Frugal Vegan Transformers - Beyond Leftovers

Save time and money in your vegan kitchen! 

You know you don't want to forget your lurking leftovers - that means mess and waste.  You can munch them yourself for lunch or serve them at the end of the week for "take it or leave it day."  

Or you can take charge - don't let them gang up on you, transform them into a new delicious meal right away.  

These transformers are tested in my very own home.

The secret life of the humble potato
First - steamed or mashed potatoes.  I steam as many potatoes as I can possibly fit into our large pressure cooker. My family loves mashed potatoes and gravy!  I make them special by mixing in very small pieces of a vegan sausage.  Mashed potatoes can easily be shaped into a heart or other designs that will win over the kids.

What next? Presto change-o, potato pancakes.  Mix your mashed potatoes with a bread/flour binder and fry them up.  Hint: My pancake technique often fails to satisfy, so I use my waffle iron for instant crunchy success.

What next? Curry!  It's pretty easy to save a cup of mashed potatoes from the lot.  I add a can of Indian flavoured tomatoes, some soymilk, and blend.  Make lots of rice (think extras!) and serve dinner.

Rice is still nice
 
What next? That rice is still fresh enough to serve with a Chinese sauce on the side.  If you're really pressed for time, plain soy sauce will do, especially if you also serve some cashews or peanuts. 

What next? Fill your Mexican nachos or tortillas with leftover rice along with all those healthy vegetables and beans.

What next? Fried rice takes tired leftover rice for a carnival ride.  It's also wonderful for hiding lots of veggies inside, chopped finely.

What next? Everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - transforms into soup!
Safe handling of leftovers - this is easier for vegans but still worth a read...