As I promised I would continue in a less thought-provoking vein and conclude this 2-parter with answers to the original question when home-cooking for one and having the left-overs.

Leftovers tend to fall into 3 categories; or they do in my kitchen.

• Is it freezable
• Can it be transformed into something similar or better 
• Can it be used to enhance a dish completely new.

Feel the Chill.

The best £1 you’ll send is buying a set of the multi-coloured lid food containers from Wilko. They are micro, oven, dishwasher, and freezer safe and allow for food to be mobile (the work/school packed lunch). Freezing food and especially the results of a lovingly cooked feast makes for the best ready meals in the world.  As the saying goes, “have it your way”!

Water into wine (not quite)

So you’ve made a bathtub of sphag bol and you cant face eating it every night until Easter 2019. No worries – now is the time to explore the most common of kitchen dust catchers – the SPICE RACK. I am talking about herbs and spices from around the world not Geri Halliwell’s bossom!

Chilli comes in all shapes and strengths from mild to hold, from fresh to flake. The two golden rulings is a) dont get it in your eyes and b) you can add but you can’t subtract (use it sparingly).

A good friend who had the unfortunate luck to be married to cheat once told how she sprinkled the hottest chili powder in the underwear of said cheating partner. A disgruntled wife is a dish best served frozen (like a
Viennetta)!

But I digress again, Spag Bol to Chili is chili powder and red kidney beans – whoosh! 

Adding to the mix

Of late this is the best meal transformation I can think of. Basically a recent dinner involved  a Thai Green Curry for which there were no Leftovers however it was accompanied by Jasmine rice at 70g per head which in reality 70g for two would have sufficed.

Rice is not the best of food for reheating and it is bad news if kept above 15C. I managed to refrigerator mine over night for use with a salad or as a salad base for the next day’s lunch. To my Jasmine rice I added a 160g drain can of tuna in spring water (brine is too salty, and vegetable oil too greasy). Next I added some wholegrain mustard and Greek style plain yogurt and combined the two. Next I added a little green pesto to give it all a Mediterranean taste. From here on in its down to choice over salad leaves (Rocket Rocket Rocket baby) tomatoes, peppers etc etc.

Alternatively on Sunday I fancied an old fashioned beef casserole and with the leftovers and a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry I enjoyed pie and chips after work on Monday evening.

The truth is, there shouldn’t be any leftovers. Easier said than done but with time and plenty of practise, cooking using sufficient ingredients becomes easier and ultimately more rewarding.