Food Bank Staples

What could be in the can?

I started doing Food Bank cooking demonstrations a few months ago. Part of our goal in doing so is to show people how to use the items they are getting at the Food Bank to make healthful meals for themselves and their families. For the first cooking demo, the Food Bank had lots of onions, frozen carrots, pinto beans and canned salmon. Though onions are used by most everyone, the rest of the items are not often found in the meals of the clients this food bank serves. So how were we going to combine all of these items to make something both scrumptious and nutritious that people would be likely to make at home? In addition to this challenge, the majority of the clients did not speak English; we were going to have to communicate with more than just words.

I did a quick search on the internet and came up with Salmon Chili. I told my chef and she balked at the suggestion. Why would anyone like chili made with canned salmon? She was convinced once I showed her the list of foods we had available to us. I also let her demo salmon patties- something a bit more familiar. Sure, it was a long shot as none of us had ever had the recipe before, but when you get the majority (or all) of your food from a Food Bank, you have to use what you receive or chose – often there isn’t as much choice. You also have to be creative and try new things if you don’t want to be eating the same thing day in and day out. In order to communicate with clients, we went slowly, held up each item we used and made illustrative gestures to show what we were doing. To our surprise, the salmon chili was delicious and we quickly ran out of samples at the demo. Those who could speak English with us were wholly impressed by what we had made and how easy it was. Everyone that wanted one got a recipe. As clients left, many stopped by to show that they had picked up the canned salmon and other ingredients- success.

Here are the recipes we used in the demo:

Salmon Chili

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

2 medium carrots (about 1 cup frozen carrots)

1 large bell pepper

1 can (14.75 oz) salmon

1 Tbs. canola oil

1 can (15.5 oz.) pinto beans

2 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1 Tbs. cumin

3 Tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Remove skin and bones from salmon (if any); break into chunks.

2. Peel and rinse onion, garlic and carrots.

3. Rinse and remove core and seeds from bell pepper.

4. Dice onion, carrots and bell pepper. Mince garlic

5. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot.

6. Add carrots, pepper and onion to the pot and sauté until onions are soft and carrots are somewhat tender, about 5 minutes.

7. Drain and rinse beans.

8. Add the salmon, beans, tomatoes, water, cumin and chili powder to the vegetables in a large pot.

9. Cook over medium heat until all the flavors have blended together, about 15 minutes

Top with green onions, cheese, sour cream or avocado.

Serve with cornbread, corn tortillas, rice or noodles.

Salmon Patties

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
14-1/2 oz can pink salmon, drained
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup bread crumbs or 1/2 slice bread torn into small pieces
1/3 cup frozen or canned corn, drained
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced (2-3 tablespoons)
3 cups cornflakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
1. Place the salmon in a bowl and break up the chunks
2. Add the mayonnaise and mix thoroughly
3. Stir in the breadcrumbs, corn, and green onions
4. Put the crushed cornflakes in a second bowl and season with cayenne and garlic powder
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
6. Divide the salmon mixture into six to twelve portions, and shape into patties
7. Put each patty into the cornflake mixture, press the cornflakes into the patty, then transfer to a greased or parchment covered baking sheet.
8. Bake at for 10-15 minutes, until crispy and delicious.

Quick meals for a busy week

We’ve begun our fall series of classes and are switching into high gear here at Cooking Matters. This means less time in the office and more time out in the field. It also means work days that last longer than the normal 9-5. I do get to eat during our classes that last from 6-8 but it’s often not enough to constitute as dinner. When I get home after a class, I want something filling, quick and nutritious. Quick and healthy meals are emphasized in our classes because we want to show that home cooking can indeed be as quick as going to a fast food restaurant. Not to mention, cooking at home also saves money as we saw in the analysis I posted a few weeks ago. This is a topic of great interest to our students as many have families, jobs and other responsibilities that take up much of their time. Many of the recipes that we have in our cook book take less than 30 minutes to make or have a longer cooking time during which other responsibilities can be attended to. My favorite meal to make is a quick stir fry- I can add whatever vegetables I have in my fridge, a quick cooking protein, and heat up some of the cooked whole grain I have. Toss it all together and you have a well balanced, delicious and quick meal. Though stir fry is a great meal, it’s not the only thing that can be made in a pinch. Here are a few suggestions to help you make quick and healthy meals for you and your family:

- Make a large batch of a recipe when you have extra time and freeze half for a busy day later in the week

- Keep essentials like cooked brown rice, beans, and proteins in your fridge. Pre cut vegetables that can be easily thrown into a salad, stir fry or frittata.

- Think of eating breakfast for dinner- a quick egg scramble or omelet with some vegetables makes a well balanced meal in just a few minutes

- Use pre cut, frozen vegetables for a variety of meals

- Top whole wheat/ whole grain pasta with a tomato sauce that’s been pumped up with extra vegetables and a lean protein

- Make sure to keep kitchen staples on hand- whole grains, canned beans, canned tuna, milk, eggs, peanut butter, etc.

