Between the reality of “austerity measures” finally coming home to roost in Canada, rising gas prices, and the upward creep of the cost of food, we’ve had to take time in our own household to re-assess how much we’re spending — and for people who like to cook, our grocery bill comprises a huge portion of our monthly budget.
I’ve always stubbornly maintained that I would make cuts in other places before I’d stop buying high-quality ingredients at home, so lately I’ve tried to assess how else we can save on groceries without having to give up our expensive predispositions to artisanal cheese or those tiny organic avocados. In doing so, we realized the amount of food we toss out on a weekly basis had reached an embarrassing level. Part of the problem was buying in too-large quantities and not getting through them before they went bad — but part of it was also the tendency to let leftovers sit in the fridge for way too long, until they just went into the green bin.
As a kid, leftovers were a regular part of our weekly dinner rotation; at least once a week, my parents would heat up the remaining bits of that week’s meals and throw it all on the table. In some cases those leftovers were repurposed so we could still pretend it was “new”, but for the most part it was just a smorgasbord. They did not say obnoxious things like “but these flavours don’t really go together” or “it’s not really a cohesive plate.” You just had to eat it, because it was wasteful not to.
Now, Canada reportedly tosses $27 billion of food into landfills each year. The least we could do was stop tossing out perfectly good food because we’d already had it twice that week. We could either eat what we actually bought, or just buy less.
My preference is still to try and make a new dish out of old ones; repurposing leftovers can be a challenge but can also generate surprising combinations that may just become a regular part of your repertoire.
Last weekend, after Precedent’s Assistant Editor Christina Cheung requested a recipe for omurice, a Japanese omelette with fried rice, and having found a hodgepodge of day-old grilled chicken, steamed rice, and random vegetables in my fridge, it seemed like the perfect dish for tackling our leftovers problem.
Since “traditional” omurice is itself a mashup of a Western dish (omelette) mixed with Japanese-style fried rice (which is often in a sweeter, ketchup-based sauce), I obviously had to mash it up a little further towards the Chinese flavour profile, so this is by no means authentic. However, much of the flavour is ultimately going to depend on what ingredients you’re using, so go ahead and mix things up.
You could substitute some leftover Easter ham or turkey, or use some firm tofu for a vegetarian version. This salmon fried rice, another leftover-inspired favourite, would also be a great option for this. Use whatever vegetables you have kicking around: my favourite is chopping up bok choy or spinach on its last legs, but diced celery works (add this earlier on with the ginger/green onion), as well as any chopped leafy green or even frozen vegetables.
Omurice is generally served with a drizzle of ketchup on top, but I like to use a dollop of chili oil or some sriracha sauce. Serve on its own or with a side salad for a quick and filling dinner (or brunch). This recipe calls for a large omelette to be cut in half to serve two, but you can also make two individual ones and make a thinner, more delicate omelette as the proper omurice calls for, usually folded in thirds instead of in half. If you’re cooking for one, use a smaller pan and only two to three eggs and add less of the fried rice.
Trust me, you’ll still eat the leftovers.
Fried rice omelette
Serves 2
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 inch piece ginger sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 green onions, white and green parts separated, chopped
1 to 1.5 cups leftover meat or tofu, diced
2 – 4 tbsp water
1 tbsp ketchup
1tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
2 cups leftover steamed rice
1 cup chopped vegetables*
5 eggs, beaten lightly with a large pinch of salt
*Any vegetables you like will work. For vegetables that take a little longer to cook (green beans, celery, kale), add earlier in Step 2 with the meat and sauce. For those that wilt quickly, add near the end of cooking.
1. In a wok or large frying pan, heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, and white parts of green onion, allowing to sizzle for about 30-40 seconds but not burning.
2. Add leftover meat, ketchup, oyster sauce, and soy sauce tossing to coat. Add vegetables*.
3. Break up your leftover rice as much as possible with your hands so the grains are separated. Add a few tbsp of water to the wok, then add the broken-up rice, tossing to coat, turning every few minutes until the rice absorbs the sauce. The drier the rice, the more water you may need to rehydrate the rice. Avoid adding too much at first so you don’t wind up with soggy rice.
4. Add any remaining vegetables*, then toss gently until they wilt. Sprinkle with green onions and set aside. Season to taste with salt.
5. Heat a 10- or 12-inch non-stick or cast iron pan on medium-low and coat with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Pour in egg mixture, scraping in mixture from the edges once and letting the egg re-coat the pan. Allow eggs to set until the top is still slightly moist.
6. Scoop some rice onto one half of the omelette, then gently fold the other half over. Allow the egg to cook another 30 seconds, then flip onto the other side (if possible). Gently slide omelette onto a plate and cut in half (in some cases it may be easier to cut in the pan, then serve). Top with ketchup or your choice of hot sauce.
Sara Chan is a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer, food enthusiast, unprofessional home chef and even less professional food photographer. Her favourite food group is pork.