Another month begins, with it a new week and with it another succession of lunches and dinners that must be prepared to feed ourselves from Monday to Friday, while we work, study or take care of people and homes (sometimes, all of the above together). Don't panic: the new "make it easy" section is here exactly for that: to help you optimize resources, have formulas, ingredients or techniques on hand that will help us eat well without spending our salary or energy on it.
After the recipes that taste like pasta - but are not pasta - with which we debuted in March, we continue with 11 proposals for cooking with the preserves we have in the pantry. We're not talking about opening a can or a jar and sticking your fork in; but to accompany its contents with vegetables to make salads or quick creams, prepare spreads that we can use as such and as a sauce, or stews in which we benefit in different ways from the work that the canneries have done in advance.
In addition to recipes, each month we will give an “even easier” list to cook once and eat several, buy frozen or canned foods that are part of the different recipes that we are going to propose. There will also be ideas to accompany and complete them, as well as some pantry stock suggestions that require little cooking time for those moments when speed makes the difference. All recipes are for four people, unless otherwise noted (you'll eventually find good reasons to double some and freeze them or give them other culinary uses).
Herbed Corn Salad (and whatever's in the fridge)
A can of natural corn is a great base on which to make a salad with whatever we have in the refrigerator; less if you have a beer and half a lemon, in that case it's time to go shopping. The one in the photo has sweet onion, fennel and its leaves, avocado, mushrooms, carrots, olives and a vinaigrette based on lemon, salt, pepper and a handful of parsley and mint leaves. Any lettuce, escarole or endive, tomatoes, cooked beet, apple, sliced cabbage or grated broccoli will work well; and if you prefer vinegar to lemon - or you don't like acidity - you can modify the vinaigrette to your liking. If you don't have herbs, you can make it anyway, but using them as an ingredient - and not just as a dressing - is a good way to get rid of that bunch before it goes bad (later on there are other ideas for cooking with them).
Sardine butter, lemon and roasted garlic
You can use them in many dishes or eat them with breadMònica Escudero
Mix 125 grams of creamed butter, a can of drained sardines in oil, a little roasted garlic - if you haven't remembered to put one in the oven the last time you turned it on you can always do it in the pan in a quick version -, lemon zest and juice to taste, salt and pepper. Mix everything well and, if you are going to drink it at room temperature, let it sit for a while so that the flavors mix. You can put it on toast with a couple of poached eggs, mix it with cooked pasta or rice or flavor stews, grilled meats or steamed fish.
Chickpea, cabbage and carrot pancakes with yogurt sauce
Start by grating three carrots, ¼ of cabbage - about 300 grams - and one onion and put them over a strainer to release the water (especially the onion). Mash with a fork or mash a large jar of chickpeas - about 800 grams without draining - in a large bowl, with a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid and spices to taste, until you get a dough with chickpea pieces. , and even whole chickpeas, but compactable. Add the drained vegetables to the bowl, knead and taste to adjust the seasoning. Let the dough rest for a while while you prepare the sauce: mix a couple of Greek yogurts - or unsweetened vegetables - with a little minced or grated garlic, lemon juice or zest, salt and any fresh or dried herbs that you fancy and have. by hand (if they are dry, you can prepare the sauce first so that they are hydrated). All that's left is to make pancakes with the dough, they can be small falafel type or larger, and brown them on both sides in a frying pan with a little oil. Serve with the sauce and that's it.
Murcian salad, moje or mojete
Chives and Murcian saladMÒNICA ESCUDERO
A good whole peeled canned tomato is not only useful for preparing sauce: it can also become the star of a salad such as moje or mojete Murcia. We have a recipe with tuna and another with cod, but the base is the same; the tomatoes in question, chives, olives, hard-boiled egg, a little vinegar and a good amount of virgin olive oil to make little boats with a good loaf of bread in the juice left at the bottom.
