Hmm…. late Saturday afternoon, overcast skies, a canceled outdoor
dinner party due to rainy weather, no plans in sight and
next to nothing in the fridge. Ordinally I would run to the store or
order take out, or why not just go out to eat? With my husband out of
town on a quick business trip, my son over at his best buddy’s house
and after splurging the night before on a spontaneous get away meal
at my favorite restaurant in Minneapolis, Salut, I decided to create
a dinner out of what I had, which on the surface, did not appear to be
much. A quiche sounded good, but with only one slice of swiss cheese
and no spinach in the freezer, that was not an option! I can usually whip
up some kind of pasta, but all I had was one zucchini with both ends cut
off, some spring onions and garlic in the vegetable bin and no cheese to
speak of. One more check in the pantry revealed some cans of albacore
tuna. A salad nicoise would be good, but no green beans or tomatoes
precluded that outcome, however, I could stretch things and make
a salad out of tuna and zucchini. Why not? I used what I had and
made a delicious meal, rounded out with a bowl of tortilla chips. Yum!!
Next time it appears you are on empty, take another look in your pantry
and enjoy being creative, using what you have.
tuna and zucchini salad
1 zucchini
4 spring onions - cut off dark green ends, root ends and dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can albacore tuna
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
3-4 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
fresh dill (remembered I had some in our small garden!)
Make the dressing first – put mustard, mayonnaise and vinegar
in a glass bowl, then whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and
pepper and add minced garlic, chopped dill and diced onion.
Cut the ends off of the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise, then
into 1/4 inch slices, wash, pat dry and add to dressing. Drain
tuna and add to sauce, then gently stir together. Serve with
good bread, 
crackers or chips. Enjoy!
