Various doughs you want to master

Some of the most helpful things to know how to make when dealing with leftovers are doughs--pie dough, biscuit dough, bread doughs, etc.

- pie dough: make mini tarts with pie dough (a shaper and a good mini muffin pan are must-haves) and then use finely chopped leftover vegetables and meats, egg, milk, seasonings, and cheese and you have mini quiches. Under-bake slightly and these freeze well too--don't thaw them out; just add 5 minutes or so to the bake time.

Cut pie dough into larger rounds, 4-5 inches in diameter. Make a filling of leftover meats, sauteed onions, garlic, and peppers, a handful of raisins, seasonings (I'm thinking cumin and a pinch of cinnamon). Shredded cheese if you like. Use about 2 tablespoons filling per dough round, fold over and crimp to seal. But on a baking sheet or stone and bake in a 400 degree oven until beautifully brown. You can brush them with a little egg wash if you like. These are great empanadas and no one will know they started with leftovers.

- biscuit dough: this is quick dough to use to turn all kinds of leftovers into "pot pies." Particularly if your leftovers include a sauce. For example, if you have virtually any kind of leftover stew, you can turn it into a pot pie. Vary its original ingredients by adding other vegetables, or something unexpected, like olives or dried fruit. Put the mixture into a baking dish and drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough on top and bake in a 425 degree oven until the mixture is bubbly and the biscuit topping is golden brown (about 20 minutes usually does it).

Bread doughs can take all kinds of interesting add-ins from sun-dried tomatoes and olives to cheeses, nuts, finely chopped meats, dried fruits, herbs. Play around with flavors and textures that seem to go together. (Or even flavors that don't seem to go together but surprisingly do!)

Muffins (not exactly a "dough" but in the same family as biscuits) are a great way to sneak more veggies into your diet, especially carrots or zucchini/yellow squash. Don't always think "sweet" when you think "muffin." A savory muffin with shredded zucchini, some cheese, and fresh or dried herbs, is the perfect companion to a bowl of hearty soup.

Once you've mastered basic doughs--and they really are easy once you get the hang of them, and are certainly better for you than the ready-made in the refrigerator/freezer case of the grocery store--you have a whole new world of options for using your leftovers literally at your fingertips.