NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

June 17, 1999

Prairie Fare: Yeah, But Then What?

Leftovers. Unless you're well practiced with the sales pitches, you're unlikely to convince me that leftovers are better than the originals—in most cases. You may win me over when it comes to some soups and perhaps chili. But even then, reheated meat tastes ... well ... somehow secondhand. And many vegetables that are given a second chance disappoint, both in terms of texture and color.

Just seeing certain leftovers is likely to make some folks grimace, or blanch, or worse. I know that the sight of a lettuce-based salad gone mushy remains quite fresh in my mind's eye.

On the other hand, not all leftovers promise a bad eating experience. Take meatloaf for example. I happen to like cold meatloaf—sliced and playing a starring role in my sandwich du jour. Thick slices of rye bread or pumpernickel, a solid piece of meatloaf that fits the bread just right, a weighty piece of Swiss cheese, a generous dollop of mayonnaise, maybe a ring or two of purple onion, a lettuce leaf and, of course, a spoonful of horseradish. Now that's how you eat leftovers. You'll notice, though, there was no reheating involved.

That's the key for enjoying leftovers as far as I'm concerned. You've got to commit to eating leftovers in a natural state, which most of the time is cold. Leftover pizza for breakfast anyone? You get the gist.

Of course, there are other types of leftovers—leftover ingredients or accompaniments, like crackers. In my case, it's usually been leftover oyster crackers, which are delightful when made soft and warm by the cream-and-butter broth of our Christmas Eve oyster stew. But what good are oyster crackers on the other 364 days of the year?

The following recipe, which I've renamed, is my answer to that question. It comes from SOAR—the Searchable Online Archive of Recipes, University of California, Berkeley (http://soar.Berkeley.EDU/recipes/). Anyone who's skittish about oysters should be pleasantly surprised by this snack.

Oyster Surprise
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:
3 cups granola (any flavor)
1½ cups oyster crackers
1 cup salted peanuts
½ cup pitted dates, cut up
¾ cup dried banana chips
½ cup raisins
¼ cup melted margarine
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Procedure:
Heat oven to 350 F. Mix together granola, crackers, peanuts, dates, bananas and raisins. Pour margarine over mixture and toss until evenly coated. Spread in 9 x 13-inch ungreased pan. Bake uncovered, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Cool and then stir in the chocolate chips. Store in a tightly covered container.

What's Your Take on This, Julie?

It's more palatable to think of leftovers as "planned overs." Along with cutting costs, making a little extra food can cut down your food preparation time for tomorrow's meal. Your family won't even grimace at the thought of Sunday's planned-over roast beef if it's used to make a quick stir-fry on Monday night.

To keep your planned-overs safe and tasty, be sure to label containers with the date and the contents to help prevent fuzzy surprises later. And don't cool foods such as meats and casseroles to room temperature before putting them in the refrigerator. Unlike the ice boxes of the past, our modern appliances with circulating air can handle the temperature changes that occur when warm food is added. A quick cool-down in a shallow container in the refrigerator will keep bacteria at bay.

It's also a good idea to date food as soon as you return from the supermarket and to rotate your pantry and freezer stock. Follow the foodservice rule of "first in, first out" to maintain high-quality foods. And remember to use perishable planned-over foods such as cooked meat and casseroles within two or three days.

What makes a food perishable, or in the words of food scientists, "potentially hazardous"? Potentially hazardous foods are usually high in protein and moisture, but even fresh and cooked vegetables, which are not high in protein, can support bacterial growth. Food is not sterile. Given the right temperature, one bacterium can grow to more than 2 million in seven hours. Some bacteria, such as Listeria monocytogenes, will even grow at refrigerator temperatures, which makes minding the "use by" date on refrigerated foods especially important.

This week's recipe, Oyster Surprise, features several nonperishable items. Take some along on your next nature hike, bike ride or other outdoor adventure. Trail mixes like these are dense in calories, so this may not be suitable couch-potato fare, unless you've got expansion plans. A 3-ounce serving (1/12 of the recipe) contains about 390 calories and 21 grams of fat, mainly from the peanuts, chocolate chips and granola.

If you typically munch on peanuts, keep in mind that one cup of dry-roasted peanuts contains about 850 calories and 73 grams of fat. Dried fruit also is a concentrated energy source, but unlike most candies, it contains fiber, vitamins and minerals. A quarter cup of raisins, which counts as a serving of fruit, contains about 110 calories with only a trace of fat.

Whether it's a snack, a planned-over or something hot off the grill, we all have our favorite foods. The key is to eat a variety of foods, not just our favorites, and it's always a good idea to balance calorie intake with moderate physical activity—30 minutes worth—at least five days a week.

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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136 and Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187

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