Tuna Melt Tostada & Lazy Lasagne
By: Tristan Guilbeault
Instagram: @tristangcooks
Tuna melts are an easy classic. Quick and cheap to make, these were always a summer afterschool staple! Typically made with just canned tuna, mayo, diced celery and carrots, placed on a piece of toast smothered in cheese and broiled. Since Amaranth recently got high-quality cans of Vancouver Island tuna in, I knew I wanted to do a special twist on the classic.
Using Mexican flavours really compliments the tuna, while adding fresh lemon, scallion and dill makes the dish summery and fresh. Placing it on a tostada makes it perfect for a hors d’oeuvres, appetizer or lunch. “Tostada” means toast in Spanish so feel free to use a crispy piece of toast or an actual tortilla. For my version I wanted something a little different, these quinoa crisps made in France fit that bill.
The origin of the tuna melt like many peculiar sandwiches is the result of a mistake on a busy day. Many years ago at a department store in Charleston South Carolina, an employee was very busy at the lunch counter. Hastily making sandwiches, a portion of canned tuna fell onto a not-yet-finished grilled cheese. He served it anyway and the customer loved the combo so much it became a staple. Please enjoy my Mexican-inspired version of this sandwich staple!
Tuna Melt Tostada
Recipe from Tristan Guilbeault
Dietary restrictions: Pescatarian, nut-free, paleo, gluten-free, can be made lactose-free
Total Time: 15 minutes | (Preparation): 10 minutes | (Cooking): 5 minutes
Yields: Serves 2-3
Ingredients
Tostada
● 1⁄2 box Le Pain des Fleurs Organic Unsalted Buckwheat, Quinoa or Multigrain crisps
Tuna Salad Mix
● 1 cans St. Jeans Cannery Smoked or regular Albacore Tuna
● 1⁄4 cup finely chopped Celery
● 1 Lemon, juiced and zested
● 2 tbsp chopped Candied Jalapenos or Sweet Pickles (we recommend Saltspring Kitchen Co., La Preferida, Eat Wholesome, Bubbie’s Pure Kosher, Sunshine Farms)
● 1⁄2 tsp Salt
● 1⁄2 tsp Pepper
Chipotle Herb Mayo
● 1⁄3 cup Mayonaise (we recommend Homemade, Suzie’s Organic, Chosen Foods, Primal Kitchen, Veganaise)
● 2 tsp Dos Amigos Chipotle in Adobo
● 3pc Green Onion (just the green part), thinly sliced
● 1 tbsp Dill finely chopped
Garnish
● 1 medium-sized Tomato, thinly sliced
● 1⁄2 cup preferred Microgreens or Lettuce
● 1⁄2 cup mild Cheddar, shredded (we recommend L'ancentre Shredded Triple Cheddar, L'ancentre Marble Cheddar, Okananagon Soya Cheddar)
Instructions
1. Begin by making the chipotle mayo (If using primal kitchen chipotle lime mayo, skip this step). Using homemade mayo or a base mayo, add 1⁄3 cup to a bowl with 2 teaspoons of chipotle in adobo. Chop the scallions as well as dill and add to the bowl. Mix well and set aside.
2. Make the tuna salad mix. Add the can of tuna to a medium-sized bowl and gently flake with a fork. Chop the celery and candied jalapenos, add to the bowl. Zest and juice the lemon and add to the bowl. Now mix in the chipotle herb mayo, you can add up to the full 1⁄3 cup but taste as you add. Some people like a mayonnaise-heavy tuna salad, while others prefer it lighter. Finally, add the salt and pepper to taste.
3. Now make the garnishes. Thinly slice the tomato and shred the cheese, set it all aside and get ready to assemble the tuna melts.
4. Spread a couple of tablespoons of the tuna salad mix onto each crisp, top with cheese. Set the oven to broil. Place the tuna melts onto a sheet tray and add them to the oven just under the broiler. Let them broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is gooey and melty.
5. Top with microgreens and tomato slices. Enjoy these delicious Mexican inspired tostadas for a snack or lunch!
SUBSTITUTIONS
The smoked tuna I’ve used in this recipe may be substituted with regular canned tuna or salmon from St. Jeans Cannery, as well as skipjack and albacora tuna from Safe Catch and Raincoast Trading. I have just used celery in my recipe but feel free to add shredded carrots to make this recipe even healthier. I have used dill and scallions but cilantro and parsley would work great as well. Amaranth carries many great varieties of mayo some even being pre-flavoured like the Primal Kitchen chipotle mayo. I have opted to use my homemade version with added chipotle in adobo, but feel free to use a plain mayo carried at Amaranth or even the new flavoured Truff mayo for an extra flavour boost. I like spice personally so I opted to use candied jalapeños and I found that the sweetness was nice in the tuna salad; pickles would be my alternative for a less spicy option. To make lactose-free, substitute a lactose-free variety of cheese or use a vegan variety, Amaranth has many great options. I would suggest the Nafsika’s Vegan Smoked Gouda, the smoky flavour is really nice and you can’t even tell it's vegan!
