tuna pasta salad

I'm cooking up a maelstrom.  None of it is great.  But it works. 

this recipe for tuna pasta salad is here.

Ingredients

• 12 oz. bow tie pasta $0.88
• 5 oz. can chunk light tuna in water $0.70
• 1 medium lemon, juiced $0.25
• ½ cup diced onion (yellow, purple or green) $0.25
• ½ tsp. salt $0.05
• to taste fresh ground black pepper $0.05
• ¾ cup light mayonnaise $1.00
• 2 cups frozen sweet peas $0.64

Instructions

1. Take two cups of peas out of the freezer and let thaw on the counter. Cook the bow tie pasta according to the package directions (boil 5-7 minutes). Drain in a colander and let cool.
2. As the pasta is draining and cooling, combine the rest of the ingredients (peas, tuna, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onions, salt and pepper). Adjust the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
3. If your pasta is still hot when you are finished combining the rest of the ingredients, run cold water over it until it has cooled down. Make sure to drain the pasta well before combining it with the rest of the ingredients. Stir the pasta into the pea/mayo mixture until it is well coated. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve!

***
I forgot the salt, the pepper, the lemon, and went light on the mayo.  Um ... next time I'll get it right.  But even like this, it satisfies a craving.  

taste of Argentian summer tuna cold casserole

My Argentinian friends made this for me once and it very much hit the spot. It's a great, simple, satisfying lunch. They say it takes like summer to them because everybody eats it on picnics.

*cooked rice (I usually make it with about 2 cups of uncooked rice)
*tuna (I put in about a can per 1 cup uncooked rice)
*green onions (1-2 per cup rice)
*mayonnaise (maybe a Tablespoon per cup rice - until the rice sticks together; sometimes I have to add more the next day - depends on the rice quality I guess)
*peas (frozen works great)

Cook the rice; I don't think it matters if it cools down all the way. Mix it all together. I add peas last so I can gauge how much I want in there.

Mix it all up and put it in the fridge. He put it in a bundt pan and chilled all day, which was a nice shape and cut nicely for servings. I put it in a casserole dish.

I especially like it served with fruit, such as grapes or cantaloupe.