MANILA, Philippines – Gourmet dishes aren’t that difficult to get a hold of – they can be made right in your own kitchen with last night’s leftovers.

In celebration of World Food Day 2017, Makati Shangri-La’s executive chef Nicola Canuti taught a few journalists how to make some of the dishes served at the hotel’s buffet restaurant, Circles Event Cafe, using food that establishments usually throw out.

Repurposing stale bread, beef, and cold rice into new delicious meals is part of the hotel’s initiative of promoting sustainability.

The dishes below use those ingredients and many more that can be found in your fridge, which make them perfect for a last-minute party or even for a midnight snack.

A lot of the ingredients can also be switched out with whatever you have on hand, so get creative! No leftover beef or Gruyere cheese? Any kind of meat or cheese will do.

Try your hand at the following recipes, and share some of your favorite ways to spice up your leftovers in the comments below!

Green Mango Salad with Beef

• 200 g cooked beef 
• 30 chopped cashew or peanuts
• 2 pcs green mangoes 
• 10 g chopped fresh coriander 
• 5 chopped mint
• 1 lime
• 4 tsp granulated sugar
• 4 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 chili pepper, thinly sliced 
• 250 ml thinly sliced red onions

Procedure:

1. In skillet or toaster oven, toast cashews over medium heat until fragrant and golden, about 8 minutes; set aside.
2. Cut pointy ends off mangoes. Set each mango on cut end. Using serrated knife, cut off peel. Cut flesh on either side of flat pit into thin slices; stack and cut into thin strips.
3. In a bowl, whisk together coriander, mint, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, oil, and chili. Add the julienne of mangoes, red pepper, and onion; toss to coat.

Mushroom Arancini

• 500 g cooked rice
• 300 g mushrooms
• 30 g butter
• 20 g parmesan cheese
• 1 pc egg
• 40 g flour
• 50 g breadcrumbs
• salt

Procedure:

1. Chop the mushrooms into small pieces and gently stir into the cooked rice, add the butter and the parmesan, then stir to mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then leave the risotto to cool (it will cook more quickly if you spread it onto a baking tray).
2. If using mini-mozzarella balls, halve them. If using part of a large ball, cut it into 0.5 cm cubes.
3. Lay out 3 plates of shallow balls. Put the beaten egg in one, the flour (seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper) in another, and the breadcrumbs in the final one.
4. Roll it into balls the size of golf balls. Push a piece of mozzarella into the middle of each ball, ensuring that the cheese is completely enclosed. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
5. Heat a deep-fat fryer to 170°C or fill a large saucepan one-third full of flavorless oil and heat until a cube of bread dropped into the hot oil sizzles and turns golden brown in 30 seconds.
6. Dip a rice ball into the flour, shake off any excess, then dip into the egg, allowing any excess to drip off. Finish by coating completely in the breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining balls.
7. Deep-fry the balls in batches for 2-3 minutes until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve immediately.

Croissant Bread and Butter Pudding

• 6-8 pcs croissants (cut into large pieces)
• 50 g raisins
• 300 ml double cream 
• 300 ml milk
• 4 pcs eggs
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 70 g caster sugar

Procedure:

1. Arrange a single layer of croissant chunks, slightly overlapping in the bottom of the dish. Scatter over some of the raisins, place another layer of croissant chunks on top, and scatter over the remaining raisins. Press down gently with a fish slice or spatula.
2. To make the custard, heat the cream and milk in a saucepan until the mixture comes almost to a boil. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, ground cinnamon, and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the mixture is thickened and the whisk or beaters leave a trail when lifted. Remove from the heat and beat in the cream mixture until well combined.
3. Pour two-thirds of the custard over the croissants and leave to stand for about 30 minutes or until they have soaked up all the liquid.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Italian Fried Rice

• 500 g cooked white rice
• 100 g white onion
• 100 g zucchini
• 100 g cooked ham
• 50 g rosemary
• Salt
• Pepper

Procedure:

1. Cut the onions in brunoise and sear in olive oil, then put them aside. In the same frying pan, add the cooked ham cubes until brown and crispy and put aside.
2. Cut the zucchini into cubes and deep-fry them in olive oil.
3. Put all the ingredients together, mix with rice, season with salt and pepper, and add the thinly sliced rosemary. Serve immediately.

Reuben Sandwiches

• 2 slices rye bread
• 2 tsp butter (at room temperature)
• 2 tbsp Reuben’s Russian Dressing
• 1/4 cup well-drained, fresh-style sauerkraut
• 2 oz thinly sliced Gruyere or Switzerland Swiss cheese 
• 1/4 lbs thinly sliced beef

Procedure:

1. Cut 3 slices of bread to a thickness of 1 cm. Toast the bread on both sides.
2. Spread 1 tablespoon of dressing over 2 slices of bread, add the sauerkraut and the beef, and cover with Gruyere cheese.
3. Put in the oven until well melted. Add the remaining bread slice on top.

– Rappler.com