No more wasted groceries

Tips to transform leftovers into quick and easy meals

Margo Berthier Staff Writer

As college students, we have a lot on our plates. When we’re balancing attending classes and completing assignments to working part-time jobs and managing our social lives, we can’t always prioritize grocery shopping. As a result, you might tend to make quick grocery runs once or twice a week, only buying enough ingredients to make a couple of meals. However, this habit hurts our wallets and often lets unused ingredients go to waste. Here are some innovative ways to minimize food waste, use leftover food, and maximize your meal-prepping potential.

In the aisles

A well-balanced diet includes fruits and vegetables, fibre-rich carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; we must include all of these in our groceries. When going food shopping, think ahead and select versatile ingredients that will fit into many different recipes. Start by stocking up on staple carbs with a longer shelf life, such as rice, pasta, and potatoes. These ingredients can be used in many different meals, making them a great choice for any student on a budget.

When it comes to vegetables, consider buying frozen. Vegetables tend to spoil quickly, and frozen veggies can last much longer, ensuring that you always have your dose of greens on hand. For proteins and fats, such as meat, dairy, and fish, don’t buy them too far in advance, as they don’t last very long. If you do end up buying them ahead of time, store meat or fish in the freezer.

Some commonly leftover ingredients that hide at the back of our fridges include fresh vegetables like onions or tomatoes, as well as herbs like basil or parsley, eggs, meat, and pasta sauce. If any of these are left over and you’re thinking of throwing them down the chute, don’t! Instead, consider using them in some of these quick and easy recipes.

Veggie Omelet

Grab two leftover eggs, a tomato, an onion, basil, and a cup of frozen spinach, or any veggies kicking around. Dice up your onion and mix all your ingredients in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle some oil or a teaspoon

Behind the Montreal Deli beef Stacking up two of Montreal’s most popular smoked meat shops

Charlotte Bawol Contributor

As an avid, please forgive my use of the word, foodie, I managed to live in Montreal for two whole years without trying the fare on offer at Schwartz’s. Being one to root for the underdog, I took the comments by seasoned smoked meat enthusiasts—that Le Main is actually where it’s at—very seriously. So, using my French culinary expertise, I decided I had to go and find out which is better, once and for all.

I started with Le Main to avoid the snowy wait at Schwartz’s across the street. Immediately upon entering the restaurant, the vibe was immaculate. Walking into the diner feels a bit like stepping back in time, and the warmth of the staff caught me off guard as someone born and raised in Paris. The attitude at Le Main felt genuine. When I told the waitress who seated me that I’d never tried smoked meat, she brought me a plate of freshly cut meat to try. The meat itself was smooth and easily pulled apart, with a nice peppery crust. Very tasty, but not particularly as smoky as I had been promised.

I ordered a smoked meat sandwich, for $13.25, along with a side of fries, three latkes and an order of potato pierogies served with fried onions and sour cream. The sandwich itself was tasty, but with a 10:1 meat-to-bread ratio, I would recommend ordering an extra slice on the side. The trio of flavours from the rye bread, smoked meat, and yellow dye no. 2 American mustard was incredible. The first bite made me regret the two years I’ve missed out on this culinary delicacy. The fries were fries, but the latkes and vareniki really stole the show.

After conversing with my waitress, Anastasia Xenos, for a bit, I found out that she was Leonard Cohen’s favourite waitress and she showed us the booth where he liked to sit. Cohen was famously a big fan of Le Main’s smoked meat sandwich combo.

“I served him […] almost 400 times,” Xenos said.

Among other famous patrons, Xenos also served Justin Trudeau many times when he lived in Montreal. Like a true Canadian, his favourite dish on the menu was the poutine, although he also liked the latkes.

I was satisfied with my first experience of Montreal smoked meat but knew I had to go across the street to check out the competition. Luckily, by 5 p.m. on this snowy Sunday, there was no line and was able to walk right in and order at the bar. I ordered a smoked meat sandwich for $13.75, with a side of fries.

The food came in about a minute and 30 seconds, so I cannot lament about the waiting time. The culinary experience of butter in a pan, and set on very low heat. Add your egg mixture to the pan, and let it cook any way you prefer— Western, French, or American! And there you have it, the perfect well-rounded omelet you can eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Remember that minced meat you bought and never ended up using? Now is your chance to recreate your favourite childhood meal, in just under 20 minutes. Start by bringing a pot of water to boil and cook about a handful of spaghetti. Then grab your minced meat, a leftover egg, fresh parsley, ½ an onion (diced), some garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Montreal steak spice. My secret ingredient is a dollop of ketchup, and some bread crumbs if you have them. Mix everything in a large bowl and form meatballs. In a large pan, add some butter or oil, and set the heat on low. Pan-fry your meatballs for 7-10 minutes (or until they brown), add the cooked spaghetti and canned tomato sauce (as desired), and voilà: Dinner is served!

Gnocchi & Vegetable Tomato Soup

Try getting rid of your tomato sauce with some gnocchi instead of the typical long noodle. In a bowl, mix ⅔ cup of your favourite tomato sauce with ½ cup of frozen spinach or broccoli. Sautée half a chopped onion in a pan, and add the sauce mixture. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil, and add ½ cup of gnocchi—homemade or prepackaged. When the gnocchis rise to the surface of the pot, they are cooked! Finally, add the sauce to the gnocchi and serve. When in doubt, turn to these well-balanced, nutrientrich recipes that will help you clean out your fridge!

of the sandwich was almost identical, and that holy trinity of rye, mustard, and meat really satisfied. But again, the name smoked meat feels misleading because no smoky flavour could be detected past the first millimetre of crust.

When asked if he had ever tried out the competition, my waiter assured me: “No I’ve never been, but I’ll go if they pay me better!”

When it comes down to it, the quality of the meat and sandwich was essentially identical, and I would argue that any preference between the two likely stems from differences in which cut of meat you got served on that particular day, not any sweeping distinction between the meat itself.

If you are in search of the Montreal smoked meat experience ask yourself the following question: What is more of an authentic Montreal experience––waiting in line in the snow for Schwartz’s, or going across the street to sit down for the same sandwich and be served by the same person who served Leonard Cohen and Justin Trudeau? If you can answer that, then you know where to eat!