With ten books under his belt and a regular slot on BBC1’s Morning Live television kitchen, the chef and bestselling author Theo Michaels knows a thing or two about what busy home cooks need. Aside from an extra pair of hands and a self-emptying dishwasher, that is. “Tins — they’re cheap, great for bulking out meals and they are non-perishable so they help avoid food waste,” Michaels tells me.
Last month The Kitchen Cupboard Chef was published, Michaels’s guide on how to get the most out of your pantry, primarily the jars and tins you stash there. “Life often gets in the way and you can’t always make what you were planning to cook so if you have bought fresh ingredients, they’re going to go off,” he says. “This is when tins come into their own.”
There are two types of tinned food that are the heavy lifters in Michaels’s own pantry: chopped tomatoes and legumes. “I have a lot of beans,” he says. “The sheer convenience of not having to have foresight because you have these — you can just grab them on a whim and have a meal that is full of fibre and protein.”
Relying on these sorts of cans is also a great money saver. “Tinned lentils or grains pad out a meal,” Michaels says. “For example, if a family is making a midweek spag bol one thing I’d recommend is using a quarter of the recommended amount of minced meat and packing the rest of the bolognese out with a tin of lentils. You get all the flavour and the health benefits of the lentils and it’s really hearty.”
Jars and cans of posh £3.25 beans from Bold Bean Co and Perello have become fashionable foodie staples but Michaels is adamant that you don’t need to splurge on expensive cans. A supermarket own-brand tin for less than a quid is just as good. “The reality is that chickpeas don’t really taste of much,” he says.
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The difference often comes from the stock they are kept in and how they have been cooked. So how do you zhuzh up cheaper tins that might be missing that oomph? Let’s start with chopped tomatoes, he says. “A beautiful fresh tomato comes alive when you add a little bit of salt and a touch of acid. With canned tomatoes, they tend to be a bit acididic, so I’d always slow cook them for half an hour or an hour to reduce the acidity and bring out the sweetness.” He also adds a tiny pinch of baking soda, which he says “levels out the pH balance and reduces the acidity almost instantly. Alternatively you could add a little teaspoon of honey.”
What about beans? “What you find is that the textural difference is the most important,” he says. “Expensive chickpeas tend to be more voluminous. They’re a bit creamier and softer. Cheaper canned chickpeas tend to be a little bit harder.” So what’s his solution? “They benefit from a slightly slower cook to help them absorb more moisture. And remember, they’re just a supporting act to a whole bunch of other ingredients.” Hannah Evans
Here are Michaels’s top money and time-saving store cupboard recipes to whip up last minute.
Roasted red pepper and chickpea hummus
Makes about 500g
Ingredients
• 50g roasted red peppers from a jar or can
• 400g can chickpeas, drained (reserve a splash of the liquid)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ fresh red chilli (optional)
• ½ tsp salt
• A little crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Method
1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor (including a splash of chickpea liquid) and blitz until you have a smooth paste. Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice if preferred.
2. Transfer to a serving bowl. If you wish, sprinkle a little crumbled feta over the top. You can also add any soft green herbs you like to the food processor as another option — fresh basil works very well with the red pepper.
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Charred cannellini bean salad
Serves 2 as a main; 4 as a side
Ingredients
• 2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 125ml extra virgin olive oil
• A knob of butter
• Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon
• A few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Pat the drained and rinsed cannellini beans dry with paper towels.
2. Heat a heavy-based frying pan until almost smoking, then pour in half the olive oil and the butter. Once the butter has stopped foaming, carefully toss in the cannellini beans and give the pan a little shake to level them out; you may have to do this in batches if they don’t fit in one layer.
3. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, scatter the rosemary over the top and do not move the beans. Just leave the beans over a high heat for 2 min, without moving or stirring them. Once you notice they are charring or after the 2 min are up, tip the beans onto a flat plate or baking sheet and leave to cool.
4. Whisk together the remaining olive oil, the garlic, lemon juice and chopped parsley (if using) and drizzle this dressing over the cooled cannellini beans just before serving.
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Chana saag paneer
Serves 2 as a main; 4 as a side
Ingredients
• 380g can leaf spinach
• 250g pack paneer cheese (or halloumi will work too)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• A splash of olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 onions, diced
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 dried whole red chillies (or a pinch of chilli flakes)
• 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ x 400g can coconut milk
To serve
• Lime wedges, for squeezing
• Boiled rice or naan bread
• Mango chutney (optional)
Method
1. Pour the can of spinach into a sieve and use the back of a spoon to push down on the spinach, extracting as much liquid as possible. Leave this sitting in the sieve over a bowl while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Cut the paneer cheese into 2.5-cm cubes and dust with half the ground cumin. Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan over a high heat, add the paneer and fry for just a couple of minutes until golden, then remove from the pan.
