Alberta leading food insecurity in Canada, home economist gives tips on maximizing leftovers

Home economist Jodie Kachkar shares some tips to reuse your leftovers and reduce your food waste.

Recent statistics show Alberta leading in food insecurity across the country. About one-in-four households in the province are unable to afford fresh and healthy foods. Home economist Jodie Kachkar joined CTV Morning Live’s Kent Morrison to share leftover meal ideas.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Recipes – Leftover Pasta Frittata

Jodie Kachkar: A Frittata is an egg dish. Think of quiche minus the crust but easier and requires an oven-safe frying pan. This bakes at a reasonable temperature and if you are worried, cover the handle of your frying pan with a couple layers of tinfoil to be safe. This is a great place to use a well-seasoned cast iron frying pan. Frittata often shows up as a hearty brunch dish, but I think it’s the start of a busy week night when you need to throw food at your family and get out the door to something.

This dish will be the size of your frying pan (however many servings that is) and is great warm or at room temperature. It travels and leftovers well. It does not freeze well.

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs or more if you are using a larger (12 inches) skillet.
• 1/4 cup milk, cream, half-and-half, oat milk or dairy beverage of your choice.
• Salt and pepper to season.
• Butter or oil to cook with. (2-3 Tbsp)
• Dried herbs to season. (Use what you have and season with your heart)
• 1-2 cups of cooked pasta of any shape. Should not have sauce on it (Ideally).
• 1-2 cups of chopped vegetables. (Some onion is nice, greens, peppers, cherry tomatoes do well here)
• 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. It can be a combination of cheeses. (Goat cheese is lovely here)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375℉. Pull together your ingredients. Prepare your veggies. (Slice, chop, dice)

2. If your pasta has cooled into a lump, run it under some warm water in a colander to separate it.

3. Heat some oil/melt some butter in the frying pan. Cook any of the veggies that you wish. (Onion and some garlic, perhaps peppers). Mix in any greens if using and stir in the pasta. Add a little more oil so that nothing will stick. Season with salt and pepper and any herbs/spices. Stir to mix well and then spread out in the frying pan.

4. Whisk together the eggs and the milk/cream until smooth, combined and frothy. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and any other seasonings you are using.

5. Lower your heat to medium/medium-low heat. Pour the egg mixture over the frying pan and shake the pan gently to coat everything in the egg mixture. Cook without stirring for 5 minutes - until the egg is beginning to set around the edges of the pan. Add in tomatoes (cherry or chunks) if using, and sprinkle in the cheese.

6. If you are worried about your frying pan handle, cover it with tinfoil and then transfer the pan to your oven. Bake until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted. (15 to 20 minutes)

7. Let sit for 5 minutes out of the oven. It’s BEST to remove it whole from the frying pan and then cut into servings carefully.

8. Nicely served with a salad or cut up veggies. Good at warm or room temperature.

Leftover Noodle Salad

Jodie Kachkar: This recipe is from Julie Van Rosendaal, a Calgary cookbook author and food writer. She writes regularly for the Globe and Mail and is active on Instagram @dinnerwithJulie.

• Leftover peanut noodles
• Peanut Sauce ingredients
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (Or sun butter, soy nut butter, almond butter etc.)
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar or lime juice (Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar would also work)
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar or honey
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped
• 1-2 tsp grated ginger (Or powdered would work - fresh is better)
• Chili flakes or hot sauce or Sriracha (Optional)
• Hot water or coconut milk to thin it out

Possible Dish ingredients:

• Leftover cooked noodles (Long skinny ones are best, but work with what you have)
• Chopped up cooked chicken, beef or pork, crumbled or crispy tofu, cooked shrimp
• Chopped or grated carrots, peppers, pea pods, broccoli, broccolini (Anything you have or like, cooked or not)
• Chopped green onions
• Chopped cilantro (Optional)
• Toasted sesame seeds for garnish, or chopped peanuts

Make your sauce:

1. Stir everything together EXCEPT the water or coconut milk. It will be VERY stiff at first. Keep stirring until it comes together. Then add warm water or coconut milk to get it thin enough for what you want. It can be kept in the fridge for about a week.
2. If the pasta is cold and sticky, run it under some warm water and drain it. Combine all your ingredients in a large mixing bowl, (you need room to toss) and then add your sauce, a little at a time, until everything is coated. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Jodie: This makes an amazing lunch or dinner and it will never be the same. It can be kept for 3 to 4 days. It does not freeze.