cooking with tins

This vegetarian low-calorie chickpea curry makes a wonderful, easy after-work meal, and is ready in less than 20 minutes. It's also vegan if you leave out the egg. 

Each serving provides 441 kcal, 26g protein, 92g carbohydrates (of which 8.5g sugars), 20g fat (of which 3.5g saturates), 15g fibre and 0.6g salt. 

With a GI of 45 this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a>.

Chickpea, spinach and egg curry

eggs

olive oil

tsp cumin seeds

tsp black mustard seeds

tbsp medium curry powder,

garlic

ginger

tin chopped tomatoes

tin chickpeas,

lemon juice

milliliters/3½fl water

baby leaf spinach

salt and black pepper

tbsp chopped fresh coriander, to garnish

These vegetarian enchiladas are a money-saving gem and they take just a few minutes to make.

This meal provides 648 kcal, 28g protein, 74g carbohydrate (of which 15g sugars), 26g fat (of which 12g saturates), 18g fibre and 3.2g salt per portion.


Quick beany enchiladas

grams/3½oz onion

grams/3½oz peppers

tomatoes

beans

tbsp lime

x 40 grams/1½oz ready-made flour tortillas

75 grams/2½oz mature cheddar,

Antonio Carluccio's not above an easy tuna pasta recipe. A store cupboard favourite with a twist of fresh ginger.

Tuna pasta sauce 

375 grams/13 ounces dried linguine or other pasta

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

tbsp finely chopped parsley

garlic cloves, finely chopped

chilli pepper, finely chopped

1cm/½in fresh ginger root, thinly sliced

grams/1lb passata

tinned tuna

This is one of my favourite curries – it’s deceptively substantial for a vegetarian dish, and delicious hot or cold. I often make it by throwing all of the ingredients into the slow cooker at the start of the day, so I come home to a delicious creamy dinner. Serve with basmati rice.

Each serving provides 555 kcal, 14g protein, 34g carbohydrates (of which 9g sugars), 37.5g fat (of which 25g saturates), 13.5g fibre and 2.1g salt.

Dal makhani 

tin brown lentils,

tin kidney beans,

onion

tbsp garlic and ginger paste,

tbsp medium curry powder

chilli pepper

grams/2½oz butter

tin full-fat coconut milk

fresh coriander, to garnish (optional)

This quick and easy chorizo topping is a fantastic alternative to good old baked beans when piled onto hot toast. 

This meal provides 322 kcal, 18g protein, 32g carbohydrate (of which 5g sugars), 14g fat (of which 5g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.7g salt per portion.

Chorizo beans on toast

grams/3½oz cooking chorizo, diced

200 grams/7 ounces tinned chickpeas

thyme leaves thyme

toast

parsley leaves (optional)

French onion soup has a great depth of flavour from the slowly caramelised onions – it's used in this easy pork stroganoff as a really rich, concentrated ‘meaty’ stock. A satisfying cheat that makes this recipe likely to become one of your mid-week staples. 

Simplest-ever pork stroganoff

pork

tsp sunflower or vegetable oil

tin French onion soup

250 grams/9 ounces crème fraîche

tbsp wholegrain mustard

parsley

rice,

This simple ragù imitates an Italian dish that’s usually made with fresh beef and tomatoes, simmered for hours until the meat falls apart in delicate fronds at the touch of a fork. Stewed steak in gravy perfectly replicates the slow-cooked tender meat of its grander cousin. 

I made both versions side by side to test this recipe, and all of the people I gave them to in blind taste tests preferred this version! The lentils aren’t mandatory, but they add extra texture and protein, and make the meal go further; ideal if you’re meal prepping for the freezer, or feeding a crowd. 


Stewed steak ragù 

onion, onion

garlic paste garlic

vegetable oil

herbs

tin brown

x 400 grams tins chopped tomatoes

175 milliliters/6fl oz red wine (optional, see Recipe Tip)

tbsp vinegar (any kind)

pasta

grated cheese

A quick one-pan hash using cooked ham, eggs and tinned potatoes. Any cooked potatoes can be substituted for the tinned ones, if you have any leftover boiled potatoes they are ideal.

Ham hash

x 540 grams tins whole new potatoes

onion,

pepper

eggs (preferably free range)

black pepper

A family-friendly pasta recipe that makes the most of tinned foods. If your kids love Hawaiian pizza then this ham and pineapple pasta is a great twist to try for a quick mid-week dinner.

Hawaiian spaghetti

spaghetti (or pasta shape of your choice)

butter

200 grams/7 ounces tinned ham,

pineapple

full-fat cream cheese

This budget vegetarian burrito uses tinned beans and frozen sweetcorn. You can even use a microwave to cook the whole recipe.

Each serving provides 733kcal, 24.5g protein, 128g carbohydrate (of which 11g sugars), 12g fat (of which 6g saturates), 13g fibre and 2.5g salt.

Top 10 cooking with tins recipes from across the web

The most viewed cooking with tins recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Chickpea, spinach and egg curry

Quick beany enchiladas

Tuna pasta sauce

Dal makhani

Chorizo beans on toast

Simplest-ever pork stroganoff

Stewed steak ragù

Ham hash

Hawaiian spaghetti

Bean and rice burrito

Top 10 cooking with tins recipes from across the web

The most viewed cooking with tins recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Chickpea, spinach and egg curry

Quick beany enchiladas

Tuna pasta sauce

Dal makhani

Chorizo beans on toast

Simplest-ever pork stroganoff

Stewed steak ragù

Ham hash

Hawaiian spaghetti

Bean and rice burrito

The most viewed cooking with tins recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine