Using Up Leftovers With 2 Easy Recipes

I always end up with a few raw veggies left over at the end of the week. I also inevitably roast, grill, or steam too many for dinner, which means that at the beginning of the week, my fridge is filled with raw, fresh veggies, and by the end, it's filled with leftover cooked veggies. The cycle never seems to end! I dislike throwing out perfectly tasty and good food, even though I compost, but I'm not a big fan of "leftovers". Read on for two quick recipes using raw and cooked leftovers...




Recipe: Vegetable Pancakes
from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

Serves 4-6

These pancakes are a great way to use up whatever raw vegetables you have left in your fridge! I've adapted a recipe from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant. If you've read my Syrian Beet Salad post, you already know how much I love my Moosewood cookbooks (I will never give them up. Ever.) I'm providing you with the ingredients suggested in the cookbook, plus the substitutions I've made in the past. All variations are delicious.

You'll need:
1/2 cup finely chopped green or red bell pepper
(I substituted with zucchini and summer squash and/or peas)
1 cup finely chopped cabbage
(I've used cooking greens instead of cabbage)
3/4 cup chopped scallions
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup canned water chestnuts, drained, rinsed and finely chopped
(I used chard stems, instead of the water chestnuts)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbsp tamari soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
a scant tablespoon of baking powder

peanut or vegetable oil for frying
(I've used sesame or olive oil, as well)

Mix above ingredients in medium bowl. Heat oil in frying pan. When oil is hot, scoop pancake mixture into pan (size is up to you). Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Place on paper towels to soak up extra oil.

I like serving these with an apricot preserve.


Recipe: Vegetable Quesadillas
Who doesn't like quesadillas??! I think of them as grown-up grilled cheese sandwiches, and these are perfect for your leftover cooked veggies.

You'll need:
tortillas of your choice
cheese of your choice, grated, crumbled, or thinly sliced
(I've tried a spicy monterey-jack and goat cheese. Basically, whatever I've got in the fridge is what I'm going to use)
grilled, steamed, or roasted veggies of your choice

Sprinkle desired amount of cheese on tortilla. Sprinkle veggies over cheese. Place another tortilla on top, making a sandwich. Grill, or pan fry, until cheese is melted and tortilla is nicely brown.
Cut and serve plain, or with a fresh salsa of tomatoes, onions and cilantro, guacamole, or whatever sounds tasty with your veggies!

Here's a list of my latest quesadilla-creations:

• Monterey-jack, grilled steak kabobs, sliced thin, grilled onions, grilled peppers.

• Goat cheese, thinly sliced roasted beet, roasted carrots and fennel (note that goat cheese doesn't melt well, so this ends up being a drier quesadilla)

• Monterey-jack, grilled red onions, steamed yellow summer squash, and zucchini