Cooking with Karina: Make Your Weekend Leftovers Last

Karina used leftovers from dinner to make this fresh salmon dinner, paired with rice, beans and grilled asparagus. (Photo: Karina Arnold)

Karina Arnold is a rising junior at the University of Oklahoma who’s passionate about healthy cooking. She provides creative, healthy recipes and tips on clean eating.

Houstonians love their Tex-Mex. Boasting tons of options for Mexican and Tex-Mex, Houston is the home of crispy chips and cheesy queso. Guacamole is a dietary staple and Taco Tuesday is a weekly tradition.

Recently, my family and I celebrated my arrival from college and my wonderful mother at the restaurant Caliente. Caliente is known for their delicious breakfast tacos and massive fajita plates. Like most Mexican restaurants, Caliente serves Texas-sized portions. After devouring black beans, cilantro rice and warm fajitas, my family and I waddled out with five to-go boxes.  

Most Mexican cuisine foodies are familiar with toting a bag of Styrofoam boxes and the aroma of Mexican spices filling the car. Food is shoved aside in the refrigerator to make room for leftovers, leftovers that never seem to have the same restaurant-quality. Eventually, these scraps are thrown away or fed under the table to the dog . . . until now.

Karina used leftovers from dinner to make these veggie tacos. (Photo: Karina Arnold)

Revive your Mexican leftovers in this Salmon Dinner. Generally, beans, rice and meats can last for a week after. Reheat with olive oil on a warm pan or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave. Vegetables have a slightly shorter life-span of 4-5 days post-dining. I recommend reheating vegetables over the stove-top or grill.  Use your weekend Mexican for Taco Tuesday with these Vegan Tacos.

Like vegetables, I recommend eating chips and tortillas about four days after. For spreads like pico de gallo, queso, sour cream and guacamole, use within 1-3 days. To preserve the freshness and prevent browning on your guacamole, drizzle fresh lemon juice on top.

Don’t discard your leftovers. Use these tricks and recipes to enjoy your fiesta feast for a work lunch or home dinner. Comment below!