Reach for the can this April

If most of us take a look in our cupboard, there’s one item which we’re more than likely to find: a can. Be it a can of beans, for when you’re looking to make a quick and easy meal, chopped tomatoes to make a base for a curry or Bolognese, or a can of soup to take into work for lunch - the trusty can remains a store cupboard staple. And it appears that the sales figures back this up too, with consumers having spent £2.4 billion (Kantar Worldpanel) on canned goods in 2013 – a £3.2 million increase on the previous year.

To celebrate the can’s popularity, Canned Food UK will be running Canned Food Week 2014 this April (14-20). Now into its second year, the week is designed to help the everyday consumer to plan meals, eat nutritionally-balanced dishes and show how using canned food is a healthy, time-effective and cost-effective way to cook.

Jason Hegarty, Chairman for Canned Food UK, comments: “The annual figures show that canned food continues to play an important role in cooking in the majority of UK households, and that is why Canned Food Week is so important to us. Canned food clearly presents an affordable option, with convenience and nutrition playing an important role, too.”

Canned Food UK promotes a healthy balanced diet, including a mix of fresh, frozen, dried and canned food. However, not many people know about the nutritional benefits of eating canned food. Thanks to the canning process, where food is sealed and cooked in the can straight after harvesting, it means that all the vitamins and minerals are locked in - sometimes containing more than fresh alternatives.

This year, Canned Food UK has teamed up with a number of partners with a series of new and existing recipes, which highlight the versatility of cooking with canned food for a number of different audiences – from its convenience and affordability for families and students, to its health benefits for the older generation and those looking to watch their weight. Plus, there are two new recipes from Canned Food UK ambassador James Martin.

Running from Monday to Sunday, Canned Food Week 2014 takes consumers through a series of recipes designed to make cooking simple and accessible to all. Anyone can get involved from the comfort of their own home by trying some of the following meals:

Make it simple Monday, with Independent Age
Using canned food in your recipes is not only convenient but it also includes nutrients which help to keep you healthy. Take the Salmon & Potato Bake, for example. It only includes five ingredients, taking the hassle of too much preparation out of the equation. Meanwhile canned salmon is a great source of Omega-3, which helps to regulate blood pressure and keep bodies healthy. Magic Bean Soup and Tuna Kedgeree are both simple alternatives to make.

Tuck-in Tuesday, with MyFamilyClub.co.uk
When you’ve got a family to feed, you need a filling meal that will keep your small army going, but one which will also go a long way without breaking the bank. Myfamilyclub.co.uk, a money saving site for families with over a quarter of a million parents visiting each month, think the Sweet & Sour Vegetable Stir Fry recipe is ideal, as it’s easy to make a large quantity and costs less than £1.50 per serving. Similarly, the Prawn and Chickpea Balti and Cannellini Bean and Farfalle Pasta recipes are great for sharing. Share your recipes with the My Family Club Bloggers Network, which brings together parenting blogs from Mums, Dads and Grandparents.

Veg-out Wednesday, with the Vegetarian Society
Canned Food UK has recipes to help you get over the mid-week slump. Our Vegetarian Pizza includes delicious ingredients such as canned cherry tomatoes and canned sliced mushrooms, coupled with fresh goats cheese, so you can kick back after a long day at work and literally veg-out! Other meal ideas from Canned Food UK, including Spicy Pinto and Baked Bean Wraps and Vegetarian Bean Chilli, demonstrate that vegetarian food is anything but boring.

Tiny tums Thursday, with SmallStepsOnline.co.uk
It can sometimes be a challenge getting your little ones to eat what you want them to, so why not get them to help out so you can all have fun in the kitchen and at the dinner table? The St Clements Pie is perfect for this, as not only can they help to bash the biscuit base, but it also gets them eating some of their 5-A-DAY, thanks to the canned oranges. Alternatively, try the Fun Fish Cakes with Vegetable Mash or Tuna Spread and Vegetable Mini Pitta Pockets recipes.

