Drool Tip: "When you have leftover take-out that you're sick of simply reheating or weren't keen on it in the first place, don't throw it out! Repurpose it if you can, use fried rice and leftover meat in a soup, shred chicken or beef into tacos, or make a new sauce to spice up an old favorite."
Since I'm still pretty new to New York, I haven't had much luck with any take-out that doesn't rhyme with "mizza" and the places I've settled on haven't been very satisfactory to my taste buds.
This week, however, I had exhausted all options of oatmeal, eggs, and cereal and licked my kitchen clean of crumbs due to my recent diagnosis of bronchitis. Thankfully, I now know what has been making me cough incessantly for three weeks and being cooped up in my apartment isn't fun; but my antibiotic twice a day requires lots of food and I was running out of ideas so I settled on Thai. I ordered chicken with peanut sauce and a coconut milk soup, neither of which were very appetizing. Instead of quick and easy food, last night I was delivered two large chicken breasts, whole, and a runny peanut-ish sauce a top of mushy broccoli and sour soup that didn't taste much like coconut milk.
I ate as much as I could with half of the rice I was given and put the rest away for today's meal. Trying to be creative while muting my energy with strong cough syrup, I shredded the leftover chicken and added it to the soup broth to let it simmer on the stove, infusing the bland chicken with lemongrass and a hint of coconut broth.
Next I strained out the broth and added the rice with the mixed vegetables to rehydrate and reheat. After is was heated through I stuck the lid on the pan and set it off the heat. I needed a little kick and the "peanut" sauce I was served last night was watery and sickly sweet, not at all like peanut satay sauces I've had before, so I made my own.
Not only was my homemade peanut sauce and full of flavor, it heightened an otherwise boring dinner and not only saved my taste buds, but my wallet from having to buy more food and my lungs from having to make the trip during my illness.
This week, however, I had exhausted all options of oatmeal, eggs, and cereal and licked my kitchen clean of crumbs due to my recent diagnosis of bronchitis. Thankfully, I now know what has been making me cough incessantly for three weeks and being cooped up in my apartment isn't fun; but my antibiotic twice a day requires lots of food and I was running out of ideas so I settled on Thai. I ordered chicken with peanut sauce and a coconut milk soup, neither of which were very appetizing. Instead of quick and easy food, last night I was delivered two large chicken breasts, whole, and a runny peanut-ish sauce a top of mushy broccoli and sour soup that didn't taste much like coconut milk.
I ate as much as I could with half of the rice I was given and put the rest away for today's meal. Trying to be creative while muting my energy with strong cough syrup, I shredded the leftover chicken and added it to the soup broth to let it simmer on the stove, infusing the bland chicken with lemongrass and a hint of coconut broth.
Next I strained out the broth and added the rice with the mixed vegetables to rehydrate and reheat. After is was heated through I stuck the lid on the pan and set it off the heat. I needed a little kick and the "peanut" sauce I was served last night was watery and sickly sweet, not at all like peanut satay sauces I've had before, so I made my own.
Not only was my homemade peanut sauce and full of flavor, it heightened an otherwise boring dinner and not only saved my taste buds, but my wallet from having to buy more food and my lungs from having to make the trip during my illness.
TO-THE-RESCUE HOMEMADE PEANUT SAUCE
Serving Size: 1 to 2 large plates
1/2 cup of Peanut Butter (smooth or chunky); I used chunky
2 tsp. Vegetable Oil, + more to taste, help thin it out
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (+ more, to taste)
1 large Garlic Clove (2 small), minced
Honey, optional (in case it's too spicy!)
Water, to thin out
Optional Garnish: Sesame seeds
1. Mix all the ingredients until the mixtures falls easily off of a spoon, so it can be poured.
Feel free to guess and check, I didn't measure a lot of the ingredients but I put a little cayenne in and then more and as it got spicier, I added a little bit of honey at the end as well as small amounts of water to thin it out, you don't want it too oily or too sweet.
Taste as you go and feel free to add any other ingredients to make it your own; enjoy!
Refrigerate any of the leftovers, I don't know how long it lasts as it didn't stay in my fridge for long. Use to jazz up any future boring foods!
Serving Size: 1 to 2 large plates
1/2 cup of Peanut Butter (smooth or chunky); I used chunky
2 tsp. Vegetable Oil, + more to taste, help thin it out
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (+ more, to taste)
1 large Garlic Clove (2 small), minced
Honey, optional (in case it's too spicy!)
Water, to thin out
Optional Garnish: Sesame seeds
1. Mix all the ingredients until the mixtures falls easily off of a spoon, so it can be poured.
Feel free to guess and check, I didn't measure a lot of the ingredients but I put a little cayenne in and then more and as it got spicier, I added a little bit of honey at the end as well as small amounts of water to thin it out, you don't want it too oily or too sweet.
Taste as you go and feel free to add any other ingredients to make it your own; enjoy!
Refrigerate any of the leftovers, I don't know how long it lasts as it didn't stay in my fridge for long. Use to jazz up any future boring foods!
Dinnertime!
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