By Ann Cipperly
When trying to decide what recipes to feature this week, I thought this might be a good time to use some of the canned foods in the pantry. Since I generally use fresh or frozen foods, I thought finding recipes with canned goods would be a challenge, but I found plenty of good ones. Canned products are convenient to have on hand for when you have to wait for a curbside pickup or delivery.
We are thankful there are so many options locally for curbside and delivery. It has made staying in and safe easier.
Like many of you we miss family, but hopefully we can see them in the near future. Since we also enjoy travel, we are looking forward to exploring new places, but that may be on hold for quite a bit longer.
Recently, I was thinking about how wonderful it was to sample sublime chocolates in Brussels, view the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris and shop at Harrods in London or linger over afternoon tea at the Savoy.
Since I have not been out of the house for over five weeks, we went for a ride in the country, and I thought that was wonderful too. Then, we came home, and I opened a can of salmon to make my mother’s favorite recipe for croquettes. There is nothing like them on the menu at the Savoy, but my mother’s croquettes are still a favorite of mine.
My mother would shape the croquettes like small fish and garnish with a sliced pimento stuffed green olive for the “eyes.”
Emily Smyth has a good recipe for Crispy Salmon Cakes using canned salmon. These are easy to assemble for a quick meal. She serves them with wilted spinach and tartar sauce on the side.
Monica Mitchell’s recipe for her Mother’s Tuna Bake sounds so good in the cream sauce with the pastry.
If you have a can of crabmeat in the pantry, try Cathy Dozier’s Crab Casserole. The crabmeat is combined in a sauce with macaroni noodles.
Canned vegetables can be combined for a delicious casserole, such as Jennifer Roach’s recipe for her Grandmama’s Green Bean and Shoepeg Corn Casserole.
For a quick and scrumptious dessert, the Easy Apple Cheesecake was a recipe I made often when my children were growing up. It is good warm from the oven or chilled. The recipe can be prepared using other canned pie fillings besides apples. When I worked full time as an editor, I could put this recipe together quickly while I was preparing dinner.
Look over the other recipes, and I am sure you will find a few to add to menus this coming week. You will want to keep these canned products on hand for making easy meals.
While we may be dealing with getting groceries, there is so much to be thankful about in our community. We are blessed to have a hospital with dedicated hard workers.
As we count blessings, we remember those in our community who have had a difficult time being out of work or dealing with sick loved ones.
If you are struggling with needs or dealing with emotional issues, there are those in the community who can help. Reach out to those resources. Many of our churches have counselors who can help you cope with issues without having to pay.
As we are adjusting to changes because of the pandemic, we can use this time to find ways to help others and build our faith. The following Bible verse has been especially helpful to me this week.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7
Cipperly can be contacted at recipes@cipperly.com.
Recipes:
Mom’s Salmon Croquettes
2 cups cooked rice
1 large can salmon, flaked
2 tsp. minced parsley
1 egg, separated
2 Tbsp. water
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
Oil
Combine rice, salmon, parsley and egg yolk. Shape into six oval croquettes. Mix egg white and water. Dip croquettes into egg mixture, then into breadcrumbs. Let dry for a few minutes.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, fry croquettes on each side until golden brown.
Crab Casserole
Cathy Dozier
2 cups macaroni shells
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green pepper
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 oz. jar mushrooms (drained), optional
7 oz. can crab (drained)
Prepare macaroni according to package directions.
Sauté pepper and onion until tender in butter. Blend in flour and salt. Stir in milk and ¾ cup of cheddar cheese. Heat over low heat until thick and cheese is melted.
Add egg yolk and lemon juice. Fold in macaroni, mushrooms and crab. Spoon the mixture into a 1 ½ quart casserole. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.
Mother’s Tuna Bake
Monica Mitchell
2 cups flour
1/2 cup shortening
Several teaspoons of water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
To make the dough, mix 2 cups flour, shortening and several teaspoons water. Add a cup (more or less) shredded cheddar cheese.
Roll out dough. Put into baking pan.
Small amount of butter
1 onion, diced
2 cans drained tuna
1 egg
1 cup green peas
Chopped parsley
Melt butter in skillet, and sauté onion until transparent.
