Finding what you want in the pantry or cupboards can often be a daunting task. More often than not, that's the most neglected part of the house. Everything is in disarray and it probably takes 10 minutes to find what you want. While we can't help with the organizational part, we can certainly help you find quick, easy, and cheap ways to use up that food in the pantry that's been collecting dust. In our first installment of What's in the Pantry, We'd like to reintroduce you to canned tuna. Canned tuna is great for a multitude of dishes and we'll go over three of our favorite recipes: Tuna salad sandwich, tuna pasta and even tuna pizza. Most of these items can be made with what you have in your pantry and if you don't have it, well you can always get creative!

 Tuna Salad Banh Mi

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna in water, drained
• 1 tsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed or from a bottle)
• 1 tbs Sriracha
• 1 tbs hoison sauce
• 3 1/2 tbs mayonnaise (separated)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 10 inch French Baguette cut in half and lightly toasted
• 1/4 cup of julienned white radish
• 1/4 cup of julienned carrots
• 2 tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbs freshly chopped cilantro
• 1/8 cup of julienned cucumber
• 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions

1. Mix together the first 5 ingredients and 1 1/2 tbs of mayonnaise in a bowl until everything is fully incorporated. Add more mayonnaise to suit your taste.
2. Combine julienned carrots and white radish in a bowl and add the rice vinegar and soy sauce. This can be made a couple days ahead to fully infuse the vegetables with the vinegar flavor.
3. Spread remaining 2 tbs of mayonnaise on the top portion of the toasted baguette.
4. Drain white radish/carrot pickles well.
5. Arrange the rest of the ingredients as evenly as possible on the bottom-half of the baguette: cucumber, tuna salad, jalapeños, cilantro, pickled carrot and daikon. You can add additional hoison sauce and Sriracha if desired.
   
6. Fold over tops of baguette, cut into 4 to 6 sandwiches, and serve.
   
   

Garlic-Tuna Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 can of tuna in water, drained
• 4 gloves of garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 tbs. of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of dry white wine
• 1 tbs of dried basil and oregano
• 1 box of spaghetti
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups of water
• 1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions

1. Heat up the water in a large sauce pan. Add a little oil and salt to the water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, around 9 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, set the stove to high and heat up the olive oil until it is hot. Add the garlic and onions and sautee until the onions are a nice golden brown color.
3. Add the tuna and mix well.
4. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to simmer. Add basil, oregano, salt an pepper.
5. Drain the pasta and then add to the wine-garlic mixture. Mix well to fully incorporate the sauce and the pasta.
6. Serve in a bowl or plate and garnish with fresh parsley.

Seafood Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 can of canned tuna, drained and broken apart into edible chunks
• 1 can of anchovies, chopped
• 1 can of manhattan clam chowder
• 1 tbs. basil
• 1 tbs oregano
• 2 tbs. olive oil, separated
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 12" Boboli pizza crust or similar
• 1 cup of mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat up 1 tbs of oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add garlic and sautee until golden brown. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are softened 5-8 minutes.
3. Add manhattan clam chowder, oregano and basil. Heat until warmed, about 5 minutes.
4. Brush the remaining oil onto the pizza crust.
5. Add a layer of the clam chowder sauce then top with cheese.
6. Top pizza with tuna, anchovies and basil. Space out evenly to distribute flavors.
7. Put into oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until cheese is cooked.
8. Remove from oven and cut into desired pieces.