7 chefs create food pantry friendly recipes

A handful of local chefs have taken on a new challenge: creating dinner ideas for the families of The Cabbage Patch Settlement House using items available in the food pantry.

The Cabbage Patch is a community center that provides recreation and youth development, education, and family services, mainly to children aged 8-18 years old and their families. Their food pantry, which is stocked entirely by donations, is available to parents of children who are active in their program, said Jesse Hendrix-Inman, public relations and grants manager.

Seven chefs - Edward Lee, Patrick Roney, Dallas McGarity, Anthony Lamas, Meghan Levins, Anoosh Shariat and Shawn Ward - have come up with six quick, easy recipes that parents and children who rely on the food pantry can use to make the most of their groceries.

“These are very hard working, single parents dedicated to making sure their children have the best possible family life. The holiday season and winter is the most difficult time for them to make ends meet,” Hendrix-Inman said.

“They have high utility bills, and while most people think of Christmas as time of celebration, for parents who are on the lower income scale, it's more like a financial burden. The food pantry helps with meals, so it's one less thing that they have to worry about.”

A challenge is that often in the food pantry, “there's such a random assortment of items,” Hendrix-Inman said.

She hopes readers will donate the ingredients in the chefs' creations, “so when our clients come in they don't have to sort through a random can of this and that but we can show them the recipe, and have the ingredients available to them. They're busy parents, they can take [them] home and have it ready to go.”

Donate any of the items in the following recipes Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the center's administrative offices, 1413 S. 6th St., or until 8:30 p.m. at the program center next door at 1417 S. 6th St.

The full list of items needed is available online at http://cabbagepatch.org/programs-and-services/counseling-and-family-services/, or financial donations can be made at http://cabbagepatch.org/how-you-can-help/give/. More information: (502) 634-0811.

Tell Dana! Send your restaurant “Dish” to Dana McMahan at thecjdish@gmail.com and follow @danamac on Twitter.

Anthony Lamas, Seviche | Pork and Beans "Dirty Rice" 

• 1 can of pinto beans
• 1 can pork and beans (or canned ham)
• 3 cups of cooked white rice, according to directions on package
• 1 T olive oil (or any oil) 
• 1 T salt or seasoned salt, garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Heat a large sauté pan and add oil. When pan is smoking hot, move off the burner and then add pork and beans and immediately add back to heat, to sear and create some char, color, and flavor. Continue cooking for one minute. Add pinto beans and rice and cook until the mixture is hot completely through. Add canned carrots at the very end to keep some texture.

Optional: add canned peas and green beans.

Edward Lee, 610 Magnolia | Crunchy Mac N Cheese

• 1 box macaroni and cheese
• 1 can of cauliflower
• 1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• peanuts
• butter

Make mac’n’cheese according to the package. In a separate pan, cook chopped cauliflower with canned chickpeas in butter until tender and caramelized. If the pan gets too dry, keep adding a little water so the pan doesn’t burn. Fold the cauliflower and chickpeas into the mac’n’cheese. Top with chopped peanuts. Serve hot.

Meghan Levins, Monnik Beer Co. | Corn and Potted Ham Chowder

• 1 cup potted ham, small diced

•  2 cups water
• 1 cup instant potatoes
• 1 can of corn (reserve liquid)
• 1 can of cream of celery or onion soup (if not condensed, reduce water by 1/2 cup)

In a 6-quart pot, cook ham over medium heat until browned and some fat rendered. Add water and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in instant potatoes and simmer 2-3 minutes.

Add cream of celery soup and corn (with liquid) and bring to a simmer. Adjust the thickness to your liking by adding more water or  more potato.

Dallas McGarity, The Fat Lamb | "Midwestern Cottage Pie" and Anoosh Shariat, Anoosh Bistro | Shepherd’s Pie

Editor's Note: McGarity and Shariat provided almost identical recipes. Great minds think alike.

This is how my mom used to make things last sometimes. She would be creative and the stuff she made wasn't noticeably from a box or can – McGarity

• 2 cans beef stew
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can peas
• 1 can diced carrots
• 1 box instant potatoes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix the beef stew, soup, peas, and carrots together in a bowl and pour into a deep baking dish. Make the instant mashed potatoes by the recipe on the box, place on top of the stew mixture and spread evenly. Next bake for about 30-45 minutes until the top of the potatoes brown and the beef mixture is bubbly hot. Eat as is or make some cornbread to go with it.

Patrick Roney, Harvest | Ham and Pea Salad

During the holidays I always like to have a few quick and easy dishes at the ready. These are some versatile crowd-pleasers that allow you to spend time with friends and family. - Roney

• 2 cups diced ham
• 1 cups canned peas
• 1 cup diced, canned carrots
• ½ cup shredded cheddar (or 1 packet cheese sauce)
• 1 ¼  cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup apple cider or regular vinegar
• 3 cup cooked pasta (optional)
• Bacon bits (optional)

Combine mayo and vinegar and whip until smooth. Add the rest of your ingredients and fold together.

Variation: To turn this into an easy bake casserole…

Add 2 cups cream cheese (softened)

1 can cream of celery soup

Top with crumbled crackers, fried onions or potato sticks

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes

Shawn Ward, Ward 426 | Beef stew topped cornbread waffles

• 1 box cornbread
• 1 can beef stew
• 1 can green beans

Make cornbread according to the manufacturer's directions and cook it on a waffle iron. Warm up the beef stew with a extra can of green beans and spoon on top of a waffle for a quick meal for the kids.