Food, Glorious Food

My husband despises leftovers. Ok, there are a few exceptions - lasagne, pasta, taco salad (but only if he can add tomatoes and tortilla chips at the last minute) and cashew chicken. Fairly limited. I, on the other hand, LOVE leftovers. What's not to like about cooking one day and not the next?!

As I try to follow my cardinal rules of thrift, I have to be clever enough to reinvent leftovers. Earlier this week I made the above-mentioned cashew chicken (fast and easy recipe first published in Everyday Food, May 2004, http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/cashew-chicken).

Last night I used leftover sticky rice to make a side served with pan-seared steak and a salad of wild greens. I sauteed chopped fresh tomato and onions until the onions were fragrant and slightly browned. Next I added about 4 tablespoons of pesto and 1 cup of water. I let it simmer until liquid was reduced by half. The cold rice was next. Sauteed the whole thing a bit more and voila, a new and delicious dish! Best of all, my husband and kids ate it and they were none the wiser. Clever, no?

From Oliver! The Musical - Book by Lionel Bart