LEFTOVERS: HOW TO USE UP SALAD INGREDIENTS

Waste not, want not...

first published 15/9/15

67goingon50 is used to using salad ingredients for cooking -- Asian chefs often use them in stir fries and as a garnish in soups.   These cheaper-than-chips recipes are two great clean-out-the-salad-drawer meals.    

The first is a surprisingly quick vegetable stock.

Broth Cup*

67 intended to use a (copious amount) of end-of-the-week salad ingredients to intensify the flavour of classic veg stock.  But after just half an hour of cooking, the stock was sweet and deeply flavoured enough to stand on its own. 

1.  QUICK VEGETABLE STOCK

Costs: little
Feeds: depends on how much salad & veg you have

Ingred:
Any or all of: lettuce, cucumber, mushrooms, radishes, tomatoes, carrots, celery and any other raw veg except beets 
onion
1-2 small chillis, seeds & membrane removed
several cloves garlic, grated
fresh ginger, peeled & grated
potato (opt)
fresh herbs including parsley or thyme
enough water to cover veg by at least 2 inches

Method:

1. Discard any dead leaves; remove any spoiled portions of tomato.  Remove stems from mushrooms; peel.  Top & tail radishes; slice thickly.  Cut cucumber in thick slices.  Using a peeler, make long strips of carrot.  
2. Peel onion; cut into wedges.  Scrub potato if using.  Wash herbs.
3. Place everything in a large pot with grated garlic and ginger. Add enough water to cover veg by 2in/4 cm
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Turn down heat to med-high; leave to bubble gently for at least 30 mins.  
6. Taste.  The stock should be fragrant and beautifully flavoured; if not, continue cooking for another 15 mins.  
7. Serve as broth or in a soup.  

2.  LEFTOVER SALAD VEG FRIED RICE (See The Art of Stir Fry)

Leftovers Fried Rice, Frugal & Healthy

This is not a dish for guests unless they're very close friends and not likely to be offended by leftovers.  As a means of using up some of the things in your fridge, it's ace. Tasty as all get out, any cooked meat or fish, leftover cooked veg and salad veg can be used.  Firm-set tofu, plain or spiced, is also good. 

Don't be afraid of stir-frying cucumber, radish or tomatoes -- they add a wonderful edge and help moisten rice which can sometimes be a little dry.

Cost: max £1
Feeds: 1-2

Ingred:
   1/2 mug diced raw cucumber
   1/4 mug sliced radish
   5-6 thickly sliced mushrooms   
   at least one heaping mugful of cold cooked rice  
   1-2 med tomato, seeds and all, diced, sprayed lightly with olive oil and lightly salted
   1 tsp grated fresh ginger
   1 tsp grated garlic  
   at least half a mugful of cold cooked diced meat OR flaked fish OR firm tofu (marinade plain tofu in a 1-1 mix of soy sauce and sherry/wine/grape juice for 20 mins)
    Oyster Sauce, Hoisin Sauce or Reduced Salt Soy Sauce (used sparingly)

Method:

1. Stir fry cucumber, radish & mushrooms over high heat in a pan lightly sprayed with groundnut (peanut) or other light veg oil for 1-2 mins
2. Add rice, tomato, ginger & garlic.  Stir quickly; add protein.
3. Reduce heat to med-high, cover pan and allow to steam gently for a couple of minutes or until heated through.
4. Add a scant tablespoon of oyster or soy sauce; stir through rice mixture.
5. Taste for seasoning.  Add pepper but only a little salt.
6. Serve.

*Waitrose

Tip: it is a good idea to serve salads plain with dressing on the side; that way leftover salad leaves can go into the stock pot.

 Also see: Improve your health with soup stocks

This information and recipes have been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises. They may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.