Getting Creative with your Quarantine Cooking

As we all know, grocery shopping is becoming our world's biggest outing, and this means grocery lines have been hectic. Items have been vanishing (...vanishing… hm… like that bottle of wine we drank last night...) from the shopping isles. Stocking up on food has become essential, as recommended by all of the biggest news sources. So, what are the items that are truly being desired and needed during this unique time period?

Canned food. Yes, we said it. Canned food: not the sexiest term, but as of now it seems to be a vital term. We love our whole food diets, but sometimes canned goods are just essential. Right now, they are extra essential.

Everything has the potential to be beautiful, correct? Correct. So, today we are going to show you exactly how canned food can blossom from caterpillar to butterfly in your own kitchen.

Not only are we going to sex-ify canned foods for you, but we are also going prove to you that canned foods CAN be nourishing. When combined with nutrient-dense ingredients, prepared correctly, and nutrition labels are considered, your meal could seem to be straight from a five-star restaurant.

First, we want to make sure you know a few items to look for when shopping for canned items:

• #1: Three words - sodium, sodium, so-di-um. The American Heart Association recommends around 2,000 mg of sodium a day. They also mention that the average joe consumes 3,400 mg per day - sodium is tricky, check your labels. Also, if you aren’t already looking, there are many canned goods that offer LOW or NO salt added versions of the original product. Go that route.

• #2: Check to see if what you are buying, is actually what you are wanting to buy. For example; when purchasing canned fruits, oftentimes there is added sugar or syrup. Instead, watch out for terms like “100% juice” or “no sugar added”. The same applies to canned meats, veggies, and etc.

• #3: Price! No need to buy whatever is the most expensive. Oftentimes, a store brand is just as good as a “prestige” brand. All you need to do here is compare a few labels, and make your decision based on that. 
  
  

In summary, definitely pay extra attention to your canned food’s nutrition labels. These are often where extra sugars, salts, fats, etc. are snuck in. Rather than checking out the number of calories, check out what those calories are made of.

So, now let’s talk recipes.

We’ve all heard “shop the perimeter of the store” - AKA where all of the fresh food items are. Canned goods just have a plain old bad rep.

But, when purchased thoughtfully (using the tips above!) and combined with fresh ingredients, canned food has the potential to turn into “glammed food”. Check out these three recipes that will absolutely make you ready to eat. 

Pesto White Bean Dip

Sorry hummus, step aside! We have a new dip in town and it’s ready to be eaten. Cannellini beans are fat-free and a perfect source of fiber, folate, iron, and magnesium. Not to mention, just a ¼ cup of these babies will bring you 11 grams of protein. 

• 1 can cannellini beans (no salt added!), drained and rinsed

• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil - add more as needed

• 3.5 heaping tablespoons canned pesto

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Handful of spinach 

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder  

• Dash of salt and pepper

• If needed - add water as needed to thin out the dip

Instructions

Add all ingredients into a food processor (minus the water - this is as needed).
Taste flavor, add whatever else your taste buds want. More lemon is always a great thing in this recipe! Use veggies, crackers, bread, whatever you want to dip into this. 

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a typical Israeli/Mediterranean dish. Eggs are included, but for all of you non-egg eaters, we have a version for you too. However you choose to eat this, the spice combo in Shakshuka is extremely grounding and nurturing for the body. 

• 1 medium onion, diced 

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoon paprika (we recommend smoked paprika if you’ve got that on hand)

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• ¼ teaspoon chili powder

• ½ can of peas

• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (be sure too look at the label - is salt added? There are plenty of versions with just “tomatoes & tomato juice”)

• 6 large eggs *egg substitute - greek or coconut yogurt to dollop on top when done!*

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped (feel free to use parsley flakes for this as well!)

• Feta OR blue cheese, to crumble on top (optional, but very good!)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped bell pepper, peas, and onion. Cook for 5 minutes (or until onion becomes translucent). 

2. Add garlic and spices, let cook for 2 minutes

3. Pour the can of tomatoes into the pan. Add salt and pepper, bring heat down to a simmer. Mix all ingredients together. 

4. If using eggs, crack eggs (or just egg whites!) on top of what is in the pan. Be sure to crack eggs leaving space in between each. Cover the pan and cook for about 6 minutes, or until eggs are cooked. 

5. Garnish with parsley and cheese

Pink Salmon & Avo Toast

Weary of canned salmon? No need - just be sure to buy a trusted brand with an un-weary food label. Check out “Bumble bee pink salmon in the water” (keyword here is always “in the water”). The benefits of canned salmon are of course omega-3s, along with essential proteins for your body.  

• ½ avocado

• 1 can of pink salmon

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tomato 

• Slice of bread - we recommend something grainy with a lot of seeds!

• Salt and pepper

• ½ lemon

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Toast your bread in a toaster or skillet

2. In a bowl, mix together your can of pink salmon, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt + pepper. For spice, add 1 tsp of red pepper flakes 

3. Spread your avocado onto the toast

4. Add a layer of your salmon mixture

5. Slice tomato, and add to the top of the salmon mixture 

6. Add a small drizzle of olive oil, squeeze of lemon, and some extra salt and pepper to the top 
   

There you have it. Stick with these tips and recipes, and you will no doubt be eating like royalty. We’d like to leave you with this last piece of wisdom on canned foods: it’s not about the can, it’s about the contents. 

As long as you are being sure to check what is inside of the can, and making sure it’s what you want to put inside of your body, you are in the clear. Canned foods offer room for creativity and nutrition, so check out your pantry and see what you can whip up.

Until next time, stay curious, stay well. 

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CAREN (SAIR-EN) DECESARIS

Caren is a "drop into your body" junkie. She loves all things movement, creativity, and fun. She is the host of SoulSpeak The Podcast & speaks publicly on topics covering spirituality, living authentically, and intuition. Caren is also a 200 hour YTT trained yoga & Pilates instructor with a passion for incorporating intuitive (improv) body movement into her routines.

You can find Caren dancing around, well anywhere, or eating (& cooking) fab food when she is not doing the above. Hang with Caren here.