BBQ Leftovers

Hmm, I seem to write about using leftovers an awful lot. I guess making bentos naturally lends itself to using leftovers, and being a naturally thrifty person, I never like wasting food anyway. This time, I took leftovers from a small bbq with friends to create three different meals.

sweet potato and sausage hash

First up, I had a plethora of sliced and roasted sweet potatoes, along with a couple grilled chicken sausages. I diced them both, sauteed them with onions (both the normal and green variety - I like onion!), seasoned the whole mess with a bit of chipotle chili powder, and topped it all off with a fried egg over easy. This was a delicious weekend breakfast.

miso chicken stirfry

Next, my friend had brought over a veggie tray that went uneaten. I personally dislike veggie trays as the veg always seems a bit less than fresh. Rather than eat them raw, I tossed the veg into a miso chicken stirfry. I used the celery and carrots from the tray, added frozen broccoli and corn, and sauteed with the chicken plus plenty of garlic, miso paste, oyster sauce, chicken stock, and a couple splashes each of Chinese cooking wine and rice wine vinegar. This tasted fresh and healthy over white rice. I made enough for me and the boyfriend for dinner, plus a bit leftover for my lunch.

tuna pasta salad

That veggie tray also included a handful of cherry tomatoes. I had the odds and ends of a few zucchini leftover from grilling, and I also had a can of Trader Joe's yellowfin tuna in olive oil that I had been meaning to try. I used the olive oil from the tuna to saute the diced zucchini, garlic, and tomato. I mixed that with the tuna, shell pasta, lemon juice, and plenty of fresh parsley for a quick and surprisingly mouthwatering dinner (with plenty leftover for lunch the next day). I definitely recommend the TJ's tuna! The olive oil packed tuna tastes much better than the stuff in water.