Leftover love

Sometimes we need a little inspiration when dealing with leftovers.The easiest way to refresh a lump of yesterday's scraps is to throw it on a pizza. Casseroles are another nice re-purposing option, as are soups. Last week I was determined to not only make use of leftovers, but also use up every bit of produce hanging out in the fridge after a long work week. Enter the stir-fry.

At Called to the Table today are suggestions for Stir-fry on the Fly. The beauty of this recipe is that you don't have to adhere to it. Use what you've got. Brighten up the flavors of Monday's meatloaf or Friday's fish by adding citrus, chili sauce, ginger and garlic.

Stir-fry on the Fly

Serves 2 - 4

5 – 6 slices bacon

1 small can pineapple tidbits

1 carrot, diced

½ white onion, chopped

½ red pepper, chopped

2 celery stalks, diced

16 ounces green beans

1 ½ cups rice, cooked and cooled

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 – 3 tablespoons sambal oelek or other chili sauce

3 cloves garlic, grated

A thumb-sized bit of ginger, peeled and grated fine

Soy sauce, pepper, maple syrup or honey, chicken broth

½ cup peanuts, chopped

Cook bacon until crisp in large sauté pan; reserve drippings. Lower heat and add juice from pineapple tidbits; cook until juice is evaporated and remove pan from heat. Cool bacon then slice into small pieces.

 

In large clean skillet cook carrot, onions, pepper, and celery in 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings until vegetables are tender; about 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside. Add sesame oil to pan over medium high heat and sauté green beans until just tender; about 5 minutes. Add sambal oelek, garlic, and ginger and cook additional minute or two. Add pineapple, rice, vegetables, and bacon and flavor with soy sauce, pepper, and maple; heat thoroughly, adding chicken broth if mixture gets dry. Serve with peanuts.