Reinventing Leftovers

Adam and I try to be really good about eating leftovers so we don't waste any food. We've been less than vigilant with the Pesto Orzo that we made for Sharon last week. The problem was that we ran out of vegetables and had nothing to eat with it. But, last night we reinvented the pasta and made it absolutely delectable. We made: Pesto Orzo Patties with Sauted Spinach, Red Peppers, and Cannellini Beans.

Pesto Orzo Patties

I am sure that you could use any type of little pasta, rice, or even hearty root vegetables to make patties. By pan-frying the patties in a little bit of oil, you get a whole new texture on the leftovers. We used egg substitute to help mold the pasta, but I believe an egg beaten would work better, so I have put that into the recipe instead. And, although I normally use olive oil for all my cooking, I've opted to use canola oil because I wanted the oil to get really hot in order to crisp the patties. Canola oil has a higher burn point than olive oil, so it works better for fried dishes.

leftover pesto orzo
tofu, crumbled (we used only two 1-inch blocks for the amount of pasta we had)
egg, beaten
bread crumbs, enough to make the patties stick

1. Heat 1 Tbs. canola oil in a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Mix the ingredients together and then form patties. Mostlikely, they will not stick together very well, but they can be molded again once in the skillet.
2. Carefully place the patties in the hot skillet and mold into patty form if need be. Allow to brown on the one side, then flip with a spatula to allow to brown on the other. Each side will take about 3 minutes. Top with fresh-squeezed lemon juice.

Sauted Spinach, Red Pepper, and Cannellini Beans

This combination of vegetables and beans is a common one for Adam and me to make. It's super speedy and has an abundance of vitamins and minerals. Although not necessary, the chili oil drizzled on top adds a nice touch of unexpected heat.

1/2 red pepper, sliced thinly
several handfuls of spinach
1 (15-oz) can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 1/2 a lemon
chili oil

1. Heat a skillet with a touch of olive oil on medium heat. Saute the red pepper slices until tender. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the beans and heat through. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Once plated, drizzle the mixture with chili oil.