipe, the rice just giving a bit more body to the saute. The Brussels sprouts carmelize when sauteed on high heat, picking up a lovely roasty flavor, they are definitely the stars.

Years ago someone told me that the trick to cooking cabbage (or vegetables in the cabbage family) is lots of good quality oil or butter, and lots of salt. I find that to be true and would add that lemon juice and/or zest contribute a freshness which is quite lovely.

Brussels Sprouts

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Rice

This could easily be a main course for a vegetarian (and glutin free) dinner. If you want meat and a “one-dish meal” add some diced roast chicken at the same time you stir in the rice. This is also a wonderful side dish with grilled chicken or lamb chops. Starch and vegetables in one dish.

When you cook rice or order take out, make or purchase extra. Store the leftovers in a heavy duty zip bag or other container in the freezer. I flatten it first so it is easier to thaw. It reheats “good as new” in the microwave. Or, if you are not in a hurry, let it sit at room temperature on the counter to thaw. It’s a base for an amazing number of quick meals, from Italian fried rice to a simple brothy soup with a spoonful of rice and a garnish of parsley, lemon juice, and Parmesan.

  • 1 lb. of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced about 1/4 inch thick (you could use your processor with the slicing blade or use a sharp knife)
  •  4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 shallots, chopped 
  • 1 leek chopped (optional, I found one in the bottom of the produce bin)
  • 2 cups of cooked rice
  • 1/4 cup of dry white wine
  • 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (emulsified in the white wine)
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Chopped pea shoots (optional, about 1/2 cup)
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wide bottomed saucepan over medium high heat.
  2. Add the chopped shallots and leek to the pan, saute until they soften and brown (about 5 minutes)
  3. Add the Brussels sprouts and continue to cook, stirring occassionally, until they are browning and starting to carmelize, add additional olive oil if needed. This took about 10 minutes for a full pan.
  4. Add cooked rice to the pan and continue to saute until the rice is hot.
  5. Add the white wine/mustard mix, cook to blend.
  6. Add the lemon zest and squeeze the lemon juice over the dish.
  7. Lastly stir in the pea shoots, if using. Parsley would also be good, or a few roast sliced almonds…you can see where I’m going with this.

Serve.

January in the Kitchen – Italian Fried Rice
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January in the Kitchen – Italian Fried Rice

Italian Fried Rice started as a way to use up leftovers…odds and ends of stray vegetables, a package of frozen cooked rice from the freezer, and a stray uncooked chicken breast from another meal. However, it turned out to be much greater than the sum of it’s parts. This could easily be a template for a vegetarian meal, leave out the chicken (and sausage) and make it with tofu.

Italian Fried Rice

Italian Fried Rice

Ingredients for Italian Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil (more might be needed)
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 2 spicy Italian sausages, sliced (optional)
  • 2 chicken breasts, cubed; or 1 package of extra firm tofu, cubed and drained on paper towels for 20 minutes.
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 cups of cabbage, sliced
  •  4 cups cooked rice
  • 4 cups of ‘baby’ spinach
  • Pesto sauce
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Sauteed chicken

Sauteed chicken

  1. Add the two tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet, heat to shimmering and add the chicken or tofu. Saute on medium high for about 5-10 minutes until they are beginning to brown and are mostly cooked, add the sausage to the pan if using. Cook for another 5 minutes, then remove to a plate.
  2. To any oil remaining in the skillet (more might be needed) add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften, add the garlic and red pepper. If not using spicy sausage, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the mix.
  3. Add the rice to the skillet and continue to saute until beginning to brown.
  4. Add the chicken back to the skillet, then the cabbage. Continue to stir until everything is hot but the cabbage is still crisp.
  5. Lastly, just before serving, add the baby spinach and stir just long enough to wilt it.
  6. Salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Top each serving with a tablespoon of pesto.
Italian Fried Rice

Italian Fried Rice

Fried Rice

Italian Fried Rice

Aren’t leftovers wonderful?! They really get my creative juices flowing.