Tuna Salad Love

Ok…I will admit it. I don’t feel like cooking. I don’t feel like going grocery shopping. I don’t feel like showing out my cooking skills. Perhaps I have been stunted from that CSA+Pantry=YUM! cooking experience at my friend’s house. It’s just a moment in time I work through periodically.

For dinner I have been sustaining on chicken and broccoli with white sauce and brown rice…now moved into chicken with mixed vegetables…but that is dinner. What to do for lunch? Thank goodness I keep a small arsenal in my pantry of items of non-perishable items to forage a quick meal – pastas, canned goods, crackers. I mix that with (cross my fingers) whatever condiments, fresh(ish) items I have in the fridge.

Today (and yesterday for that matter) I was saved by tuna in the can. Good ol’ Chicken of the Sea in water. When it’s on sale I buy it so I have it for times like this. I like the albacore most, but not mad at anything else.

From the fridge I found half a red onion (still good), anchovy paste (just for salt + flavor), dijon mustard (for spice + vinegar) and of course some real mayo (NOT Miracle Whip, Mom!). There were also some capers and olives in the bowels of the second shelf, but didn’t feel like sorting that out. If I had it I would have added some diced celery.

So… .25 C small diced onion (and celery if you have it) 1.5 T mayo (not too much for me) .5 t anchovy paste (from a tube, I eyeball it) 1 t dijon mustard .5 t vinegar (for the tang factor) fresh black pepper and sea salt to taste 1 can tuna in water, drained

I start with making the dressing by taking all of the ingredients, less the tuna, mixing them in a small bowl and letting it sit for a couple of minutes. Add the drained tuna and combine all with a fork. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if needed.

I eat it with Wasa multi-grain crackers (also from the pantry) straight from the bowl. Why sully a good plate, right? Hunger pangs gone and I can get on with it.

Listen, sometimes food is just that – food! It serves to nourish the body and get you to your next meal. It doesn’t have to be gourmet, fancy or “the BEST meal I ever ate!”

So what are your go-to pantry foods and meals?