Kitchen basics - making leftovers

Making leftovers

The most obvious way to have food left over is to make double the quantity of a basic recipe. When you’re trying to eat well, leftovers are indispensable. Most of the time my freezer is stocked with at least two or three different meals. There might be a couple of soups, a lentil dhal or a stew of some sort. When I’m late home it’s easy to pull some meals out the freezer and quickly defrost and reheat – which provides dinner faster than a takeaway delivery.

How do I do this?

FOODS TO STASH Some meals make particularly good leftovers. In fact some meals get even better after spending the night marinating and softening in the fridge, or after freezing. See recommendations below.

AVOID PICKING AT LEFTOVERS If you’re often tempted to pick away at leftovers, have plastic containers lined up next to your plates when you serve up dinner. Portion out the food for your family and put the extra serves straight into freezer containers.

FOOD SAFETY When using leftovers it’s important to store them correctly. Cool your food as quickly as possible to keep it out of the temperature danger zone. As soon as it has stopped steaming, place the lid on the container and put the food into the freezer, still warm.

Meals to freeze

• Soups
• Casseroles
• Curries
• Burgers/fritters (freeze the raw mixture)
• Almost anything in a tomato-based sauce

Foods that don't freeze

• Most salads/uncooked vegetables
• Potato dishes
• Rice dishes, such as risotto and paella
• Meat that has been dry-cooked (ie, without a sauce)
• Egg dishes, such as frittata
• Fried foods (they go soggy)