LeftoverMania: Power to the Pantry!

Arrgh, sorry for the absentee blogger crap, folks!  I'm in the midst of a bit of food-related ennui.  The inevitable amusing side effect: Playing with the more mundane rotating residents of my friggy.

Observe the cornered foodie, spinning her wheels at home.

Exhibit #1: Rice Vermicelli with Sliced Lamb and Mint
(AKA Instant Noodles with Leftover Chops and Frozen Veggies)

Elements (per bowl):

• 1 package instant rice vermicelli, preferably onion-flavored
• 1 leftover medium rare lamb chop, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 cup frozen whole-leaf spinach
• 1 sprig fresh mint, chopped
• Shichimi togarashi pepper to taste

In my defense: The super-salty onion-flavored soup stood up well to the gaminess of the lamb, whose medium-rare state gently wandered over to medium-well whilst bathing in its sodium bath (not unlike pho!).  Corn brought sweetness to the party, spinach (washed and frozen by moi!) helped to alleviate my vegetable guilt, and the mint was a welcome illusion of freshness.

Verdict: No one is too good for instant noodles.  Drink lots 'o' water to avoid sodium shock.

Exhibit #2: Pea and Shittake Risotto with Soft-Poached Egg and Pecorino
(AKA Reincarnated Chinese Takeout Rice Jook with Frozen Peas and Dried Mushrooms)

Elements (per bowl):

• 1/2 carton leftover Chinese takeout rice
• 1/2 (14-oz) can chicken broth
• 1/4 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup dried, sliced shittake mushrooms
• 1 egg (cage-free and vegetarian, please!)
• 1-2 TBSP. butter
• Pecorino, freshly grated, to taste
• Kosher salt and black pepper, freshly cracked, to taste
• Chili-spiked sesame oil to taste

In my defense: This was actually more like Asian rice porridge than risotto, except for the shot in the arm it gets with the butter and cheese.  The bubbly, broth-sucking napalm is an ideal medium for reconstituting hard white rice and dried mushrooms, thawing frozen peas, and poaching an egg to an appealing ooziness in no time.  Pepper and chili oil help to give an edge to all this richness.

Verdict: Don't think the Asians at large or the Italians would be eager to claim this porridge puppy, but that's fine by me and my well-warmed belly.

Exhibit #3: Rigatoni with Leeks, Mozzarella, Basil and Toasted Bread Crumbs
(AKA Pasta with Chopped Stale Bread and Caprese Leftovers)

Elements (per bowl):

• 1 serving dried rigatoni (In retrospect, it would have been better with linguine or spaghetti.)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup leftover sauteed leeks
• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, leftover from previous night's Italian takeout, hand-chopped and pan toasted in olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, chopped
• 1 handful fresh basil, chopped
• Kosher salt and black pepper, freshly cracked, to taste
• Red pepper flakes, to taste

In my defense: I realize that not everyone's gonna have sauteed leeks sitting around, but sub-optimal tomatoes melted in a bit of olive oil or butter would do just fine (or whatever the hell you fancy for pasta lube).  Toasted bread crumbs bring fragrance and a pleasing textural contrast to your everyday pasta toss, so don't be afraid of a little carb-on-carb action. Oh, and the basil and mozzarella was sitting around from the previous night's ill-fated caprese (white-middled April tomatoes will only bring despair!!!!!!!).   

Verdict: Don't pretend you don't have a rock-hard stale baton of bread sittin' around.  Grind, toast, and toss--you can't eat bread pudding every day.

Don't underestimate the power of the pantry, people!  None of these (or God forbid any freshly conceived) meals could have been made possible without continuously maintained stocks of the the following:

1) Dried pasta: Always on sale, and you can never own too many shapes.

2) Chicken broth: My roomie is always busting my chops, 'cause I'm more likely to make a broth run than a milk run, but it's undeniably the salty backbone for all slapped-together nourishment.

3) Non-mixed frozen veggies: Why? Mostly 'cause it's hard to even pretend to be classy when there are cubed carrots involved, but also because even frozen veggies have varied cooking times, which means in the mixed veggie game, there's always at least one loser (squishy cut green beans, watery cauliflower florets, etc).  Get the bags of single-type, loosely frozen veggies, not the blocks of death.

4) Dried mushrooms: They last indefinitely in the freezer, and are a great go-to for gussying up sauces, soups and starches.

5) Condiment collection: Mine looks like this (strongly abbreviated)--

• 3-lb. box kosher salt
• Whole black peppercorns
• White pepper (ground)
• Red pepper flakes
• Shichimi togarashi pepper
• Shoyu (soy sauce)
• Thai fish sauce
• Sesame oil
• Chili-spiked sesame oil
• Thai curry paste (red and green)
• Sherry vinegar
• Coleman's mustard powder
• Old Bay

I'm not going to tell you what to keep around for this--this is your game!  Whatever makes your palate sing, keep it around for sprinkling! I've obviously got a bent toward Asian spices and heat, but the point is, don't let a rack of stale standards dictate the quality of your grub.  If you don't use it, get rid of it to make room for the spice you will use.

6) Instant Noodles: Yes, I know they're loaded with salt and nutritional want, but folks, it just means they're the perfect blank slate for all manner of bland, past-prime leftovers and veggies, and you won't even have to season.  For those with aversions to the traditional deep-fried wheat noodles (AKA shelf-stable ramen) go for the far less fattening udon noodles or rice noodles.

Comments

[PourSomeSugarOnME]

i don't know but for some reason i keep on putting off popping my comment blog cherry but in response to:

"Verdict: Don't think the Asians at large or the Italians would be eager to claim this porridge puppy, but that's fine by me and my well-warmed belly."

GIRL all I have to say is that I went for thirds of that bad pot of goodness - and that was even when it was cold.....it was still damn good so give yourself a pat on the back cause you ALWAYS make me a content full bellied happy female!!