20 ways to use a can of tuna
A pantry staple can become a meal in no time
Just when you think there's nothing in the house to eat, you
remember. Security is a can of tuna in the pantry and a can opener in
the kitchen drawer. Show of hands, now, I bet you have them. See?
Even the late, great James Beard himself was a fan of canned tuna.
But he never called it ''tuna fish.'' As in ''I'll make tuna fish
salad.'' You wouldn't say you were having salmon fish for dinner, would
you? Or red snapper fish. Or perch fish.
(AP)
Caraway noodle ring with tuna
It's tuna, just tuna. So please mind your superfluous nouns.
Tuna is high in protein and low in calories. Only the egg can
compete with it on equal terms. But, pound for pound while eggs win on
cost, they lose on cholesterol levels. Let's call it a draw.
But, hey, didn't we just read a recent news controversy about high
mercury levels in some fish, especially blue-fin tuna? That's the kind
that often is used for sushi. Unless you are pregnant or have special
dietary restrictions, the occasional serving of canned tuna should not
be a problem. Your call, however.
Canned tuna comes in a variety of textures: solid pack, which is
usually a single piece of meat; chunk, which is made up of large pieces
of meat; flake, smaller and less desirable pieces of meat, and grated,
which is mushy and useful only where the end use is an unrecognizable
mixture such as a pate or sauce.
Canned tuna also comes in different packing media: olive oil,
vegetable oil, brine and water. Technically, they are interchangeable
in recipes, but olive oil will give the best flavor. And with apologies
to Charlie the Tuna, all of our tested recipes were made with
Italian-olive-oil-packed tuna. Life is short. Eat the best.
We say 6-ounce cans here, but if you have a 6.5- or 7-ounce can, it should work fine.
Mayonnaise seems to figure into many tuna recipes. Hellman's is
preferred. For a tuna salad sandwich, though, nothing beats the zest of
Miracle Whip. But if you have a food processor or a blender, it's easy
to make your own mayo.
Here are 20 things to make with canned tuna:
1. Instant Tuna Salad Plate
For each serving, use one small can of oil-packed tuna. Open the
can, drain it and arrange the tuna in one piece, as it comes from the
can, in the center of a bed of greens. Garnish with any or some of the
following: sliced avocado, quarters of hard-cooked egg, cucumber slices
or sticks, cherry tomatoes, strips of red or green pepper, ripe olives,
strips of pimiento, anchovy fillets, artichoke hearts, cooked asparagus
spears, tiny new potatoes, cooked and tossed with vinaigrette dressing.
A mound of mayo is a welcome addition.
2. Simple Salad Nicoise
To serve 4, open two large cans of tuna and drain off the oil. Place
the tuna in the center of a large platter covered with greens. Pat the
contents of a can of anchovies to rid excess oil and arrange them
around the edge of the tuna. Arrange four tomatoes, quartered; four
hard-cooked eggs, halved; either cooked and chilled green beans or
asparagus, both dressed with vinaigrette; cold cooked tiny new
potatoes; add red pepper strips for color. If you think of it, add
artichoke hearts. Serve with a toasted baguette.
3. Tuna-Stuffed Eggs
Hard cook six eggs, cool and cut in half. Flip the yolks out into a
small bowl. Add 1/4 cup mashed or flaked tuna, 1 teaspoon Dijon
mustard, 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature, minced garlic (½
garlic clove pushed through a press and minced), 1 tablespoon
mayonnaise. Mix well. Season with fresh lemon juice and a few drops of
red pepper sauce. Spoon back into the egg white halves, mounding the
stuffing. Top each egg half with a caper.
4. Tuna-Stuffed Cold Tomatoes
Cut out the core of six tomatoes, and use a small sharp knife or
scoop to remove the pulp and seeds. Sprinkle the interior of the
tomatoes with salt and invert on a rack to drain. Mash a 6-ounce can of
tuna. Add two hard-cooked eggs, chopped; 2 tablespoons capers; 1
tablespoon finely chopped parsley; 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives or
scallions; two anchovies, mashed; and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise. Use the
tuna mixture to stuff the tomatoes, piling it high. Serve on salad
greens with warmed pita bread on the side. Makes 6 servings.
