No matter how you look at it, Saturday night’s dinner was outstanding and resulted in quite a pretty food picture. The best part about it was getting creative with existing ingredients to come up with something new and refreshing; a reincarnation of leftovers, so to speak. Most days we all ask ourselves the age-old question “what’s for dinner?” as we begin to explore the fridge and the food pantry and start the process. Sometimes it’s planned out and very straightforward (with some assembly required), while other times require a touch more thought and ingenuity. That’s just as much fun as eating our culinary creation – after we photograph it.
It goes something like this: “Hmm, let’s see … leftover Asian chicken drummettes slathered in fish sauce … water chestnuts, a handful of cashews … plenty of cilantro and dill … and all from last year’s dinner (which was only a couple of days ago). What about the sesame seeds and coarsely ground pepper from today’s pan-seared tuna breakfast?” And that’s how last night’s dinner suddenly fell into place: first, pull the tender Asian chicken meat off the bones and reserve. Then, place the semi-stripped bones and fish sauce in a pan with several cups of water and reduce the liquid to create a new sauce. Strain the broth and add the shredded chicken, water chestnuts, cashews, sesame seeds and ground pepper, some chopped cilantro and dill and keep reducing it a bit longer over low-medium heat. Boil some water and cook a small bundle of Asian noodles. Drain the noodles when al dente (just like pasta), divide into bowls, top with the “New” Asian chicken sauce, a sprinkling of fresh herbs, and serve. If only we could give ourselves a makeover that easily!!