TIPS
Serve these tuna tostadas while hot and melty straight out of the oven. If they sit for a while they will get soggy and be harder to enjoy. Prevent this by using two crackers for each tostada instead! The individual components of this recipe may be made ahead of time and assembled in no time for a no-stress lunch or appetizer.
Storage
Tuna salad will last up to 5 days in the fridge, but is best enjoyed the day of!
Lasagne is one of my all-time favourite Italian dishes. The layers of delicious bolognese, béchamel, thin-sheet noodles and ricotta create a decadent meal worthy of royalty. But a good traditional lasagne will take multiple hours to multiple days to make. Sometimes you want those same flavours but don’t have the time to build them. When I was growing up my parents worked and dinner was often an afterthought, on the nights my mother cooked, this “lazy lasagne” was a staple. Skip the layers and the time decreases significantly! This recipe uses all Amaranth ingredients and is an easy, gluten-free, one-pot, healthier version of traditional lasagne. This recipe uses local bison, button mushrooms, green peas, ricotta, rice noodles and melty cheddar cheese. This recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and makes enough to feed the whole family or leftovers for the week!
The normal recipe for this lasagna consisted of rice noodles, a pasta sauce made with a lean meat such as bison, turkey or chicken as well as spinach and cheese. I have changed the recipe slightly to include more vegetables and this fantastic Chaeban Mediterranean-style ricotta. Let me reiterate that this is not a traditional lasagne, the only thing shared is the name. It comes out more in the form of a casserole but the flavour profile is similar as well as the ingredients. I am very excited to share this simple heartwarming dish from my childhood. Enjoy this comforting and delicious dish any time of the year!
Lazy Lasagne
Recipe from Tristan Guilbeault
Dietary Restrictions: Gluten-free, nut-free, can be made vegetarian,
Total Time: 30 minutes | (Preparation): 5 minutes | (Cooking): 25 minutes
Yields: 4-5 servings
Ingredients
Lazy Lasagna
● 454g Tinkyada Joy Gluten-Free Brown Rice Pasta Spirals
● Water to cover
● 1 tbsp Salt
Pasta Sauce
● 1lb white ground Turkey, Beef or Bison (we recommend Winter Turkey’s Farm, Gemstone, Top Grass, TK Ranch, Rangeland)
● 2 cups Organic Girl Baby Spinach
● 1 can San Marzano Tomatoes (we recommend Eat Wholesome, Rega Organic)
● 8oz white button Mushrooms, lightly washed and cut into slices
● 1 cup frozen Peas (we recommend Stahlbush Island Farms, Earthbound Farm Organic)
● 1 white Onion, finely diced
● 3 cloves Garlic, minced
● 2 tbsp Olive Oil (we recommend Phoeaphalis Organic, Earth’s Choice, Dante Organic, San Remo)
● 2 tsp dried Oregano
● 1 tsp ground Black Pepper
Garnish
● 1⁄2 cup Chaeban Ricotta cheese
● 1⁄2 bunch Parsley, roughly chopped
● 1 1⁄2 cup mild Cheddar, shredded (L'ancentre Shredded Triple
Cheddar, L'ancentre Marble Cheddar, Okananagon Soya Cheddar)
Instructions
1. Begin by making the pasta sauce. Set a large-sized pot on medium heat on the stove with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Finely chop the onion and garlic and add to the pot. Stir every couple of minutes until the onions have begun to become translucent, around 3-5 minutes. Add the black pepper, oregano and a decent pinch of salt into the pot. Add the mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes then add the bison, stirring to break up the ground pieces. Let the meat cook for 5 minutes, then add the can of San Marzano tomatoes, using a wooden spoon to roughly break up the larger chunks. Let the mixture come to a low boil so the tomatoes will begin to break down, cook for around 5 minutes, then add the spinach and peas, lower the temp to low and cover the sauce with a lid.
2. Make the noodles. Fill a medium-sized pot 3/4 with water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Set on the stove on high heat. Add the pasta to to the water once boiling and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain into a colander and then rinse under cold water.
* For ease of time, this step may be done while the sauce is being made.
3. Now make the lazy lasagne, directly add the pasta into the pot of sauce, let cook for 2-3 minutes so the pasta may absorb some sauce, then add the ricotta and cheddar cheese. Stir to combine, the result should be a large pot of creamy goodness. It is very lazy and the flavours of lasagne are there without the layers. Top off with parsley and serve!
SUBSTITUTIONS
Any ground form of protein will work in this recipe, my favourites are ground chicken, turkey, beef or bison. To make vegetarian the white mushrooms may be doubled in the recipe. I have added green peas and spinach to make the recipe more healthy but feel free to add any extra vegetables you may have on hand. To add nuance comparable to the cheesiness of traditional lasagne, 1⁄2 cup shredded parmesan may be added to this recipe.
CASSEROLE-STYLE
Make this dish more in the style of a typical lasagne by mixing the noodles and sauce, add half to a casserole dish, sprinkle with cheese, and then repeat. Cover the top with cheese then place on a low broil in the oven for 10 minutes or until the top is gooey and crispy.
STORAGE
Lazy lasagne will last up to one week in the fridge.