No time for shopping today? No problem. Take this basic recipe and mix it up with whatever food is lurking in your cupboard:

Heat a 12 inch non-stick frying pan and add a little bit of canola oil. Stir in some ground chicken. When it’s fully cooked, add a drained and rinsed can of kidney beans, a can of tomato sauce, a cup of frozen corn kernels and whatever seasonings you like. Try a teaspoon of garlic powder and a teaspoon of chilli powder for a Mexico-inspired flavour. Bring it all to a boil and cook for about five minutes. Before serving, you can sprinkle some non-fat grated mozzarella over the top and let it sit until the cheese melts. You probably won’t have to call the kids for dinner because the savoury smell will already have attracted them to the kitchen.

The beauty of this basic recipe is you can easily change it up. If you don’t want to use frozen corn, try some frozen carrot coins or even frozen green beans. Tired of kidney beans? Then experiment with garbanzo, romano or any other type of canned beans. You can easily swap out the mozzarella for cheddar, Monterey Jack, or if your family is adventurous, some jalepeño havarti.

These are all essentially variations on a chilli, but it’s so easy to switch it up depending on what’s in your cupboard - and there’s no need for a special shopping trip! As a nutritionist, I really like that you can sneak in more veggies! Don’t be afraid to try something new as the flavours of garlic and tomato can help disguise the taste of most veggies, even when they’re not your family’s favourite.

Until next time, keep well,

Judy Foodie (Judy Scott Welden)