This is what I love about leftovers. I started dinner at 7:45, and a few minutes before nine, I was out of the kitchen. No microwave use; all four burners on the stove were in service, and I washed the dishes by hand.
Two of the items were already cooked – the eggplant/aubergine spaghetti sauce and the lovely little campanelle pastas – so they just needed to be heated up. I put the pasta in my two-quart steamer, and the sauce into a two-quart saucepan. A larger frying pan with a trivet in the bottom steamed the broccoli, while I quickly browned up some fresh mushrooms.
All of this took about ten or so minutes, so we were eating by just after eight. It took longer to grate the cheese than to cook the meal – well – almost! ;->
We had a leisurely dinner while listening to our favorite forties music on Pandora, and then got out four different kinds of ice cream for dessert. While eating the ice cream, I read aloud the blurb about Rosemary Clooney at the Pandora site. What a gal! And what a life she led. We lost her in 2002; what a shame. She was one of our favorites.
The pots and pans were easy to clean up, and before nine o’clock I was downloading the picture of my plate to post here. So here it is – really “hot off the stove/press”! ;->
Adventures of Dorrie Anne 
I try to not spend a lot of time cooking – quick and easy is my motto. The plate looks so good, and especially the broccoli, as I love just about all green veggies.
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I count myself lucky that I like to cook – always have. I don’t mind putting in an hour or two to make something, especially if it has leftover components that I will be able to use later. Also, a Crock-Pot is a wondrous thing for being able to have food with little effort. Tomorrow the rest of the broccoli from tonight will join some delicious chicken broth I made over last night, and we will have broccoli cheese soup for lunch – probably featuring some of the leftover mushrooms from tonight!
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That’s what’s so wonderful about leftovers. Done in no time at all.
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Seems like freshening them with a new thing or two makes a whole new meal, although this one was quite similar to the original. Sometimes I turn spaghetti sauce into chili, and then, if still some leftover, it becomes taco or burrito filling with some refried beans. Just add cumin! ;->
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That’s how to do it!
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I have no microwave now for 5 months. I decided to see if I could survive without one and I am surviving. The left overs look fresh and delicious., topped with four flavours of ice cream. How lovely. Enjoy the weekend ahead!
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Mind, that the four flavors of ice cream added up to less than a quarter cup quantity. I seldom use my microwave, and would much rather have a Breville toaster oven in that place over the stove.
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I don’t eat lots of ice cream too…just a drop here and there. I have been thinking of buying a toaster oven….maybe I should!
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I use my toaster oven many times during the day.
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