Combine with tuna. Add egg, peas and some chopped parsley.
Mix together.
Place tuna mixture onto into the dough; fold the dough over.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
Slice and serve with sauce. Use cream of mushroom soup or make your own sauce.
Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup or more milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Small jar of sliced mushrooms, drained (if using fresh, sauté in butter)
Dash of curry powder, if desired
Melt butter and stir in flour until blended. Slowly add milk. Stir in mushrooms and a dash of curry powder, if desired. Pour sauce over tuna and serve.
Crispy Salmon Cakes
Emily Smyth
2 cans (14.75 oz. each) salmon, drained
1½ cups Panko breadcrumbs, divided
½ cup mayonnaise
2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 large egg
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
¾ cup canola oil, divided
In a large bowl, mix together salmon, 1 cup Panko crumbs, mayonnaise, scallions, egg, salt and pepper.
Form mixture into 8 cakes that are about 1-inch thick. Place remaining ½ cup Panko crumbs in a shallow dish and press cakes into crumbs until all sides are evenly coated.
Heat ½ cup oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is simmering, fry salmon cakes in 2 batches until golden brown on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch, adding remaining oil to fry second batch, if needed.
Drain on paper towel lined plate. Serve over wilted spinach leaves with tartar sauce on the side.
Tri Delta Tuna Salad
Anne Carpenter
Taken to sorority salad suppers for years
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 boiled eggs, chopped
2 cans tuna packed in water or 2 envelopes
½ cup mayonnaise
Combine all ingredients. Can add 8 oz. cooked macaroni to stretch amount.
Dilled Chicken Salad
Nancy Davis was a wonderful sweet lady who died from cancer. I will never forget having lunch with her when she made this delicious salad.
1 can (13 oz.) chicken, drained and flaked
¼ cup walnut pieces
¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries
¼ cup sliced green onions, optional
2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/3 cup low-fat or fat free mayonnaise
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with your favorite sandwich bread or croissants.
Hummus
Julia Pipes
1 (16 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend to a smooth consistency. Place in serving dish, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Best if made the night before. Serve with pita chips.
NOTE: Caleb’s son-in-law is allergic to sesame seed, but loves hummus. This is a great alternative and tastes like traditional hummus, without the tahini!
Tortilla Soup with Crispy Tortilla Strips
Two 14 1/2 oz. cans chicken broth
14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. chili powder or to taste
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups canned corn
2 cups chopped cooked chicken, optional
3 Tbsp. half and half or heavy cream, optional
Toppings:
Green onions, chopped
Crispy Tortilla Strips
Combine ingredients except cream and toppings. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in cream. Serve with green onions and tortilla strips.
Crispy Tortilla Strips
Cut corn tortillas into strips. Place on baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 degrees eight minutes or until crisp.
Grandmama’s Green Bean and Shoepeg Corn Casserole
Jennifer Roach
2 cans French style green beans (drained)
1 can Shoepeg Corn (drained)
½ cup chopped onions (optional)
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup sour cream
1 roll Ritz crackers
1 stick butter
½ cup slivered almonds (optional)
Mix beans and corn. Put in 13 x 9-inch casserole dish. Mix together soup, sour cream, cheese and onions. Spread over corn/bean mixture. Mix melted butter with crushed crackers and slivered almonds. Spread on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Easy Apple Cheesecake
You can use any kind of canned pie filling. This is so easy and goes together quickly.
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sour cream
1 can apple pie filling
½ cup walnuts, optional
½ tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish, melt butter in oven; sprinkle graham cracker crumbs; stir and press into bottom of dish. Combine sweetened condensed milk and sour cream; spread over crumbs. Spread apple pie filling over sour cream filling, top with walnuts and cinnamon. Bake for 25 minutes or until set. Serve warm or cold. Store in refrigerator. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Instead of apple pie filling, omit cinnamon and try blueberry, strawberry or peach.
White Chicken Chili
Nancy Smith
4 chicken breasts (I prefer 1 large whole chicken)
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. oregano
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can El Paso green chilies, chopped
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. cumin
4 cans chicken broth
3 to 4 cans white northern beans
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Monterey jack cheese
Sour cream
Corn chips or tortilla chips
Bake chicken breasts with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Bone and cut into pieces. (Or use whole cooked chicken)
In large pan, sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms, chilies, cayenne, oregano and cumin in olive oil.
