Archive for the ‘Fish – Tuna’ Category
Tuna Melts
These can be prepared as open-faced or closed sandwiches, and on any type of toasted bread. And for this recipe, 5 variants are listed. Use the base recipe, and what you like, and make it your own signature sandwich. This is written for open-faced sandwiches, if you desire closed, just double the toasted bread.
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Oven
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 can tuna in water, drained, (180 g / 6 oz)
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 spring onion, sliced
- ⅓ cup mayo
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- salt and pepper, as desired, to taste
For the Sandwich
- 2 slices bread, of your choice, toasted
- fresh tomato, sliced, as desired
- Cheddar cheese, shredded or sliced, as desired
American Classic
- tuna salad, as stated above
- white bread, Wonder, toasted
- American cheese, slices, as desired
- fresh tomato, slices, as desired
New York Deli
- tuna salad, as stated above
- Pumpernickel bagel, sliced in half
- dill pickle, slice lengthwise into slabs, as desired
- New York Cheddar cheese, slices, as desired
Apple Pie
- tuna salad, as stated above, but mixed with chopped pecans and dried currents as desired
- apple, sliced, as desired
- brioche hamburger roll, sliced in half
- extra sharp Cheddar cheese
Hot & Spicy
- tuna salad, as stated above
- jalapeno slices, canned, as desired
- soft wheat taco shells
- roasted red pepper, as desired
- Pepper Jack cheese, as desired
Californian
- tuna salad, as stated above
- avocado slices, as desired
- almonds, slivered, as desired
- Asiago cheese, as desired
- whole grain bread
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200° C (400° F), line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toast two slices of bread, place the toast on the parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, add the Tuna Salad ingredients.
- Mix together the salad, and at this point we have a really nice tuna salad that would make a nice cold sandwich on its own, but why stop here.
- Next item needed, fresh tomatoes, I used two Tor tomatoes with three thick slices each.
- Top the toast with equal portions of the tuna salad, then top that with 1-3 slices of tomato (depends on how big your tomato is), then top that with 1-2 slices of cheese or shredded cheese to your liking (I used a 4 blend pizza cheese).
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per sandwich.
Variants: 1. For bread, think white, wheat, whole grain, English muffins, leftover hamburger buns or hot dog buns, etc. 2. For cheese, Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss, Monterrey Jack. Colby, you get the picture. 3. Don't like an open face sandwich, just top with another toasted similar piece of bread and enjoy as a regular sandwich.
Pasta with Tuna Sauce
Sounds like an easy and quick dish to put together. On my to make and taste list.
Ingredients
- 1 can tuna in brine, drained, (185 g / 6.5 oz)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, (~400 grams or ~14 oz can)
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2-3 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper, as desired, to taste
- dry pasta, of your choice, for serving
- Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a non stick pan on medium heat, when hot, add the garlic, stir for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stir together. Stir in the oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper as desired. Reduce heat to low.
- Add the drained tuna, break that up a bit and stir into the tomatoes, let simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce is simmering, heat a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta of your choice, spaghetti or fettuccine would be perfect. Cool until tender, drain. For the pasta, figure about 160-180 grams (6-7 ounces) for 2 servings.
- After 15 minutes of simmering the sauce, stir in the drained capers and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Divide the pasta between two plates, spoon on the sauce, top with grated Parmesan, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variants: 1. Used canned whole tomatoes, chopped, plus juice. 2. Use fresh tomatoes, chopped, about 1 3/4 to 2 cups. 3. Add sliced black olives in place of the capers or in addition to the capers. 4. Add sautéed mushrooms.
Classic Tuna Salad Sandwiches
I have been making these for well over 30 years, about time I got around to actually writing this down, but I am going to post a friend's recipe here as a great guide. This recipe is wide open to changes to suit your taste. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 3 cans tuna in oil, drained well
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced, Thai celery 2-3 stalk
- 2 dill pickles, diced, Shortcut
- 1 spring onion, sliced, white and green parts
- ½ cup mayo, of your choice, and as needed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- salt and pepper, as desired
- lettuce leaves, as desired, 2-3 per sandwich
- 8 slices bread, of your choice, rye would be perfect
Instructions
- To drain the tuna, you can simply crack open the lid and drain the oil, but I prefer to use a strainer, and in this photo, a rice strainer, this ensures the best drained tuna. Once it is good and drained, add the tuna to a mixing bowl.
- Slice and dice the celery, slice the spring onion, and dice the pickles. Add these to a mixing bowl. (I did not have my homemade pickles made so I added a tablespoon of chopped capers.)
