There is literally nothing worse than when someone eats your leftovers. Okay, maybe traumatic life events. But we’re talking about FOOD right now, people.
It was not a pleasant morning in our household. Let’s just say my brother was lucky he wasn’t around that morning or I may have punched him in the face. Well, probably not because I’m not that aggressive of a person, but I would’ve come up with something to get him back. When we were younger I used to just sit on him whenever I got mad at him. But now he’s much bigger than me so that wouldn’t really work anymore. Whomp whomp.
You know what I mean though?? Literally the worst. Especially when you spend a good amount of time making that meal, between all the chopping, dicing, cooking, spicing it up, etc. And actually taking the time to make enough for a leftovers meal, for the sole purpose of YOU being able to eat them the next day for lunch. Because YOU did all the cooking. Little brother, are you listening?! Now, look. If you share a place with someone, and they’re going to eat your leftovers, they better be doing some of the cooking too. That is totally fine. You cook and I cook? Sure, we can share if we both make big enough batches of food. But if I’m the only one cooking and you don’t ask if you can eat up my leftovers, specifically when they look like they are packaged up from a restaurant and would make a perfect meal the next day? DO. NOT. EAT. THEM.
Let’s just say, for the purpose of my point, you have some leftovers from Chipotle. First off, I don’t know why you would do that unless you got a burrito bowl the size of a small child, but regardless. Imagine you put said leftovers in the fridge at work, and were going to eat them for dinner that night or something. Then one of your coworkers comes along, thinks to themselves, “oohh, chipotle! This looks great. I’m going to eat it!” (First of all, WHY would you think that is a good idea?! Anyway.) Then you come back to the fridge later, all excited to eat your delicious burrito bowl, only to find the fridge burrito bowl-less. How PISSED would you be?! Just saying. Now you understand. This annoyance is multiplied tenfold when you actually made the food yourself too.
Like when I specifically make a giant batch of my Jamaican Jerk Chicken Kabobs, just for the purpose of making this bomb (amazing) salad.
That recipe makes a boatload of chicken and veggies. On purpose, so you have leftovers! Um, hello. If you’re going to make the effort to combine all those (delicious) ingredients, marinate the chicken, and grill it all up, you may as well make a big batch so you have leftovers. That’s one of my #1 tips to clients and newer cooks / those who are trying to meal prep – if you’re already cooking, you may as well make a double batch! It’s doesn’t take that much more prep time (if any at all), and you have double the food. No brainer! That’s at least one night this week (or a bunch of lunches) you don’t have to spend cooking. For the freaking win. Except if someone eats the leftovers without you knowing…so just hoard them somewhere. Put caution tape around them. I don’t care what you do, just make sure you save some of those kabobs for this salad.
- 4-6 skewers from Jamaican Jerk Chicken Kabobs
- 8 cups your favorite lettuce (I used spinach + romaine)
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 champagne (yellow mango), diced
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp sriracha
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- Garlic?
- Water, to thin out as needed
- Chop up and heat up the leftover chicken, peppers, and pineapple from the kabobs in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Stir lightly with a spatula or wooden spoon, so as to not mush up the fruit and peppers. This should take about 5-6 minutes.
- Meanwhile combine the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor until blended. Taste to adjust salt and pepper. Add a little water if you’d like a thinner dressing, about 1 Tbsp at a time.
- Make the salads: divide the lettuce among four bowls, then top with the kabob leftovers. Add diced mango and avocado to each bowl, then top with your desired amount of dressing.
- Devour! And be thankful no one ate your leftovers so you can enjoy this delicious salad.