Piquillo pepper and walnut pâté
Inspired by the Syrian muhammara, but in a wagon version because you don't have to roast peppers (or toast bread). Crush two large jars of piquillo peppers - about 400 grams - with 150 grams of peeled walnuts, a clove of garlic - or to taste -, a teaspoon of cumin, salt, chili, a splash of virgin olive oil and juice and/or or lemon zest. Taste, adjust and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour so that the flavors settle: keep in mind that the potency of the dressings will increase in this process (more so if left overnight). Serve with vegetable sticks, toasted bread, regañás, on some lettuce heads or grilled zucchini.
Lentils with mussels in scallop sauce
A version of this recipe in which you skip the sautéed garlic and onion and use some canned mussels that are already available and sold in any supermarket. Put 800 grams of cooked lentils with their cooking liquid and the sauce from two cans of long mussels, which weigh about 125 grams, in a saucepan (reserve the meat). If you see it necessary, add a splash of water, and let everything boil gently for three to five minutes. Remove from the heat, serve and put the mussels on top, top off if you want with some piparras and a little of the vinegar and eat.
Cream of concentrated tomato, beans and basil
Peel, chop into large pieces and place two yellow onions (the most common) in a saucepan with a splash of oil. Let them take color for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, separate and drain two tablespoons of beans from a large jar, with a gross weight of about 700 grams. When the onion has color, add 100 grams of tomato concentrate and stir a few times. Add the remaining beans with their cooking liquid, 200 milliliters of water or broth and 400 milliliters of unsweetened milk or vegetable drink. Bring to a boil over low heat for about five minutes. Remove from the heat, add some basil leaves, blend and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the reserved beans, a little more chopped basil, a splash of oil and pepper and enjoy hot or at any time (if you want to serve it cold, I recommend thinning it with a little more liquid).
White asparagus with pickle vinaigrette
There is life beyond mayonnaiseMònica Escudero
A can or jar of good asparagus doesn't need much to become part of a meal; But if when you have them the first thing that comes to mind as a dressing is mayonnaise, here is another good option. For about 600 grams of asparagus, prepare a vinaigrette with four tablespoons of oil, two chopped hard-boiled eggs - the texture of the yolk in the photo is achieved by passing it through a fine mesh strainer - and pickles to taste. I used pickles and olives, and I added a couple of tablespoons of sweet onion also finely chopped: for me the pickles already provide enough vinegar, but if you want to add more, go ahead. Season with salt, pepper, paprika or, if you want, a little chili and it's ready to eat.
Vegetable and legume curry
Another perfect recipe to use up whatever you have in the fridge, which is prepared very quickly with a rich sauce based on coconut milk and the aromatic touch of curry. Start by peeling and cutting an onion into large pieces; Put it in a saucepan with mild oil and prepare the other vegetables (a total of 800 grams for about six servings). Almost all of them are welcome: pumpkin, eggplant, leek, carrot, pepper, cabbage or cauliflower or zucchini (if you are going to use several, add them in this order so that those that require more cooking are done, and you can also add others such as thawed peas or spinach directly, a few minutes before finishing cooking). When they have a little color, lower the heat and add the curry so that their aromas awaken; you can use the paste version, powdered version, Indian version, Thai version or whatever you have; The idea is to make things easy for ourselves and use what we have on hand. Add a 400 milliliter can of coconut milk - regular, unsweetened - and half the same can of vegetable broth or water with a little miso, soy sauce or good quality concentrated broth. Let everything boil for about five minutes, uncovered and over medium heat, and add another 800 grams of cooked legumes. Let everything boil for another three to five minutes and that's it. You can add chicken, shrimp, tofu or fish, and eat it as is or with a base of brown rice, couscous or similar. Some chopped peanuts and a little lime will give it a delicious contrast, and if you have cilantro, mint, parsley, carrot leaves or chive stems, don't hesitate to add them.
