This Morning chef Phil Vickery shows how to beat the cost of living crisis – and all you need are cans in your cupboard

COST of living starting to bite? You CAN make more for less – and put those worries on ice. TV chef Phil Vickery says it’s easy to make a nutritious, filling meal from staples you have probably got tucked away in the cupboard or freezer. His latest book, The Canny Cook, is full of recipes created […]

COST of living starting to bite? You CAN make more for less – and put those worries on ice.

TV chef Phil Vickery says it’s easy to make a nutritious, filling meal from staples you have probably got tucked away in the cupboard or freezer.

Rex

Phil’s latest book, The Canny Cook, is full of recipes created to show you how to spend and waste less[/caption]

His latest book, The Canny Cook, is full of recipes created to show you how to spend and waste less. The recipes are also fuss-free and bursting with flavour.

Phil says: “For many years now I have been happy to use frozen and canned products, as the quality is hard to beat.

“I have been criticised by fellow chefs for ‘deskilling’ the industry but my view is quite simple: If the flavour and texture is just as good and it’s cheaper, why wouldn’t you use canned or frozen?”

Here, Natasha Harding chooses six family treats from the book.

Tomato, rigatoni and mozzarella pasta cake

Serves 4-6

THIS dish is a bit of a showstopper, particularly when you cut into it.

You can also make it using a bolognese sauce: Swap the lentils for 350g beef mince and remove one can of tomatoes.

Kate Whitaker

This dish is a bit of a showstopper, particularly when you cut into it[/caption]

I have also cooked this using larger cannelloni pasta and filling them with a mix of frozen spinach and ricotta cheese.

PREP: 15 minutes.

COOKING: 45-50 minutes.

YOU NEED:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped
• 2 small celery sticks, very finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, very finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Pinch of dried oregano
• 2-3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 2 × 400g cans chopped tomatoes in juice
• 400g can green lentils
• 10g vegetable stock cube, crumbled
• 250g buffalo mozzarella, shredded
• 600g rigatoni pasta, blanched for 2 minutes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Handful of fresh basil and parsley, torn, to serve

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Line and lightly oil a 25cm×8cm-deep, loose-based cake tin. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and oregano and cook for three minutes to soften.

Add the flour to soak up the juices and mix really well. Add the tomato puree, canned tomatoes, lentils, salt and pepper, then cook over a low heat for a few minutes.

Finally, add the stock cube and 300ml of water and bring to a very gentle simmer, then cook for 20 minutes until nice and thick.

Spoon half the tomato sauce and half the cheese into the bottom of the prepared cake tin.

Carefully arrange the rigatoni, tightly packed together standing on their ends, in the tin.

Spoon over the rest of the sauce and sprinkle over the rest of the cheese.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked and golden, then remove and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle over the fresh basil and parsley.

Remove the tin, slice and serve

Mixed fish bake with waffle topping

Serves 4

ANOTHER great example of how a familiar frozen product can be used to make a simple meal with real flavour.

Kate Whitaker

A great example of how a familiar frozen product can be used to make a simple meal with real flavour[/caption]

I came up with the topping when my kids were little and I’d forgotten to buy potatoes for their fish pie.

I looked in the freezer and hey presto! Frozen hash browns also work really well as topping.

PREP: 15 minutes

COOKING: 50-55 minutes

YOU NEED:

• 1kg frozen mixed seafood
• 150g frozen green beans
• 150g frozen peas
• 2 tbsp frozen chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp frozen chopped tarragon
• 700ml milk
• 200g frozen chopped onions
• 10g fish stock cube, crumbled
• 65g plain four
• 75g salted butter, well softened
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)
• 10 frozen potato waffles, defrosted and cut into squares
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Tomato ketchup or mayonnaise, to serve (optional)

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

Place the frozen seafood, beans, peas and herbs into a large bowl and set aside.

Place the milk, onions, stock cube, salt and pepper into a thick-based saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for five minutes to soften the onions.

In another bowl, mix the flour, butter and fish sauce, if using, to a smooth paste.

Whisk in the milk and onion mix – the sauce will quickly thicken.

Pour over the frozen seafood and mix really well, then spoon into a deep baking dish (ideally deep enough for the mix to fill three quarters of the way up).

Place the waffle squares on top in a diagonal pattern, then pop into the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes or until the centre of the pie is piping hot.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 20 minutes.

Serve with a dash of tomato ketchup or a spoon of mayo.

Squidgy creme egg brownie

Serves 4-6

THIS is a great recipe for all the family that is really easy to make.

All the ingredients except the fresh orange zest are from the store cupboard. Just remember to chill the brownie or it will be too soft to cut.

Kate Whitaker

Melt the golden syrup, butter, sugar and chocolate together in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water[/caption]

PREP: 20 minutes plus chilling.

COOKING: 40-45 minutes.

YOU NEED:

• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 110g salted butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 150g bitter chocolate
• 75g plain flour, sifted
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
• 4 Creme Eggs, halved
• Vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Line a 20cm square baking tray with greaseproof paper, or oil well.

