I try to be creative with my leftovers. I use leftover vegetables to make a pasta salad or omelettes or to flavor my pasta sauce, and leftover meats or potatoes can be turned into a soup, stew or casserole. My friends at Thai Kitchen had a few ideas for leftover makeovers and I thought I’d share those recipes with you here today,.

You Have:  Roasted Chicken

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If you’ve been to Maryland, you will know this spice.  You may not know it by name, but it is the spice of choice if you’ve had Maryland Steamed Crabs, Maryland Crab Soup and Crab Cakes.  All other seafood seasonings pale in comparison.   I really dig this spicy mix a lot. 

I use it in my tuna macaroni salad to give it extra zip.   Add about a tablespoon to a pound of pasta. 

I use it on French Fries - And I am not talking about typical fast food type of French Fries - I’m talking about the big thick fries that you make at home.  Before sprinkling Old Bay on them, I add a dash of malt vinegar.

I use it on Sweet Potato Fries and breakfast potatoes.

I use it on chicken wings.  In place of Buffalo wing sauce, I make a mixture of butter and Old Bay and enjoy my home town treat a little differently.

The other day after I reviewed Wholly Guacamole, a commentator named Robert suggested I use it as a sandwich spread. I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me before. I love to top my burgers with guacamole instead of ketchup or cheese, why not a sandwich?

I’m here to tell you guacamole is now my favorite condiment. In addition to topping burgers, guacamole is heaven when spread on a sandwich including fresh turkey or chicken, some tomato and even a little pepperjack cheese. I’m not much of a mayonnaise person and I’m not a big fan of mustard with chicken or turkey. From now on it’s guacamole every time.

Image: stock.xchnge

I am all about fast and easy during the week. Today, since I have a bad cold and sore throat, I decided a good dose of chicken broth was in order. The basic Chicken and Noodle recipe I stole from the booster booth at the school. It’s fast, easy and hot for those cold football games and Pumpkin show nights, or nights you are too sick to do a lot of preparation. I add some vegetables to mine to make it a little more flavorful and maybe a little healthier.

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I’m having car problems and the roads are icy today, so I didn’t feel like going to the supermarket as previously planned. Even so, there wasn’t much food to work with in my freezer. I settled on a package of chicken wings. Now, I’m not my husband. He doesn’t mind venturing out in 18 degrees to grill up a batch of wings. I’m not that ambitious. What I decided to do was slow cook them in my crockpot.

A few months ago Buff sent me some T.J.Morgan’s Basting Sauce, and I’ve been finding some good uses for it. Today I marinated my chicken wings with the TJ. Morgan’s Teriyaki Sauce - using the Vacu-Seal to get the job done quicker - and slow cooked the wings to perfection. They’re just about falling off the bone. And Ok, I sample a couple since dinner won’t be for a while, and they’re absolutely out of this world.

T.J.Morgans touts itself as a basting sauce, but I also use it as a marinade. The Teriyaki sauce is absolutely divine. Friends, don’t be afraid to experiment in your kitchen. Sometimes the best food is born out of experimentation.

5 pound turkey breast

Brine:
4 quarts of water
1 cup of salt
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry mustard

Rub:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry mustard

1. Mix brine ingredients in large bag - I used one of those turkey baking bags
2. Place turkey in bag, seal bag
3. Let turkey marinate at least 12 hours.4. Remove the turkey from the bag and place on smoker roasting rack/pan.
5. Put 4 cups of the brine in bottom of roasting pan
6. Mix all rub ingredients together and rub generously all over the turkey.7. Smoke!