Leftovers are the Mothers of Invention

I know that the phrase is really 'necessity is the mother of invention' but when it's comes to suing up what's hanging around your fridge, sometimes those leftovers can lead to an incredible creation.

Right now the Gourmand Girl is living back at home while she writes full time. It's actually been a lot of fun because I get to cook for other people instead of just myself AND someone else does the dishes. C'est wonderful! But one of the challenges is that my Mother cannot bear to throw anything away. We must use and re-use whatever food is in the fridge until it is eaten or decides to crawl away on it's own. (Don't tell, but sometimes I take pity on the poor things and sneak them out to the garbage, shhh.) So we eat a meal of leftovers at least once a week. If the week has been good this is not a bad thing. But if it has been a lackluster week or I'm just tired of eating the same thing for the fifth time, you have to get creative. Add to this the fact that your Gourmand Girl is, shall we say, of reduced circumstances (that sounds so much better than broke). I have begun to rise to the occasion by shopping European style (buying what's in season, therefore more abundant and less expensive), looking for great bargains and yes, by frugally recycling the foodstuffs we already have.

Last week I made a pork loin, which I served with scalloped potatoes and braised collard greens. The entire meal cost me eight dollars and served three people. But of course we had leftovers. So we made barbecued pulled pork sandwiches one night. That still left a pile of pork, part of a ten pound bag of potatoes and some collard greens. So last night I baked a few of the potatoes and made a small batch of baked beans. I stuffed the baked potatoes with baked beans, collard greens, chopped barbecued pork and a sprinkle of cheese and stretched four more meals out of it. So for a grand total of ten dollars we got ten meals. I did fill in the cracks with ingredients I already had in the house. (I was too lazy to go to the store for a can of baked beans so I made my own with a can of kidney beans I already had in the cupboard.)

Let me tell you, those "Southern Stuffed Potatoes" were delicious. They were hearty and filling even without a lot of meat. The potatoes held up well under their blanket of sweet baked beans, tangy greens and spicy pork. I wasn't really sure how they would blend together when I decided to try it but I can not only report that everyone enjoyed them, but they will definitely be on the menu again. So the next time you are wondering what to make for dinner, don't be afraid of those little dibs and dabs lurking in your fridge. Try combining them together to make something new. Be brave and you might just find a brand new favorite hiding in a bunch of old ones.

Sweet and Tangy Baked Beans

1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped (or any color you have laying around)
1/4 c. each white and brown sugar
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. mustard
1 or 2 [16 ounce] cans beans, rinsed and drained (any kind you like, pinto, kidney, red, etc.)
Salt, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, SSSeasoning Blend

Saute onion and green pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add sugars, ketchup, vinegar and mustard and stir, until sauce comes together and starts to simmer. Add beans and bring back to simmer. Season with salt, pepper, cayene and house seasoning to taste. Simmer on low for an hour until sauce thickens to desired consistency.

(SSSeasoning is my own mixture of the spices I use most often. Make your own by blending your favorite spices in an empty salt shaker. Use the spices you find yourself reaching for the most. Or you can try mine by combining 2 parts salt with 1 part each of black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, paprika and 1/2 part cayenne pepper)