50% Less Cooking

50% Less Cookingwithout hitting the fast foodwith anything.Family Omelette: Peel and dice leftover
button! Don't you just cringe when some cleverjackets and gently fry in olive oil, with a chopped
kitchen type tells you what you could be doing withonion. Pour over beaten eggs and add some grated
the leftovers in the fridge, when it's plainly obviouscheese. Cook gently for a few minutes. Turn and
the leftovers will stay there until they walk out bycook the other side. The omelette will probably fall
themselves!More often than not, saving money withapart during this manouevre. Just push it back
leftovers, although a great idea, takes a lot of time intogether. No-one will know! Serve hot with a green
preparation and relies on many other ingredientssalad.Rough Potato Salad: Peel leftover jackets and
being available. So..........Design your ownchop roughly. Mix in a large bowl with sweetcorn,
leftovers!Cooking twice as much as you need 'bytuna and a little chopped onion or chives. Serve with
design' allows you the extra time tomorrow with thea mayonnaise sauce.Hot mashed potato, served with
added bonus of knowing what you're going toa delicious gravy, is always a family favorite. Make
cook.Dithering around in the kitchen working out whotwice as much and delight the family two days in a
wants what and what you forgot to buy, takesrow! Cool the leftover mash thoroughly. Place in a
ages. If you know you've already got a portion ofbowl, cover with plastic food wrap and
the evening meal ready in the fridge, life becomes arefrigerate.Baked Mash: Put leftover mash into a large
lot less stressful.Most 'in-the-pot' dishes likebowl and stir in cooked flaked white fish, bacon
bolognaise, chile, casseroles and stews can all bepieces, or cooked vegetables. Place in a greased
made in double quantities in very little extra time.ovenproof dish, top with grated cheese and bake in
Make sure you thoroughly reheat meat dishes untila medium oven until hot right through.Burger Mash: In
very hot. The only real problem with in the pota large bowl, mix leftover mash with a little beaten
recipes is that you're obliged to eat the same mealegg, some chopped chives or very finely chopped
two nights in a row. Although you can serve it withonion. Then form small balls in your hands. Flatten
rice, pasta, or potatoes to add some variety.Ifslightly and, if available, coat with breadcrumbs or
you've managed to cook enough rice to feed thechopped nuts. Fry as you would a burger!Cottage Pie:
neighborhood, don't throw away the leftovers. LetCook minced beef, or veggie equivalent, a chopped
the rice cool completely, place in a bowl, cover withonion and a tin of tomatoes together and place
plastic food wrap, and refrigerate. Then the followingmixture in a large lightly greased ovenproof dish.
evening you have a base for a new and excitingSpoon leftover mashed potato over the top, and
meal...try these ideas:Egg Fried Rice: Make a plainsprinkle on a little grated cheese, if liked. Heat
omelette and remove from pan. Cut into small piecesthrough thoroughly in a medium to hot oven and
and set aside.. Put cold leftover rice in the pan andserve hot with green vegetables.Cook a slightly larger
stir gently. Add omelette pieces, stir and heat untilchicken and keep the leftovers covered - and maybe
hot right through. Serve with Chinese style ribs, orhidden - in the fridge. A vegetarian equivalent of
veggie sausages.Special Fried Rice: Fry in olive or nutchicken will work equally well with these dishes.Quick
oil a finely chopped onion, tomato, green pepper andChicken Curry: Pour a home made curry sauce or a
a few sliced mushrooms. Add leftover rice to pan.jar of ready - made over cut up leftover chicken
Stir gently. Add sweetcorn for colour and a fewpieces and heat through thoroughly in a hot oven.
chopped walnuts if liked. Serve with any meat, fish,Always make sure re-heated meat is steaming hot
egg or veggie dish.Rice Salad: In a large bowl, mixright through. Serve with rice or jacket
leftover rice with fresh raw chopped vegetables;potatoes.Chicken Salad: Mix cold leftover chicken with
onion, tomato, sweet pepper, celery, sweetcorn, anda finely chopped onion and stir in a half mayo, half
any other favorites hanging around in the fridge. Chillnatural yogurt dressing. Add a few walnuts for an
for half an hour before serving. A half mayo-halfextra special treat. Chill for 30 minutes and serve with
natural yogurt dressing can be gently stirred in if liked.any dish..Chicken Stir Fry: Put cut up chicken pieces in
To create a whole summer meal in a bowl, adda frying pan with a little olive or nut oil. Mix in thinly
chopped boiled egg, cooked flaked fish, pieces ofsliced sweet peppers, onion, tomato and any other
ham or cooked chicken or even nuts andbits in the fridge that look healthy enough to eat.
raisins!Potatoes can easily be turned into 'designerCook gently for a few minutes, ensuring the chicken
leftovers'Cooking a whole tray of jacket potatoesis thoroughly hot. Then mix into a bowl of hot
will take no longer than cooking one or two, just acooked noodles. Serve with an oriental style
few extra minutes scrubbing time needed. Storesauce.Hot Tip: Planning a few menus in advance will
leftovers in the fridge.Flat Fries: Slice and shallow frymean you are always in control of nourishing and
leftover jackets in hot olive oil and some mixed driedtasty meals, and no need to lean guiltily on the
herbs or cumin spice. Turn occasionally. Serve hotmicrowave waiting for the latest TV dinner to cook!