Upsides to the Down Economy/ Make your Leftovers Work for You

If you have one of those take-out containers of white rice leftover in your fridge, you have the makings for an easy rice pudding. So yummy and not that fattening. I got a recipe off the Internet and modified it a bit.

Chinese Leftover Rice Pudding

2 cups leftover cooked rice
3 cups skim milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins (optional, but I love raisins)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (if you like nutmeg)
cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon powdered)

Combine rice (break up any clumps with your fingers), milk, sugar and cinnamon stick (if using) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and stir in vanilla and raisins. Cook until almost all the milk is absorbed (about 1/2 an hour). Stir in nutmeg, if using. Pour into bowl and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Serve warm or chilled. Makes 6 servings.

Another use for leftover white rice is stir fried rice. I won't go into that recipe, but if you have eggs, green onions and some soy sauce, you're pretty much set. You can also add: leftover veggies (like peas and carrots), bean sprouts and leftover meat (pork, ham, chicken) to make an easy one-dish breakfast, lunch or dinner. So don't let your leftovers go to waste! Turn them into something delicious and new!