Yes, cooking from scratch is almost always better. Good ingredients are the key to great results. But convenience has its place, even in the best kitchens. Here are 10 products we always have on hand. We've named names when the brand matters.
CANNED TOMATOES
In a blind taste test of five brands, the winner was Hunt's, with meaty tomatoes and plenty of flavor.
• Uses: Sauces, soups, stews -- give them MVP status.
One favorite trick: Roast them, to intensify flavor and break them down into sauce. Drain canned whole or diced tomatoes, put in a baking dish with olive oil and other seasonings you like (onion, garlic and/or basil), then roast at 300 degrees for two to three hours, until brown around the edges and falling apart.
HELLMANN'S MAYONNAISE
It's not just something you spread on a sandwich. This brand is consistently high-quality.
• Uses: Dress it up with puréed canned chipotle peppers or red pepper or tomato paste from a tube. Brush it on fish before broiling.
Or make garlic aioli: Mix 1 cup mayo with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 4 cloves grated garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt. (Watch out -- it gets stronger as it sits.)
GREY POUPON
The only thing handier than mayonnaise is Dijon mustard. There are plenty of good brands, but Poupon is still great quality for the price.
• Uses: Add a little to the vinegar when you make vinaigrette and the dressing will emulsify more readily.
Or try this easy mustard chicken: Brush Dijon on one side of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Press mustard side into fresh bread crumbs. Place crumb-side up in a baking pan and drizzle each breast with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and crumbs are golden brown.
FROZEN PEAS
Frozen is better -- fresh peas get starchy quickly. Feel the bag before you buy -- big clumps may mean the peas have thawed and refrozen.
• Uses: In pasta dishes or salads.
Or easy pea soup: Cook 2 to 3 cups frozen peas in 2 cups broth until heated. Add 1 tablespoon each balsamic vinegar and butter. Puree in a blender (work in batches, vent the lid and cover with a towel for safety). Add more broth if needed, or ½ cup cream. Serve hot, topped with prosciutto, or chilled topped with creme fraiche and fresh mint.
CANNED BEANS
Dried beans take hours to soak and cook. Canned beans are consistently good, and very healthful if you rinse them to reduce the sodium. Our favorites: Progresso chickpeas and cannellini and Goya black beans.
• Uses: Dips, salads, soups -- like this fast bean soup: Rinse and drain 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans. Working in batches, process beans with 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth, 1 cup chunky salsa and 1 teaspoon ground cumin. Transfer to a saucepan and heat until steaming. Ladle into four soup bowls; garnish with sour cream and sliced scallions, if desired. (Adapted from allrecipes.com.)
BOXED BROTHS
Too bad Swanson's 1-cup boxes disappeared, but the 16-ounce box still gets our vote as the best-tasting one on the shelf. And we love Kitchen Basics' small boxes in ham, turkey, clam and pork flavors.
• Uses: Soups and sauces. Cook rice in broth for a flavor boost. Use milk and broth to trim some fat from mashed potatoes.
CANNED RED ALASKAN SALMON
Milder and less fishy than tuna. Many brands are wild-caught, too -- check the label. Red, usually from sockeye, has better flavor than pink.
• Uses: Salmon salad or salmon chowder (with broth, milk, frozen hash browns and frozen corn).
Or salmon patties: Drain a 7.5-ounce can red salmon and mix with 1/3 cup saltine cracker crumbs. Sauté 2 tablespoons diced onion in a little olive oil and add to the salmon with a beaten egg and 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice. Form into 2 patties and fry about 4 minutes per side.
LEE KUM KEE HOISIN SAUCE
There are smaller bottles of other brands of this dark, sweet/spicy sauce in most supermarkets, but it's worth a trip to an Asian market for the big bottle of Lee Kum Kee ($2.50 for 16 ounces at Vin Anh Oriental Market, 372 NE 167th St., North Miami Beach; 305-948-8860).
• Uses: Brush on chicken or vegetables as a glaze before baking or grilling, mix with vegetable oil to make a stir-fry sauce, stir into steamed vegetables instead of butter, add a tablespoon to a vinaigrette for an Asian twist.
PILLSBURY
PIE CRUSTS
They're in the refrigerator case, but you can also freeze them. To improve them, dust a work surface with flour and roll the crusts out just a little thinner.
• Uses: Pies, both sweet and savory, such as quiches. Use round biscuit cutters to press out smaller circles to line tartlet pans. Or brush a cold brie with jam, wrap in pie crust (seams on the bottom) and bake.
If you really don't have time, make a rustic tart: Place crust on a baking sheet. Pile canned fruit filling (any flavor) in the center, leaving about a 2-inch border. Fold the edges up and over, leaving the center open. Bake at 350 degrees until crust is brown and fruit is bubbling.
NUTELLA
This chocolaty hazelnut spread is like a short-cut dessert in a jar.
• Uses: Roll it up in crepes. Combine with sliced bananas in a sandwich. Melt it in a microwave for fondue.
Or make chocolate ``croissants'': Open a tube of crescent roll dough. Spread each wedge with Nutella, roll up and bake 12 to 13 minutes at 350 degrees.
