How To Turn Canned Foods Into Amazing Dishes
Canned foods get a bad rap. They tend to be deemed inferior nutritionally, in taste, or both. I'm not here to sell you on the virtues of canned foods, although I will slip in that they're fairly cheap, have a long shelf life, and are quite nutritional; vegetables are processed upon harvest at the height of their nutritional integrity and then, ZAP, they're canned. Nutritional values remain undefiled for two years. They're money and time savers, too. Canned foods have the ability to contribute to making some wholesome, dare I say, even good-looking dishes that don't scream "I was made from a can!"
Click here to read How to Turn Canned Foods Into Amazing Dishes
It seems that some canned goods are deemed more acceptable than others. Canned tuna, beans, and tomatoes have come away unscathed by the dagger eyes that other canned goods get. These foods serve as an ingredient in many a salad, chili, or base for sauce, and rightfully so; they get the job done and done well at that! But think about how we can use these ingredients in other ways, perhaps as burgers or chutneys to break the monotony without breaking our wallets.
I'm not going to lie to you, I've duped many people with my canned food creations and they were none the wiser that my pancakes didn't uses freshly pureed pumpkin or that I didn't soak by garbanzo beans before currying them. With these easy recipes you "can" fool people, too! See what I did there? Read on to learn more about the creative recipes that use canned foods.
Corn Cakes
Who knew one can of creamed corn could do all this? These cakes go great with pulled pork or, dare I suggest, canned beans for a little can on can food action. Don't feeling like topping it with anything heavy? No worries. A pat of butter or a drizzle of honey taste great, too.
Click here for the Spicy Creamed-Corn Cakes with Scallions Recipe.
The magic doesn't stop at cakes. Creamed corn also enjoys the spotlight in many of our Best Corn Soup Recipes. How corny is that?
Chickpea Curry
Feel like having Indian food? You don't need to visit your local restaurant. Just head over to your bodega and grab a can or two of chickpeas and make the classic Punjabi dish chole (chickpea curry) that graces so many Indian menus. This dish is so quick and easy to make, you'll have time to make dinner and refine your Bollywood dancing skills. Doubt you could do all that at an Indian restaurant. To think, it all started with a can.
Click here for a recipe for Chickpea Curry.
Curious to see what else you can make with chickpeas? Click here for our Best Chickpea Recipes.
The magic doesn't stop here. To read more on how to morph canned foods into amazing dishes, click here.