being resourceful with food leftovers

i remember being a kid and telling my mom, "there is NOTHING in the fridge to eat!" and she would always tell me, "oh kari there are SO many leftovers!" and indeed there was. never a day went by when we didn't have leftovers or frozen soups and sauces that my mom would make way in advance. i realize now how much of a money-saver this can be, not to mention delicious!!

one of my favorite ways to use leftovers is in my breakfast scramble. since adopting a near-gluten-free diet i have become very fond of incorporating vegetables, protein and sometimes goat's cheese into scrambled eggs. it is pretty much the most satisfying breakfast ever. last night i made some delicious carne asada tacos, and this morning used leftover grilled beef with some previously sauteed leeks and mushrooms. i cooked the veggies first this past Tuesday night (today is Saturday), which makes them still good to use and a great way to eat my veggies first thing in the morning. mushrooms contain Vitamin D and leeks are cleansing for the body.

 

next, i made sure to cut the already-cooked carne asada meat into smaller pieces, better for sauteeing and bite-sized for an egg scramble. i cooked the meat first for about 2 minutes, with a dab of butter in the pan, then added the vegetables to cook for another few minutes. finally, i added the scrambled egg mixture (we used 3 eggs for 2 people and it was a lot of food for each of us!). here's an idea of what the process looked like:

to complete the breakfast dish, i put a bit of salsa verde next to the scramble on the plate, in addition to a few slices of organic heirloom tomato and a warm corn tortilla. this is only one example of the countless ways to make an egg scramble and use what's already in your fridge. thanks mom, for teaching me the importance of leftovers and to be resourceful with them. 

other scramble combination ideas:

scallions, ham, goat cheese

bacon, mushrooms, kale or chard

spinach, feta cheese, artichoke hearts (a few small pieces only)

pancetta, goat cheese, sun dried tomato or roasted red pepper

breakfast sausage, cheese of your choice and sweet potato

the possibilities are endless!! happy scrambling!