This post is brought you by Cans Get You Cooking & Mom It Forward Blogger Network. All opinions are my own.
Did you know that February is National Canned Food month!? Yep-- a whole month dedicated to the wonderful world of canned food. I don't know about you, but I rely on canned fruits & veggies when I cook because when I've bought fresh produce exclusively, more often than not, much of it goes to waste. And I'm not alone--Americans throw away approximately 15-20% of the fresh fruits and vegetables they purchase every year!
To show my support for canned foods, I've teamed up with Cans Get You Cooking to bring you awesome recipes, cooking ideas and other useful info every other month for the next year.
To kick off my roll as a Canbassador, I've compiled a roundup of some of my favorite dinnertime "Flavors from Around the World", all made with canned fruits, vegetables, legumes, and/or protein.
Just take a look at these QUICK, EASY and FLAVORFUL meals made with canned foods.
Flavors from Around the World
Carne Asada Burrito - Did you know that canned foods can make eating healthy easier? Lucky for you, this recipe features three canned ingredients! Like the home canning process, canning seals in food’s natural goodness and nutrition, so it’s there for you any time. Especially on Burrito night!
Malaysian Tangy Noodle Salad - Did you know that Americans throw away approximately 15-20% of the fresh fruits and vegetables they purchase every year? But when you use canned ingredients, like baby corn, sliced carrots and chicken featured in this recipe, you’ll waste less food, saving you time and money, and reducing your impact on the environment. It’s a win-win!
Bouillabaisse - A well-stocked pantry – or Cantry – helps you make flavorful, nutritious and delicious meals that you can feel great serving. And a little known fact: A-list chefs use canned tomatoes too because of their sealed in natural goodness.
Pineapple Jerk Chicken & Rice - The secret to success in this Pineapple Jerk Chicken dish is the canned ingredients. Fresh fruits and vegetables are harvested at their peak of ripeness and canned within hours, making the can one of the best ways to lock in nutrients and get food from its source to your family table.
Turkey Bolognese - You can taste the freshness and flavor of canned crushed tomatoes and diced carrots in each bite of this Turkey Bolognese, delivering the wholesome and hearty meal you and your family crave. Canned foods…unlock the goodness!
Greek Pizza - Canned artichokes – a Cantry staple – take this Greek Pizza to the highest pillar! That’s because artichokes have one of the highest antioxidant contents of all fruits and vegetables, and contain healthy anti-aging, disease-fighting antioxidants! So grab a can and unlock the goodness!
Thai Chicken Curry - Put that takeout menu back in the drawer! Tonight, you can make your own Thai Chicken Curry in just 20 minutes with canned ingredients like coconut milk, chicken breast, sweet potatoes and green beans. With cans, you can get through the week with creative meals you’ll feel great about serving your family and friends.
In addition to sharing these great recipes, there are some extra happenings going on throughout the month of February that you might be interested in.
Cans Make the Meal with Kelsey Nixon 30-Minute TV Special
Cans Get You Cooking produced a 30-minute special that will air on Cooking Channel during the month of February, National Canned Food Month. The special features Cooking Channel star Kelsey Nixon as she takes viewers down the canned food aisle and into her kitchen, sharing fun canned food facts, and creating delicious recipes inspired by the canned foods in her Cantry.
February 08, 2015 10:00 AM ESTFebruary 14, 2015 10:00 AM EST- February 15, 2015 10:00 AM EST
- February 22, 2015 10:00 AM EST
- February 28, 2015 10:00AM EST
Kelsey Nixon is the host of the Emmy-nominated show Kelsey's Essentials on Cooking Channel and Food Network, and author of the cookbook, Kitchen Confidence. She's also the host of "Cans Make the Meal," our 30-minute Cooking Channel special that airs throughout February.
Cantry Cook-Off Recipe Contest
In honor of National Canned Food Month, Kelsey Nixon will be judging Cans Get You Cooking’s Cantry Cook-Off Recipe Contest! Entrants must create a unique recipe using at least two canned food items and submit the recipe, along with a photo of their dish for a chance to win $5,000! Entrants have until March 31, 2015 to enter! Here’s where you can enter: CookingChannelTV.com/cans
Cantry Thursdays
By the time Thursdays roll around, most of your groceries have been used or have spoiled, and you’re tired from the long week and don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. The solution is not the takeout menu drawer…it’s your Cantry. Nutritious, fresh and flavorful meals are achievable quickly and easily thanks to the canned foods in your pantry.
For more information on Cans Get You Cooking, become a fan or follow on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Shop with Me Mama (Kim)
we use a lot of canned veggies and fruits. I will also used canned soups in recipes to give it a better taste!
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle
I love to cook with canned and frozen fruits and vegetables. They taste just as good as fresh in recipes, and they're so much easier.
Stephanie
I had no idea there was a Canned Foods month! We don't eat too much out of a can, but I do use cream of chicken and cream of mushroom in a lot of soups and casseroles.
Catherine S
These all sound good. I would like to try the Greek Pizza. We usually make a vegetable from a can a couple nights a week.
Marybeth Hamilton
I always keep at least a small selection of canned fruits and veggies in my pantry in case I can't make it to the store for fresh produce. My favorite canned items to buy are low-sodium corn and pineapple chunks. They're both so much easier to prepare than the fresh variety, and they're almost as good, too!
Pam
I had no idea that National Canned Food Month was a thing! I love stocking up on canned food so I can whip up a creative meal using food I already have.
Jaime
We used a lot of canned foods for our dinner tonight! Beans and tomatoes helped make our chili complete. (We use cans often. Almost nightly.)
Amy @ Marvelous Mommy
That noodle salad sounds yummy! I'll have to try it out!
Liz Mays
I didn't know it was canned food month! I'll have to check out the canned food special!
aimee fauci
I don't use canned foods that often but when I do, I rinse them before I add them to my dish. Love the food pictures, they look so delicious
Jess Weaver
We use lots of canned goods at my house. I had no idea it was National Canned Good Month. Great Post!
Sara P. (@SensiblySara)
I love that there is a National Canned Food Month! Almost every recipe I make has at least one can of food - usually veggies - so I celebrate it OFTEN! ;). Cans really are such a time saver.
Candy O.
I have strayed from using cans a lot. But since we moved I'd picked up more and more.. great to cook with.
Jeanine
National canned food month! That's amazing. I keep some canned veggies and some fruit on hand for when some things aren't available or in seasons around here! Helps a lot!
Christie
I just used a can last night for dinner! I'm going to have to check out these recipes!
Debbie Denny
These look great. I will have to try some of these.
Chrystal @ YUM eating
I use a lot of canned vegetables because the only frozen vegetables I like are cauliflower, broccoli and peas. I buy everything else canned if I can't get it fresh in season. I figure eating vegetables from a can is better than not eating them at all.
Tracie
These all look like great ideas! We use a lot of canned vegetables in our cooking. It is so convenient.
Ann Bacciaglia
I have a bunch of canned goods i need to use up. I will have to try a few of these great recipes.
Estelle
I sometimes used canned beets when cooking, but rarely cook from cans.
Tess
I like to use cans for cooking. I need to use those recipes too.
April Decheine
We use canned veggies for most of our meals. We use fresh for our salads and appetizers.