Leftovers can be a boon -- two homemade meals for the effort of one. Or, if improperly handled, leftovers can be sad and unappealing. Some minor adjustment to your methods will pay off, turning that foil covered dish into treasure.
1. Don't Forget the Water
It is the rare food which can be successfully reheated without a sprinkle of water -- especially in the microwave. Most foods, including pastas, rice, grains and root vegetables, absorb surface liquids as they cool in your refrigerator. Replace that water by dripping, drizzling or flicking water onto the surface of any of the above before you reheat them. If you skip this step, the steam that the oven creates will be drawn off the surface of your food, leaving it rubbery and stiff.
2. Where's the Lid?
Do those leftovers taste dry? In the first place, tightly wrap food in the refrigerator, because it is always easier to take moisture out of a reheated food than to put moisture back in. Then, if you're reheating in a conventional or toaster oven, you will probably want to cover the food for the first half of the reheat time. This allows the oven to warm up the ceramic or metal dish which holds the food. Once that comes to temperature, you can remove the cover and allow the food to heat evenly.
3. Don't Walk Away From That Microwave
Reheating tasty leftovers takes a bit more babysitting than you'd think. In spite of what the manufacturer tells you, microwaving is a contact sport. Go ahead and set the timer for three minutes, but after sixty seconds you should open the door, carefully remove the lid or covering, and stir. Microwaves heat quickly but wildly unevenly. Without a stir, you will have cold spots as well as overcooked sections. Even soup needs a stir during reheating.
4. Don't use the Microwave for Foods With Multiple Moisture Profiles
The microwave is a quick and useful appliance, but it should only be used on foods which are consistently moist: pasta dishes, rice, steamed vegetables, soups & chilis. Anything which should be crisp on the outside and moist within (bread, fried chicken) should be warmed in the oven or toaster oven. Microwave technology turns crisp food soggy or rubbery. There's no getting around it.
5. Try Your Broiler
Even if broiling is not a comfortable part of your cooking repertoire, it can be invaluable for perking up leftovers. Foods that get soggy in the microwave, such as breads, pizzas or anything breaded or fried, can be crisped up under the broiler. If you are looking at a plate which is warm but unappetizing, try a minute underneath the preheated broiler. Keep food at least six inches from the coils and watch constantly for burning.
6. Don't Forget the Topping
Add something fresh to the plate. Try one of these: a squirt of lemon juice, a sprinkle of grated pecorino, a dot of sour cream, a spoonful of salsa, shredded cheddar, panko breadcrumbs, a dollop of BBQ sauce, minced parsley or windowsill chives. You'll be surprised how far a garnish or sprinkle can go toward taking leftovers from sad to righteous.
7. Shred, Don't Cut
Cold chicken or slow-cooked meats should be shredded by hand rather than cut with a knife. The meat will cleave along lines which naturally preserve a moist texture.
8. Chill Immediately, Use Quickly and Reheat Thoroughly
Leftovers are a boon, but only if you use them safely. Don't allow foods to sit around the kitchen for hours before you chill them. When reusing, heat thoroughly. Not sure if that lasagna is hot? Stick the tines of a fork into the center of the heated dish and hold for a five count. Then touch to your tongue. Reheated food should be hot, not just lukewarm.
Sarah Pinneo is a food writer, and the author of Julia's Child (Plume 2012) and The Ski House Cookbook (Clarkson Potter 2007.)
Follow Sarah Pinneo on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Julias__Child
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Am gonna try the steamer idea. Thanks.
Bacteria won't grow in your food when that food is hot or cold--it's those middle temperatures where bacteria thrive. Room temperature is the danger zone.
The food in the warm dish that you're trying to cool is indifferent to cooling slowly or quickly. In fact, for a dish which has had multiple serving spoons dipped into it, quickly is safer. HOWEVER, the rest of the food in your refrigerator is not indifferent. The risk of putting that hot dish into the fridge is that it will warm up the surrounding items. If you're destabilizing your other chilled foods for an hour with a steaming hot pot in their midst, that could be dangerous.
And that's why the advice out there is vague. Because it's a bit complicated. The advice to cool to room temp. first is meant to help save the entire contents of your fridge, and not just the dish you're cooling.
hope this helps
woks are wonderful if you have a gas burner that can ideally blast one wok at least with heat. a big burner & a little burner should be fine for juggling two woks for a meal
the zen of them is everything is chopped & ready to go. Frozen peas are cheap & good. A stirred egg or two dripped into the brew at last minute - anything tasty from the pantry is ok~, corn kernells, anchovies ...
if u time it right, can cook rice & brown lentils in the same brew just estimate cooking times. They are as flavorsome as meat used with discretion.
Its a bummer if u have an electric stove tho. heat is all on the bottom - not what they are about
u may be better off with an electric wok. dunno.
general rule is a searing hi heat, minimal oil spread well, almost smoking, add in order of hardness (meat a bit earlier - a few bacon rashers will do) eg carrots first. done right, nothing is oily & its all got a slightly seared look to it
sorry not clear
the notion was a meal should have fresh but the leftovers can do the flavor & the wok the heat rather than nuking the leftovers - neater
ideally, you figured on the reheat when u made it
so u didnt mix the sauce w/ veges that dont keep
so if done right, u r reheating a sauce
but you are wok-king up fresh veges/rice/noodle anyway so you can mix the sauce into something drained & hot, simmer & gently toss a little so its all hot - serve
soy, lemon, salad, fresh coriander, euro parsley - yum
shall do a separate post on woks
Try it and you'll love it