What Do You Frequently Repurpose

Finished results now fitted and in use in the kitchen.

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In today's recycle-friendly environment, it's common to "repurpose" an item that's outlived it's original intent into something new (using my damaged Dutch oven as an artsy outdoor planter springs to mind).

In the kitchen this morning, I used some of the cranberry relish I made for Thanksgiving to flavor some maple syrup for my pancakes. Festive! Earlier, I also mixed the same relish with some cream cheese to make a cheerful holiday cracker spread.

With that in mind...what are the common ways you repurpose things in the kitchen? Last night's roast pork becomes tonight's pork-fried rice? The half-eaten roast chicken in the fridge for soup next week?

What are some common ways you use up your leftovers?
My old neighbor (she moved) gave me a bottle of Malibu rum a few years ago. I won't drink it, yuck. I graciously thanked her and didn't tell her I hate it, of course. Well I like to use it in place of vanilla when I make pancakes, French toast, or bake sweet breads like banana bread (which is really more like a cake without frosting but baked in a bread pan).

So I made banana pancakes for brunch. I still have about 1/4 of the bottle left, tomorrow pineapple pancakes maybe?
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My old neighbor (she moved) gave me a bottle of Malibu rum a few years ago.
I have a similarly-received bottle of that nasty-azz RumChata crap in my fridge. A (much younger) family member bought it for us, swearing it was The Greatest Alcoholic Drink Ever, and I took one drink and it was all I could do to choke it down.

For those not familiar, imagine a standard powdered sugar glaze made with milk, then up the sweetness by about 100% - it tastes like booze made for a 5yo sugar freak.
 
I have a similarly-received bottle of that nasty-azz RumChata crap in my fridge. A (much younger) family member bought it for us, swearing it was The Greatest Alcoholic Drink Ever, and I took one drink and it was all I could do to choke it down.

For those not familiar, imagine a standard powdered sugar glaze made with milk, then up the sweetness by about 100% - it tastes like booze made for a 5yo sugar freak.
I'm familiar. I handled a recall for certain date codes of one of their products last year, which I had to destroy. It smelled awful when I poured it down the sink. Some of it was curdled and clotted, ugh. Some of it looked normal but smelled disgusting.

Edited to add that there is hope for your young relative. I remember liking Boones Farm Strawberry Hill as a teenager and I drank white zinfandel as well, which are both sickeningly sweet. It takes time to develop a discerning palate. But some people don't ever get it. The same neighbor who gave me the Malibu loves cheap sweet Moscato wine, and we've given her some of my husband's dry red in the past, which are made from California grapes and are quite good. She asked for 7up to mix with it. I thought hubby's head was going to explode.
 
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So tonight I repurposed my seafood chowder fron 2 nights ago. It had scallop chunks, clams, diced shrimp, and walleye fish pieces in it along with veggies in a tarragon cream sauce with Cajun seasoning. I roasted a few tomatoes and some garlic, pureed them, and added thaf to the chowder, then turned it into pasta sauce for vermicelli. I also took small 2 fish filets and coated them in lemon pepper and a bit of olive oil and butter, topped the filets with panko bread crumbs and a bit of parmesan cheese, and baked them in a cast iron skillet fir about 15 minutes. I served them on top of the pasta. So good!
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So I had a leg of lamb marinading in the refrigerator using murphyscreek's kashmiri lamb recipe that I was going to make for Mr. OH's Valentine's Day dinner. I actually ended up in the hospital Monday for gall bladder surgery so I didn't get to cook the lamb (everything turned out fine with the surgery and I was home the same day and am doing well). I made the lamb Tuesday night instead and served it with basmati rice and spinach. I didn't take photos because it didn't look as pretty as MC's did, but it tasted really good.

Well I had some leftover lamb and sauce, of course. I repurposed it for brunch today. I took some of the sauce and small lamb chunks and added a little extra Greek yoghurt and thinned it a bit with a tbsp of half and half, then cooked "eggs in purgatory kashmiri style". I am not really sure if that's a thing, LOL. Anyway, I made a crispy potato, onion, and pepper hash in my cast iron skillet and drizzled it with sesame oil and some parsley before topping the potatoes with the eggs and sauce. It looked a mess, but hubby loved it!

Edited to add that I made some for myself a little later (much smaller portion). If kashmiri style eggs in purgatory are not a thing, they should be.
 
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Final repurposing of the lamb tonight. I've had it in a pyrex dish with a tight fitting lid in the coldest part of my refrigerator so it's still good to eat. I cooked some potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic in an enamel coated cast iron pot with just a little water on low heat, then stirred in the remaining kashmiri lamb chunks in it with some coconut milk. OMG it's so good! I am making naan to go with it (the naan is rising right now and I will cook it in a cast iron skillet just before eating the stew). The stew is simmering right now (we eat late around here).

I'll take some photos if I remember.

Many kind thanks to murphyscreek for the great recipe. I knew it was going to be good!
 
Final repurposing of the lamb tonight. I've had it in a pyrex dish with a tight fitting lid in the coldest part of my refrigerator so it's still good to eat. I cooked some potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic in an enamel coated cast iron pot with just a little water on low heat, then stirred in the remaining kashmiri lamb chunks in it with some coconut milk. OMG it's so good! I am making naan to go with it (the naan is rising right now and I will cook it in a cast iron skillet just before eating the stew). The stew is simmering right now (we eat late around here).

I'll take some photos if I remember.

Many kind thanks to murphyscreek for the great recipe. I knew it was going to be good!
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