Add broth, beans, chicken pieces, salt and pepper. Simmer 1 to 2 hours.
Optional: Top each bowl with shredded Monterey jack cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a few corn chips or tortilla chips.
Frozen Cranberry Salad
Emily Smyth
This is a reasonable facsimile of a frozen salad served with chicken salad and nut bread for luncheon at the Swan Coach House in Atlanta.
1 can whole cranberry sauce
20 oz. can crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped pecans
1 medium size container Cool Whip
Combine all ingredients. Freeze overnight in loaf pan. Unmold, slice and serve on lettuce. Let stand a few minutes before serving.
Beet Salad
Debby Koullas
3 cans plain beets, drained
½ onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1 tsp. garlic powder (or more if you like a lot of garlic)
1 Tbsp. dried mint, crush in palm
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil (the better the oil the better the salad)
Put first 5 ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add oil; mix well. Serve or chill for later. Keeps well because both vinegar and olive oil are preservatives.
Fluffy Fruit Salad
Lee Sadler
3 large cans Mandarin oranges, save a few aside for decorating top
2 regular size cans fruit cocktail
1 large can cut-up peaches
2 cans sliced pears
1 large jar maraschino cherries, save a few for decorating top
1 regular size can tropical fruit pieces
Large Cool Whip
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
Drain all fruit (save juices for a great fruit punch with ginger ale). Let fruit drain for about 15 minutes. Blend Cool Whip and cream cheese with an electric beater. Fold mixture into drained fruit. Decorate top of salad and refrigerate for about an hour. Enjoy!
Mexican Corn Dip
Lynn Patterson
8 oz. pkg. Philadelphia Brand grated pepper jack cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 cup Mexican corn, drained well
Combine all ingredients. Place in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 until hot, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with Fritos or Wheat Thins.
Black Bean Dip
Becky Brown
1 can black beans, drained
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
Juice of ½ fresh lime
½ Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
8 oz. jar Pace picante salsa
Garlic salt to taste
Mix ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips.
Baked Beans
Becky Brown
1 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1-16 oz. can kidney beans
2-16 oz. can Bush’s baked beans
1-15 oz. can lima beans
1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup Karo syrup
Garlic pepper to taste
4 slices of bacon, partially cooked
Sauté onion in olive oil and set aside. Drain kidney beans and lima beans. Partially drain baked beans. Mix all beans together in large bowl. Add onions and other remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into casserole dish and top with bacon.
Bake at 325° for one hour.
Mary Ann’s Black Bean Soup
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
3 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can Castleberry Barbecue Pork, optional
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Toppings: sour cream, grated cheese
Sauté onion in oil for five minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic. Stir in broth, beans, Rotel and pork. Simmer 15 minutes. Place in food processor until beans are chopped. Serves 6.
Curried Fruit
Martha Tabor
Large can chunk pineapple
Can pear halves
Can peach halves
10 maraschino cherries
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter
½ tsp. curry powder
Drain fruits and arrange them in a shallow microwave proof baking dish. Melt butter and mix with brown sugar and curry powder. Spoon mixture over fruit. Heat 6 minutes in microwave, turning after 3 minutes. Serve warm.
Creole Peas
Anne Carpenter
Old Eufaula recipe
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
Butter or oil
4 strips bacon, fried crisp
2 large cans English peas
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté pepper, celery and onion in small amount of butter or oil. Combine with remaining ingredients. Pour into large shallow or two medium sized casseroles. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes. Freezes well.
Salmon Chowder
4 large potatoes, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
2 large onions, chopped
1½ qt. water
½ lb. bacon, cooked and chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper or to taste
Large can salmon, bones and skin removed and chopped
1 can creamed corn
2 cups half and half or milk
¼ to ½ cup unsalted butter
1½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Boil potatoes, carrots and onion in water 20 minutes. Add bacon and salmon and cook 15 to 20 minutes longer.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer until hot. Do not boil. Serves 8.