UNC Healthy Heels

As promised in my last blog, I will be blogging today about embracing your inner DIY.  Today, we will explore the wonderful world of leftovers!

Have you ever been out to eat and you’ve eaten more than half of your meal to the point where neither finishing your meal nor taking it home with you make any sense?  When I’m in that situation, I just can’t waste the food, so I normally end up eating the rest and feeling post-Thanksgiving dinner-esque.  But here’s a better idea:  take home the leftovers and integrate them into a whole new food creation.

The other day, a friend and I went to a great Mexican restaurant for lunch and I got a chicken fajita salad.  Leftover salads are pretty pointless for me because I despise soggy lettuce, but I took it home anyway.  The next morning, I got to have a late breakfast, and I put the leftovers to good use.  First, I separated the good stuff (chicken, peppers, onions, etc.) from the soggy lettuce.  Then, I reheated it in a small skillet while I cracked a few eggs into a bowl and whisked them together with some milk.  A few minutes later, I topped my chicken fajita omelet with some homemade salsa.  What a delicious breakfast!

If I had wanted to make more of a lunch themed leftover creation, I would have ditched the soggy lettuce and remade the salad with some fresh additions.  If you find yourself in this same situation, put a cup of chopped romaine lettuce into a large salad bowl.  Mix together a can of corn and a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and put a half cup of the mixture on top of the lettuce.  At this point, I would also throw some banana pepper rings in before I added the reheated leftovers to the top.  You can dress the salad with some salsa or some ranch dressing.  I normally use a little of both.

Had the leftovers made it to dinner that night, there are a few ways I could have completed the meal.  I probably would have started with putting the leftover fajita stuffing onto a tortilla, topping with some cheese, and heating in either the microwave or toaster oven.  For the sides, I would have mixed the corn and black beans together (from my lunch suggestion above) and served it with some brown rice.

The possibilities are really endless.  What’s the most creative way you have used your leftovers the next day?