Doing the can-can
There is comfort in knowing something is there when the option is a trip out and perhaps getting dressed head to toe for the cold or rain.
Food in a can offers the basis for a good meal, especially with some fresh or frozen vegetables added — always a good idea to bring up vitamin content.
It wasn’t as easy as I had hoped, to find a perfect meal in a can.
Lovely rich flavour with a subtle blend of ground and fresh coriander, red peppers and tomato is accented with cumin as the foremost taste. A good balance of 37% minced beef and 12% red kidney beans. Fair value for price. All tasters approved.
This will bring back memories of Turkish or Greek holidays with 10 nicely tender and tasty vine leaves enclosing cooked rice flavoured with olive oil, dill and mint. Ready to eat, they are delicious with a tomato salad. Made in Turkey. Not quite substantial enough for a meal, unless part of a mezze selection. Nice quality product. From wholefood shops.
With 22% chickpeas, the amount is adequate, along with 17% onion, 11% carrots, tomato puree, 6% green beans, 5% peas — a satisfying mix. The addition of plain yoghurt could help to smooth out harsh flavours. Good with rice or noodles. Meat or fish could be added for non-vegetarians. From wholefood/organic shops.
Big cubes of potato and carrot are added to 30% lamb which is lean and tasty.
Rich creamy gravy is quite satisfying. Not cheap.
Cheap and cheerful, the ravioli pasta is a bit limp, but holds the filling of broccoli, spinach, carrot and herbs well. However, there is little flavour in the filling. Not very satisfying, but makes an easy lunch in an emergency.
The picture on the can gives the impression there are carrots and broccoli here but as it says, it’ s 75% meat, 5% onions with gravy. It looked a bit like dog food, but the chunks of meat were quite pure, except for the occasional lump of fat before it was heated. The taste was meaty and the addition of fresh vegetables would make a meal in an emergency.
While there is just 3% cheddar cheese and 2% reduced fat cheese here, it’s quite enough to provide flavour. The texture of the sauce is creamy, the pasta a little flabby, but a pleasant enough product. Boiling pasta and grating cheese over it would be more satisfying.
37% haricot beans are like any other baked beans in a pleasant enough tomato sauce, but the 21% pork sausages are not satisfying, and so processed there is no recognisable flavour. The product is cheap, so for students needing a quick supper, serving it with decent brown bread, ideally with a few grated vegetables added in, could improve it.
