Respect the Can

Autumn has arrived, and with it comes a season of hot soups, stews, and comfort foods. As a full-time graduate student with a hard-working (and hungry!) fiance, it's a daily challenge to cook up healthy meals quickly and on a budget. My strategy? Respect the can! Canned vegetables (and even meats) are a highly economical and healthful way to prepare homemade meals. There's no chopping, dicing, or even cleaning necessary on your part. Just open the can and presto! - perfectly ripe, prepared vegetables at your finger tips. Canned foods are also great for improvising and altering recipes on a whim and to your taste; in fact, I base most of my recipes on whatever I have in my cabinet (which I regularly stock with several versatile staples). Read on for biweekly posts of can-based recipes, and keep in mind: Anyone CanCan Cook!