Tuna & Bean Pantry Salad
Plus a special offer for mamas (and busy home cooks) 💝
Head to the bottom for this week’s recipe!
Have you noticed how mothers are constantly targeted with “quick fixes” for stress and exhaustion? Supplements, mindfulness courses, and pants that hide postpartum bodies all suggest we can do better.
But as mothers, we’re doing our absolute BEST. (This applies to dads too, but I’m focusing on moms.)
None of these marketed solutions can fix stress and exhaustion, because it’s not a personal issue.
Our sense of overwhelm largely results from raising children in a society that doesn’t prioritize caring for parents and their families with high quality, subsidized or free childcare, healthcare, and public support.
For many of us, a major source of stress comes from the single most demanding, repetitive task we face: feeding our children and families.
My recent Home Cook Survey showed me that most of you are mothers with young children cooking 3-6 dinners per week. You’re main challenges to cooking are “lack of time” and “lack of inspiration.”
I can totally relate.
This is why I started Time For Dins.
I’m passionate about helping other mothers (and busy home cooks) thrive by easing - even adding joy back to - the constant dinner struggle and nurturing a community where mothers can find camaraderie, support and inspiration from each other.
If cost is a barrier, please email me for a partial or full scholarship: emma@emmafrisch.com.
This isn’t a “quick fix.” My support is ongoing in the form of meal plans and easy, delicious, healthy recipes you can assemble quickly, special discounts, and community support. It’s based on two decades of work in food systems, teaching, and recipe development, and nearly a decade as a mother.
I want to see you succeed and will troubleshoot with you.
(To my paid subscribers, I’m extraordinarily grateful for your trust and support!)
This investment will help you reduce overwhelm, exhaustion, stress, and anxiety. If you’re not experiencing that, you can unsubscribe with one click, or even better, tell me how I can improve my offerings.
I’ve got you!
Now, want to hear what I’ve been cooking? :)
“I've just joined Time for Dins and loved getting and reading the July meal plan. I look forward to opening each email I get from you, Emma. Makes me excited to cook both by myself and with my two kids, who both love cooking (10 and 7). I'm excited to try the recipes and am going to make the Chocolate Zucchini Cake tomorrow!”
Paid Subscriber
What I’m Cooking
The best thing I made: I slow-roasted a chuck roast in a baking dish with 1 cup of water and 1 sliced onion, sealed with foil, for 3 hours at 300 F until it was falling off the bones. I served it with corn tortillas, Greek yogurt, hot sauce, and a simple slaw of sliced mango, cabbage, and cilantro with lime juice, olive oil, and salt.
Salmon & Summer Vegetable Salad: Leftover Eva’s Wild Sockeye Salmon over lettuce, cucumber, and tomato with Honey-Mustard Dressing from the June Meal Plan. (Pssst: Eva’s Wild discount in the September Meal Plan; subscribe now.)
Supergreen Vegan Pesto: Spooned over eggs with my famous Gluten-Free Nut & Seed Bread. (Subscribe to get the Supergreen Vegan Pesto, dropping Monday, August 5th in the August Meal Plan).
Pesto Pasta with Mozzarella and Cherry Tomatoes: It’s like a Caprese salad, in pasta. Fusili works great because it catches the pesto.
Summer Vegetable Yellow Curry: Testing the recipe ya’ll asked for!
Blueberry Cardamom Frozen Yogurt Popsicles: Obsessed. Recipe in July Meal Plan.
I’ll leave you with a recipe that is a reader favorite and one every home cook needs in their toolbox: Tuna & Bean Pantry Salad from the June Meal Plan.
Here’s what mamma of two-year old twins, Holly, said, “I made this over the weekend with some toasted baguette and it was delicious!!! My mom and I loved it and are adding it to the meal rotation!”
With arms open-wide,
♡ Emma
Tuna & Bean Pantry Salad
Yield: 4-6 Servings ⎹ Prep time: 7 min ⎹ Cook time: None ⎹ Level: Easy
This one-dish pantry wonder is a go-to on busy weeknights, and can be adapted to what you have or want to add. Double the batch to ensure lunch leftovers.
Component cooking: This is the ultimate component cooking dish. Reserve raw vegetable slices to serve with a dipping bowl of dressing, plain salted beans, and a portion of tuna mashed with salt, mayo, and olive oil.
Plan ahead: You can make this up to 3 days in advance. Prep the dressing in advance.
Shortcut: Buy pre-made Honey-Mustard Dressing.
Sub/Add: Swap bell peppers for other colors, add seasonal veg like diced cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, thinly sliced radishes, peas and extra seasonal herbs like parsley, basil, and dill. We also like raisins in our salad! Experiment with different types of beans.
Vegan: Leave out the tuna and anchovies, and add an extra can of beans of your choice (kidney works well).
Gluten-free: Serve with gluten-free bread or tortilla chips.
Ingredients
1 red bell pepper, finely diced (reserve slices if desired)
2 ribs celery (plus 1 more for slices if desired)
Small bunch (~10 stems) chives or other fresh herbs, minced
4 anchovies, rinsed and minced
2 cans tuna
One 15-oz. can cannellini beans
Honey Mustard Dressing (see June Meal Plan)
Crusty bread or tortilla chips, for serving
Note on Instacart: Review the list to make sure you’re not doubling up on products you have at home, or want to replace something with a brand you prefer. Select which items you want to add to your cart. I’ve included my favorite brands here, like these chips!
Paid subscriber discount at Greenstar Co+op (in-store or Instacart): Get your code here.
Instructions
Add all the ingredients except for the dressing to a large bowl and mash together with a fork, breaking up the tuna until evenly distributed.
Add a generous pour of dressing, tossing until the salad is evenly coated.
Serve cold, with warm, crusty bread or tortilla chips, and dressing for extra drizzling.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Important Notes:
ITHACA LOCALS: Paid subscribers get a 20% discount at Greenstar Food Co+op through September 30th.
PRIVATE CONSULTS: If you have specific challenges around food allergens or dietary restrictions, email me for a consult: emma@emmafrisch.com.
SURVEY CONTEST: It’s not too late to take the survey and be entered to win a signed copy of both my books or a 30-minute video consult. Reply to this email with a screenshot of the submission page. Winner announced July 31.