I have been slowly working on stocking my pantry. Since following Louisa’s food blog, she’s made me realize how versatile tuna is. Honestly it is not something that’s top of mine for me, but her recipes are just too good! Especially for lunches which I think are always the hardest to come up with inspiring things that I will keep me full until dinner!
Five Tuna Recipes
Guest post by Louisa from Living Lou
Let’s talk about canned tuna for a minute. While it’s not the most luxurious item of food or the most delicious, it is incredibly versatile and I always have a can in my cupboard. It’s one of my kitchen staples because it’s cheap, loaded with lean protein, and also has omega-3 fats, which are all good things. I think if you can make a meal out of a can of tuna a couple of times a month (be careful not to eat too much canned tuna because it has mercury in it you can learn more about that here), you’d be surprised at the money you save at the grocery store. I hope you have a can of tuna in your pantry right now so you can try out some of these ideas.
There are a million different kinds of canned tuna available, here’s a quick breakdown so you know what to look for next time you’re at the store.
Water-packed vs. oil-packed
You’ll often see water-packed and oil-packed varieties in the store, the difference comes in the liquid the tuna is literally packed in. Water-packed has fewer calories and is often cheaper than oil-packed counterparts. The only downside is that it has less flavor than oil-packed. I find this choice is more dependent on personal choice, but if I’m using it in a recipe, I’ll often choose water-packed, however if I’m just snacking on tuna on its own, I’ll opt for oil-packed.
White vs. Light tuna
The next difference you’ll find are cans have white tuna while others have light. White tuna is the albacore variety, which is a larger fish with lighter flesh (hence the white color). White tuna also tends to have a milder flavor than light tuna and might be a good place to start if you aren’t a huge fan of fish. Typically, I opt for light tuna because I prefer the stronger flavor and it is less expensive and has less mercury than white.
Solid vs. Chunk
This is pretty simple and has to do with the sizes of the pieces in the can.
Here are five things to do with a can of tuna for a simple, budget-friendly lunch or dinner.
1. Tuna salad is probably the most well-known thing to do with a can of tuna. Everyone has their own special twist and take on tuna salad, but I love my lightened up tuna salad with apple, capers and green onion. Everything needs to be lightened up right now because I made a decadent caramel apple cheesecake three times last week.
2. Add it to a salad. I’ll often toss a can of tuna into a salad for lunch. I love the way a salty bite of tuna pairs with white beans and arugula.
3. Snack attack. Last year during midterms I discovered a favorite snack. Smashed avocado and tuna on a piece of toast with a mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce on top. I’ll even top it with some crunchy potato chips to satisfy a salty, crunchy craving.
4. Fish cakes. I love salmon cakes, but it wasn’t until recently that I thought of replacing the salmon with tuna. I like to bake mine instead of fry them for a healthy and simple dinner. My favorite salmon or tuna cake recipe uses sweet potato, parsley and capers to up the flavor.
5. Tuna noodle casserole. I’ll be honest and say that I’ve only made tuna noodle casserole once, but I know people love it. It’s pretty much comfort food at its best, I’ve made Martha Stewart’s recipe before and recommend it.
xoxo
Tuna noodle casserole is a lifesaver. I bought the stuff to make it one night this week…so quick, easy, inexpensive, & yummy!
xoxo, SS
The Southern Stylista
OMG i totally needed this right now! I am going through the biggest rut right now trying to think of new things to cook in my small dorm kitchen and these recipes are perfect!
Annie || Annie N Belle
I don't think I've ever put so much thought into tuna, but it's definitely making me crave some tuna with avocado on toast!
Laura
http://www.lauraaimevous.com
I'm actually a big fan of tuna because it is so easy to have and there are so many easy recipes to make out of it.
I just bought loads of tuna at the store because it's cheap and easy… and I'm in college. I've been getting sick of plain tuna salad, so this is actually very helpful! I'll have to try adding apple and green onion into the mix. And I never thought to mix tuna with avocado. Sounds yummy!
-Nicole
Meet Me in Midtown
I have never thought about making tuna fish cakes but I definitely need to give that a try
Dresses & Denim
The excellence is seemed as always, expected in your publishing material. Thumbs up for you!
Doctor Who Coat
For a healthy and tasty snack, try dipping veggie crudités or pita chips in this fantastic tuna mousse!
http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2008/01/recipe-for-tuna-mousse-or-spuma-di.html
xoxo
Rebecca | http://www.pinktoolsandpearls.com