TRANSFORM LEFTOVER SALAD INTO MOUTHWATERING FRIED RICE AND/OR FLAVOUR-PACKED STOCK, thrifty, uses up leftovers, healthy

Waste not, want not...

 Leftover salad materials add colour and texture to Fried Rice

67goingon50 is used to cooking salad ingredients  -- Asian chefs often incorporate them in stir fries and turn them into garnishes in soups.  (Try lean pork and cucumber, Art of Stir Fry)  

This post's two recipes are  great clean-out-the-salad-drawer dishes, essential in these ultra-budget-conscious, swap-ingredients-in-and-out tumultuous times.  

They're also Triple Duty, suitable for plant, fish or meat diners.

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

As a means of using up some of the things in your fridge, this recipe is ace.  Tasty as all get out, any leftover cooked meat or fish, cooked veg and salad veg can be used.  Cubed firm-set tofu, plain or spiced, is also good. 

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

Cost: max £2.00'ish (2023)
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 or Reduced Salt Soy Sauce (used sparingly)

Optional Garnish: 

fried eggs 

OR 1 well beaten egg, fried and cut into strips

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. If not using other protein, topped with one fried egg per person or strips of a cooked omelette 
7. Serve.

Broth Cup

2.  QUICK VEGETABLE STOCK

Salad veg that is off its best and even a bit bruised is perfect for vegetarian stock.   67 originally intended to use the veg to add to and intensif classic veg stock.  But after just half an hour of cooking, the salad veg produced stock sweet and deeply flavoured enough to stand on its own.   

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

Ingred:
    1-2 generous mugs of any or all of: lettuce, cucumber, mushrooms, radishes, tomatoes, carrots, celery and any other raw veg except beets
   1 large onion
   1-2 small chillis, seeds & membrane removed (opt)
   4-5 cloves garlic, grated (you won't taste them)
   1 generous tbsp fresh ginger, peeled & grated, or 3/4 tsp dried
   1 med-large potato (opt)
   handful fresh herbs including parsley or thyme, or 1 tbsp dried
   1 bay leaf
   enough water to cover veg by at least 2 inches

  
Method:

CHINESE NEW YEAR HOME-MADE DUMPLING PARTY 2023: triple duty. lower-fat, healthier

Have a look at Welcome to the Blog (on the nav bar above)

for more foodie information 

Chinese New Year of the Rabbit celebrations continue until this weekend (5 Feb) so there's still time to enjoy a fun-filled Dumpling Party for friends and family. 

Last Sunday's celebrations were quite something, as seen by this news footage from the BBC

Chinese dumplings, gorgeous little parcels of steamed pastry stuffed with savoury filling and dipped into exotic sauces, are easy to make at home. 

They do need a little planning but with the help of group members provide a lot of fun...as well as delicious and unusual eats!

And with 67goingon50's modifications, they're healthier than most. Dumplings come in many forms and are perfect for a crowd of mixed carnivores,  vegetarians and vegans.  

Dumplings are embedded in Chinese history -- enjoyed, it is said, over more than a thousand years.  They are a version of Chinese pasta and might well have been sampled by Marco Polo.

Over the last few Chinese New Years, 67's healthier dumpling recipes, with clear instructions & photos, have been popular with the blog's regular visitors. 

In this post, you'll find gorgeous pan-steamed/cooked Triple Duty dumplings, crispy oven-baked low-fat vegan rice paper parcels and an adventurous pastry/gluten-free vegetarian dumpling.  

Plus several stunning sauces.  

And to wash it down, glorious Pomelo & Lemongrass champers, prosecco or for non-drinkers, fizzy water. 

Cost: chef's choice, see individual recipes

Feeds: a crowd

DELICATELY CRISPY VEGAN DUPLINGS: baked not fried with sensational low-sugar 67 Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce.  Some prep-ahead.

The pastry is beautifuly crisp though not brown in the usual way,  
and doesn't  shatter into shards on your chest!  

GLUTEN FREE TOFU DUMPLINGS: vegan, pastry/gluten-free, healthier, prep in advance

Great change from the usual

TRIPLE DUTY JAOTZE: common meeting ground for vegans & non-vegans

67 recalibrated a traditional recipe to take account of end-of-January budgets and worries about fat and salt.  Techniques were modified to make prep easier.  

