Kitchen Improv: Cooking with What You Have

What can you make with a can of black beans, some leftover rice, and whatever’s sitting in your pantry? In this free cooking demonstration, Anca Soloschi, MS, RDN – a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with Sound Dietitians, LLC – and dietetic intern Zanab from the University of New England walk you through three creative, budget-friendly recipes built entirely from common pantry and fridge staples. Co-sponsored by Skagit Regional Health and hosted by Stilly Valley Health Connections, this class is part of our free class recordings on healthy cooking.

The three recipes demonstrated in this class:

• Black Bean Flourless Chocolate Cake – a surprisingly delicious, gluten-free chocolate cake made with canned black beans as the base, finished with a simple buttercream frosting – great for picky eaters and anyone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance
• Italian Wedding Soup – a hearty one-pot soup built from low-sodium chicken broth, cannellini beans, orzo pasta, and chopped vegetables, finished with pan-seared chicken meatballs coated in breadcrumbs and parmesan – plus a pro tip on using parmesan rinds to add depth of flavor
• Tuna Sushi Bake – a deconstructed, sushi-inspired dish using canned tuna or salmon, seasoned rice, and a sriracha-mayo mixture, broiled until caramelized and topped with avocado, green onions, and furikake seasoning

Throughout the class, Anca covers practical ingredient substitutions, low-sodium swaps, how to tell when an avocado is ripe, and how to adapt each recipe based on whatever proteins, vegetables, or pantry staples you happen to have on hand.