True confession time: I don’t keep a lot of leftovers. Part of that is because The Captain tends to eat everything at dinner, which is nice and I’m trying to cook smaller portions. But the real reason is that I can’t stand having stuff in the refrigerator waiting to be eaten and no one eating it. I have been chastised many a time by The Captain to eat the leftovers, to which I always reply, “help yourself.”
Now some things are great the second day. For example, soups, spaghetti sauce, just about any Chinese food, and fried chicken. I actually love cold fried chicken. It reminds me of my childhood and momma making it for picnics. Food is memories, folks.
This week The Captain is gone and I’ve been eating light. By light I mean cereal and simple things like grits. I’ve been fighting a cold and catching up from being out of town, so cooking has dropped to very low on my priority list. I have also been blessed with great friends and neighbors who invite me to dinner so that I don’t actually starve. Dinner at Elizabeth and Michael’s is always a delicious treat. Michael made smoked ribs one night and later in the week he and Elizabeth made outrageously delicious steaks. They have the latest in kitchen gadgetry, a sou vide. This immersion tool slowly cooks things while they are immersed in water. Once they get to the desired temperature, remove them from the waterproof bags and finish off however you like. For the steaks, Michael used the sou vide to cook them, and then Elizabeth finished them off on the grill to get that perfect char. I’m talking some seriously good eats.
The portions were quite large; subsequently I ate about half of my steak. I just couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it, so I packed it up and took it home. There it rested in my refrigerator for a couple of days when I finally got the energy to actually cook a meal for myself.
While The Captain and I were traveling recently, I introduced him to steak and eggs. My daddy loved these for breakfast and I can remember eating an abundance of this cholesterol rich morning food myself. We had just visited my parents, which I supposed led me to feeling a bit nostalgic. A leftover steak was the perfect thing to make for breakfast. Actually, I made it for dinner, but you get the idea.
Wanting to do a little something extra with it, I decided upon a breakfast skillet. I par-boiled (this means partially cooking by boiling) small potatoes. Once drained, I added them to a skillet with onions and peppers, a pinch of chili powder, and cumin. I tossed in the steak, and I had myself a Southwestern skillet. Topped with two fried eggs, fresh cilantro, and a few slices of avocado, this dish was not only quite pretty to behold, but tasted great.
Every week I try to make at least one new dish to learn more about ingredients and cooking styles. This week I present a dish that uses leftovers as a great way to stretch a menu, and the wallet: Southwestern Skillet.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll start a whole new line of second-round recipes. I’d love to hear how you create new recipes from what’s in your fridge.
Until next time…
Eat and enjoy,
Midgi
Southwestern Skillet
2 – 4 ounces steak (pre-cooked, cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 large red potato, large diced, par-boiled
¼ onion, large diced
¼ green or red bell pepper, large diced
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder (I used Ancho for a little extra kick)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 scallion, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil (or bacon drippings if you have them)
Preheat small skillet to medium high. Add oil or drippings. Add peppers and onions and cook until softened. Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add steak, cumin and chili powder. Toss together and cook until warmed through.
Top with eggs cooked to your delight. Garnish with avocado, scallion, and cilantro.
