Leftovers are your secret key to Real Fast Food – fast because it’s quick and easy to make, and real because you’re using real food and not processed junk for your ingredients.
- Take stock of your leftovers with an eye for what can be paired together for a quick, nutritious dinner
- A quick saute can transform sad leftovers
- Having flavorful sauces in the refrigerator or freezer adds a boost of flavor
Real food, not junk food saute with leftover potatoes, Romanesco broccoli and quinoa
Mondays usually start out busy for me and I think that’s probably true for most people. It’s hard to squeeze in time for cooking when I have a long list of things to get done. At the same time, I don’t want to cave and eat junk food. What to do? Dig through your refrigerator, looking at the leftovers from your weekend cooking and cobble together a tasty saute.
Today, I found a solitary baked potato that was getting a little up there in age, a big pile of steamed dinosaur cauliflower (our pet name for Romanesco broccoli – does anyone else call it Dinosaur Cauliflower?) and some cooked quinoa I’d scooped out of a Whole Foods hot bar late last week. I always have onions and garlic on hand. All I needed was a little creamy flavor to add in and voilà , a meal in the making.
Real food not junk food saute on the stovetop with onions, potato, Romanesco broccoli, quinoa and two vegan cheese hearts
How I Sauteed the Leftovers
I sauteed 1/4 of a chopped onion for a few minutes in a small bit of olive oil. Then added the diced baked potato and a chopped clove of garlic (I actually used the garlic press). I sauteed that until the potatoes were getting crispy and browned around the edges (about 5 minutes), then added the Romanesco chopped into bite-sized chunks and sauteed another five minutes to warm it through. Finally, I added about 1/2 cup of leftover cooked quinoa and two of my Better Than Cheddar Vegan Cheese Sauce frozen hearts to the pan and stirred it around until the hearts melted and it was well mixed. Dinner. Yay!
Collecting tasty sauce recipes to add zing to my meals is my secret to finding happiness in this plant-based lifestyle. I get busy and don’t plan ahead like I should. I need fast, nutritious meals like this one to stay on track, and they need to taste great so I’m not left feeling dissatisfied after eating.
A list of the sauces I’ve uploaded:
- Pesto for Plant Lovers – mixes really well with the better than cheddar vegan cheese sauce (next in list) for a creamy, cheesy variation
- Better Than Cheddar Vegan Cheese Sauce – this is my number one sauce, I use it more than any of the others
- Fat-free Vegan Cheese Sauce
- No-Guilt BBQ Sauce – mixes really well with the better than cheddar vegan cheese sauce (above) for a creamy, cheesy variation
- Stay tuned – more to come!