Quick Meals for Leftover Produce
When a mish-mash of past-ripe beets, tomatoes, pears, zucchini and blackberries are scattered around your kitchen, it can be difficult to whip up a meal that incorporates them all. In this post, I'll tell you all about my favorite foods that put leftover produce to good use in under 30 minutes.
Frittata
Frittatas are one of my favorite dishes for using up leftovers because they're quick, super simple and give me those breakfast for dinner vibes which I am 100% in to.
The basic recipe
Heat oven to 350 F. Roast 4 cups of chopped veggies, on the stove or in the oven, until beginning to brown. Place the veggies along with 10 beaten eggs, a splash of milk, a handful of cheese, salt and pep in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Use a spatula to scrape the cooked bits from the bottom of the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook for 12-18 minutes. It should still be just a bit jiggly in the middle.
Great for
potatoes, onions, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots, herbs, eggplant, squash and sweet corn
Quesadillas
Quesadillas are another super easy way to use up leftover produce, and they only take a few minutes to makes. As a bonus, quesadillas can help you use up extra cheese and herbs along with extra veggies.
The basic recipe
Pop some butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the skillet and pile with cheese and veggies. Place another tortilla on top. Let cook for a few minutes on each side, flipping when golden.
Great for
onions, peppers, tomatoes, squash, sweet corn, herbs, broccoli and cauliflower
Pizza
I don't need to introduce pizza — you know it and you love it. Making homemade pizza might seem intimidating, but if you have a premade dough, homemade pizza can easily be a Wednesday night dinner. Since pizza is a total blank slate, you can really let your freak flag fly with leftovers.
The basic recipe
Heat your oven to 450 F and place a baking stone on the middle rack. When the oven is preheated, roll out a store-bought or homemade pizza dough. Working quickly, remove the baking stone from the oven and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of semolina flour. Place the dough on top and pile with sauce and toppings. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until crust is golden and veggies are cooked through.
Great for
tomatoes, onions, peppers, squash, sweet corn, herbs, eggplant, sweet corn, broccoli and cauliflower
Stir-fry
Stir-fry is one of my favorite meals because it's healthy af, super easy and takes advantage of naturally flavorful veggies. On top of all that, it only takes a few minutes to throw together.
The basic recipe
Place a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat with a couple of tablespoons oil. Toss in all your veggies and stir fry them until lightly charred. Season with salt and pepper along with ginger, soy sauce, garlic powder or any of your other favorite flavorings. Serve with rice.
Great for
carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, onions, peppers and squash
Smoothies
Smoothies were one of the first things I learned to make on my own as a kid. Just chuck whatever produce you have on hand into a blender and you're good to go.
The basic recipe
Consider freezing some of the fruits before you make this to give the finished product a thicker texture. Chuck all your fruits in a blender with a bit of yogurt (I like a 1 cup fruit to 1 tablespoon yogurt ratio). Blend it up and you're good to go.
Great for
bananas, berries, watermelon, peaches, mango, pineapple and cherries
Pancakes or waffles
Another classic b-fast for dinner, pancakes and waffles are a perfect way to turn a variety of leftover fruits into a dish. If you add enough fruits, you can even skip the extra sugar of a syrup topping.
The basic recipe
Combine 2 cups AP flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. In another bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine 1 3/4 cups milk, 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Combine the wet mixture with the dry mixture and gently fold in 1-2 cups chopped fruit of choice. Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat and pour in some batter. Cook for several minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Great for
berries, bananas, cherries, peaches, plums, apples, pears and pomegranates
Muffins
When in doubt, toss some fruits in a muffin batter and call it a snack. Muffins are perfect for over-ripe fruits because they can capitalize on all that sweetness.
The basic recipe
Heat oven to 425 F. Measure out 2 cups chopped fruit; 2 cups flour; 1/3 cup sugar, honey or maple syrup; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1 cup milk; 1/4 cup oil; 2 eggs; and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Stir until almost combined, then add in the fruit and give it a few more folds. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Great for
berries, figs, cherries, peaches, plums, pineapple, bananas, rhubarb, apples, pears and cranberries