7 reasons canned goods are great (plus recipes to get you started!)

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It really only takes one or two times of reaching dinner time with no set plan before you realize it’s really a good idea to have a stash of canned goods in the pantry. Knowing I have healthy, versatile ingredients on hand in my pantry takes the stress out of a busy day in which nothing is going well but the kids still need to eat. Preferably something fast. And nutritious.

Yes, canned goods are a pretty essential building block for peace of mind. But that is just the beginning of the benefits to be reaped from cooking with canned foods.

7 REASONS, AND RECIPES, TO "CAN" IT UP

Why cook with canned foods? Because it can make life so much easier. Let me show you how.

CANS STORE WELL: SHAKSHUKA

My family strongly believes in being prepared for the everyday challenges life throws at us. Part of that means keeping a supply of canned goods on hand for quick, nutritious and tasty dinners on busy nights. Because cans store so well, I always have them on hand for when I need them. And as a bonus, I don't have to worry about whether the items I want to include in my recipes are in season because I know my canned good were picked and canned at the peak of freshness. This recipe, a favorite of mine, combines saucy, spiced tomatoes with eggs an inexpensive source of protein for a tasty, easy, healthful meal.

Shakshuka adapted from Smitten Kitchen
serves 4-6

The original recipe calls for jalapeños or anaheim peppers. My family doesn't do well with spicy-hot food, so we skip it, but feel free to substitute canned mild chilies in place of the hotter peppers.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 14-oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• salt, to taste
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Pita bread for serving

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt.

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce's surface. Cover the skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pitas, for dipping.

YOU CAN USE WHAT YOU HAVE ON HAND: RISOTTO WITH BEANS

Having several varieties of canned food in the pantry makes me confident that I can come up with a tasty and nutritious meal, even if I have no idea what I'm going to make until it's actually time to make dinner. This dish is a great example of that: it's a variation of "rice and beans," but with a creamy, Italian edge to it. You can use whatever beans you have lying around: I've used navy beans and kidney beans, but pink or pinto or black-eyed would be just as good. (Same goes for the greens: I used spinach this time, but I love it with kale.)

Risotto with Beans and Greens

serves 6-8

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 6-7 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can of beans of your choice (white, pinto, kidney, black-eyed peas, etc.)
• 8 oz. spinach (or kale), washed, de-stemmed, and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 
• 2 T. butter
• salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, heat the broth and keep it warm until you are ready to use it. Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the rice and cook 2 more minutes. Ladle about a cup of broth into the rice and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the broth, a ladleful or two at a time, and stirring between each addition until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender and creamy. (This could take 20-30 minutes.) You may not need all the broth. Add the beans and cook for another minute, then add the spinach (or kale) and stir until wilted. Stir in the cheese, then turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

EASY TO MEASURE: TACO SOUP

The easiest of easy meals is as quick to clean up as it is to put together. And when all of the ingredients are packaged in just the right proportions, well, it just doesn't get any easier than that. Pour the ingredients to this soup into a pot, rinse the cans, toss them in the recycling, and you've already beaten the after-dinner mess. No measuring cups or bowls to worry about on either side of the meal. Win-win.

Easy Taco Soup

serves 6-8

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 T. olive or vegetable oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1 15.5-oz. can of beans, drained (pinto, white, kidney, or black)
• 1 11-oz. can of whole kernel corn
• 1-2 T. taco seasoning
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• tortilla chips, for serving

shredded cheese (Monterey jack, pepper jack, cheddar, or Colby jack are all good options)

Heat 1 T. of the olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken breasts and cook, turning occasionally, until it is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken to a plate to cool slightly.

Add the remaining olive oil to the now-empty pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, the drained beans, the tomatoes in juice, the drained corn and 1 T. of the taco seasoning. Bring to a simmer.

While the soup is coming to a simmer, use two forks to shred the chicken. Once it is shredded into bite-size pieces, add it to the soup pot as well. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste and add more taco seasoning if desired. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Serve with chips and cheese.

CANS ARE APPROACHABLE: TUNA AND OLIVE SANDWICHES

The truth of the matter is that I am intimidated by some foods. I know they are good for me, I like the way they taste, but it makes me nervous to prepare them myself. Fish falls into this category. I like fish. I think it's tasty. And I know there are lots of reasons to eat it: lean protein, calcium, omega-3s, B vitamins, for example. But if it weren't for canned fish, my family probably would be missing out on those health benefits. Thankfully, we all like tuna sandwiches for lunch or dinner and opening a can doesn't intimidate me at all.

Tuna and Olive Sandwiches adapted from Epicurious.com

serves 4

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 (6-oz) cans light tuna packed in olive oil, drained
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
• 1/4 cup canned black olives
• 1 large celery rib, chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• salt and pepper
• 1 loaf of artisan bread
• 4 leaves of green leaf lettuce, washed and dried

Whisk together the mayonnaise and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add the tuna, red pepper, olives, and celery. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice 8 slices of bread and make sandwiches with the tuna salad and lettuce leaves.

KIDS CAN HELP: PEACH COBBLER

When I was growing up, one of the Saturday chores was to cook something. The point was to help us learn our way around a kitchen and to prepare us to feed ourselves once we moved out on our own. What it meant in practice was that we often had an easy peach cobbler: open a can or two of sliced peaches, pour them in a pie plate, top with a simple biscuit dough, and bake it in the oven.

These days, my kids love to help in the kitchen as well and the job they fight over most is who gets to use the can-opener.

Simple Peach Cobbler

serves 8

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter, divided
• 2 14-oz. cans sliced peaches, undrained

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 baking dish and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add 1/4 cup of the melted butter and stir until combined. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the flour mixture on the bottom of the baking dish. Add the undrained peaches and top with the remaining flour mixture. Then drizzle the remaining butter over the flour mixture. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

AVAILABLE IN THE OFF SEASON: PUMPKIN PANCAKES

I've often thought it a shame that pumpkin is ignored for 9 months out of the year. It makes such tasty muffins and cookies and doughnuts and gnocchi . . . why not serve it all year round?

No really, I'm serious. Why not? It's canned specifically so we can enjoy it at any time of the year. And my family does. Canned pumpkin is a staple in our pantry. And we use it for all kinds of things, including these fluffy buttermilk pancakes.

Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2 cups buttermilk, well shaken
• 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
• 2 large eggs

In a large bowl, whisk the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the pumpkin, buttermilk, butter or coconut oil, and eggs until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined. There will still be lumps in the batter.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and grease with butter or oil. Once it is heated, add 1/4-1/3 cup of batter to the skillet. Once the edges are set and the top bubbles (about 3 minutes), flip the pancake and cook for about another 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and continue with the rest of the batter. Serve warm with maple yogurt.

Maple Yogurt

EASY SIDE DISHES: PEARS AND COTTAGE CHEESE

I have 11 siblings and no surprise we ate a lot. Along with a main course at dinner time, there were generally three or four salads and a bowl of rolls. But one of our favorite side dishes was also one of the simplest: canned pears topped with a spoonful or two of cottage cheese. Simple, tasty, and healthful. What more could a mom ask for in a 2-minute side dish?

Pears and Cottage Cheese

serves 4

• 1 14-oz. can sliced pears
• 1 16-oz. tub cottage cheese, any style

Spoon some pears into a bowl. Top with a scoop or two of cottage cheese. Eat for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner side dish, or dessert.

Source: Babble.com