No Holiday Ulam Left Behind! 5 Ways to Transform Leftovers

Nothing like a holiday that test the strength of our refs and dining table. And once over, it is a challenge to make sure everything gets consumed before the food expires. But, if you have an adventurous palate and an experimental mind, you can transform leftovers into another delicious meal for your family. Here's are five ways to do it. 

Get saucy
Roast meat makes the best leftover meals. Not only is it highly versatile (it’s basically just cooked meat), it’s already tasty. The simplest thing you can do? Make a sauce, and turn it from a simple roast chicken dinner into a tastier version with a different gravy served with it. Or gently simmer it, and serve it smothered in a gravy or on top of fries. Yum. 

Make hash 
Roast beef or pork can easily turn into a beef hash similar to the breakfast favorite -- corned beef. Just shred or chop up small, and sauté in some oil with some potatoes, carrots, beans, or leftover vegetables. Just remember to season to taste before serving with a sunny-side up egg and garlic rice. 

Batter it up 
Have leftover vegetables? Chop it up, add to a simple thick batter of flour, milk, and seasonings, and drop by the spoonful to pan fry into fritters. Easy and tasty -- the perfect snack to sneak veggies into your kids’ tummies. 

Create a filling
Adobo makes the best leftover meal ingredient. One can make many dishes with the tasty ulam, and the best part is it’s a universal palette pleaser. So don’t just reheat it; up your culinary game with some Adobo Empanadas: Shred the tasty meat, spoon into pie crusts cut to size, crack a quail egg over each, press closed, brush with a beaten egg, and bake until done. Reduce any remaining adobo sauce until thickened before drizzling on top each empanada before serving. 

Just shred it 
Ever had caldereta so cooked so long the beef chunks fell apart? That’s exactly what you should do to leftover stew. Short on time? Use forks and shred the meat and mash the veggies. Then, it’s just a matter of stuffing it into hot pandesals in the morning. What a breakfast! 

Roselle Miranda is the food editor of Good Housekeeping Philippines.