A day of resties

You might find yourself wondering: what exactly are “resties”? Well, they’re simply leftovers – but I’ve taken a liking to the term.

Quite unexpectedly, we found ourselves with a day of resties just a few days back. Perhaps it was the wintry weather creeping in again, or maybe it was my two-week episode of illness that left me uninspired to evoke up anything too extravagant in the kitchen. Nonetheless, what awaited our culinary creativity were half a packet of phyllo dough, a pan filled with leftover asparagus water, and some old, stale bread begging to be transformed.

Let’s start with the phyllo dough. After indulging in baklava the week prior, the thought of another sweet creation didn’t quite appeal. So, with peas and asparagus in abundance, I crafted what I dubbed a “phyllo sandwich”: a layer of phyllo dough, generously topped with sautéed vegetables and ricotta salata, followed by another layer of dough, brushed with butter to achieve that perfect golden crunch. Twenty minutes in the oven at 160 degrees, and voilà: a flavorsome lunch emerged – though I must admit, eating it was a bit of a challenge.

Dinner, however, took a simpler route. I caramelised some onions until they reached that delightful sweetness, then added them to the leftover asparagus water along with a medley of chopped vegetables – celery, cabbage, carrots, and leek. Once the soup was simmering beautifully, we tossed in some bread croutons, crafted from the remnants of stale bread, roasted to crispy perfection in olive oil. A dash of salt, a few pieces of smoked sausage, and our dinner was complete – a hearty, soul-warming feast.

Now, onto you: What are your favorite dishes to whip up using random leftovers?