Experiment 4: Using the Leftovers, a Tale in Three Parts

My goal with this set of experiments was simple enough: don’t throw any food away. Well, I had some stuff left-over from making the Tuscan pasta, so I used it in one new dish; which created left-overs to be used in another new dish, etc., etc. etc. You too can avoid throwing away a bunch of veggies – here’s how!

Day 1: Polenta with vegetable dressing

What you need:
• About ½ cup kale left over from the Tuscan pasta experiment
• 1 small cooking onion, sliced into rings
• 1 small hothouse tomato, diced (and take out the gooey bits)
• ½ roll pre-made polenta
• Olive oil

What you do:
Slice the polenta roll about ½ inch thick, and bake it in the oven according to directions. Someday I’m going to have to learn how to make my own polenta.

While the polenta bakes (about 15 minutes), pour a dollop of olive oil in a small skillet. Cook the onion slices over medium heat until they’re soft and golden. Then add in the diced tomato, let it heat up briefly, and the throw in the kale. Let it cook just until wilted. (I cooked my tomatoes a little too long, which turned them into tomato goo. Suboptimal.)

Take the polenta out of the oven, and slop the veggies over the top of it. (I had enough for about ½ of the slices – I saved the remaining for tomorrow’s experiment.) Return to the oven for 5 more minutes, giving the chance for the olive oil and veggie flavors to sink into the polenta slices. YUM.

Day 2: Black Bean and Booze Polenta
What you need:
• Another small hothouse tomato, diced
• 1 can of black beans
• Leftover polenta slices
• ~1/2 ounce lime juice
• ~1/2 ounce tequila

I always rinse canned black beans before using them to removing the salty nastiness that is coating them. If you like ‘em slimy and salty, skip this step.

Mix about half of the can of black beans with the diced tomatoes (make sure you take all the slime out of the tomato, leaving only the cortex, before you do – or this will be really runny). Add the lime juice and the tequila, and stir well to coat the vegetables.

Apply veggie mix to the polenta slices. Bake the whole mess in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350. For maximal effect, serve with a tequila sunrise. I would have done, but it was a school night. Boo!

Day 3: Basic Huevos Rancheros

What you need:
• 1 tortilla
• Leftover black beans
• Pat of butter
• 3 eggs
• Salsa
• Small amount of shredded cheese (optional)

What you do:
• Melt the pat of butter in a skillet, and add the eggs to fry them. While they are frying, microwave the beans to warm them up. When the eggs are close to done, you can also microwave the tortilla briefly to warm it up. If you want to use cheese (or, in my case, “cheese”, sprinkle some over the tortilla now.

Put the eggs on the tortilla – try to keep it in one piece if you can! (I have normally ripped it already, when I attempt to flip the eggs halfway through frying). Put the black beans on the eggs. Slather salsa over the beans. It may sound gross, but I used medium-spicy cherry salsa on this, to great effect – the sweetness was a nice counterpoint to the other flavors.



Time Needed: ***** : These are all super-fast, low-time-commitment recipes.
Deliciousness: ***** for the eggs, **** for the first polenta, and *** ½ for the second polenta – the beans were a bit dry by that point.
Serving size: *** : Each of these is a single serving, although none of them would be hard to double
Ingredients: ***** : Except for the polenta I started with, all these things were already in my house.

The Bottom Line: Waste not, want not, your waist wants not.