Here is a quick recipe from our Cooking Matters curriculum:

Tex- Mex Skillet

Serves 6, ¾ cup filling and 1 tortilla per serving

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic

1 (12 oz.) can corn kernels, no salt added

1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans

2 ounces low-fat cheddar cheese

1 pound lean ground beef

1 (12 oz.) jar salsa

½ cup water

2 tsp. Reduced sodium taco seasoning mix

6 (6 inch) whole wheat flour tortillas

Directions

1. Peel and mince the garlic.
2. Drain and rinse canned corn and beans in a colander.
3. Grate cheddar cheese.
4. In a large skillet, cook meat and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is lightly browned. Drain to remove fat.
5. Stir in corn, beans, salsa, water and taco seasoning mix.
6. Bring mixture to a boil.
7. Lower heat, cover and simmer fro 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone.
8. Divide the mixture evenly between 6 tortillas, top with grated cheese, roll up and serve.

Chef’s Notes

- Substitute any type of cooked beans for black beans.

- Substitute ground pork, chicken or turkey for the ground beef.

- Make your own taco seasoning to decrease the sodium in this recipe. Combine 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper.

- Recipe can be made, depending on the heat level of the salsa that’s used.

- Top with rinsed and chopped tomatoes, lettuce, green onions or low fat sour cream, if desired.

Buen provecho!

Janna

Protein

Many years ago, I decided to become a vegetarian. My mom had been feeding me braunschweiger for a while and I found it delicious. One day, she left the package out and I read it. I was horrified to learn that one of my favorite afternoon snacks was pork liver. Then and there I decided to become a vegetarian. I didn’t know much about protein but I figured I liked beans and peanut butter enough that I could make it work. My mom was a little more concerned than I was. She insisted on buying me vegetarian cookbooks so I would have at least some idea about what I was taking on. I learned a bit about combining proteins and making sure that I was getting enough Iron. It takes some learning and planning in order to be a healthy vegetarian. There are plenty of options for getting the protein you need, but it does take thought. Even if you do not eat a vegetarian diet, it’s important to pay attention to protein. Protein is made of amino acids. Our bodies can make some of them but not others. Those we can make are called non- essential because we do not have to eat them and those we cannot make are called essential because we must eat them. Meat proteins are “complete” proteins because they have all the essential amino acids our bodies need to keep us healthy and strong. Vegetarian sources, such as beans, are “incomplete,” so they are missing at least one amino acid. This is why vegetarians often discuss food combining. Rice and beans are a perfect example of a food combination that makes a complete protein. Rice is missing one amino acid that the beans have and the beans are missing one amino acid that the rice has. Together, all the essential amino acids are present. Research has shown that we don’t need to get a complete protein every time we eat but it is important to eat a variety of protein sources so that our bodies can maintain our muscles, bones, hair and everything else.

I did study abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and if I wanted to eat, I was more than likely going to need to eat meat. Since then, I have become an omnivore again, though I won’t touch braunschweiger (sorry mom). Here are some tips for choosing healthful proteins whether you are a vegetarian or not:

- Choose vegetable sources when possible. They contain fiber, vitamins and minerals that animal sources do not.

- Some examples of vegetable proteins are whole grains, beans, nuts and even vegetables.

- Choose poultry and fish when eating animal proteins. These two sources are lower in saturated fats. Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna are great sources of omega 3 fatty acids which are essential for our health.

- If you do choose red meats, choose lean cuts and moderate your portion sizes. Red meats are a great source of Iron, but saturated fat levels can get very high very quickly!

- Eat less processed meats such as deli meats as they are processed and have high levels of sodium.

Here’s a recipe from the Cooking Matters curriculum that uses chicken and beans so you know you’ll get lots of good protein. It’s also a recipe of one of our volunteers!

White Bean Basil Chicken Chili

Chef Kathleen Showalter • Seattle, Wash.

Serves 6, 1½ cups per serving

Ingredients

1 pound boneless chicken breast

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

1 medium tomato

1 large lime

1 Tablespoon fresh basil

2 Tablespoons canola oil

2 (15½ ounce) cans Great Northern beans

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1½ teaspoons chili powder

1½ teaspoons cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional Ingredients

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Remove any skin from the chicken breast. Cut chicken breast into ½-inch cubes.

2. Peel, rinse and finely chop onion. Peel and mince garlic.

3. Rinse tomato, lime, and basil.

4. Remove tomato core and seeds, then chop tomato.

5. Cut lime in half and squeeze juice of one half of the lime into a bowl. Discard any seeds.

6. Finely chop basil.

7. Drain and rinse beans, in a colander.

8. In a large saucepan or soup pot, cook onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. If the onion or garlic start to brown, lower the heat.

9. Add chicken, beans, broth, spices, tomato, lime juice, and basil to pot, stir, and bring to a boil.

10. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

11. Top with red pepper flakes and rinsed and chopped fresh cilantro if using.

Chef’s Notes

••Use Thai basil for an East meets Southwest flavor.

••Serve over a bed of cooked greens like spinach, kale or chard or serve over rice.

••Try substituting other canned beans — like kidney, cannellini or pinto — for the Great Northern beans.

Janna