- To the mixing bowl add the mayo, mustard, and juice. Mix well, and season with salt and pepper as desired to taste. Start with the stated ½ cup mayo and mix, add mayo as needed to get the consistency you desire. I added about a tablespoon more.
- Once you have the salad to your desired consistency, cover and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to chill. This will store safely in the fridge about 2 days.
- When you are ready for a sandwich, or two, lay out the bread of your choice, add some mayo to each slice (I used Japanese Kewpie Mayo, it is in a squeeze bottle), add 2-3 lettuce leaves to a slice of bread.
- Top with ¼ of the tuna salad, top with another slice of bread, repeat for remaining sandwiches.
- Cut each sandwich in half, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Fridge Pickles.
Variants: 1. Serve as a salad on a bed of lettuce, serve in half an avocado, serve on a croissant. 2. Add a slice of Swiss cheese. 3. Add a chopped hard boiled egg. 4. Add a slice of tomato. 5. No pickles on hand? Use a tablespoon or so chopped capers. 6. If you prefer to used canned tuna in water, you may need to increase the mayo to ¾ cup.
Pasta with Tuna & Capers
I like pasta, canned tuna in oil, and capers, sounds like a great dish. Note, this will not work with tuna packed in water, spring water, or brine; oil only, olive oil is preferred, but if only soybean oil packed is available use that and a splash of olive oil and the dish will be fine.
Ingredients
- 115 grams dry spiral pasta, or bite size or even spaghetti will work well with this, (4 oz)
- 1 can tuna in olive oil, (185 g / 6 oz)
- 1 small onion, diced
- pinch red chili flakes, or as desired
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained, can easily add more as desired
- ¼ cup dry white wine, or ¼ cup water + 1 tsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- lemon pepper, as desired
- olive oil, as needed
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until tender. Drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, drain the oil from the tuna into a large non stick pan, heat the oil on medium heat, when hot, add the onion and chili flakes, saute until the onion is translucent and tender.
- Add the tuna, capers, and wine and stir together. Allow to come to a low boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, add a touch more wine if the sauce is drying out. Season as desired with lemon pepper.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and parsley and mix together.
- When the pasta is ready, drain well, then add to the pan. Toss with the sauce.
- Divide between two plates, sprinkle with lemon black pepper as desired. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Variant: 1. Add sliced black olives.
White Bean & Tuna Salad
This comes from a good friend and is delicious. Common ingredients and takes just minutes to put together. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, and as needed, plus the zest from 1-2 limes
- 2 cans tuna in olive oil, see Step 1, (Shortcut)
- 2 cans Great Northern Beans, 15 oz cans, or 4 cups fresh cooked, Shortcut
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped, loosely packed
- 1-2 dashes tabasco sauce, or a pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- salt, as desired, to taste
- olive oil, as needed
Instructions
- For the tuna, if using canned in olive oil, 185 grams each can (5-6 oz each can) or 250 grams fresh cooked.
- Dice the onion and splash just a bit of the lime juice on them and toss together, this will cut back on some of the strong flavor of the onion. Set aside.
- Drain the cans of tuna, or drain fresh cooked if needed. Add the tuna to a large mixing bowl, add drained beans, and add remaining ingredients. (I used chickpeas this time that I cooked in a pressure cooker.)
- Gently mix together.
- Taste, if dry, mix in some olive oil to get the desired consistency. Season with salt, Tabasco or red pepper flakes as desired.
- Cover tightly and place in the fridge to chill and to allow the flavors to blend.
- Serve as a light meal for lunch or dinner or as a side dish. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Great Northern Beans (Pressure Cooker), Fresh Tuna, Chickpeas (Pressure Cooker).
Variant: 1. Use chickpeas in place if Great Northern beans.
Tuna Loaf
It has been many many years since I have had tuna loaf, and I am enjoying this one, excellent flavor, and easy to put together. Use fresh cooked tuna or canned in brine, either one is perfectly acceptable. This recipes screams of variants that you can use to make it different each time it is prepared. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Loaf Pan (5x9 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 425 grams tuna, fresh cooked or canned in brine, (15 oz), Shortcut
- ½ cup bread crumbs, Shortcut
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup green bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper, as desired
- dash tabasco sauce, optional
Instructions
- For the tuna, I used 3 cans of tuna in brine, drained well. Weight listed on each can was 185 grams net, 140 grams drained. For fresh cooked, go with 425 grams (15 oz).
