Yikes! There's No Food!

What happens when you thought you had ingredients and you don't? Improvise . Combine this with tat. Add a pinch of what you have and voila - a new  and tasty dish. Necessity is the mother of invention. So is a fridge and pantry full of canned and dry goods.

Every kitchen should have beans.These can be the base for a main dish when there are no other major ingredients such as meat.  These are full of protein and can be mashed into burgers along with veggies and spices to create a satisfying dinner.Don't worry if there are no buns. Toast works perfectly.Beans with tomato sauce and paste make an excellent pasta sauce.Thnik about any kind of bean in a salad too.Also if you've planned on making meringue, remember that chickpea water is the base for aquafaba,It can be whipped up to make elegant macarons or the crown for lemon meringue or Key lime pie. Remember too, that another source of protein, the egg,can be versatile and made into a variety of easy dishes. Combine them with broth to make a type of stratticella or panpiest, especially if you add breadcrumbs. Don't have those  - take stale bread and pop into your food processor. Pulse and you'll have enough for breading too.

Canned food, that kitchen classic , is always welcome.Always buy two or three of one product. You'll never know when you 'll need them.A favorite is Swanson's Chicken Ala King. This has been around sine the Fifties and it makes for a quick and tasty meal.Serve it on toast or even toasted English muffins. It can even be served on top of plain white rice or egg noodles to stretch it out. Tuna too, can prove to be versatile. Use it as the main ingredient for a delicious salad Nicoise or  layer it with  tomatoes on any kind of bread for a Provencale vibe.You forgot to buy meat for your tomato sauce. No problem .Use tuna to give it body.Canned or packaged soup can not only be used for soup, but also for a quick sauce or  flavornig, not only for sour cream but also for Greek yogurt .Keep tins of other seafood too, such as anchovies, sardines and salmon. Another canned must have is chili. It can be good on it's own but also over nachos and hot dogs. Have several cans of the beef, turkey and veggie for those just in case moments.

Don't fret if you don;t have any ingredients for dinner. Improvise with what you have. Be creative. You'll be surprised at what you can make.