Luscious Leftovers - Part I

Fun with Fruit

Smoothie Ingredients

 Welcome to the New Year!

Now that the holidays are over, you probably have a fridge full of leftovers you have no idea what to do with.

I'm here to help.

In this series I'm going to show you creative ways of repurposing leftovers. Reusing leftovers is not only budget friendly, but it's also smart from an ecological standpoint, as it prevents food waste.

Since fruits and veg are often the first things to go bad, I've decided to start with those.

Have some fruit leftover from a fruit salad or platter? A half a can of pineapple or fruit cocktail you opened for a recipe but didn't end up using all of? Some bananas you bought but are now too brown to eat right out of the peel?

Try making a Smoothie

Smoothies are a great way of repurposing fruit and even some vegetables because even fruit on the brink of spoilage tastes fine in when blended up with a little fruit juice. Smoothies are full of nutrients and great for or with breakfast or as an afternoon pick me up. Want some calcium? Add some yogurt or milk to the mix.

Here's How You Do It

Total Prep Time: 5 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 Cups of Fruit - coarsely chopped

1/4 Cup of Cucumber - peeled and chopped - Optional - Believe it or not, cucumber works GREAT in smoothies as it makes them extra refreshing.

1/4 Cup of Frozen Chopped  or Leftover chopped cooked Spinach - Optional - This may seem weird, but I've learned that if you add enough fruit to a smoothie, you will get all the nutrients without actually tasting the spinach, so give it a try. I highly recommend it.

3 Cups of Juice - I find Orange Juice works best, but you can use any other juice you like.

1/4 Cup of Yogurt, Cow or Goat's Milk, Soy Milk, Almond Milk, or Rice Milk - Optional

Equipment

1 Blender - OR - Hand/Immersion Blender - This will put the smooth in your smoothie

1 Pitcher

Measuring Cups

1 Knife and Cutting Board

Blend all the ingredients together and serve!

Don't like smoothies?

Try Making Jam

Toast with Butter and Homemade Jam

It may sound complicated, but jam is basically a matter of boiling the heck out of a bunch of sugar and fruit together until they merge, thicken, and become sticky. This stuff can not only be spread on bread, but it also makes a nice sauce for ice cream or cheesecake. Because this jam is homemade, it will be a quite bit runnier than what you get in the grocery store, but I can assure you, it will be just as tasty, if not better. Give it a try. I guarantee you'll never want to buy store bought jam again.

Here's How You Do It

Total Cook and Prep Time: 45 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 Cups of Fruit - Coarsely Chopped - I used frozen mixed berries, but use whatever you have leftover

1 Cup of Brown Sugar

1 Cup of Water

Equipment

1 Medium Sized Pot

1 Wooden Spoon

1 Knife and Cutting Board

Measuring Cups

Dump the sugar and water into your pot and heat on medium, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves.

Add the fruit and bring to a boil.

Simmer for at least 20 minutes or until half the liquid has evaporated and the jam has thickened slightly. Be sure to stir it every once in a while or it will bubble over, making a nasty mess.

Take the pot off the heat and cool for at least 15 minutes before using. The jam will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

Stay tuned for next week when I'll be showing you how to re-purpose leftover vegetables!

-Samantha R. Gold

Questions? Comments? Requests?

Bring it on!

I can be reached at:  for.the.culinarily.challenged@gmail.com

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