5 Recipes That Use Last Night's Leftovers

Sometimes, the desire to whip up an entirely new meal just isn't there - especially when the leftovers are in the refrigerator. But that doesn't mean you have to eat them as is. There are plenty of delicious ways to transform yesterday's lunch into a unique dish for tonight's dinner. Here are a few ways to make a new meal out of the leftovers while still following a primarily raw, plant-based diet:

1. Portobello BLT Sandwich What better way to utilize the ingredients prepared for last night's salad than by turning them into a sandwich? Try our satisfying recipe that's bursting with flavor. Ingredients: For the mushrooms:

• 2 Portobello mushroom caps - thinly sliced at a 45-degree angle
• 4 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 dash of ground cayenne pepper
• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

To build the sandwich:

• Sliced spelt - or organic whole grain bread
• Romaine lettuce leaves
• 1 avocado - mashed
• 3 slices of tomato
• Vegetarian mayonnaise or a homemade condiment of your choice
• Sea salt to taste

Directions: First, add the grape seed oil, maple syrup, smoked paprika, sea salt, cayenne and black pepper to a mixing bowl and whisk until fully combined. Generously pour mixture over mushroom caps and toss to coat. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Using a non-stick skillet, warm the sliced mushrooms over medium heat. Sear each side until golden brown - this should take about 3 minutes per side. To assemble your sandwich, spread one slice with your homemade condiment and another with the mashed avocado. Stack the Portobello mushroom caps, tomato and lettuce on one slice of bread and top with the other. You can exchange the Portobello caps for your favorite mushrooms if desired. Enjoy!

2. Crunchy Crisp Kale Chips Need a side to go with your sandwich? Just use your leftover kale to create this potato chip alternative. Ingredients:

• 2 bunches whole kale leaves
• 1 1/2 cups cashews
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
• 1 teaspoon salt-free dried herb seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 dash of cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup distilled water

Directions: First, remove the stems from the kale and cut the leaves into a bite-sized pieces. Next, place the cashews, lemon juice, yeast, sea salt, herb seasoning, cayenne and black pepper and water into a food processor. Blend until mixture reaches a smooth consistency. Use your hands to massage the kale pieces with the mixture generously on both sides. Place leaves on Teflex sheets and place in a dehydrator for about 2 hours, or until they're crispy.

 

3. Sunflower 'Tuna' Salad This mock-up salad from Kim Wilson's book "Everyday Wholesome Eating … In The Raw" uses yesterday's leftover vegetables as its essential components. Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 carrot
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/8 sweet onion - chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kelp powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions: First, grate the carrot and celery into your food processor. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until mixture is finely ground. Let mixture sit for at least 1 hour - to make the flavors blend - and then serve on your favorite organic whole grain bread. Sunflower seeds transform this meal into a delicious raw dish.

 

4. Tomato Avocado Basil Salad Don't let the chopped cauliflower go to waste. Use it to create this fresh dish from Ann Malkmus' book "Unravel the Mystery: Recipes." Ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes - diced
• 1 avocado - diced
• 1 cup broccoli - cut into small pieces
• 1 cup cauliflower - cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons flax oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup fresh basil - finely chopped

Directions: Using a large bowl, combine the tomato, avocado, broccoli and cauliflower. Set aside. Add remaining ingredients to a jar, and then cover and shake. Generously add the dressing to the vegetables and toss to coat.

 

5. Stuffed Bell Peppers Leftover beets can be transformed into stuffed bell peppers with Ann's recipe. Ingredients: For the peppers:

• 4 yellow or orange bell peppers - halved and seeded
• 1/2 avocado - mashed
• 1 peeled beet - shredded
• 1/4 cup celery - finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds - soaked for 8 hours, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley - chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kelp powder

For the dressing:

• 1/2 avocado
• 1 cup distilled water
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 dash cayenne pepper

Directions: First, process all of the dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. Set aside. Next, mix all of your other ingredients - besides the bell peppers - to create your filling. Fill each pepper shell with an equally amount of the mixture. Top with dressing to serve.