It can be hard to use up the entire bunch of fresh herbs you bought for one recipe. And maybe you feel bad about wasting a can of tomato paste when all you need is one tablespoon. Here are some ideas for using up those leftover ingredients.

• Herbs
  Chop up any leftover herbs you have. Get out an ice cube tray and pack each cube cup 1/2 full with herbs. Fill with water or oil and freeze. You can add these herb cubes to any dish you’re cooking up on the stove for a super easy flavor boost.
  Don’t have ice cube trays? Make an herbal vinegar, oil, butter, yogurt or mayo. These things are very expensive when you buy them at the store, but you can take your leftovers and make them at home out of things you were going to throw away! Just add stems and leaves of an herb to vinegar and let it soak a while. Mash up some herbs with oil and garlic to make an awesome flavored oil. To make herb butter, let a stick of butter come to room temperature, roughly chop up your herbs and smash them into the butter. Spoon the butter onto a piece of plastic wrap, then form it into a tube. Store in the fridge or freezer. Chop up any amount of leftover herbs and add them to yogurt or mayo for a fancy condiment or dipping sauce.
• Broth
  You can freeze leftover broth in an ice cube tray as well. Then you can add little cubes to foods while they’re cooking for extra flavor and nutrition — things like rice, grains, beans, sauteed greens or mashed potatoes.
• Tomato Paste/Sauce
  Thin it out with some water if you only have a tiny bit, then freeze it in a plastic bag lying flat. You can break off pieces of the frosty sauce to add to soups, stews, beans… smoothies?!
• Citrus Peels
  Most often we only use the juice of our citrus fruits, but the peels can be just as delicious. You can chop it up and add it to marinades. Let it dry out for a couple days and add it to tea. Make a citrus oil by simmering the zest in a saucepan for a few minutes with oil and transferring it to a jar. If you really want to impress someone, let the peels simmer with some simple syrup made from 1 cup water and 1/4 cup stevia powder. Let it cook for 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Keep this citrus syrup in the fridge and mix it into glasses of cold seltzer and ice to make homemade sodas. Garnish these with fresh herbs, of course.
• Parmesan Rinds
  These are one of my favorite leftovers to use. They will give an enormous amount of rich, nutty flavor to any dish that is lacking. Just throw the rind into any cooking dish (beans, soups, rice, risotto) and remove it before serving.

Are there other ingredients you can’t seem to use up? Or do you have some sneaky ways you make the most of your leftovers that we haven’t mentioned? Please share in the comments section!