Leftovers

Leftover Easter Ham and Asparagus Hash

I harbor a terrible prejudice against leftovers.  I don't recall growing up with them.  Our family is large (and ravenous) and our mother stuck to a strict weekly regiment: weekdays meant ensembles of potato-Spam casserole or tuna hotdish, while the weekends' free-for-alls brought frozen pizza, burgers or tacos, and Sunday (Mom's day of rest) had us fighting over the single cherry within the can of fruit cocktail that we paired with peanut butter toast (we also fought over the first knife dip into a fresh jar of peanut butter, but being the youngest I rarely won that battle). 

The revolving menu occasionally delighted us with "breakfast for dinner" treats of waffles or pancakes.  When Dad cooked it meant egg sandwiches with undercooked bacon (even the time I choked and Dad had to pull bacon out of my throat like a string has not deterred my love of the pig.  And I apologize for sharing that graphic recollection but it needed to be said.).

With recent attention on America's wasteful and unhealthy eating habits, I've made an effort to make use of every scrap of uneaten food (not counting what goes into our compost).  That means bringing leftovers for breakfast or lunch at work, and occasionally repurposing bits of whatever for our dinners.  I cannot get past eating anything older than 2 days (food safety, anyone?) but I do feel pretty good about our decreasing grocery bills.

Hash topped with herbs and poached egg

Now, this repurposing of last night's leftovers has become a fun challenge.  How can I make them pretty?  Can I disguise them in a surprising and tasty manner?  Hash is the easiest way to handle leftovers. But there are other more interesting disguises, and I am in fast pursuit of them all.

Quinoa with leftover veggies

(yam, fig, red pepper, green onion)

Quinoa with turkey meatballs,

(more leftovers) herby tsatsiki and naan