Inexpensive, romantic meals for any time of year

The sweetest holiday of them all was recently here — St. Valentine’s Day, but you don't need to save this delicious meal for Feb. 14. So, with the touching tale of that nicest of saints to inspire us, we’ll look at some worthy but affordable fare with which to honor our own favorite sweethearts.

Back in the ‘50s, when I was a young mother with a good start on my family of six kidlets, tuna was — at about 10 cents a can — a necessity in the cupboard. Grilled tuna/cheese sandwiches, tuna casserole, tuna potato salad, etc., were the “meat” for many families’ suppers as well as school lunches.

As a health note, it was during that time that it was “discovered” that mayonnaise in tuna or egg salad sandwiches could make you sick if sitting in a lunch sack in a warm place. Most of us just reverted to peanut butter and jelly or salami and mustard but it was the beginning of a very welcome (at least to me) health consciousness that has grown beneficially over the years.

Our pictured tuna salad today is a simple but elegant repast, versatile in that you can enlarge on the ingredients (see “tip” after recipe) for a more hearty — or fruity — outcome. Serve it on its own — accompanied by crusty baguettes and Pinot Grigio — or bubbly if it’s just the two of you, and a sweet, romantic dessert.

Tuna Apple Salad

1 or 2 cans of good quality solid-pack tuna in olive oil, drained, oil saved *

1 large, crisp, red-skinned eating apple, washed, cored, sliced into bite-size pieces

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 or 3 green onions, sliced with tops

1/2 cup thin sliced celery1 teaspoon capers, drained

1 large lettuce leaf, rinsed, dried for each salad

1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped watercress leaves OR parsley

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sour cream OR plain yogurt

1 tablespoon crumbled goat or Feta cheese PER serving

Fresh ground black pepper

Pinch of dried herbs of choice: sweet marjoram, tarragon, etc. (NOT oregano)

Options (see tip): Artichoke hearts or quarters packed in water; fresh or frozen (thawed) blackberries)

Preparation: In a medium bowl, toss apple pieces with the lemon juice till well coated. Drain and place in a larger bowl. Add green onions, celery, and watercress or parsley.

Place drained tuna in the first (medium) bowl, and gently separate into bite-size chunks. Mix carefully with the drained capers and add to the apples in a larger bowl. Toss carefully together so as not to break up the tuna pieces.

In the first bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of the tuna oil (or more for proper texture/taste) and add herbs of choice, mixing all together well. Pour over salad, lifting and mixing gently but thoroughly. Chill if desired.

At serving time, arrange a leaf of lettuce on each plate or on a large platter. Place equal amounts of salad on each leaf. Sprinkle each salad with crumbled fresh goat or Feta cheese and a dash of pepper over it all. Serve with warmed baguettes or French bread with butter. You may also add avocado slices alongside each salad, accompanied by a lemon wedge.

Tip: I often add a can of (non-marinated) artichoke hearts to this salad for a bit more substance. Alternatively, you can ensure this salad’s “fruitiness” by tossing in a cup of fresh (or thawed) frozen blackberries.

• Tuna packed in oil is actually less fatty than tuna in water. The outside oil draws the oil from the tuna flesh, whereas water “seals” it in the tuna, where it remains. The drained oil is tasty and excellent used as the salad oil for dressing as in this recipe or mixed with red wine vinegar. Simply discard the rest (or give it to the cat)!

If you prefer a hot main dish, utilize your tuna chunks in a unique stir-fry! The options for theme — are legion, with fruits or veggies providing the desired taste experience.

Tuna Stir-Fry

Using the separated chunks of solid-pack tuna in oil, heat your large iron skillet or wok with the tuna oil, and sauté your choice of the following possibilities:

Green onions with tops OR sweet white or red onion slices

Asparagus tips

Broccoli florets

Artichoke hearts (plain, not marinated)

Small zucchini slices 1/3-inch thick

Eggplant slices cut into bite-size pieces

Red, green or yellow bell pepper strips

Bok choy strips, cut thinly on the diagonal

Pineapple tidbits

Water chestnuts, sliced

Naturally, you’ll stir-fry the longest cooking items first, adding the quickies (including the tuna) at the end. Sprinkle with a dash of teriyaki or soy sauce to your taste, if desired.

If your rice is to be curried, you won’t want soy sauce on your stir-fry, of course.

A great taste sensation is to mince a large piece of candied or preserved ginger and stir it into your rice OR the stir-fry itself. Chives are a nice addition to the rice, as is a little coconut milk if you’re using pineapple in the stir-fry.

Tip: When adding oil to the stir-fry, augment with a dab of butter from time to time for a richer taste - especially with items like zucchini, eggplant, and pineapple.

Cream Cheese Clouds

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla extract)

1 cup heavy cream

1 can cherry pie filling

Slivered almonds (optional) or whipped cream for topping

Mix cream cheese, sugar, and extract with an electric mixer. Gradually add heavy cream, mixing in well, then whipping until thickened. Place large dollops of mixture on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

With the back of a large spoon, shape each into 3 1/2-inch “shells.” Freeze for at least two hours or overnight.

At serving time, fill each shell with cherry pie filling. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds if desired or a tiny dollop of whipped cream.

(Editor’s note: For many years, Valle Novak has written gardening and cooking columns for the Daily Bee. “Weekend Gardener” and “Country Chef” became renowned for their humor, information, and common sense advice on how to do everything from planting to cooking. While she recently retired, she has shared a number of columns to delight her many fans. This is one such column and was originally published on February 2010.)