Australian Table
No, the leftovers game has been taken to the next level, and it’s time to get sneaky; being clever about your dinner is going to pay off, big time.
Use these handy little tricks to ensure you’re getting the most out of your meals.
Freeze it
Get your ice-box working twice as hard by freezing as much as you can. A bit of red wine left in the bottle? Freeze it in an ice-cube tray for the next time you’re making bolognese. You can keep leftover pesto in the same way.
Most cheese is also freezer-friendly, although steer clear of freezing soft cheeses; buy cheddar in large blocks and grate into freezer bags, using from frozen. Stilton can also be crumbled and stored in a container.
Eggs can be frozen, if broken into a bowl and beaten until blended. Make sure the container is airtight and labelled with the date.
Get unwrapping
You can significantly prolong the life of salad leaves by taking them out of their bag as soon as you can, and keeping in a container with a piece of slightly dampened kitchen towel. You can store herbs in the same way.
Reinvent ingredients
If you’re cooking with grains, rice or pasta, keep some to one side, un-sauced. If you don’t get to it, it becomes much easier to have fun with the next night. Turn plain boiled rice into Thai-style fried rice, or rice pudding, or make a quick carbonara with leftover pasta.
Double-duty bread
Don’t chuck out old, stale bread, either. Blitz in a food processor to turn into breadcrumbs, and freeze for future use, or treat the family to a delicious bread and butter pudding.
By Deirdre Fogarty
*We’ve got some seriously tasty meals to make ahead, plus some handy tips on how to freeze food.
