Leftovers are a constant problem plaguing apartment (and home) kitchens everywhere. There are many solutions: eat the same thing over and over and over (and over) again, throw massive amounts of food away, or pretend it’s not sitting in the fridge until it’s spoiled rotten and is inedible. But I have a new solution: focus on the sides.

Make just the amount of protein or major component you need whenever possible: 1 steak, 2 pork chops, four loins, and so on. But don’t hesitate to make full recipes of the side dishes: potatoes, veggies, and/or grains. Even though they were made for a specific dish, they can be used in a myriad of other ways.

Think of things that store well: pasta, salads, marinated or pickled items, etc. Then think of new proteins that match it’s flavor profile: marinated mushrooms will go great with steak, chicken, or pork. Black beans will go with many different styles of cuisine. And salads can be served on the side of a dish, a component of a sandwich, or even combined with pasta.

To get you started, here’s a recipe, Apartment Kitchen style. Remember the Asian Slaw and Citrus Yogurt from a previous post? It’s fresh, citrus flavors don’t just match with salmon, but all kinds of seafood – including the amazingly fresh soft shell crabs I found at my market this morning. Grill yourself some pita, (homemade or otherwise) add the slaw, some yogurt, and some pan fried crab, and you have an amazing (and incredibly quick) sandwich. Dig in.

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