Leftovers are arguably many homemaker’s bane. After all, throwing them away is just wasting money. But serving them as they are is not always ideal, especially if there are picky eaters in the house. A nifty trick to solve this problem is by turning these leftovers into brand new dishes. Here are four leftover recipes that will bring life to your meals from the fridge.
Leftover recipes no. 1: Adobo fried rice
One of the most common leftovers you will find in any Pinoy household is adobo. Its long shelf life means that you can eat it even a day or two after the initial serving. But the meat can get a bit bland after being in the fridge after a while. This recipe puts more flavor back to the dish and works well as a breakfast meal.
Ingredients
- Leftover pork or chicken adobo, cut into small pieces or shredded
- Cooked rice, day old and chilled in the fridge
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- Green onion, sliced thin
- Salt
Steps
- To prepare the rice for cooking, place it in a large bowl. Add a bit of water just enough to moisten it.
- Use your hands to work the rice and separate the grains. It’s ready when you have most of the grains separated from each other.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium fire. Cook the garlic until it turns brown.
- Add your adobo meat and cook until heated up. You can also add the remaining adobo sauce if you like.
- Put in the prepared rice and cook until heated. Season with salt according to your taste. You can also add a bit of soy sauce for color.
- Top with green onions and serve with fried eggs.
Leftover recipes no. 2: Chicken sisig
Roasted chicken is another popular leftover food that you will find in Pinoy refrigerators. Many would often buy a whole lechon manok from a nearby stall if they can’t cook dinner. The leftovers are then consumed the next morning for breakfast or lunch. This leftover recipe adds a creamy twist that will be to the delight of your housemates.
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted chicken (can also be fried or other cooked chicken), chopped
- ¼ pound chicken livers
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup calamansi juice
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 siling haba, chopped
- 1 ½ cup canola oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Steps
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wide pan. Cook the garlic until it is softened
- Add the chopped chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes. You can turn the pieces to the side if needed.
- Pour in the soy sauce and cook for 30-40 seconds or until the soy sauce is mostly absorbed.
- In another pan, heat the remaining oil over medium fire. Slowly add the chicken livers and cook until crispy.
- Remove the livers from the pan and drain on paper towels. Let them sit to cool. Chop into smaller pieces.
- Combine the chicken, liver, onions, siling haba, and calamansi juice in a bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise and stir until everything is fully combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- You can serve the sisig as is or use a sizzling plate to keep it warm longer.
Leftover recipes no. 3: Lechon Bicol express
If you had been to a birthday or any party, chances are you will be taking home at least a bag full of lechon. This leftover recipe is a great way to make all that lechon more delectable if you are tired of eating it as it is. The lechon will add more flavor to the traditional Bicol express recipe that you are familiar with.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork lechon
- 1 can of coconut milk
- 2 siling haba, sliced diagonally
- 1 thumb-size piece of garlic, cut into sticks
- ½ large onion, sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 stalks green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ tablespoon salt
Steps
- Cut the lechon into smaller pieces
- Heat the oil in a wok or large pan. Add the garlic, onion, ginger, siling haba, and green onions.
- Saute everything for a minute and add the lechon.
- Season with salt and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut oil and cook for 15 minutes. Occasionally stir it to mix everything thoroughly.
Leftover recipes no. 4: Fishballs a la parmigiana
Fish meat is another common leftover that you will encounter in the house. Especially if you fry a fairly large bangus, you might end up not finishing the whole thing. One way to prepare the fish for another meal without the pesky bones is to turn it into fish balls. Here, you simply separate the fish meat from the bones and flake it by hand or with a fork before cooking.
Ingredients
Fishballs
- 1 ½ cup cooked fish meat, flaked
- 2 tablespoons grated carrots
- 2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 2 tablespoons chopped nuts
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon fried garlic
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Cooking oil
- Chopped parsley
Toppings
- 6 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 3 slices Parmesan cheese
- 3 slices mozzarella
Steps
- In a large bowl, combine all the fish ball ingredients. Divide the entire mix into three portions and form each into a ball.
- Pour the cooking oil in a pan until it’s three inches deep. Fry the fish ball until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Pour the tomato sauce over fish balls and put a slice each of the parmesan and mozzarella on top of each piece.
- Heat the fish balls to melt the cheese. You can do it either on the pan, in an oven, or using a kitchen torch if you have one.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Put a new spin out of your food leftovers with these recipes
These leftover recipes are not just a great way to put a new spin on the dishes in your fridge. They also save you a lot of money since you don’t have to cook a new set of meals. Try them out in your kitchen and give everyone a nice treat. Check out more great recipes you can do with your quarantine supplies.