Make me anything except a tuna salad sandwich

As some of you may know, my mother visited me about two weeks ago. We had a great time exploring Lexington and the small towns that surround it (Versailles, Georgetown, Midway, Wilmore) and she bought me lots of stuff that I had been too cheap to buy myself, like mascara and a candle lighter.

Because she is caring enough to not want to see her baby starve, she also stopped by the grocery store to get herself some cereal for breakfast and to pick me up some goodies while I was at work. Also, I asked for a can of tuna, since they were 3 for a dollar and I figured, heck, it's 33 cents, might as well get one. However, when she returned, she did not return with just one can of tuna, but 6. Thank goodness that stuff lasts forever. I like tuna a lot, but 6 cans is a lot for one person. Luckily, I have the internet to help me come up with more creative uses for tuna than just the typical tuna salad sandwich.

I love you, Mom. Thank you for all the yummy food and the great weekend.

Tuna Balls with Asparagus

Adapted from BBC

Makes 2 adult portions

Ready in 30 minutes

5oz can tuna in water, drained

1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/4 cup cheddar , finely grated

1 large egg , lightly beaten

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 tbsp olive oil , for frying

1 cup uncooked, wheat rotini pasta

10 stalks of asparagus

*you can always substitute frozen peas and add in at the same time as corn

a handful of frozen corn pieces

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated

Cook the pasta according to directions. Add asparagus to the boiling pasta/water for the last 5 minutes, then add the corn for the last minute. Drain.

To make the tuna balls, spoon the tuna into a 2-3 cup bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Add the beaten egg and Italian seasoning and stir again until everything is well mixed.

Form into 8-10 balls the a tad smaller than ping-pong balls, then chill until you're ready to cook.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the balls for 8-10 minutes, turning often, until they're golden brown. Drain them on a paper towel and keep warm.

Toss pasta, asparagus, corn, and tuna balls. Top with parmesan.