Melt the golden syrup, butter, sugar and chocolate together in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

Remove the bowl from the pan, then stir in the flour, eggs and orange zest. Mix well but do not overmix or the finished brownie will be chewy.

Pour into the prepared tray, then carefully place the eight Creme Egg halves into the top of the mix, pressing down slightly.

Pop into the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before cutting.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, if you like.

Tomato soup, ham and cheese quiche

Serves 6-8

USING canned soup sounds a bit strange – but trust me, it does work. It gives the quiche a lovely, deep and sweet tomato flavour.

It takes a little longer to set than many quiches (as you have to cook it slightly slower), but the texture once cooked is far softer and lighter.

Kate Whitaker

It takes a little longer to set than many quiches (as you have to cook it slightly slower), but the texture once cooked is far softer and lighter[/caption]

PREP: 20 minutes.

COOKING: 35-40 minutes.

YOU NEED:

• 500g frozen shortcrust pastry, defrosted, lined in a 24cm × 4cm-deep flan tin, then blind baked (see below)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons of any oil
• 3 onions, very finely chopped
• 300g wafer thin cooked ham, cut into small pieces
• 275g Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 medium eggs
• 2 medium egg yolks
• 300ml milk, boiled and cooled for 10 minutes
• 400g can tomato soup, warmed
• 1-2 pinches of ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

Brush the pastry case with the beaten egg and place in the oven for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat.

Add the onions and cook for ten minutes.

Spread the onions over the base of the pastry case, then top with the ham and cheese. In a bowl, beat together the eggs and egg yolks, then add the milk and tomato soup. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Pour half over the cheese, ham and onions.

Place the quiche on a baking tray, then place in the oven. Now pour in the remaining egg mix – this way you avoid spillage.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Leave to slightly cool before cutting.

BLIND BAKING: Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

Roll out the pastry nice and thin, then use to line a 36x3cm-deep, rectangular, loose-based flan tin.

Make sure you have a nice high lip above the edge of the tin.

Dock with a fork, then chill well and line with greaseproof paper and baking beans.

Bake the flan for 15 minutes until the pastry is just set but with not too much colour. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the beans using a dessert spoon so you don’t damage the pastry.

Brush with the beaten egg white and return to the oven for five minutes to set and seal the pastry well.

Corned beef hash

Serves 2

ONE of my favourite go-to, quick meals – it hits all the spots! If you prefer, you can use canned new potatoes instead of frozen roasties. They work equally well.

This is particularly good served with a fried egg and pickled red cabbage.

Kate Whitaker

This is particularly good served with a fried egg and pickled red cabbage[/caption]

PREP: 10 minutes.

COOKING: 35 minutes.

YOU NEED:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 250g frozen chopped onions
• 450g frozen roasted potatoes, roughly chopped
• 10g beef stock cube, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 340g can corned beef, cut into 2cm chunks
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• To serve (optional):
• Fried eggs
• Pickled red cabbage

METHOD: Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan with a lid over a medium heat.

Add the onions and cook for ten minutes until lightly coloured. If you’ve taken the onions straight from the freezer, you will need to cook them for longer to evaporate any water as they defrost.

Don’t worry, just increase the heat to high and leave them for a few minutes until they start to brown.

Add the potatoes and cook over a high heat, stirring everything together, for ten minutes.

Add 100ml cold water, the stock cube, the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and cook – stirring occasionally – for a few minutes until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.

Add the corned beef, then stir well. Reduce the heat to low, cover and then leave for ten minutes to just warm through.

Serve with a fried egg and pickled cabbage, if they take your fancy. Delicious!

Frozen blueberry tart

Serves 6-8

IF you want this tart to have a deep colour and flavour, it’s essential to use frozen blueberries – you don’t get the same result from pureed fresh ­berries.

Blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrants are also far nicer when defrosted from frozen, not only in colour but also flavour. When defrosting, the cells of the fruit break down and you get a superb, dark-coloured juice.

Kate Whitaker

If you want this tart to have a deep colour and flavour, it’s essential to use frozen blueberries[/caption]

So here is a light flan that looks stunning once cooked.

PREP: 30 minutes plus chilling.

COOKING: 35-40 minutes.

YOU NEED:

• 300ml single cream
• 600g frozen blueberries, defrosted
• 312g jar lemon curd
• 75g caster sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon cornflour
• 500g frozen shortcrust pastry, defrosted, lined in a 24cmx4cm-deep flan tin, then blind baked (see below) and sealed with egg wash
• Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. In a pan, heat the cream until just boiling, then remove from the heat.

Place 350g of the defrosted blueberries, half the lemon curd and the caster sugar into a blender and blitz until smooth.

Pour into a bowl.

Place the egg yolks, whole egg and cornflour in a bowl and just combine.

Add the warm cream and bring just together. Carefully pour into the cooked pastry case and bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until just set. Remove and chill well in the fridge for two hours or, for best results, overnight.

When ready to serve, mix the rest of the blueberries with the rest of the jar of lemon curd and the lemon zest.

Spoon over the tart, then cut and serve.