Leftovers can be so pathetic. Any way you look at it, it’s still last night’s dinner. And if last night’s dinner had been so great, there wouldn’t be any leftovers.
Still, it’s hard to throw the stuff away. That seems too decadent. You can freeze the little morsels for next week, but somehow no one is fooled. “Didn’t we just have this?”
There is another option. The trick is to transform last night’s food into something that looks completely different. It doesn’t have to be different, remember, it just needs to look different.
A wonderful method is to chop yesterday’s meal into smaller pieces, add sprinklings of whatever else you have in the cupboard, and make a pizza out of it.
Works every time.
The crust part is not difficult. Homemade crusts take very little effort. Store-bought crusts abound, though, and should not be underestimated. Keep a couple in various sizes in the freezer. They’ll come in handy. Just pull out a crust (no need to defrost) and top it with whatever is in the fridge or on the shelf. Pop it in the oven and accept the applause gracefully.
A leftover hamburger from yesterday’s supper, for example, crumbled over a crust with a sprinkling of oregano and some cheese melted on top, is an easy winner.
Little pieces picked off that roast chicken carcass scatter nicely on a crust with sliced olives (green or black), chopped green onions, maybe a sprinkling of rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil.
For the recycling to work, however, some key ingredients should be on hand at all times: olive oil (not vegetable oil, please) and cheese. The oil can be brushed on the crust before anything else is added or drizzled over the finished creation before it goes in the oven.
Any sort of cheese will do: Cheddar, mozzarella, blue, mascarpone, even slices of good old American, believe it or not. All you need is something that will melt, although dollops of ricotta can be luscious too.
As for sauces, possibilities abound. Tomato is king, of course (and store-bought is fine), but don’t overlook pesto, barbecue or steak sauce–even hoisin sauce. A cream sauce works nicely sometimes. Or try pureeing a small jar of roasted red peppers, oil and all, in the blender.
As for toppings, here are a few suggestions. But try anything you have left over. It’s almost impossible to fail.
– Brush the crust lightly with olive oil, cover with sliced tomatoes, sliced leftover meatloaf and your cheese of preference.
– Spread a layer of pesto on the crust, add chicken pieces, sliced olives or a sprinkling of capers, even small pieces of a steamed vegetable such as broccoli. Drizzle with a little olive oil or top with cheese.
– Open a can of tuna. Drain, then flake onto a crust that has been brushed lightly with olive oil. Add some crushed garlic, thyme and cheese.
– Brush crust with olive oil and top with sliced tomatoes, chopped red onion, salt, pepper and blue cheese. (Blue may seem unorthodox, but this combination is wonderful.)
– Cut into bite-size pieces and then steam whatever vegetables you have. Carrots, broccoli, squash, peas and beans all work well. Toss with chunks of feta or goat cheese, a sprinkling of herbs such as oregano or thyme, salt and pepper. Spread over the crust. Drizzle with oil.
– You have no leftovers, just little nubby ends of cheese? Grate several different kinds, brush crust with olive oil, sprinkle with a finely chopped garlic, add the combined cheeses.
BASIC PIZZA DOUGH
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Rising time: 5 to 6 hours
Cooking time: 12 to 15 minutes
Yield: Dough for two pizzas
This pizza dough recipe produces a thin, crisp crust.
2 packages dry yeast
2 cups warm (not hot) tap water
1 to 2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups flour
1. Heat oven to 475 degrees. (If you’re using a pizza baking stone, heat oven at least 20 minutes to heat stone thoroughly.)
2. Mix together yeast and warm water in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Add salt and olive oil; stir or pulse. Stir in flour a 1/2-cup at a time. Keep adding flour to the mixture until dough begins to form a ball and is not sticky.
3. Remove dough to a floured work surface and divide in half. Place each half in a plastic food storage bag and let rise 5 or 6 hours for best consistency.
4. If you’re baking the pizza on a cookie sheet, sprinkle flour lightly on the sheet and pat out dough to desired shape and size. If baking on a pizza stone, lightly flour a wooden pizza paddle, or peel, and pat out dough on the peel.
5. At this point, crusts can be frozen for later use or used immediately. If you’re using the crust immediately, add desired toppings. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. To freeze, place entire cookie sheet with crust in the freezer. When it is frozen, remove crust from sheet, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and return to freezer. When ready to use, simply put toppings on frozen crust and bake as directed.
Nutrition information, 1/8th of recipe, crust only:
Calories……….335 Fat…………. 6 g Cholesterol…….0 mg
Sodium……….805 mg Carbohydrates….60 g Protein………..9 g
FLAT OLIVE OIL BREAD (FOCACCIA)
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Rising time: 75 to 85 minutes
Cooking time: 20 to 30 minutes
Yield: One pizza crust
The focaccia recipe, adapted from “The Greens Cook Book,” by Deborah Madison with Edward Espe Brown, yields a thicker, breadlike crust.
1 package dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups flour
1. Heat oven to 475 degrees. If you’re using a pizza stone, heat oven 20 minutes or more to heat the stone thoroughly.
2. Dissolve yeast in water in a large bowl; add salt and olive oil. Stir to combine. Stir in flour 1 cup at a time. Once dough has formed, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes, adding a little flour if needed to keep it from being too sticky to handle.
3. When dough is smooth, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk. This should take about 30 to 40 minutes.
4. If you’re using a pizza stone, flour a pizza peel and pat dough into the desired shape and size. If using a cookie sheet, oil the sheet lightly. Add toppings of your choice, then let dough rise another 45 minutes. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories………190 Fat…………..5 g Cholesterol…..0 mg
Sodium……..270 mg Carbohydrates…30 g Protein………..4 g
