Budget Pantry Meals On Global’s The Morning Show

Heading into the winter months means leaning into home cooking and comfort meals so it’s important to use your pantry items to make your dishes more robust. This segment shares ways to incorporate three hardworking, traditional pantry staples into delicious dishes instead of just using them as sides. And, yes, I consider your freezer as part of your pantry so I’m looking at you frozen peas.

Chipotle Black Bean Patties

Black beans are rich in fibre and a great meat substitute making these patties a saving grace of your dinner table. With chipotle peppers in adobo sauce added right into the easy mix, you get a healthy burger packed with flavour. As a make ahead dish, they win the gold since they keep in the refrigerator or freezer for easy dishes like between layers of cheese for a patty melt, over a salad, snuggled into a grain bowl or as a simple side. They're also budget friendly and a snap to put together.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 1 tsp salt divided
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 15 oz. cans of black beans rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 3 chipotle pepper in adobe sauced canned, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Method

 

1. In a large frying pan or cast iron skillet, heat the oil. Add the onions and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 1 to  2 minutes, until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat.
2. In a large bowl, dry the beans with a paper towel and then mash with a potato masher until beans are smashed but with some large pieces. Add the cooked onion and garlic mixture, flour, egg, chipotle peppers, cumin, remaining salt and cinnamon and stir well to combine. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until ready to fry.
3. Using the same pan (give it a wipe with a paper towel), add 1/3 cup scoop of the burger mix to the pan. Don’t over crowd the pan so work in batches. Flatten scoop with a spatula. Cook for 4 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Carefully flip each burger and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes
4. Transfer burgers to a plate. Serve with your favourite buns and fixings. You can also use these patties for salads, patty melts, grain bowls and as a simple side dish.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

This simple but hearty soup featuring wild rice and sweet potato makes a great make ahead meal. Its true super power is that it leans on easy pantry staples that deliver a flavourful dish. On a chilly day, the warmth of the curry and the creaminess of the coconut milk make this an ideal bowl of goodness to come home to at the end of a day.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 6 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 1 cup uncooked 100 % wild rice
• 1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed
• 1 400 ml can of coconut milk
• 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
• Salt and pepper

Method

 

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add onion and pinch of salt. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Add the curry powder and stir.
2. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice and sweet potato. Stir to combine. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for  30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the coconut milk and spinach to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Sausage and Pea Pasta

An ideal weeknight and budget supper, this pasta dish uses Italian sausage and frozen peas to round out an easy but flavourful sauce. A handful of delicious ingredient make this dish a star to any supper. Like my mother always said, "if you keep it simple, you keep it delicious." And, as you know, a mother is always right.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 2 mild Italian sausage removed from their casing
• 400 g fusilli pasta
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup shaved parmesan
• Fresh basil for serving

Method

 

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring constantly, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute until fragrant.
2. Remove sausage meat from casing and add to Dutch oven. Break into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is brown, about 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and heat over high. Toss in a handful of salt and bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. In the last minute of cooking time, add your peas.
4. Using a heatproof measuring cup, scoop up about 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add the cream to the measuring cup with the pasta liquid.
5. Add warmed cream to Dutch oven and stir constantly until cream cooks down a bit and a sauce forms. Remove from heat.
6. Drain fusilli and peas and pour into skillet and mix to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle in cheese and stir.
7. Serve with fresh basil.