Easy Do-Ahead Weeknight Dinner

Crispy Tuna Patties

Marinated Tomato Petals

Cracked Wedge Salad with Olive-Dill Buttermilk Dressing

Savory Chorizo-Manchego Triangles

Inspiration

This menu and these recipes are entirely new to me. Sometimes, you want to try something different, and I was curious. The ingredients are all familiar, but the combinations are not. This week, I realized that they work!

Inspired by a recipe in the NYT, I discovered this is an ideal weeknight meal to put on the table when you are in a hurry and have no time to cook. In a matter of minutes, dinner is ready to serve. All it takes is a little advanced planning because each recipe may be prepped or cooked days in advance. The meal is a refreshing change of pace, and each component is packed with flavor.

The Crispy Protein

I often make a tuna and white bean salad; the combination is great for picnics or an easy lunch. But using the beans as a binder for a tuna patty? Well, I couldn’t see how that would work or how it would be crisp as the recipe promised. However, the patty, studded with dill and enhanced with lemon, was a delightful surprise. It is crispy, creamy, and so tasty it doesn’t even need a sauce.

The Refreshing Sides

The sweet marinated tomato petals were an afterthought and one I will remember in the future—they are so good. My original intentions were to thickly slice ripe tomatoes, dress them with a good balsamic vinegar, and be done with it. Both simple and delicious. The only thing that stopped me was the thought of too many round things on a dinner plate—a big no-no. The sweet and tangy marinated tomato petals are something I have never thought to do before, but they are a perfect counterpoint to the savory tuna patties.

The wedge salad is a lighter version of my husband’s favorite salad, which is drowning in blue cheese, bacon, tomatoes, and whatever else he can find in the refrigerator to pile on top of the crisp iceberg lettuce. Cracking the wedge, as the NYT recipe suggests, is a genius way to ensure that the delicious dressing permeates each layer.

The Savory Touch

The Savory Chorizo-Manchego (Cake) Rounds have been in my recipe file since 2009. Torn from the pages of a May issue of Bon Appetit magazine that same year, it was sent to me with the recipe both starred and circled. A note at the top of the page said, “Charlotte. Try these! Let me know! CM.”

Obviously, they ended up at the bottom of the pile—forgotten.

When I rediscovered the recipe a few weeks ago, I made the savory rounds for brunch and froze what we did not eat. They are a wonderful addition to any meal when you want a perfect pop of the unexpected. Place two rounds in the microwave for 1 – 2 minutes, cut into triangles, and serve.

Now for the recipes…

Crispy Tuna Patties

Serves 4

• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained but DO NOT RINSE

• 1/4 cup lightly packed dill leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/3 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs

• Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• One 12-ounce can tuna packed in water, drained

• Olive oil

In a medium bowl, add the drained beans and mash them with a potato masher or fork until smooth. Add dill, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic powder, mixing well. Add the breadcrumbs and season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, and add the tuna, mashing until mostly smooth and the mixture easily holds together. Taste again and add more salt and pepper if needed.

NOTE: May be made up to 2 days ahead at this point. Cover and refrigerate.

Form the tuna mixture into 8 patties.

NOTE: They will be hard to flip if too thin.

In a medium nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and heat the oil until shimmering over medium heat.

Cook the tuna patties in two batches, adding more oil as needed, and flipping once, until browned and crisp on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Place two tuna patties on each of 4 plates,  and serve immediately.

Tomato Petals

Serves 2 – 4

• 2 – 3 medium sized tomatoes, peeled
• Brianna’s Blush Vinaigrette
• Maldon Sea Salt

Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut each tomato in 6 wedges, the carefully cut away the seeds and interior tomato flesh of each wedge to create a petal. Place all tomato petals in a glass or stainless steel bowl and pour enough blush vinaigrette to cover the petals. Marinate for 30 – 60 minutes at room temperature. Drain, sprinkle with Maldon sea salt, and serve.

NOTE: Tomatoes may be peeled and shaped into petals 24 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Cracked Wedge Salad with Olive-Dill Buttermilk Dressing

Serves 4

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 1/2 – 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 cup pitted green olives, chopped
• 1/2 cup lightly packed dill leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and cut into 4 wedges
• Dill sprigs

Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, and garlic powder, adding 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or additional to taste. Add salt, pepper, olives, dill, stirring well to combine. Set Aside. Taste again for seasoning. Refrigerate till needed.

NOTE: May be made up to 3 days ahead at this point. Cover and refrigerate.

Arrange a wedge of iceberg lettuce on each of 4 plates. Gently break each wedge, then spoon the dressing on top, making sure it gets into the layers of lettuce. Garnish with dill sprigs and serve.

Savory Chorizo-Manchego Rounds

Serves 8

• 2 1⁄4 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 4 green onions, thinly sliced (about 2/3 c.)
• 8 ounces fully cooked Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 6 ounces Manchego cheese, grated

• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3⁄4 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut out eight 6-inch squares of parchment paper. Place one square in each of eight 4 1/2 inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms. Press parchment paper into pans. Set aside.

Whisk together first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Add green onions, chorizo, and Manchego cheese; toss to distribute evenly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, buttermilk, eggs, oil, mustard. Add to flour mixture; stir to blend.

Spoon batter into parchment lined pans, spreading batter evenly in pans.  

Bake until deep golden brown and center spring back when touched lightly, about 30 minutes. Cut each cake into quarters and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool completely and store airtight at room temperature. May be frozen.

NYT Link

Click on the following link to see the original recipe that was my inspiration.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024664-crispy-tuna-cakes