5. Tuna-Stuffed Baked Tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the tops from four to six
tomatoes and discard. Scoop out the pulp, mince it and reserve. Invert
the tomatoes to drain. To the tomato pulp, add 2 slices crumbled bread,
crusts removed; 6-ounce can tuna; six anchovies, chopped; one small
clove garlic, minced, and 1 tablespoon chopped basil. Mix well.
Sprinkle salt on the inside of the tomato cups and fill them with the
mixture. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons grated cheese over the tops of the
tomatoes and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of butter. Place the tomatoes
in a baking dish spritzed with cooking spray. Bake about 20 minutes.
6. Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad Vinaigrette
Drain a 6-ounce can of tuna and a 14-ounce can of cannelloni beans
and combine in a bowl. Add five scallions, chopped; 1/4 cup olive oil,
and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Allow to stand for about an hour for
the flavors to mingle. Season with salt and pepper. Just before
serving, stir in about ½ cup chopped parsley.
7. Tonnato Sauce
You might think cold sliced roast of veal napped with tuna sauce is
one strange combo. But you'd be wrong. The classic combination, Vitello
Tonnato, is glorious, and it is a perfectly elegant choice to be the
star of a summer buffet. The sauce is also wonderful with turkey or as
a dip for vegetables. Sauce: Into the blender container, place 1 cup
mayonnaise, ½ cup olive oil, a 6-ounce can of tuna (drained), three
anchovy fillets, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 3 tablespoons
drained capers. Whirl until smooth. Makes about 2 cups.
8. Tuna Panzanella
This is a summer classic salad that uses up stale bread. When you
add tuna, you ramp up the protein and make it a meal. Cut the crusts
from 4 to 6 slices of rustic bread and tear into chunks. Sprinkle with
just enough water to moisten. Allow to rest for five minutes. Squeeze
out any excess water and mix with one large onion, finely chopped; one
or two tomatoes, chopped; 6-ounce can of tuna, drained; one small green
or red pepper, chopped; two scallions, sliced, and one small cucumber,
peeled and diced. Add olive oil and wine vinegar to taste, along with
salt and pepper. Chill, sprinkle with parsley or any other herb and
serve. Makes about 4 servings.
9. Tuna, Spaghetti and Lemon
Wing this one. Cook maybe ½ pound of pasta and drain. While the
pasta cooks, sizzle a minced clove of garlic in olive oil. Add the oil
and garlic to the cooked and drained pasta along with a 6-ounce can of
tuna, drained, some chopped parsley and the juice of a lemon. Add a big
lump of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Some people like grated
cheese with this.
10. Grilled Tuna Sandwiches
Cousin to grilled cheese and technically not grilled at all, but
griddled. To make three sandwiches, preheat the griddle or a large
black iron skillet. In a medium bowl, combine 1 6-ounce can tuna,
drained and flaked, with 1/4 cup coarsely chopped olives, 1/4 cup
chopped celery, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
Toss until well mixed. Spread the filling on three bread slices and top
with the three other slices. In a small bowl, gradually add 1½
teaspoons lemon juice to 1/4 cup very soft butter. Spread the lemon
butter on both sides of the sandwiches. Grill sandwiches about 5
minutes or until nicely browned on underside. Turn, and grill until
browned on the other side.
11. Tuna Melt Sandwich
From the time-honored tradition of melted cheese on toast, we add
tuna for a ''melt.'' Butter bread on one side. Place butter side down
in a medium-hot skillet. Top with a slice of good melting cheese, add
about 1/4 cup tuna salad and cover it with another slice of cheese. Top
with a slice of bread and butter it. When the bottom side is brown,
flip the sandwich and brown the second side. Cut in half or quarters
and think about coming home for lunch in elementary school.