Fast-fix Friday, with SaveTheStudent.org.uk
With exams and coursework to concentrate on, along with the odd night out, students often look for quick and easy meals to make in a hurry. Steak Wraps are the perfect option, as they only take 15 minutes to make. The great thing about canned food is that it’s ready to eat from the can, so you can add a can of sweetcorn and kidney beans to this delicious recipe and away you go. Plus, the recipe is so versatile – you can swap steak with chicken, or even Quorn. For more recipes which only take a few minutes to make, try our Chilli Pork Stir-fry and Spicy Bean Burgers.

Supercharged Saturday, with James Martin
There are some delicious, yet healthy recipes using canned food and the Chicken & White Bean Salad, which has been newly created by celebrity chef and Canned Food UK ambassador James Martin, is no exception. This contains canned haricot beans, which are good sources of fibre, key to promoting good digestion, as well as chicken breast, rocket salad and cherry tomatoes. Alternatively, Crab & Noodle Soup only contains 184 calories, while Lentil and Spinach Curry recipe gives you the option to skip the take-away and still enjoy one of the nation’s favourite meals.

Scrummy Sunday, with James Martin
Let’s face it, nothing quite beats a traditional Sunday dinner, but that doesn’t mean you have to rely on a traditional Roast. Why not mix it up a bit with Lamb Cutlets with Butterbean mash created by James Martin? Instead of using potatoes, the innovative mash alternative uses a can of crushed butterbeans. If you prefer poultry options, the why not try either Roast Duck Breast with Cherry Sauce or Seared Chicken with warm Tomato and Apricot Sauce recipes, for a perfect ending to the week?

Recipes:

Salmon & Potato Bake:

Serves: 3 - 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
418g can of wild red salmon, drained
300ml crème fraiche
Seasoning
1 Tbsp chives, fresh, chopped
500g mashed potato (created from boiled, unsalted potatoes)
15g cheese, finely grated - either Cheddar of Gruyere

Method 
Preheat oven to fan 160°C, conventional 180°C, gas 4. 
Flake salmon into a large bowl; add crème fraiche, seasoning and chives. Stir gently to combine ingredients.
Place in an ovenproof dish or four individual dishes.
Top with mash, then scatter surface with grated cheese.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes until golden.

Hints and Tips
As alternative use canned tuna.

Nutrition Information (per serving)
Calories: 535
Protein: 24.0g
Carbs: 23.0g
Sugars: 2.0g
Fat: 38.0g
Sat Fat: 22.0g
Fibre: 2.0g
Sodium: 427.0mg

Sweet and Sour Vegetable Stir Fry:

Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
4 tbsp groundnut oil
4 spring onions, chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
1x 220g can baby corn, drained
1x 220g can water chestnuts, drained
1x 410g can berlotti beans, drained
1x 220g can bamboo shoots, drained
1 x 300g can baby carrots, drained
2 Pak choi, sliced and rinsed
1 x 500g can sweet and sour sauce
serve with noodles or rice

Method
1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan or wok and stir fry the spring onions for 2 minutes. Add the peppers and stir-fry for a further 3 minutes.
2. Stir in the remaining vegetables and stir-fry for 4 minutes.
3. Add the sauce and heat gently until all the ingredients are heated through.
How to serve: Serve immediately with noodles or rice.

Canny Tip
Mix and match fresh and canned ingredients to make this quick, easy and healthy dish.

Nutritional value per serving
Calories: 180
Carbohydrates: 22.2 g
Protein: 5.5 g
Fat: 8.2 g
Saturated fat: 1.7 g
Fibre: 5 g

Vegetarian Mushroom & Spinach Pizza:

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
1Tbsp oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
400g can of chopped tomatoes with basil
400g can of cherry tomatoes
2 Italian readymade pizza bases
100g pack ready washed spinach
300g can sliced mushrooms, drained
125g goat’s cheese, sliced

Method
Preheat oven to fan 180°C, conventional 200°C, gas 6.
Heat the oil in a deep sided frying pan or wok.
Add the onion and fry until soft, add garlic and continue frying for 1 minute.
Add chopped tomatoes and the juice from the cherry tomatoes, reserving the whole tomatoes. Simmer to reduce to a thick tomato paste, and then gently stir in cherry tomatoes. 
Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza bases.
Cook the spinach as pack instructions, until just wilted.
Arrange mushrooms over the pizza, top with the spinach and goat’s cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes to heat through.Hints and Tips

Pizza will freeze well for up to 1 month.

