Tuna Apple Pasta Salad

It’s been one of those weeks where I haven’t gone food shopping and have limited ingredients on hand, so a pantry staple meal was a bit of a must. This tuna apple pasta salad is my absolute go-to. It’s the perfect lunch, dinner, or side and has been a favorite of mine for years! It’s made with five simple ingredients, three of which are pantry staples. The flavor combo may sound a bit weird, I know, but, trust me, it’s amazing!

Making this tuna apple pasta salad is always a bit of a comfort for me. I feel like pasta dishes are always a bit comforting, and this one specifically reminds me of my mom. She first made this for me when I was in high school after adapting it herself from some recipe she found. Since then, I’ve been making it for myself (and friends) on repeat with a few tweaks over the years. It’s super simple, and you can make a nice batch to last you for the week (although it will probably be gone in a day or two in my experience).

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 8 oz cooked pasta of choice (I like to use chickpea pasta to make it GF)

• 2 cans tuna, drained

• 4 celery stalks, sliced

• 1-2 granny smith apples (depending on size), cubed

• 1/2 cup avocado oil mayo (or mayo of choice)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix together the cooked pasta, tuna, celery, apple, mayo, and salt and pepper to taste.

2. That’s it! Enjoy!

Whether you’re enjoying this for lunch or making it as a side for a party, it’s sure to be a hit. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Open-Faced Spicy Tuna Melt on Sweet Potato Toast

When it comes to lunch, I’m all about quick and easy meals with minimal ingredients and cleanup. Bonus points if it’s preppable, and I can just warm it up the next day. So that’s where this open-faced tuna melt comes in. It’s made with pantry staples and veggies you may already have on hand, it comes together in under 20 minutes, and it’s easily made in advance to just heat up the next day. Doesn’t get much better than that!

Here’s What You’ll Need:
(Makes about 2 servings)

• 1 Sweet Potato, sliced length-wise into ~1/4” slices

• 1 can tuna, drained

• 2 tbsp avocado oil mayo (or mayo of choice)

• 1-2 tsp sriracha (can omit the sriracha if using a spicy mayo)

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1/8 small red onion, chopped

• 1/4 c shredded cheddar

• (Optional) Red pepper flakes as desired

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook your sweet potato toasts - I like to pop mine into the toaster on high for 2-3 rounds, but you can also bake them until softened.

2. In a bowl, mix together the tuna, mayo, sriracha, red onion, celery, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper as desired.

3. Spread the tuna mixture over the pieces of sweet potato “toast” on a baking sheet.

4. Sprinkle the cheddar over the tuna.

5. Broil the toasts for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

6. Serve with your favorite veggies or sides, and enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Five Ingredient Tuna Cakes (GF)

So if you haven't already seen me talk about Safe Catch tuna on Instagram, let me give you a little introduction. They sell pretty much the only canned tuna I will ever buy again. They have the lowest mercury limit of any tuna brand (their elite tuna is 10x stricter than FDA regulations), making it safe for both pregnant women and children to eat regularly. They test every single tuna and pack each can with just the tuna and it's natural juices. Does it get any better than that? It actually does because you can use the code allroads for 10% off your order on their website!

I've loved playing around with this tuna in the kitchen ever since discovering it, and I can't wait to bring you guys some delicious recipes here on the blog. To start it all off I made these super easy, super delicious tuna cakes. They're perfect for an easy dinner, and the leftover are great to pack for lunch.

Here's What You'll Need:

1) 5 oz Safe Catch Elite Tuna
2) 1/2 cup cooked Chosen Foods quinoa
3) 1/4 cup onion, chopped
4) 1 tbsp German mustard
5) 1 egg

Instructions:

1) In a bowl, mix together the ingredients with your hands.
2) Form the mixture into 2-3 patties (depending on size), squeezing tightly to rid of excess liquid.
3) In a pan on the stove top over medium high heat, add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. If the patty crumbles a bit when flipping, just reassemble it using a spatula. 
4) Remove from heat, serve, and enjoy!

I served mine over a couple of tomato slices. They'd also be great on their own or on top of a salad. You can add some extra mustard or hot sauce for a little kick. Let me know how you ate yours and what you think in the comments below!