12. Tuna Melt, open-face
Same idea, but split and toast an English muffin. Spread both pieces
with tuna salad and top with a big slice of American or Cheddar cheese.
Run under the broiler until the cheese bubbles.
13. Tuna Without Mayo
This low-fat alternative to a tuna sandwich has a lot going for it.
You can just make it up as you go. Mix drained tuna with the juice of a
lime, minced scallion, lots of minced cilantro leaves, salt, freshly
ground pepper and hot pepper sauce. Spread the tuna mixture on a flour
tortilla, pita bread, or your choice of sliced bread. Add a couple of
lettuce leaves and sliced tomato. If you're not kissing anyone any time
soon, add a thick slice of red onion.
14. Tuna Pate
This is good spread on crackers. Add a few black olives and small
radishes or cherry tomatoes on the side for a quick lunch. Into the
container of a blender put ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ small onion, ½ teaspoon
salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 (6-ounce)
can of tuna, drained, one stalk celery (cut in pieces), and one small
carrot (cut in pieces). Cover and blend on high speed for 30 seconds.
Chill. Makes 1 3/4 cups.
15. Tuna Pate, Second Version
Into the container of a blender put 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon
lemon juice, few drops Tabasco, one slice small onion, one small stalk
celery, cut in pieces and a 6-ounce can tuna, drained. Cover and blend
on high speed for 20 seconds, stopping to stir down if necessary. Spoon
into a plastic- wrap-lined, straight sided dish. Chill. When ready to
serve, turn out onto a dish and peel off the wrap. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
16. Baked Tuna Noodle Casserole
Is there a single community cookbook in the entire world that
doesn't pay homage to this classic from the 1950s? Go all the way back
down memory lane and serve it with a bowl of canned tomato soup. Cook 4
ounces macaroni or penne pasta and drain thoroughly. Place the cooked
pasta in a greased casserole dish and toss with a little oil or melted
butter. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add 2
tablespoons chopped onion and two stalks chopped celery and cook until
tender. Add one can cream of mushroom soup and ½ cup milk and 4 ounces
American cheese. Heat until the cheese is melted. Stir in the contents
of a 6-ounce can of tuna, drained. Pour the tuna sauce over the pasta
and mix well. Now, here's the best part. Sprinkle the top with crushed
potato chips, about one cup. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes until
heated through and browned on top. Makes about 4 servings. Just for
fun, try barbecue or sour cream and chive potato chips.
17. Oriental Tuna Mushroom Casserole
A bit of spin from the Far East. Combine two large cans tuna,
drained, with 1 cup button mushrooms that have been lightly sauteed in
a bit of butter, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, ?206-140? cup water, six
scallions, chopped, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir and ladle into a
greased casserole dish. Scatter a can of Chinese noodles over the top
and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve with a dish of cold
canned mandarin oranges.
18. Caraway Noodle Ring with Tuna
An old New York Times cookbook includes this recipe, which is
printed below. The tuna-noodle casserole gets a spin from caraway seeds
and a homemade sauce.
19. Tuna Salad in Avocado Halves
Drain oil from a 6-ounce can of tuna and place just the oil in a
bowl, adding 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to
taste to the oil. In another bowl, combine the tuna with half of the
dressing, keeping tuna in large hunks. Halve and pit an avocado and
season with salt and pepper. Fill avocado halves with the tuna and
drizzle with the remaining dressing. Garnish with cherry tomato halves.
Makes 2 servings.
20. Lunch Box Tuna Salad
Oh, come on!
Do you really need a recipe for this? Here's one way to do it. Dump
a 6-ounce can of tuna into a medium bowl. Add finely chopped onion and
celery. Add enough mayonnaise to make the mixture hold together. Add
salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce if you like. Spread between slices of
bread, a bun or pita bread.
Scripps Howard News Service
