I love having leftovers around that can be used in all kinds of ways to mix and match and help make super fast, healthy, and of course yummy meals! Here’s a glimpse at how I use leftovers from a basic weeknight dinner. 

The dinner:

• Grilled Lemon Chicken
• Herbed Brown Rice
• Roasted Broccoli and Red Onions

From that I make (and you can too!):

• Egg scramble with a side of herbed rice and cup of raspberries
• Avocado toast topped with roasted broccoli and onions and chives (leftover from the herb mix I used for the rice)
• Brown rice breakfast bowl with dates, almonds and cinnamon (when I made the herbed rice, I set some aside before adding herbs so that I could use in other ways as leftovers)
• Roasted broccoli with hummus and crackers (I’ve been loving Top Seedz)
• Rice and chicken bowl (using the herbed rice and lemon chicken) with Romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes, red peppers, feta cheese

A dinner meal that can be deconstructed into multiple different breakfast options, lunch options, and snacks is a win in my home!

Dinner: Herbed Brown Rice, Grilled Lemon Chicken and Roasted Broccoli and Red Onions

Herbed Brown Rice

Yield: About 3 cups, cooked

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Herb dressing: 

• ¼ cup  olive oil
• ¼ cup chopped chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• ¼  cup chopped red onion
• Salt and pepper to taste

Use a blender or food processor to blend olive oil, chives, basil, red onion, salt and pepper.

Directions: 

1. If using a pot to cook brown rice add the brown rice, water, olive oil and salt to the pot.  
2. Boil on medium to high.
3.  Once water has reduced to a point where only the rice is visible yet still moist, reduce the heat to a low setting and cover the pot with a lid.
4. Allow rice to cook until it reaches the desired texture. Approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Let sit for an additional 10 minutes.
5. While the rice is cooking, use a blender or food processor to blend olive oil, chives, basil, red onion, salt and pepper.
6. When the rice is ready, set aside approximately 1 cup to use for other meals. 
7. With the remaining rice, mix in the herb blend and serve. 

Roasted Broccoli and Red Onions

Ingredients:

• ¾ red onion, sliced
• 2 heads of broccoli, chopped into separate florets
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  In a medium sized bowl, mix the onions, broccoli, salt, pepper and drizzle enough olive oil to coat the vegetables.
3.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place vegetables on sheet and roast in oven for about 15 minutes. 
4. Once the vegetables are cooked, serve the dinner portion and set the rest aside for other meals. 

Lemon Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded
• 1-2 lemons, juiced
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Tip:  If the chicken breast is too thick, the breast can be sliced laterally but not all the way through to make a butterfly cut and have a thinner chicken breast.

1. Lightly pound the chicken breasts and let chicken sit in lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper mixture.
2.  Add a drizzle of olive oil to pan (preferably a grill pan) and heat. Add chicken and cook on medium heat. You may want to lower heat and cover chicken so chicken cooks through but doesn’t burn.
3. Flip chicken (after approximately 4 minutes) over and cook until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. If using a thermometer, make sure the chicken cooks to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 
4. Slice the chicken for the desired portion and plate.

Breakfast options:

Scrambled Eggs With Veggies, Chicken and Brown Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• Pinch salt and pepper
• ½ cup roasted broccoli and onions, chopped
• 1-2 ounces chicken, chopped into ½ inch pieces
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chives, chopped
• ½ cup  brown rice or herbed rice

Directions:

1. Crack both eggs into a bowl, add salt and pepper and whisk. 
2. Add chopped roasted vegetables, chicken, salt and pepper to the bowl and mix. 
3. Add drizzle of oil to pan and heat. Add egg veggie mixture to the pan and stir until cooks to desired texture. 
4. Plate the scrambled eggs with a serving of brown rice, either plain or herbed. 
5. Garnish the dish with chopped chives. 

Brown Rice Cereal 

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup plain brown rice
• ½ cup milk (cow’s or dairy alternative)
• 1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
• Dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Add rice to bowl and add milk.
2. Add chopped walnuts and cinnamon. 
3. Warm up or eat as it is. 

Any nuts could be used in place of the walnuts or can even use a nut butter. 

Avocado Toast

Ingredients:

• 1 sprouted grain English muffin or slice of sourdough, toasted
• 1 half avocado, mashed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• Pinch salt and pepper
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup roasted broccoli and onions
• 1 teaspoon chopped chives

Directions:

1. Toast english muffin or sourdough.
2. In small bowl, mash avocado with a fork. 
3. Add olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to the mashed avocado. 
4. Spread avocado mixture onto toast.
5. Top with the roasted vegetables.
6. Garnish with chives.

Lunch

Grilled Chicken Salad Bowl 

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, chopped into one inch cubed pieces
• ⅓ cup brown rice
• 1 cup leafy greens
• ¼ cup of chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
• ½ cup roasted broccoli and onions
• ¼ cup herb dressing*

Directions:

1. Add brown rice and chickpeas.
2. Add diced chicken to bowl.
3. Add any mixed leafy greens.  
4. Add walnuts or any other nuts in its place. 
5. Add roasted broccoli and onions.
6. Add either the herb blend dressing used for rice or olive oil and vinegar.

Snack

• 1 cup roasted broccoli (or raw if you set aside when you make dinner on night one!)
• 1/3 cup hummus

RELATED: 6 Rules for Eating Leftovers So You Don’t Get Sick

(Featured Image: Unsplash)