Photo by Pixzolo Photography on Unsplash

Leftovers Recombination: How to Turn Leftovers into a New Meal

Starting with a Not-Recipe for Fried Rice

Some may dread putting takeout containers in the fridge. Those packages of possibility have the opposite effect on me. I’m often imagining what the next day’s meal will look like.

I refer to this process as leftovers recombination, the magical transformation of last night’s dishes into entirely new meals. Over the years, my kitchen creativity has led to the following examples of tasty alchemy:

• Bo ssäm ➜ breakfast bao: pork butt + egg + cucumber + scallion ginger sauce stuffed into buns topped with melted butter and everything seasoning
• Injera + various meats/vegetables ➜ chilaquiles: chopped leftovers + eggs
• Pasta sauce ➜ shakshuka: marinara + spinach + feta + eggs + toast soldiers for dipping

You may have noticed each of those examples includes eggs. I love eggs. I once did a 30-day vegan challenge and walked away reconfirming my devotion to the protein. Eggs are also celebrated by chefs so I’m in good company.

When I think about the leftovers dish I make the most, it’s definitely some variation of fried rice (or other grain). At home, we tend to make a mix of grains to complete our dinners. Delivery rice is where things really get interesting. If a small amount of protein is left, I chop this and integrate it into a new dish because that’s more flavorful than eating the leftovers as-is. Recombinating leftovers means also redistributing the flavor so you don’t experience a disproportionate ratio of protein to rice. The fried rice ends up with the same flavors of cuisine we ordered in: Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Mexican, Peruvian, Greek, Persian, Indian…

I never follow a recipe but this is generally my process:

1. Chop up the ingredients I want to put in the fried rice. Depending on how much protein and vegetables are remaining, I may complement with what I have in the fridge, freezer, or pantry.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in the frying pan or cast iron.
3. Add and heat the rice first. If I have time, I’ll cook some of the rice until it’s crunchy like a clay pot dish.
4. Incorporate the rest of the ingredients to heat through.
5. Push the ingredients out from one side of the pan to reveal about 20% of the pan’s bottom. Add a little more oil in this empty space. Crack an egg or two, depending on the quantity of what’s in the pan. Stir the eggs within that space until they’re soft scrambled and still a little wet. Then fold the eggs into the rest of the ingredients.
6. Taste and season as needed. You can get creative here as well. Making a dish with leftover shawarma? Add harissa. Add feta. There’s so much room for creativity depending on what you have on hand.
7. Add fresh scallions or herbs if you have them.
8. Enjoy!

This post is part of my WriteMarch series, a commitment to write daily for a month.