Don't throw your leftover food yet. Of course, you should
check for food safety. If they are
recently cooked these can be recycled. Here are some tips on recycling leftover food.
In the long run, you will save hundreds of dollars yearly on food if you follow
these tips!
Pound cake or pieces
of sponge cake
- Soaked in sweet wine or liqueur or topped with custard or
fruit sauce, these can be excellent desserts. You may also crumble them as
toppings for ice cream.
Broken cookies
- Crush cookie pieces into coarse crumbs then mix melted
chocolate and coconut and for a pie topping.
- Crumbled cookies between ice cream layers gives that
surprise "crunch." They may
also be sprinkled on top of puddings and parfaits.
Leftover Bread
- Combine bread cubes with orange juice and rind to create a
savory citrus-bread pudding.
- Almost-stale or day-old bread slices can be slathered with
butter or margarine, sprinkled with grated cheese, toasted, and topped with
egg.
Cooked Vegetables
- Top with blue cheese or Italian dressing and serve
chilled.
- Slice them and use as an added ingredient for omelets and
frittatas.
- Preserve the vegetable stock by freezing and use it for
making stews, soups and casseroles.
Heavy cream
Heavy cream can be frozen for future in tart fillings,
quiches, cream soups and sauces. However, be aware that cream, once frozen,
can't be whipped anymore.
Coffee
- Freeze unused coffee in ice cube trays. These can be used
for iced coffee later. If you prefer blended iced coffee, spin them in the
blender mixed with ice cream for a delightful frappe.
- Add some coffee to meat gravies to give a robust flavor.
- Add coffee to cake frostings to achieve a luscious mocha
cream taste.
Pieces of Cheeses
- Shred cheese or slice them thinly for use in tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches, salad,
chili, or potato toppings.
- Use them as fillings for stuffed fish, poultry, or
vegetables.
Flat beer
- Flat beer can be used for simmering pot roasts or other
cuts of meat to achieve an excellent taste.
- To add zest to boiled shrimp, use flat beer instead of
water.
- Use for making beer batter for clams, fish fillets, and
other seafood dishes.
Fresh mushrooms going
brown
- Sauté mushrooms with garlic and parsley. Add thyme and
wine and use as a sauce for flank steak, pork chops, or chicken.
- Use them to create an antipasto appetizer by marinating
mushrooms in vinaigrette dressing.
- Mix the mushrooms into a sherried mushroom soup.
Wine
- Perk up bland tomato sauces by adding a little wine.
- Use wine as a marinade to tenderize tough meats.
Egg whites
Beat egg whites to be used for meringue tarts and for baking
crusts. Use them as fillings for fruits or pastries.
Egg yolks
- Use beaten egg yolks for making custard, pastry cream for
eclairs, and cream puffs.
-Beat yolks and mix with confectioners' sugar and almond
paste to create excellent almond macaroons.
© 2012 Athena Goodlight
