I attended another Cooking Class at Cypres: Cooking for One or Two – Creative Use of Leftovers. It was led by Sydney Brennan, a dietician from Zehrs.
This lemon yogurt dip is really delicious and I have made it again since taking the class. We all enjoyed it with a variety of fresh vegetables. The individual pizzas are very easy to assemble and you can use any toppings that you wish. You could use English muffins as your base, but Sydney used the Presidents Choice whole wheat thin buns and I prefer them. They are a bit bigger in area but thinner, too.
We were given lots of great ideas for using up leftovers and the extra veggies that I seem to always have left in my crisper.
Lemon Yogurt Dip
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp. fresh green onion
- Chopped parsley or dill
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced (or ½ tsp. powder)
- ½ tsp. onion powder or a bit of chopped onion
- Pepper and salt to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Store in an airtight container in fridge for up to one week.
Serve with veggie sticks like carrots, celery, cucumber, bell peppers, or cherry tomatoes.
HINT: Spray your barbecue with vegetable oil before heating it up to make cleanup much easier.
Individual Mini Pizzas
- 1 whole wheat English muffin or 1 whole wheat thin bun
- 1-2 Tbsp. pizza sauce
- 2-3 Tbsp. mozzarella cheese, shredded
Toppings such as: bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, basil, olives, pesto, leftover cooked chicken or ham, canned diced pineapple, feta cheese, dill, onion
Preheat oven to broiler setting. Using a spoon evenly spread the sauce on the muffin half or thin bun. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over tomato sauce until covered to your liking. Place toppings on top of the cheese. Bake under broiler for 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Using Leftovers
- Vegetables and Fruit
Cook broccoli, cauliflower, or other vegetables. After enjoying them in a meal, marinate some in vegetable oil, vinegar, and spices and add to a salad. Use the rest in an omelette, pasta dish, soup, or casserole. Top casseroles with slices of leftover cooked potatoes. Use extra cut up fruit to top cereal, pancakes, or waffles or mix fruit with yogurt or cottage cheese. Add extra fruit to baked goods such as muffins. Peel and freeze overripe bananas and use in loaves or muffins. Use leftover fruit to make compote, chutney, or fruit sauces such as apple sauce. Cook extra vegetables and puree what you don’t eat with broth or milk for a quick soup. Add any combination of cooked vegetables to a pasta dish, salad, lasagna, or quiche. Use leftover stir-fried vegetables in an omelette or a wrap. Blend leftover fruit into a smoothie with milk.
- Carbs
Chill leftover pasta for pasta salad, soups, or casseroles. Use extra rice in pudding, soups, or casseroles. Crush dried bread to make crumbs to coat chicken or fish or as a casserole topping. Use dried bread in bread pudding or cube and bake for a few minutes for use in salads and soups. Freeze remaining pizza sauce in an ice cube tray and place in a freezer bag when frozen; pull out cubes as needed and thaw in microwave and spread over pizza.
- Meat and Alternatives
Serve tomato or meat sauce over noodles one day then add kidney beans, chopped vegetables (fresh, frozen or leftover), and chili seasoning for another meal. Sauté ground beef and use some in a casserole and freeze the rest for chili, pasta sauce, or stuffed peppers. Bake larger pieces of meat such as chicken, ham, or beef and serve hot. Use leftovers in stir fries, soups, casseroles, sandwiches, or salads. Use chicken, tuna, or egg salad in a sandwich one day and stuff extra into a tomato or pepper the next day. Turn leftover roast and potatoes into stew or shepherd’s pie. Turn leftover salmon into salmon cakes or use as a pita filling with sliced tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, and cucumber. Mince roasts and use as fillings for burritos or crepes. Add extra liquid and sautéed onions when making pot roast for French soup.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Obstacles are meant to be looked beyond, gone around, and left behind!
