Don't throw out those leftovers - make a new meal instead: Jasmine Mangalaseril

Love 'em or hate em', leftovers are a symptom of many a dinner.

Edible food makes up 13 per cent of Canadian household food waste. With budgets struggling to keep up with the higher cost of living, people can get more out of their food dollars by transforming yesterday's meal into a brand new one.

Eat your veggies in new ways

Soups are a perfect way to use up uneaten cooked meat, rice and vegetables.

Add them, along with rice or pasta, in a pot of simmering broth or stock and you've got hearty meals for cold days

Chef Stephanie Soulis, owner of Cambridge's Little Mushroom Catering and Dining Lounge, suggested a simple, velvety vegetable soup.

"If you have leftover honey glazed carrots or root veg, that's so easy just to turn that into a soup using an immersion blender. And then you've got lunches for that week," Soulis said.

She explains that people don't have to use homemade broth. Instead, they can use lower sodium store bought broth or dissolve bouillon in boiling water.

Adding as much or as little harissa, Thai curry paste, or Korma paste to the pan, possibly with coconut milk, before adding stock changes up flavours from supper to soup.

Add dairy or non-dairy milk along with vegetable or chicken stock to mashed or boiled potatoes for a creamy potato soup. It can be turned it into a chowder by adding corn and bacon.

For a lunch or a snack, Chef Thompson Tran, who owns Kitchener's Wooden Boat Food Company, suggests creamy, crunchy croquettes.

"I actually love a mashed potato croquette. So, I'll take that, with everything from the dinner table, and I'll just put a little panko on the outside, deep fry for maybe a minute. You've got dinner or snack for the next day," Tran said.

You can also make fish cakes in a similar way by enrobing tinned or cooked fish in leftover mashed potatoes and coating them in breadcrumbs, before pan frying, air frying or baking.

A twist on last night's pasta

Leftover pastas like rotini and penne are great in pasta salads and soups. It can also be easy to make a pasta frittata by sauteing pasta, pouring in beaten egg and either baking or pan frying.

Chaitali Maybharti, the Cambridge Food Bank's health promoter, suggests using leftover pasta as part of the stuffing for stuffed bell peppers for a budget-friendly meal packed with flavour, texture, and colour (find the recipe below).

"You would be including your leftover pasta, combined maybe with leftover beans or quinoa. And, on top of that, you would be getting fibres and antioxidants from your bell peppers," Maybharti said.

Don't ditch the doggie bag

If restaurant portions are a little too generous, here are some ideas to rejuvenate them into another meal:

·         Garlic Bread:

• Toast cubed slices for a tomato panzanella salad.

·         Veggies:

• Pan fry them in oil, add a beaten egg, and press a tortilla or pita on top and let the egg cook into the bread. Add sauce and roll it up.

·         White Rice

• Since it's no longer soft, day-old rice is perfect for fried rice.

·         French Fries

• Fry onions, garlic and other veggies and add chopped fries to make a hash.

Stuffed Peppers with Pasta

Recipe provided by Chaitali Maybharti.

4 large bell peppers

200 g (250 ml) cooked small pasta (orzo, macaroni, or penne work well)

115 g (125 ml) grated cheese, such as Mozzarella, Parmesan, or Cheddar

150 g (125 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved

10 g (60 ml) fresh basil or parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: cooked chicken, sausage, quinoa, or beans (for extra protein).

Preparation

Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F.

Prepare the filling by combining pasta, cheese, tomatoes, dried and fresh, salt, and pepper and proteins (if using). Set aside.

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and set them aside. Remove and discard the seeds and ribs from the inside of each pepper.

Spoon the filling into each prepared pepper. Fill them to the top.

Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.

Remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes to lightly brown the tops, if desired.