Take a tin of tuna

A few cans and some leftover ingredients can go a long way.

By NERIA BARR

OCTOBER 1, 2015 12:17

Updated: OCTOBER 1, 2015 14:06

Tuna muffins (photo credit: Courtesy) — Tuna muffins

(photo credit: Courtesy)

After cooking many festive meals during the holidays, it’s time to make things a little easier but not less tasty.

See what you can do with a few cans of tuna and leftovers. The recipes were adapted from Starkist Tuna. For more recipes, go to www.starkist.co.il.

TUNA PIE For a 26-cm. pie dish Here’s a tuna pie that’s easy and quick to prepare, made from ingredients that you have in the fridge. You can add leftover vegetables or herbs in the mixture and replace the parve chicken soup powder with other seasonings.

Serve with a fresh salad and a glass of white wine for a light summer dinner.

For the crust: ✔ 3½ cups flour ✔ Oil from the tuna cans ✔ 2 tsp. lemon juice ✔ ¾ container Eshel, yogurt or buttermilk ✔ ½ cup fresh basil leaves For the filling: ✔ 3 cans Starkist tuna in oil (drained; save the oil for the crust) ✔ 2 eggs ✔ 5 tsp. mayonnaise ✔ ½ cup milk ✔ 4 Tbsp. yellow cheese, grated ✔ 1 Tbsp. parve chicken-flavor broth powder ✔ 2 tomatoes, peeled and cubed ✔ Salt and pepper Preheat oven to 180°.

In a mixer bowl, mix together all the crust ingredients and mix until smooth. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and roll out until large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pie dish.

In a separate bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients and pour into the pastry shell.

Bake for 45 minutes. Reduce heat to low and bake for 30 minutes more.

Serve hot with salad.

TUNA MUFFINS

Makes about 20 medium-sized muffins Serve these as finger food at a buffet dinner or take them on a picnic.

✔ 3 cans Starkist tuna 5% fat with herbs ✔ 1½ cups whole-wheat flour ✔ 1 cup flour ✔ 2 Tbsp. baking powder ✔ 3 eggs ✔ 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard with seeds ✔ 1 container 15% cream ✔ ½ tsp. dried basil ✔ Salt and pepper ✔ 1 cup frozen peas, thawed in boiling water ✔ 2 cups cherry tomatoes ✔ 100 gr. 5% feta, crumbled To bake the tomatoes: Halve the cherry tomatoes, place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 220° for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 200°.

Meanwhile, sift together the flours and baking powder in a large bowl. Add eggs, mustard and cream and mix.

Fold in the tuna (with the oil), the feta, the baked cherry tomatoes and the peas into the flour mixture. Add the basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly grease the muffin tins/forms and pour in the mixture. Fill each up to ¾ of its height. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until golden.

Note: You can use other vegetables such as corn, olives or carrots, and you can divide the mass into a few parts and add different flavors to each. Try adding pesto, dried tomatoes or your favorite condiments.

SMOKED-TUNA FILLED MINI TARTLETS

Makes 20 to 25 tartlets Serve these at a buffet dinner or on a picnic.

You’ll need a baking tin/form for small muffins.

For the crust: ✔ 100 gr. butter ✔ ¾ cup flour (125 gr.) ✔ ½ cup potato flour ✔ 1 tsp. salt ✔ 1 egg yolk ✔ 2 Tbsp. water For the filling: ✔ 2 cans smoked tuna, drained and crumbled ✔ 1 medium eggplant, cut into small cubes ✔ 250 gr. cherry tomatoes ✔ 7 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ 1 sprig thyme ✔ Salt and pepper Place the crust ingredients in a foodprocessor bowl and mix in pulses only until dough is formed. Remove the dough from the food processor bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough ball for at least 1 hour (the dough will keep refrigerated up to 4 days).

On a floured work surface, roll the dough to a large ½-cm.-thick leaf. Cut out rounds to fit the muffin tin holes, including the sides. Place the rounds in the tin and press to bottom and sides.

Preheat oven to 175°.

Rub a large tinfoil sheet with butter and cut into 4x4 cm. squares. Place the tin squares, butter side down, on each tartlet crust and press to the dough. Chill the tin for 10 minutes in the freezer. Then bake for 15 minutes. If not ready, bake until golden. Remove from the oven and turn heat up to 200°.

To prepare filling: Drizzle the eggplant cubes with 3 Tbsp. olive oil and season with ½ tsp. salt. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake the eggplant 10 minutes or until golden.

Lower the heat to 160°. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the leftover oil on the tomatoes and sprinkle thyme leaves and a little salt. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

When all the ingredients are cooled but still warm, remove the tartlets from the baking tin and place on a large tray.

In a bowl, mix together the tuna, eggplant and the tomatoes, fill the tartlets and serve.

TUNA PATTIES

Makes about 15 A quick and easy lunch solution for when “there’s nothing in the fridge…”

✔ 3 cans tuna in oil, drained ✔ 2 eggs ✔ 2 medium or 1 large onion, peeled ✔ 2 carrots, peeled ✔ 4 heaping Tbsp. bread crumbs ✔ 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped ✔ 1 Tbsp. ketchup ✔ 1 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce ✔ 3 tsp. soy sauce ✔ 1 heaping Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (optional) Place all the ingredients in a food processor bowl.

Using the metal blade, process the mixture on high speed until smooth. Refrigerate covered for up to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 180°.

Using a teaspoon, place small heaps of the mixture on a lined baking sheet. Bake until golden.