Tinned foods can be nutritious and healthy, and teamed with fresh and frozen ingredients can contribute to a balanced and nutritionally varied diet. In addition to this, metal tins are good value, versatile and good for the environment as they can be recycled again and again to make new cans or other goods made using metal. Cannedfood.co.uk has provided delicious and simple recipes everybody can make at home.
Robert Fell, Director at Canned Food UK told Express.co.uk: “Canned food UK began as a collaboration between food and can manufacturers and food companies to highlight the benefits of canned food, including their retained nutritional value; long shelf life which helps reduce food waste; and the infinite recyclability of the can itself.
“As we all know, cans are a convenient store cupboard staple, they count as one of your five-a-day and are an excellent source of nutrients as they are locked in the can through the canning process.
“Plus, cans are infinitely recyclable so don’t forget to give them a rinse before you pop them in the recycling bin.”
Canned food can be great in making healthy and delicious recipes (Image: Getty)
Recipes with tinned foods
Billy and Jack’s Mushroom Wellington
This recipe is a delicious mushroom, lentil and spinach Wellington with a caramelised onion gravy and roast potatoes. Perfect for a cold winter’s evening or even as a vegetarian alternative to a roast.
For the Wellington, you will need:
• 2 x 400g cans whole button mushrooms
• 1 x 390g can fried onions
• 1 x 400g can leaf spinach
• 1 x 400g can leaf spinach
• 1 x 400g can green lentils
• 2 heaped tsp garlic paste, or 2 grated whole cloves
• 2 headed tsp mustard
• Handful fresh parsley
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1 lemon
• 1 ready roll puff pastry sheet – 230g
• Rapeseed or olive oil
The added benefit with cooking with tinned produce is that everything is recyclable (Image: Getty)
For the roast potatoes
• 2 x 560g cans peeled new potatoes
• Rapeseed or olive oil
For the onion gravy
• 1 x 390g can friend onions
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 2 heaped tsp flour
The deliciously vegetarian mushroom Wellington (Image: CannedFoods)
Start by preheating the oven to 180C, add both cans of onions to a roasting tin and roast in the oven for 45 minutes until browning and sticking to the edges. Remove 2/3 and set aside to cool.
With the remaining onions, still in the roasting tin, crumble over the stock cube. Sprinkle over the flour and cook on the hob, stirring for 1 minute. Add 1 litre of boiling water and stir, to bring everything together. Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the tin. Keep warm.
For the potatoes, drain the can and carefully press each potato so that it is slightly squashed. Heat a roasting tray in the oven with a little oil and roast the potatoes until crispy, around 50 minutes.
Drain mushrooms and add to the pan, followed by the lentils. Lower the hear and simmer for 3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and liquid evaporated. Take off the hear and add the lemon zest and parsley, combine and set aside to cool.
The Mushroom Wellington can also be made vegan if desired (Image: CannedFoods)
Sauté the spinach in a little oil, crumble in a vegetable stock cube, cook for 2 minutes, season and set aside to cool.
To assemble, roll out the pastry sheet, leaving it on its paper, brush the mustard across the pastry, leaving an inch to the edge of the pastry.
Spread the reserved onions, then the spinach, and finally the mushrooms and lentil mixture onto the pastry. Roll the pastry by lifting the paper, seal the edges, then fold the ends underneath, brush with oil and return to the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Remove paper and place on a baking tray. Brush again with oil and roast in the same oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
The chicken and vegetable filo pie (Image: CannedFoods)
Chicken & Vegetable Filo Pie
This dish can be made for any season, serves four and takes 45 minutes to prepare and cook.
You will need:
• 1 x 148g cans chicken in white sauce
• 340g can sweetcorn and peppers, drained
• 198g can red kidney beans, drained
• 270g packet frozen filo pastry, defrosted
Cooking with canned food can be fun and experimental (Image: Getty)
Method:
Preheat the oven to Gas 5, 190ºC or 375ºF. Mix the chicken and vegetables together and place into a shallow 1.2 litre (2 pint) dish.
Next, cut the filo pastry into squares approximately 15cm square (six inches) and scrunch up into rosette shapes, use to top the chicken mixture.
Brush with oil or butter and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and the filling is completely heated throughout. Serve either hot or cold with canned new potatoes and a salad.
Fish pie
For this delicious fish pie recipe, you will need:
• 250g cod or haddock fillet, skinned
• 250g smoked haddock fillet, skinned
• 200ml milk
• 295g can condensed mushroom soup
• 198g can sweetcorn, drained
• 300g can peas, drained
• 4tbsp freshly chopped lemon juice
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 820g can potatoes, drained and cut into quarters
• 125g cheddar cheese, grated
The possibilities are endless as to what you can make with canned foods (Image: Getty)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375F/Gas mark 5.
Lay the fish in a large frying pan and pour over the milk. Cover and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer gently for 5-7 minutes or until the fish flakes apart.
Remove the fish and place into one large ovenproof dish or four individual dishes. Add the soup to the milk and heat gently throughout until thoroughly combined. Next, add the sweetcorn, peas, parsley, lemon juice and pepper, and pour over the fish.
Place the potatoes on top of the fish and scatter with cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are beginning to turn golden and the fish filling is hot and bubbling.
The lockdown is the perfect time to use up all your store cupboard ingredients (Image: Getty)
Raspberry Rice Crumble
This recipe is ideal to make with children, or when you’re in a hurry. It uses two cans and is super quick and easy to make, taking just 10 minutes to prepare and serve.
You will need:
• 6 low fat digestive biscuits
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 425g can low fat rice pudding
• 2 x 300g cans raspberries in fruit juices, drained.
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 tbsp plain honey
The raspberry rice crumble (Image: CannedFoods)
Method:
Place the raspberries and honey into a bowl and mix together, coating the fruit with the honey.
Place the biscuits, ginger and cinnamon into a plastic bag and crush into crumbs. Place the rice pudding and the seeds from the vanilla pod into a bowl and mix together.
Layer the raspberries into four ovenproof ramekin dishes, followed by the vanilla rice pudding and sprinkle the biscuit mixture on top.
Place the ramekins into a hot oven at 200-220ºC for seven minutes and then serve.