A simple repast
One of my new favorite meals is leftovers. I believe that food should be good several times over, and ideally the leftovers turn into something else entirely; they should not come out looking just like they did when they were first served. If you try to reconstitute the original meal using leftovers, it will almost always be a disappointment.
For example, this afternoon I took some of the braised kale, apples, and cranberries from last night, and threw them in a pan with some of the roasted root veggies. Stirring frequently over medium-high heat for three or four minutes, I brought the mixture up to temperature, emptied it onto a waiting plate, and then deglazed the pan with juice from half a lemon I had sitting in the fridge (also from last night). It wasn’t quite enough liquid, so I added a little water from the kettle. I scraped the pan clean, reduced the liquid to a sauce, poured it over my waiting meal, and added a little salt. Yum!
I had thought about thickening the sauce with some flour, but decided against it – I don’t need gravy on everything. Sometimes, a citrus reduction adds the perfect touch.