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Get out a loaf pan and grease with butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper as desired, as well as Tabasco sauce if desired.
- Use a large spoon and mix together.
- Pack mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with sides of your choice and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost, even more so if using fresh cooked tuna.
Shortcuts: Fresh Tuna, Bread Crumbs.
Variants: 1. Use red bell pepper in place of green. 2. Saute the bell pepper and onion prior to mixing in with the tuna. 3. Add chopped hard boiled eggs. 4. Add sliced green olives. 5. Add chopped fresh parsley or cilantro. 6. Add another can of tuna.
Tuna Salad
This recipe comes from a good friend, and she has never been wrong with a recipe, and this recipe is excellent as well. Makes for tasty sandwiches. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 4 cans tuna in water, standard size cans, or 2 cups fresh, Shortcut
- 1 medium brown onion, finely diced
- 1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored, seeded, diced
- 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, diced
- 1 cup mayo, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon lemon or lime juice, or to taste
- ½ cup toasted nuts, sliced almonds or chopped pecans, optional
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Core and chop the apple. I use an apple corer and slicer that removes the core and makes 8 slices. I took each slice, slice it again lengthwise, then chopped. Add the lime or lemon juice at this time to prevent the chopped pieces from turning brown.
- Toast the nuts, your choice of almonds or walnuts, these are optional.
- Drain the tuna well or prepare fresh cooked tuna and let that drain after you have removed the bones and flaked it. If using fresh tuna, use 2 cups or 2 1/2 cups. Three cans of tuna (140 grams each), the onion, and apple with lime juice ready for mixing.
- Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine, taste and adjust mayo, pepper, and lemon/lime juice to your liking. Mixed and ready to chill, no nuts or avocado used this time.
- Cover and chill for a few hours, serve in sandwiches or as a dip.
Notes
Figure about 42 Baht per average size can of tuna, for 8 servings, this is about 66 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Tuna.
Variants: 1. Replace the tuna with 2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken. 2. Use a red onion in place of the brown onion. 3. Use a Fuji apple in place of the Granny Smith apple.
Tuna & Rice
To me this sounds good, I will have to give this a try. Simple ingredients. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1½ cups dry white rice
- 3 cups vegetable stock, fresh or from powder
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 2-3 cans tuna in oil, (185 g / 5 oz each), Shortcut
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, when hot, add the onion and cook until softened, stirring often. When the onion is soft and translucent, add the rice and stir to coat with the oil and cook until the rice grains have a glassy look.
- Add the stock, stir then cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes.
- Stir in the peas and corn, cover and cook another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and leave the pot covered to stand for 5 minutes.
- Open and drain the canned tuna and place in a small bowl and flake with a fork. If using fresh cooked tuna, you will need 1-1½ cups.
- Gently stir the parsley into the rice, then the tuna, serve.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcut: Fresh Tuna.
Variant: 1. Use a mix of peas and corn, peas, corn, and carrots, or go all out and a mix of peas, carrots, corn, and green beans.
Tuna & Rice (Rice Cooker)
This recipe has me interested, I will write this using fresh tuna and cooked mainly in a rice cooker, no need to cook the rice the stove top way. You will use your rice cooker primarily for this dish.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1½ cups dry Jasmine rice
- 3 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 226 grams tuna, flaked, canned drained or fresh cooked, (8 oz), Shortcut
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Turn your rice cooker to Cook setting, heat the oil in rice cooker pot, add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until it is soft and translucent.
- Add the rice and stir to coat with oil and the rice grains are glassy, about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken stock, cover, and let it runs the full Cook cycle.
- About 10 minutes into the cook cycle, fold in the peas and corn then cover again and continue to cook to complete the cook cycle.
- Drain the tuna, this can be canned or fresh cooked, and flake with a fork. Fold in the tuna and parsley into the rice, cover and let sit for 5 minutes on Warm setting on the rice cooker.
- Serve, this can be a hearty side dish or a main meal.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcut: Fresh Tuna.
Pasta with Tuna, Lemon & Dill
Sounds easy and tasty. On my to cook list. Feel free to use canned or fresh tuna you have cooked. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 150 grams dry spaghetti, (5-6 oz)
- 200 grams canned tuna, drained, flaked, (7 oz), Shortcut
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, cook the pasta until tender.
- While the pasta is cooking, mix the remaining ingredients together in a large serving bowl, season with salt and pepper as desired.
- When the pasta is tender, drain and add to the mixture in the serving bowl, toss to combine, serve.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcut: Tuna.