3. Add a splash more oil to the pan along with the cumin and fennel seeds and sweat the diced onions for about 6 min until caramelised and golden. Add the remaining spices, ginger, garlic and chillies and cook for 30 seconds, then add the drained chickpeas and tomato puree.
4. Tip in the spinach with the salt and stir to incorporate it with the rest of the ingredients. Fold in half a can of coconut milk, warm through until it bubbles, stirring frequently, then remove from the heat.
5. Serve in bowls with a wedge of lime, some boiled rice or a chunk of ripped naan and a swirl of the remaining coconut milk over the top.
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Mediterranean stew with chorizo
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 30ml olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 100g cooking chorizo, sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 400g can borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 x 400g cans ratatouille
• A pinch of chilli flakes
• A few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• Crusty bread, to serve
Method
1. Fry the onion in the olive oil in a large pan over a very high heat for 30 seconds — just long enough to char slightly. Turn the heat down, add the garlic and chorizo and leave to cook for a minute until the chorizo starts to release its oils, then add the tomato puree and cook for another minute.
2. Now add all the remaining ingredients except the parsley. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to low, season generously with salt and pepper and leave to cook for 5 min.
3. Finish with the chopped parsley scattered over the top and a decent drizzle of olive oil, and serve with chunks of crusty bread.
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Balsamic cherry tarte tatin
Serves 8
Ingredients
• 425g can cherries in syrup
• 50g caster sugar
• 50g butter
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 200g ready-made puff pastry
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve
Equipment
A 28cm ovenproof frying pan
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan/gas 7. Drain the cherries in a sieve set over a bowl, then pour the syrup (about 500ml) into the ovenproof frying pan. Reduce the syrup over a gentle heat for about 8 min until thick, but keep a close eye on it to avoid burning. Remove from the heat, then stir in the sugar and butter.
2. Split the vanilla pod, scraping the seeds into the pan and dropping the pod in as well, then return to the heat and simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel pulls away from the edges and leaves gaps in the pan for a second when stirring (about another 3 min of cooking).
3. Once the cherry caramel looks like a loose jam, turn off the heat and fold in the cherries and balsamic vinegar. Roll out the pastry 2.5cm wider than your pan and lay over the top, tucking the edges into the pan. Poke a few holes in the top to help release the steam while cooking.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 min or until the pastry has puffed up and turned golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 min before running a knife around the edge to detach the pastry from the sides of the pan.
5. Invert a plate over the top and in one swift movement, holding the plate in place, flip the whole thing over and carefully shuffle the pan from the top, revealing the tarte tatin. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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Spicy harissa falafel
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp ground cumin, plus a pinch to garnish
• 1½ tbsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
• A small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley (stalks and leaves)
• A small bunch of fresh coriander (stalks and leaves), plus a few sprigs to garnish
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 65g plain flour
• 30ml harissa paste, plus 1 tsp to garnish
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying
To serve
• 250g Greek yoghurt
• A pinch of nigella seeds
Method
1. Place half the chickpeas and all the onion, garlic, cumin, coriander seeds, fresh parsley and coriander, baking powder, salt, flour and harissa paste in a food processor. Blend until just fully incorporated (be careful not to over-blend to a puree). Once fully incorporated, add the remaining chickpeas and pulse until broken down but still quite coarse (this gives your falafel texture).
2. Roll the mixture into falafel the size of ping-pong balls, then flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan; test whether it is hot enough by dropping a pinch of breadcrumbs into it — they should sizzle immediately but take at least 30 seconds before they turn golden. Deep-fry the falafel in the hot oil for 2-4 min until the exterior is crisp (you might need to do this in batches). Remove the cooked falafel using a slotted spoon and leave to drain on paper towels.
4. Pour the Greek yoghurt onto a large serving dish and swirl through a couple of ribbons of harissa paste. Pile the falafel over one side of the yoghurt, then dust with a pinch of cumin, nigella seeds and a few torn sprigs of coriander.
The Kitchen Cupboard Chef by Theo Michaels, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£14.99). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
The food editor’s favourite tins
By Tony Turnbull
Perello Lechoso chickpeas
400g, £2.25, brindisa.com
Large, creamy and slightly nutty, these are dense enough to hold their own in a casserole but soft and fudgy enough for a salad.
Mutti finely chopped tomatoes
400g, £1.60, available in all major supermarkets
My favourite among the top brands. Full-bodied and flavoursome, they reduce to make a rich sauce. My pick of supermarket brands is Marks & Spencer, which are almost as good and half the price.
Mr Organic cannellini beans
400g, £1.65, ocado.com
Cannellini beans have a higher starch content than other beans, so are often just mush in a can, but these are Goldilocks approved — not too soft, not too hard. That said, I tend to puree them with garlic and olive oil, so I guess the texture doesn’t matter so much.
Dining and Cooking