Canned Tuna!!! Are you kidding??

Imagine you have unexpected guests arriving soon. You look in the fridge and see nothing but half-filled jars of condiments. There's a couple hot sauce packets, some mayo, maybe some assorted mustards that are just sitting on the door panel and of questionable age. You look in the pantry, and see half-filled bags of “stuff” held together with clothespins or an old rubber band, and a bunch of spices you had no idea you owned. What are you going to do??

This recipe may be just what you need. This was given to me by a friend who happens to be one of the biggest food snobs I know. The words “you got to trust me” were spoken upon delivery. I don’t like canned tuna. I don’t like the thought of using it in anything, so why would I get this recipe, much less post it on the internet??

Had anyone else passed me this recipe, I would not have even tried it. But here I am, passing this along to you with the words "You gotta Trust me!"

Please note that this recipe was made for lettuce wraps, pita chips or even a cold slice of cucumber. Do NOT try it on bread like a typical tuna salad, or you'll want to poke me in the eye.

1 can Yellowfin Tuna chunked
2 T Sambal Olek (found in any asian store or any bachelors fridge)
2 T Sesame Oil
2 T Hellmans light mayo
1/2 T Light Soy Sauce
1/2 T kosher Salt
1/2 T Black Sesame Seed
1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 T Honey
1/4 C Dried Cranberries
2 Stalks Green Onion (chopped)
1/4 C Carrot (fine chopped or grated)
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 C Fresh Cilantro (chopped)

Mix it all together in a bowl and it can be kept in the fridge overnight. In fact, it seems to get better the next day...

Bison "French Dip"

This recipe is as easy as one can be. I like to serve them on the potato rolls. We served it at the July Fun With Wine event at the vineyard, and it was a big hit!

The key note to the Bison recipe is to reserve the juices once the roast is cooked. Serve the juice in a little bowl and dip the sandwiches in like a 'French Dip'. Also Molly made a blue cheese sauce for the Bison. It was simply amablu cheese (a good Gorgonzola will also work), sour cream, little splash of heavy cream and dash of chopped parsley seasoned with a little sea salt and black pepper.

1 Bison chuck roast
1 Onion, chopped
2 cups Northwoods or Frontenac Crofut wine
Salt & Pepper
1 Crockpot

Place chopped onion on the bottom of the crock pot. Season the bison w/ Salt and Pepper (it's ok to be liberal when seasoning). Place the roast on top of the onion, pour in 2 cups wine. Turn crock pot on high for about 5-6 hours. While roasting, it is always a good idea to drive to winery and pick up more wine for dinner....

Caramelized onions
Slice 2 large yellow onions. In a sauce pan melt 1/2 stick of butter. Toss in the onions and stir over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the onions begin to get some color (about 20 minutes), pour in a splash of Frontenac or Northwoods. Let cook for about 5 more minutes. Season with a little salt & pepper.