Liven up Leftovers: Salmon Breakfast Bagel

I had some leftover cooked salmon patties which I cut into quarters and froze. I heated them and served them with wasabi mayonnaise on a toasted whole wheat mini bagel. The wasabi mayo gave breakfast some exciting heat, and the protein filled salmon held off hunger well until lunch. You could just use cream cheese for a low-spice alternative if the wasabi mayo is too much for breakfast.

A tasty way to liven up a small leftover bit of salmon!

Barely a Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Hambone Soup

My Southern roots require that we eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day each year. Fortunately, if you combine them with a leftover hambone, it's just about the easiest soup you can make!

Now I know, some of you are shaking your heads and thinking that you don't have a hambone and you aren't planning on buying one. Don't let this stop you! I have acquired numerous hambones from friends and relatives by politely asking, "Do you ever make soup with your leftover ham bone? It's really easy and makes bean soup taste fantastic!" When you say this, the person will either a) already have soup plans b) take your recommendation to make soup or c) offer YOU the hambone. Then you can wrap it and freeze it until you are ready to use it. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb black-eyed peas (I use dried) Or 15-Bean Soup mix, found at stores
• 1 hambone, ideally with a little ham still attached (alternatives: diced ham steak, Polish or Italian sausage, etc.) OR leftover ham
• Water
• Onion, diced (optional)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

The night before: Soak beans under 4 inches of water in a pot for at least 8 hours.

Instructions:
Pour bean/water mixture through a colander to drain beans. Rinse beans under cold water, return to pot. Add 8 cups of water. Drop hambone into pot with beans and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove Hambone to cutting board and cool 10-15 minutes. Pull off ham pieces, shred with fingers, and return to pot. Add onion, diced tomatoes, and lemon juice. Reheat and serve.

We like our black-eyed peas over white rice and served with cornbread. My favorite topping is mayonnaise.

I was very low energy on New Year's Day, but I still managed to pull this meal together. It was delicious, despite the fact that it's Barely a Recipe!

Liven Up Leftovers: Eggplant Stew for Breakfast

Here is a little breakfast I put together using my leftover Eggplant Stew:

• Reheat Eggplant Stew in the microwave (approximately 3/4 cup per serving)
• Meanwhile, scramble two eggs
• Serve Eggplant Stew over the scrambled eggs

Here I served it with clementines and a mini whole wheat bagel with cream cheese. A hearty breakfast like this will stick with me all morning--and I've already eaten a serving of vegetables today! It's a quick any easy way to Liven up your Leftovers. I'm sure there are numerous leftover dishes that would taste good for breakfast served over scrambled eggs.

If only my kids would eat stuff like this... they just don't know what they're missing!

Liven up Your Leftovers: Lentil Rice Casserole

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while, as I make it frequently; it's my husband's favorite. Today seemed like a good time because a) I had some leftover to photograph, b) my serving suggestions tie in with my current goal to eat more salad, and c) I need a break from pricing items for consignment. :)

This recipe is based on the recipe here, but I have adjusted it enough that I thought it worth sharing my version!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups water (or stock for added flavor)
1 cup rice (I use brown)
1 cup lentils (check for rocks. Don't ask how I know.)
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced (I use more, and use different colors if on hand)
1/2 tsp ground cumin (I use a teaspoon or more)
1/2 tsp chili powder (I used a teaspoon or more)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (or 1 minced garlic clove)
1/2 cup salsa of your choice
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

• Rinse brown rice in strainer under tap water. Place in pan over medium heat and heat/dry, stirring frequently until rice kernels give off a toasted odor and begin to pop. (This brings out the flavor of the brown basmati rice that I use, feel free to skip it if you prefer!)
• Add water or stock, lentils, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to low heat. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, 20-30 minutes.
• In the meantime, dice onion and bell pepper. Heat oil in large skillet, add vegetables and saute until softened. Add cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder, stir to combine. Add salsa and diced tomatoes. When cooked, add lentil rice mixture. Stir to combine evenly.
• Spray 13 x 9 casserole dish with cooking oil. Spread half of lentil rice mixture in bottom of pan. Top with half of shredded cheddar. Add remaining lentil rice mixture, top with remaining cheese. (At this point I store it in the fridge until dinnertime. It's make-ahead! I haven't tried freezing it, though.)
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes before serving.

To Liven up your Leftovers: I like to serve this for lunch as filling for a lettuce wrap. In the picture above I used romaine lettuce; other rounder lettuce types might work better. Simply heat the casserole up and spoon in into the middle of the lettuce leaf.

Other tips:

• I like to make this casserole in conjunction with other meals that require bell peppers. When I made this meal, I used a green bell pepper plus part of a red pepper and a yellow pepper. I reserved part of the red/yellow peppers and sliced them to be used with Tilapia and Pepper Packets to be served tomorrow. You could also reserve bell peppers for fajitas or kabobs.
• This meal is vegetarian, and could be vegan if you replaced the cheese. You could also add ground beef or shredded chicken for the carnivorous folks in your life. (You may need a larger pan if you add a full pound of ground beef...)

And now, back to pricing.

For more ideas on how to use lentils and other dried legumes, head over to LifeasMom.com!