Chefs (with the exception of obvious shills) have been telling us for years that fresh food is where it's at - a matter of pride for any cook. That's hard to disagree with, but equally hard to live up to on a daily basis. Plenty of people come home exhausted from work at 8PM knowing they ought to be in bed by 10:30. They don't feel like doing any cooking, regardless of how quick the recipe might be. Can't they just open a couple cans and get something delicious and healthy for supper without having to cook?
In general I'd say the answer is no, but I've found a very few recipes that almost work that way and give a good result. Here's a favorite:
Italian White Bean and Tuna Salad
Cutting corners like this flies in the face of Italian cooking; it's a miracle this dish works. It will serve two for lunch. For supper I'd add more tuna and serve with good bread and white wine. The freshness comes from the parsley and red onion. I don't add any salt since the canned beans and tuna (not to mention the capers) are already heavily salted. This takes five minutes to make.
15 oz can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
5 oz can quality tuna in oil (or more, to taste), drained
small bunch Italian parsley, washed and chopped
up to 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tsp capers in vinegar (optional)
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs olive oil
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients together in a serving bowl. Serve. Congrats!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Thanks for this idea. I've had success with your other recipes & being a person in a hurry (too many nights) I'm sure I will have occasion try this shortly. I just have to confirm that I have all the necessary ingredients. Except for capers. I always have capers & need ideas for what to do with them. I could eat them straight out of the jar, but that's just beyond the pale.
KB
My pleasure. Thanks for commenting.
Capers generally go well with fish, especially canned and/or smoked. Their vinegar tang livens up the flavor. They're good friends with onion and fresh dill. They also like butter when making sauces for fish or chicken.
I got around to making this and really enjoyed it. It was a perfect summer meal: light, refreshing, etc. I ate most of it in one sitting and didn't regret it.
I can't wait to make it again, except that I'm always hearing warnings lately about not eating too much fish--canned or otherwise--because of the possible mercury.
It was quite a step up from what I usually think of as fast food. And no microwave needed, either. Just a can opener & a sharp knife for tools.
Post a Comment