Tuna Salad a la Bricolage

bri·co·lage

[bree-kuh-lahzh, brik-uh-]

1. a construction made of whatever materials are at hand; something created from a variety of available things.

2. (in literature) a piece created from diverse resources.

3. (in art) a piece of makeshift handiwork.

4. the use of multiple, diverse research methods.

www.dictionary.com 

 

 

 

Now you know a nice way to say "I threw this together with a whole bunch of random crap that was around my kitchen!"

 

On to the "recipe."

 

 It's easy to make a kick-ass tuna salad sandwich...you just need the following. Be creative!

1. TUNA. Deeerp.

2. Creamy base. This could be the typical mayo, the blue cheese dressing I used, ranch dressing, hard-boiled eggs (the yolks break up and add to the creaminess), etc. 

3. Vegetables. Celery is the usual...try onion, broccoli, carrots, tomato, corn, bell peppers...

4. Seasoning. Paprika, salt, celery seed, garlic powder, cumin, etc...

 

 We were hungry. We didn't appear to have anything to eat. Joe suggested that we make tuna salad. I replied that we didn't have ANY of the stuff to make it except tuna. He gave me a look...and then we started making this version. 

 

Mix together 2 cans of tuna, a hearty squeeze of blue cheese dressing, 3 diced hard-boiled eggs, 1 stalk of chopped celery, 1 cup of corn, 1 chopped green bell pepper, a pinch of salt, and a couple pinches of paprika.

 

That's it! Substitute whatever you have on hand...if you manage to keep two cans of tuna in your pantry, you'll be able to make this tasty sandwich filling anytime. 

 

With the time you saved whipping up that quick little dish instead of running to the grocery store, you can explore the joy of singing the word "Bricolage" to the "Ricola" song. Brriiiiiiiiicolaaggeeeeee...

 

 

Broccoli Salad with Orange Dressing

The boy and I have started a food swap with a few people. Though the group is very small at this point, we're hoping to add a few members eventually. The goal is to prepare X servings of a delicious meal and then trade with the other chefs once a week. This way, we all get to try new things, and also have several meals ready for the week (the one we made, and the ones the others made). I have to tell you...it is pretty great. If you are already going to cook for two, how much harder is it to cook for 4 or 6?

Here is the very first thing we made for our nascent food swap. It's adapted from The Biggest Loser Cookbook--the original was a little too soupy for us.

Ingredients per serving:
-5-6 ounces of broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces
-1/4c red onion, chopped
-1T apricot preserves (Polaner is awesome...100% fruit and no corn syrup etc, and just about the same price as the less-desirables)
-1T orange juice
-3T plain non-fat yogurt
-Dash of soy sauce
-Pinch of granulated garlic

1. Combine sauce ingredients. Mix the preserves, OJ, soy sauce, garlic, and yogurt in a large bowl.
2. Taste. Better taste it now and make sure you like it before you cover all your carefully chopped veggies...
3. Combine veggies 'n sauce. Toss the veggies into the big bowl with the sauce and stir, preferably with an aged wooden spoon that feels just right in your hand. This creates a tremendous sense of well-being that adds that je ne sais pas quoi to the dish.
4. Fridge it. Get that deliciousness into a sealed container and pop it in the fridge for awhile. Overnight is good, if possible...that way the flavors leech into the flavorless yogurt and it really tastes good! Aaaand...only 140 calories per serving.