POMELO & LEMONGRASS FIZZ: easy, low-sugar, alcohol-free option

 Pomelo & Lemongrass is an enticing blend, unpretentious and nicely balanced. Mixed with champagne, it is ambrosial; even in fizzy water, it's delightful.  

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission

SAVOURY WAFFLES: wallet-friendly, healthy, sugar-free, lower-fat, dairy-free option,uses up leftovers

Savoury waffles are an unusual - but tasty - twist on bread/crackers alongside soups, stews and salads.

original 2023; updated 2025

Crispy-edged Savoury Waffles, puffy, soft and filled with colourful goodies.  
Perfect for dipping into soups & stews or buttered like bread. 
'Oh my!  These are really something else.  More, please!' Taster

These waffles are absoutely brilliant. 

Their crispy crunchy edges enclose puffy soft interiors stuffed with ham or pastrami, bell peppers, corn & spring onions. 

While the meat & veg make the waffles the delight they are, only small wallet-friendly amounts are needed.  (67's came from leftovers.) 

And, if you're a busy person, the batter can be part prepared the night before.

Served warm or at room temperature, the waffles can be buttered like bread or scones, or dipped into soup. 

On their own, they are a great afternoon snack or a portable mid-morning treat at the office.  

Cost: £2'ish (less, depending on leftovers (2023)

Makes: 8-10 1/4 cup single waffles

Ingreds: 

115 g plain white flour +

35 g wholemeal flour (or 150g plain white flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch salt & pepper

One egg separated

300 mg dairy or additive-free plant milk like almon

2 tablespoons light veg oil

generous 1/3c chopped ham, pastrami or spiced beef 

1/4 cup red or green bell pepper in small small dice

generous 1/3 cup drained corn niblets

small handful finely sliced green onions

Method:

LIVER & BACON BRAISED WITH RICE & LEFTOVER VEG

This one is for those who love chicken livers...and there are more out there than you think!

Economical, richly savoury chicken livers braised with bacon, rice & veg
'So generously studded with veg and meat it's like a celebration...' Taster

For many, chicken livers are an acquired taste.  But cooked properly, they are magnificent -- tender, creamy, smooth, and very meaty. 

They're great if you're hungry and in a hurry for a high protein meal.  

And if you're watching the pennies - and aren't we all? - there's very little waste.

67 only buys organic livers or livers from a good independent butcher.  

Waitrose has recently been selling 400g/14.1oz organic livers for £3; that's enough for 3 generous portions, probably more for a canny cook.

Standard livers are usually £1.50 for the same weight.

Chicken livers are versatile.  Add them to mince to make a ragout for pasta go further and enrich flavour and texture.  Cook with fruit and curry spices for the flavour of the souk. (See the popular Spiced Chicken Liver with Figs)  Throw them in a hot pan with bacon, tomatoes and basil for a simple sauce to smother a carb.  Or make a glorious smooth but punchy low-cholesterol pate.

Liver'n Bacon with Braised Rice is basically a one-pot meal and though it involves waiting time, it is pretty easy.  The resulting flavour is more than worth it.

It's also very forgiving --  less of one thing or more of another is no problem.

Cost: £2.50'ish, depending on veg in fridge (1/23)

Serves: 1-2 generously

Ingred:

Prepare ingredients before starting

1/2 tbsp oil & 1/2 tbsp butter
1 med onion diced (red, yellow or whites of spring onions)
1/3 red pepper, membranes removed, in med dice
1/3 cup diced celery
130gm chicken livers, connective tissue removed, in 1 cm slices
1-2 slices back bacon, fat removed, in 1/2 cm slices OR pastrami or lamb sausage poached 10 mins to fremove fat
1/2-2/3 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup water or stock

splash of sherry (opt)

splash of soy, oyster or hoisin sauce

dash of Worcestershire (opt)

 
generous 1/2 cup courgette in finger sized sticks, 

Garnish: coarsely chopped parsley or thingly sliced spring onions

Method: