easy meals made from canned/stuff from your pantry?

[ithappened]

we have a VERY small refrigerator and freezer (think dorm size) in our apartment.

However we have decent shelve and pantry space for storing canned or jarred or dried goods.

I'd like to stock up on things so when the baby comes we have (almost) ready-made meals but the thing is beyond pasta with sauces, I am sort of at a loss of what we can make quickly and easily and be reasonably nutritious or healthy.

We have TONS of spaghetti, jarred tomatoes, pesto sauces and jams, to the point I am almost sick of them already. I need some new ideas. :

Does anyone have any other suggestions for things we can stock up on or recipes we can make which would require a minimal amount of fresh or frozen items and would be easy for us to cook the first few weeks?

[HydeParkB]

I don't have any specific recipes off the top of my head. However, if you can find the book "Apocalypse Chow" at your library, it may be a help.

The book is about preparing for eating well in a disaster (power outage due to storms, for example), relying on dry pantry staples. The meals are vegetarian, but I think you could add some chicken/tuna/beef/fish etc. to many of them. There are many ethnic type dishes.

Hope that helps!

Edit to add: http://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Cho...&sr=8-1#reader
you can do a search inside the book to see a copy sample recipes. Try "garbanzos", "tomato", "chili"

[ASusan]

recipe for Moosewood Red, Black, Green and Gold chili - can be done with almost all canned goods, save an onion and green pepper.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Moosewood-...n-Chili-253517

The best part is that it keeps well, and even tastes better the second or third day. So, make a double batch and eat it for a week.

[BetsyS]

We like this very inauthentic cuban picadillo over rice. It tastes like sloppy joes over rice (and everything but the ground beef is a pantry item). http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniont...f22rushed.html

We also like salmon croquettes, made with a can of salmon, onion, egg, and a little flour to bind them. Pan-fry, and they make a quick and easy meal.

Rice and beans. The old classic.

Clam spaghetti is a good one, too. Spaghetti, canned clams, butter or olive oil, white wine, garlic, and parsley (can be dried).

We also like any sort of protein in a creole sauce over rice. This recipe uses shrimp, but you could sub chicken or tilapia or pork tenderloin pretty easily. I make chicken and catfish the most often. http://www.texmex.net/Rotel/shrimpcrl.htm It's really easy.

[Thalia the Muse]

I think it's easier to cook what you normally would and freeze a bunch of it now, then reheat for quick dinners when the baby comes. It will usually be tastier than something made entirely with canned ingredients, and nothing is easier than tossing the whole thing in the microwave or oven -- no messing with can openers!

[hippiechickinsing]

I recently made black bean cakes. They use 1 can of black beans, 1/4 cup salsa and one packet of corn bread mix. Drain the beans and pour them over the dry cornbread mix and add the salsa. Mash everything together with a potato masher or fork. You can drop them into a skillet and fry like pancakes or form into patties and bake at 350 for about 12 minutes. I made a dipping sauce of sour cream mixed with lime juice and chili powder, but I ate the leftovers plain and they were just as yummy. I almost liked them better cold, too, which is a consideration when you have to leave your meal to take care of baby.

I'm working on a way to avoid the packaged cornbread mix and will update if I figure it out. I'm thinking it will mainly be cornmeal and flour with some kind of leavening.

[EnviroBecca]

This is my favorite extremely easy dish made from all shelf-stable ingredients:
: HONEY BAKED LENTILS :
To make 6 main-dish servings, you will need:

1 cup dry lentils (Green lentils hold their shape and texture; red lentils get softer.)
2 cups water, or 1 cup orange juice and 1 cup water
2 Tbsp. honey (You can substitute maple syrup for a different flavor, also very good.)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion (You can use fresh onion, but it all floats to the top and gets a soggy consistency.)
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed, or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

It will be soupy, suitable for serving in bowls or over rice or in a baked potato or squash. If you prefer a more solid, casserole-like consistency, bake it longer, or add:
1/3 cup uncooked rice (brown rice works fine)

Optional ingredient for extra nutrition and deliciousness and appetizing color:
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes

Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake, covered, at 350F until tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Here's the recipe on my site with more info about nutritional yeast.

Also easy to make from just canned vegs, garlic, and seasonings is
: LAZY LOUBIE :
To make 4 main-dish servings, you will need:
about 30 oz. canned green beans (or 2 cups fresh, or thawed frozen)
about 30 oz. canned diced tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh, or thawed frozen)
1/4 cup olive oil
5 large cloves garlic, or more smaller cloves
2 Tbsp. garam masala (This is an Indian spice blend. If you don't have it, try about 2 tsp. each of black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and coriander, and adjust seasoning to taste.)

Peel the garlic and cut the cloves in half, or into a few chunks if they're large cloves.

Sautee garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. Meanwhile, open the cans. Drain the green beans, but keep the juice in the tomatoes.

Stir garam masala into oil. Add vegetables. Simmer, stirring occasionally, at least 15 minutes or until juice thickens.

Serve over rice or couscous.

[noobmom]

The OP said she had a dorm sized freezer, so she can't freeze much.

I'd definitely stock up beans (dried would be healthier and less expensive, but more time consuming to prepare), canned fish (salmon, smoked oysters, tuna) and different grains (rice, oatmeal, barley, whatever you like). Oh, and lots of stock. You can always make a soup by combining some stock with beans and a grain and whatever veggies you have on hand. If you have a crockpot you can use that to cook some longer cooking foods without having to watch over it. I think veggies will be your problem spot since canned veggies are so salty and overcooked.

[ithappened]

oh I forgot, we don't have a microwave, in the area we live in Europe they are pretty uncommon and very expensive to buy.

I LOVE the lentil receipe, I might try that now and the stocking up on beans, canned fish etc is a great idea noobmom.

We do have a sort of CSA we get weekly but its really random what comes each week so its hard to plan on anything until it shows up.

[Llyra]

I've been making EnviroBecca's honey baked lentils for years now, and they're fantastic. And there's a million variations you can do. We like them with chopped spinach or kale. We also like it with carrots, zucchini, and celery. Just put the veggies in the dish with the rest of the stuff before you bake it. We do it with rice sometimes, and sometimes without. I sometimes add extra honey to bribe DD1 to eat it, or sometimes I use red wine instead of the soy sauce.

Another thing we eat here that's really easy and comes all out of cans is our quickie bean burritos. Cook some onion or garlic in a pan. If you don't have any, you can just add garlic powder later. Toss on a can of black beans (or red, or pink...), a can of sweet corn, and season with some chili powder, or a combination of cumin, cayenne, and paprika. Heat it and either roll it in a tortilla or throw it over rice. If you have them, you can add some green peppers, tomatoes, or whatever, and it's really good with grated cheese, but it's also just fine with just the beans and corn.

If you're feeling like chicken, you can put some chicken in a pot, throw on a can of tomatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes, then add a can of black beans and a can of sweet corn, and simmer until the chicken's done. Season it the same way. The exact quantities are not so important-- just taste it and keep adding spices until you like how it tastes. It's good with rice, or just with some bread on the side.