I did not know when I was working on this recipe two years ago how timely it would be today. Our April recipe of the month is Spicy Tuna Salad. This recipe is particularly useful as we social distance and our trips to the grocery store are fewer and farther between. This recipe uses two sources of shelf stable protein – tuna and beans.

When I know I cannot get to the grocery store often, I rely on shelf stable sources of protein. These include tuna and salmon in cans or pouches, canned beans, dried beans and lentils, and canned chicken. If you find yourself reaching for one of these sources of protein to round out a meal this week, here are some ideas for how to use them:

• Spicy Tuna Salad uses tuna and beans.
  • When choosing canned beans, be sure to drain and rinse them.
  • When choosing dried beans, follow the steps at this link to prepare them just right.
• Quick Black Bean Salsa and Slow Cooker Black Eyed Pea Soup use beans.
• Blackened Tuna Patties and Tuna Melt Sandwiches use canned tuna.
• Salmon Patties and Salmon Wraps use canned salmon.
• Chicken, Corn, and Rice Casserole and Chicken Salad use canned chicken. 
• Slow Cooker Lentils and Vegetable Soup with Kale and Lentils use dried lentils.

We have many other recipes that can be adapted to using shelf stable sources of protein, if you need help modifying a recipe, please let us know.

Enjoy!