Nutrition Information (per serving)
Calories: 407
Protein: 17
Carbs: 44.0g
Sugars: 7.0g
Fat: 18.0g
Sat Fat: 6.0g
Fibre: 4.0g
Sodium: 542.0mg

St Clements Pie:

Serves: 6 - 8
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the base
75g butter
200g digestive biscuits

For the filling
2 eggs
400ml can of condensed milk
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

To finish
200ml half fat crème fraîche
411g can of orange segments in juice, drained, or canned mandarin oranges

Method
Preheat oven to fan 160°C, conventional 180°C, gas 4.
Melt the butter in a pan. Place the biscuits in a polythene bag and crush with a rolling pin and add to the melted butter. Press the mixture into a 23cm flan or pie dish and chill whilst you prepare the filling.
In a bowl beat together the eggs, add condensed milk and zest and juice of the oranges and lemon.
Pour onto the biscuit base and then bake for 20 minutes or until the filling is firm.
When cool spread top with crème fraîche and decorate with orange segments.

Hints and Tips
Try replacing the zest and juice of the oranges with lime to create a Key Lime Pie.
For another alternative replace digestive biscuits with ginger nuts.

Nutrition Information (per serving)
Calories: 434
Protein: 9.0g
Carbs: 50.0g
Sugars: 36.0g
Fat: 23.0g
Sat Fat: 13.0g
Fibre: 1.0g
Sodium: 308.0mg

Steak Wraps

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
400g sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1 Tbsp oil
Seasoning
8 x tortilla wraps
½ small iceberg lettuce, shredded
198g can sweetcorn, drained
300g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
200g pot tomato salsa
½ a pot of 300ml soured cream

Method
Drizzle steak with oil and season.
Heat a griddle pan or frying pan until hot and then stir –fry steak for 3 minutes or until cooked.
Warm tortilla wraps.
Scatter each wrap with lettuce, sweetcorn and kidney beans. Add steak and dollops of salsa and soured cream. Fold and roll. Slice diagonally in half if required. Serve immediately.

Hints and Tips
Alternatively use chicken breast. Adjust cooking times accordingly.

Nutrition Information (per wrap)
Calories: 496
Protein: 35.0g
Carbs: 53.0g
Sugars: 6.0g
Fat: 18.0g
Sat Fat: 7.0g
Fibre: 5.0g
Sodium: 471.0mg

Chicken & White Bean Salad:

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients
400g can haricot beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
Zest and juice of a lemon
Seasoning
70g bag rocket
2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Method
Place haricot beans in a bowl.
Whisk the oil with the mustard and lemon zest and juice and season. 
Drizzle half of the dressing over the beans. Gently toss to coat.
Divide the rocket between two serving dishes and then scatter with the beans.
Add chicken and tomatoes and then drizzle over remaining dressing.

Hints and tips:
Serve with warmed bread to mop up the juices.

Nutrition information (per serving):
Calories: 501
Protein: 40g
Carbs: 24.0g
Sugars: 4.0g
Fat: 28.0g
Sat Fat: 4.0g
Fibre: 9.0g
Sodium: 249mg

Lamb Cutlets with Butterbean Mash:

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
8 Lamb rack cutlets
1tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 x 400g cans of butterbeans, drained
1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
Zest and juice of ½ a lemon

Method
Griddle or grill the lamb cutlets.
Heat the oil in a deep sided frying pan or wok.
Add the onion and fry until soft, add garlic and continue frying for 1 minute.
Add drained butterbeans with 2 Tbsp water, gently heat through, then mash with a potato masher. Add a further splash of olive oil if dry.
Sir in rosemary and serve with lamb cutlets.

Hints and Tips
Butterbean mash is also delicious served with pork chops or sausages.
Try using different varieties of beans to make your mash.

Nutrition Information (per serving)
Calories: 434
Protein: 38.0g
Carbs: 25.0g
Sugars: 4.0g
Fat: 22.0g
Sat Fat: 8.0g
Fibre: 7.0g
Sodium: 96mg