Good Housekeeping, 1955--Leftovers
In this section, each category gives a short explanation (which I've typed below) and then lists all the recipes (and the page numbers) that could be used for that leftover. The opening paragraph says:
Leftovers needn't mean waste or a dreary repetition of exactly the same meal. They can easily be worked into dishes that are deliciously different form the food's first appearance...Don't forget you can freeze that leftover bird, roast, etc. Give the family a rest by wrapping and freezing the bird; then bring it out a week or two later, when the family's all enthused again.
Leftover Egg Yolks:
To Store Leftover Egg Yolks: Put them in small bowl; cover with cold water; then refrigerate. Use, drained, within a day or two...
Hard-Cook Leftover Egg Yolks: Put yolks in strainer; lower into simmering water to cover; simmer until hard-cooked. Remove; mince with fork; then use where hard-cooked eggs are called for...
Leftover Egg Whites:
To Store Leftover Egg Whites: Turn them into covered jar and refrigerate. Use the whites within 10 days...
Leftover Fish:
Piece out leftover cooked fish with another fresh or canned fish or shellfish. Or mix leftover fish with chopped raw or cooked vegetables, salad dressing, and seasonings to use as a sandwich filling.
Leftover Vegetables:
Add to: salads, soups, tomorrow's vegetables, combine 2 kinds.
Leftover Boiled Potatoes: Serve them cut up, then creamed with peas, tuna, salmon, etc. Or toss with greens, vegetables, meat, fish, or poultry for salad. Or fry in skillet.
Leftover Mashed Potatoes: Add them to mashed turnips or squash. Or form into cakes; then saute.
Vegetable Liquid: Save it. It contains valuable soluble minerals and vitamins. Use it:
1. Combined with tomato juice.
2. As liquid with which to dilute any canned condensed soup.
3. As part of liquid in sauces, soups, gravies, or stews.
Leftover Fruits and Fruit Syrups:
Fruit: Use in or on fruit gelatin desserts, fruit cups, fruit cocktails, ice cream, sherbets, cake slices, etc. Use in salads--fruit, meat, or fish salads. Use as a garnish.
Fruit Syrups: Use in cold drinks.
Leftover Meats, Cake, Pie, Bread or Crusts, Cheese, Milk, and "Extras" (eg. pickles, olives, potato chips):
All of these categories just listed many recipes in which to use up the leftover.
For me, I found the ideas for egg whites and yolks, fish, fruits, and fruit syrups most useful. I can't count how many times I've thrown out the syrup in the fruit cans. The only way I've ever used up the extra yolks or whites was to scramble them. It's nice to see better ways to reduce food waste.
Am I the only one who has wasted more food than I care to admit?
9 comments:
Wow, one learns something every day! I knew about everything except about how to keep the egg yolks. I have tried saving them, but they always dried out or got gummy - even in Tupperware. I'd usually cook them up for the dogs or wind up throwing them away. (As for knowing the rest, my grandmothers were the queens of using leftovers.)
Yay! I was hoping that by posting these things someone might find a useful nugget.
I am NOT the queen of using leftovers. I don't like leftovers. They have always intimidated me. That's why I did my "Pantry Challenge" back in December.
With my succes in the challenge and this cookbook, I see happy news for my leftover usage!
Roxanne, my one grandma would take leftover meat (any and all that was in the fridge) and put it through the meat grinder with onions, pickles, celery, whatever. She'd mix it with salad dressing or mayo and use it as a sandwich spread. Oh, how I hated it, mostly because Grandma wouldn't be very careful about cutting off fat or gristle. Poor Grandma.
Packrat--I, too, detest the "gunkly" stuff. I am so against it that my husband accuses me of being wasteful. I just can't deal with it.
If the meat is nice and "clean" it makes sense to make it like your grandmother did. What a great idea! It was also help the meats that didn't come out as tender as expected.
(Adding to my list of leftover ideas!)
This post reminded me that I really need to start going through my fridge on Saturday and using the leftovers before Sunday when I grocery shop for the following week. Maybe I should add a vegetable soup to my Friday night meal to use up all the veggies I purchase from the week before. I really should make a better effort to use leftovers instead of throwing them away. Thanks for the reminder.
I definitely waste more food then I would like too. With only two of us, it's really difficult to go through perishables quickly.
My beau is actually very good with eating leftovers, he grew up with not much money, so he really had no choice. However Im not one for leftovers, he thinks they taste fine, I swear they're bad, its all in my mind Im sure. I throw out eggs, i didnt know what to do with them or how long they would keep. I love the idea of hard cooking the yolks and using them for salads and such! Thanks for the great post!
i freeze my egg whites from when I make pastry... then every now and again - massive meringue splurge...
Glamorous--I'm with you on that. I really hate food waste, but then find it happening once again. I'm hoping the tips and recipes in this book will help me in this area.
Amanda--There are three of us and find we have the same problem. It just irritates the heck out of me to get something out for a recipe and find that it has already died.
M--I'm glad you found something useful in this post. I, too, am excited about finding another way to use something up.
Weenie--Do you have a favorite meringue recipe? Do share!
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