Two-day-old leftovers: a meal often deemed as the last resort collected from a refrigerator. But to the average college student on a budget, it is an immensely valued dish best served hot.
My mother, a nurse by day, chef by night, can always manage to whip up an impossibly savory meal out of whatever happens to be in the family fridge by the end of a long week. And one will never know what the next meal will be. One moment she is dog-tired after what seems like an endless workday, and the next your nose shoots up in a desperate attempt to capture the aromatic smells of sautéed garlic and onions brought to a slow simmer to prepare a quick honey garlic chicken stir-fry over white jasmine rice, made with a medley of seasoned veggies and roasted tomatoes.
Mom’s stir-fry with a side of fresh steamed broccoli generously seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme, along with a ripened plantain fried to perfection, is beloved by my family and remains at the top of the list as my mother’s most comforting food in her dinner repertoire. And two days later, as the leftovers heat up in the microwave and permeate the air, a vivid olfactory memory of mom’s stir-fry from the night before sends a warm excitement through my body as I am granted the second chance to bask in the aroma. Don’t quote me on this, but some say when given an over-night to marinate in the refrigerator, cooked meals often have a much richer flavor. And based on this meal, that theory proves true.
After rummaging through the refrigerator for longer than I care to admit and finding the leftovers, I am delighted to find that even after the 2-day wait in the refrigerator, the broccoli has managed to retain most of its freshness. Its two-tone green stands bright against the yellow-brown of the sliced fried plantains, and the stir-fry mixed in a honey and garlic sauce is sweet and spicy. But not too spicy. Mom prepared the veggies in even slices, knowing that otherwise the onions and garlic will caramelize unevenly. The larger vegetables include thickly cut carrots, onions, edamame, and various bell peppers; the dish is garnished with scallions and sesame seeds. The white-meat chicken, the star of the show, so juicy it nearly melts in my mouth.
And as much as I’d like to savor every bite of this leftovers dinner, in an effort to be on time to my evening Astronomy 101 course, I eat at rapid speed, to a point of almost inhaling this all-too-deliciously satisfying meal. My compliments truly go to the chef.
