When I was in junior high, there was a bulletin board just outside the typing room that advertised the school cafeteria’s menu for the week. The plastic letters got swapped weekly to spell out things like “Sloppy Joes” or Tuna Noodle Casserole,” but the slogan that remained along the bottom all year long promised, “Every Day, a New Culinary Delight.”
I love the bold optimism contained in that audacious lie, and I still wonder about its author. Was it sarcasm on the part of a jaded lunch lady? Was it intended to make me look up the word “culinary” in the dictionary? (If so, well played. I remember doing just that, which is probably why I remember the motto all these years later.) Did somebody actually believe it? I’ll never know, but it did serve as inspiration for this week’s cooking adventure. Our aim was to reinvent leftovers into different dishes, thereby offering a new culinary delight every day.
The basic building blocks were salmon, potatoes and cabbage.
Culinary Delight #1 – Salmon Fillet with Dill Mustard Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus
Culinary Delight #2 – Bagels with Cream Cheese and Leftover Salmon
Culinary Delight #3 – Stir-Fried Udon Noodles (using part of the cabbage)
Culinary Delight #4 – Crab Cakes and Tattie Scones (using leftover mashed potatoes)
Culinary Delight #5 – Halushki (using the rest of the cabbage and fresh, homemade noodles) – Thank you, Kristie Lee for the awesome recipe!
All recipes except the udon are listed in the recipe index.
Stir-Fried Udon Noodles (Adapted from Bon Appétit)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage
14 ounces instant udon noodles
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 pound ground pork
5 scallions, white and pale green parts coarsely chopped, dark green parts thinly sliced
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup mirin
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Cook cabbage about 4 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook another 4 minutes.
Place udon noodles in boiling water, and turn off heat. Stir to break up noodles and drain after one minute. Place in large bowl. Add sesame oil and cabbage to noodles.
Wipe out wok, heat remaining vegetable oil over medium-high, and cook pork, breaking up until small pieces are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add chopped scallions, ginger, and red pepper flakes, cooking another minute. Add noodle mixture, mirin and soy sauce and cook, tossing constantly for 45 seconds. Remove from heat and add sesame seeds.
Tonight, we will each choose whatever leftovers are calling our names. I’m going to hit that halushki, and Phil is going with the crab cakes. When I asked Ben what culinary delight he wanted, he thought a little, channeled his own junior high cafeteria days and said, “I think some chicken nuggets and fries from the freezer.”