During the quarantine Tom and I got creative at using all the leftovers of a meal for another meal. For instance, leftover potatoes would be chopped and thrown into a chowder or fried up and served with morning eggs.

A few weeks ago we went to our local Farmer’s Market (Winter Garden for our local readers). We bought some still on the stalk, Brussel Sprouts. I’ve always wanted to roast these and discovered how much fresher they are this way.

But I had these huge stalk leaves I had never seen. I wasn’t sure if they were edible, so I set out to do some research. I learned that they are not only edible but very high in fiber and nutrients.

I had planned to use leftover cod filets for fish tacos, but knew I’d have to add lots of crunch to mask the tendency of reheated fish to be mushy. Oh my goodness. These Brussel Sprout leaves turned into the most delicious slaw for the tacos.

Not only did we use our leftover fish, which is hard to do, but we learned of a good substitute for cabbage, since I can’t have it.

There is great satisfaction in using all the food purchased each week at the market. With the prices of groceries now, it’s more important than ever.

I love surprising Tom with another meal made from previous meals that he would never know if I didn’t tell him. It’s kind of a challenge each week.

How do you use leftovers for inspiration?