So... it can't always be glamorous. Sometimes, yes, we do have leftovers. The funny thing about leftovers... I always loved "Leftover Night" when I was growing up. It was aways a lot like a pot luck dinner. My husband... not so much. I remember, I used to cook meals to last all week. I'd make 2-3 huge meals, and then I would think, "This is awesome! We can eat all week with no effort!" The only problem was... my husband was not too fond of the leftovers. Sometimes he would call me on his way home from work and ask what we were having for dinner. The minute I would say "leftovers," his car would hit the drive-thru.
Well, now we are in money-saving mode and Ryan's not hitting the drive-thrus as often and I learned to cook differently. Now I try to cook meals that aren't so huge. I like to have maybe one day's worth of leftovers (hello lunch!) and that's it. Then I don't end up wasting food and money.
But the way I do leftovers is add ONE new ingredient or side dish, so that it's not so boring. Tonight it was just me because the hubs and Sadie were having dinner at the grandparents' house. So I decided to have leftover chicken soft tacos. But I added one new ingredient: roasted broccoli.
I never thought about roasting broccoli. I alway steam it. But lately, everything I roast ends up tasting amazing. So I thought, let's see what happens. All I did was brush it with a tiny bit of oil and add salt and pepper. It got a little crispy because I sort of forgot about it-- but it tasted amazing! I can't believe I never did this before, but I will do it again. What I am learning is that when you roast a vegetable, it just brings out the flavors even more and makes it taste that much better.
Tomorrow's "Hump Day!"
Hey Liz, I have been reading your blog. I tried the breakfast muffins the other night and they were a hit with my family. Now, i am curious about the roasting of vegetables. How do you do it? in the oven? at what temp? I would be interested in tasting it.
ReplyDeleteYou are a great writer, I have enjoyed reading what you post. :) Rachel
Rachel, thanks so much for that comment! I have had so much fun keeping my blog. It's a bonus that people out there actually READ it! Here's a little info on roasting vegetables. http://www.ehow.com/how_2110898_roast-vegetables.html
ReplyDeleteI usually roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.
I LOVE roasted red peppers, broccoli, zucchini (well, any squash, really!) and asparagus.
Good luck with your roasting and thanks for reading!
Liz