Eat it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, Do Without

One of the advantages of last month's Operation Bug-Begone is an increased awareness of exactly which foodstuffs abound in my pantry. I discovered that in addition to 7 different varieties of flour and 11 separate olive oils, I have nineteen tins of imported Italian tuna, shoved in the corner of a cabinet after Nona Sylvia's last trip to the old country.

So when Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness announced that September's Leftover Tuesdays Edition #8 was a call to rummage through the cabinets, counter top, refrigerator and come up with a creative meal, I knew exactly where my focus would be. A weeknight dinner comprised entirely of leftovers centered around a forgotten pantry item: the tuna panini.

I started with a leftover hunk of kalamata olive bread. Sprinkled it with a little grated asiago. Mixed the tuna with a chopped red onion, olive, and roasted bell peppers. Spread the tuna mixture over the bread and topped it with a wedge of avocado. Ten minutes of prep, two minutes per side on my grill pan with a sandwich press and dinner is served.

I paired it with the last few ounces of a bottle of Pinot Grigio we'd opened over the weekend.

Resources used:
Kalamata Olive Bread from Della Fattoria
Callipo Ventresca (Belly Tuna) in olive oil
Stevenot Winery 2006 Pinot Grigio

Technorati Tags: Food Blog Event | Leftover Tuesday | Key Ingredient: Tuna