Love Your Leftovers – Takeaways

Oct 18, 2016 | 6 comments

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Indian takeaways, Chinese takeaways. We buy them, we eat them. Then there may or may not be leftovers. Our takeaways are usually of the Indian variety and there is often several spoonfuls of sauce left in the container. Any use left in that? And what about all that aluminium in the containers.

Leftover takeaway

Haven’t explored ideas for leftovers for other types of takeaway yet, will add that in later

Leftover takeaway containers

For either the aluminium type or the plastic type

  • Very clean containers could be taken on trips to use as dog water bowls, the dog might like to make it very clean by licking it out!
  • They could be used to plant seeds in
  • aluminium – as disposable cooking trays on a BBQ or whilst camping
  • aluminium – you could use a well washed tray or two as cake tins to bake cakes, tray bakes or small loaves. Or when batch cooking and use to store in the freezer
  • Or store things in, in the fridge
  • And when you’ve finished with them, wash them out and put in the recycling

washed aluminium takeaway containers

Leftover Indian Takeaway

Indian takeaway container with a little left in it

As to the last scrapings of curry sauce, I have used these in various ways, depending on how much there is of it. Sometimes, I chuck it all in a pot, rinse out the containers and put the rinse water in too and make soup with it. It’s gorgeous! Add more vegetables, and/or lentils if you like. Or if you just have a little, add it to the next soup you make for a different flavour.

lentil soup made using leftovers

Great as a jacket potato topping, or purée it all up, add to soft cheese and use as a sandwich filling or as a pasta sauce.

Or if there is enough to make it work, to create a whole new Indian meal with it, chop a handful of potatoes, no need to peel, add onions and fry in some oil until cooked. Add the leftovers, and some peas, heat and serve.

Leftover Prawn Crackers

leftover prawn crackers

I never order prawn crackers with a Chinese takeaway as I only eat a handful of them, but they often arrive anyway, as a freebie. I really like them but have not done anything with the leftovers except put them out for the birds. This week, I wondered why I hadn’t! So I started to wonder what I could do with them, there must be something.

I put the rest of the bag, after enjoying my handful, in a tin. I could then enjoy those leftover prawn crackers like crisps, a handful at a time.

They could also be crushed up, like breadcrumbs, and there are loads of ideas for those!

I googled for ideas, but there’s not much else out there that I could find.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Charlene brogan

    My partner eats prawn crackers when he puts the crackers in his mouth he makes a crunching sound I think he has an addiction to them

  2. Lesley

    I usually use the transparent plastic ones from a Chinese takeaway, but yes, they are both great for individual portions.

    I’ve given up with the whole DP/DH thing, and just refer to him as Mike now!

  3. Kevin

    As for Indian leftovers, sounds like a suitable breakfast for DH (or is it DP)

  4. Kevin

    I always save foil containers to freeze portions of soup or stew for home made ready meals. The containers stack nicely in the freezer and are just the right size for a decent portion.

  5. Lesley

    I need to have a think about other types of takeaway as well

  6. Pellrider

    We usually re-use the foil containers. But, now a days everything comes in white foam containers. That is difficult to reuse. May be good for planting seeds.

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