Eggs stuffed with tuna, bonito or melva
Stuffed eggs for all tastesANA VEGA 'BISCAYENNE'
Easy, great, and so obvious that sometimes we forget they exist (and everything we can turn them into). Eight eggs - two per person - cooked for ten minutes and cooled, about 200 grams of drained tuna, melva or bonito and a little homemade or purchased mayonnaise, crushed or crushed avocado, dense yogurt or
quark
cheese will provide the base. From here, you can add pickles or olives, some spicy sauce, parsley, chives and diced tomato or chopped anchovies to the filling. If you don't want to use any additives, cook the egg for seven or eight minutes so that the yolk is a little liquid - without destroying it when peeling it - and it will serve as an amalgamator. Put them on top of a salad with a cereal or legume base and green leaves and you will have a very useful unique dish.
Thistle, borage or chard stalks with almonds
Rich and without getting soakedMiriam García Martínez
Although it is normally made with thistle and is typical for Christmas, there are many reasons to adapt this express stew to other ingredients or times of the year. Starting with a dull vegetable, you will have it ready in a few minutes, and it is delicious. Follow this recipe by my colleague Miriam García from point three, with thistle, borage or natural chard stalks - they usually have salt, taste before adding more - as the protagonists (as the cooking broth for the sauce, use the one from the same preserved). You can do it perfectly without ham if you don't eat it, or change it with cured meat, bacon, bacon or cured jowl.
Potato salad with spinach, artichokes, semi-dried tomato in oil and anchovies
To start, peel and chop four medium-sized potatoes, and cook them for about 15 minutes in a saucepan with water with a little salt (or microwave them for seven or eight minutes, as we tell you here). Meanwhile, drain a can or jar - about 200 grams net weight - of artichokes well and cut them into quarters. Cut into strips or chop about 12-16 semi-dried tomato halves and mix with the artichokes and about five tablespoons of their dressing if they are in olive oil (if it is sunflower, recover the herbs with a spoon or a fine strainer and add oil made of olives). If you want to give it a touch of acidity, add a little of your favorite vinegar, and adjust the salt; For both things, it is better to try it first since both the artichokes and the tomato contribute their own. Mix with the well-drained but still a little hot potatoes, so that the dressing penetrates well. When they are at room temperature, add 150 grams of small spinach leaves, stir well, add a little more oil if necessary and serve with some anchovies on top.
Even easier
The tomato cream and the vegetable and legume curry hold up perfectly to freezing: prepare twice as much and store them with the date marked (masking tape is perfect for marking containers and other surfaces that we do not want to stain with a permanent marker). If you have leftover basil, you can also put it in the freezer; mixed with oil it will better preserve its color and texture.
Make double the piquillo pepper and walnut pâté and turn the second half into a pasta sauce or vinaigrette to have with a brown rice salad or steamed vegetables. For the first thing, add a little oil and butter with cooking water until you get a creamy texture; For the second, also extend it with oil and lemon juice or vinegar.
Every time you cook eggs for a recipe, add a few more (or while you're messing around in the kitchen, cooking something else). They are one of the healthiest and most versatile preparations that you can have on hand: in addition to filling them as we propose today, you can use them in salads, vegetable creams, sandwiches or toast, or mash them with fresh cheese, lemon and aromatics or spices to make a dip. You just have to cook them for 10 minutes, stop the cooking with cold water, store them in the refrigerator and if you are going to eat them at room temperature, take them out for a while before eating them so that they cool down. If you forget, put them in hot water for a few minutes and it will be solved.
If you like to cook with fresh herbs, the next time you go to buy a handful of basil, mint or thyme, think about buying a plant instead: no matter how little art you have, they are sure to last longer (unless you need a lot amount). If the pot bursts and dies very quickly, try separating it into several pots next time and you will see how, having more space and more soil, they grow.
“Butters with things” also serve to extend the useful life of the ingredients you put in them (thanks to the preservative power of fats). Here are ten ideas to get you into the world of modified butters, and a lot of suggestions for use.
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