A Big Little Recipe has the smallest-possible ingredient list and big everything else: flavor, creativity, wow factor. That means five ingredients or fewer—not including water, salt, black pepper, and certain fats (like oil and butter), since we're guessing you have those covered. For the next few weeks, we’re sharing sneak peeks from the Big Little Recipes cookbook, all revving up to its release (blasts airhorn, throws confetti in the air).
What do you make when you don’t have time to make lunch?
When I asked people this question—on text, on Slack, on Instagram—the answers were endless. Pita and hummus. Ravioli and butter. A can of soup. Instant oatmeal. Instant ramen. Instant soba. Quesadillas. More quesadillas. Sandwiches. Ice cream sandwiches!
Frozen chicken nuggets. Frozen veggie burgers. Tomato, cucumber, and avocado. Tomato, cucumber, and cottage cheese. Chickpeas with tahini and hot sauce. Chickpeas with olive oil and balsamic. Chickpeas on toast. Sardines on toast. Avocados on toast. Eggs on toast. Eggs on rice. Eggs on udon.
I could keep going. You could keep going. All of which makes me think: Huh, none of us have time to make lunch, do we?
And yet, we still have to eat lunch. And we want it to taste, at the very least, not bad. Or even, dare I say it, actually good. All in the nine and a half minutes before that next meeting.
Working from the office means planning ahead and packing something—or, in lieu of that, heading to the nearest sandwich slash salad slash soup spot. Working from home means forgetting about it until, oh no, what am I going to do for lunch?
This week’s Big Little Recipe is actually two recipes, both plucked from our upcoming cookbook, and both dreamed up with WFH lunch—but make it fast—in mind. For each, all you need is a can of tuna, some sliced bread, and a couple other ingredients.
Ready, set, go.
Tuna Artichoke Melt
Melty, gooey, and overeager to be paired with a lemon seltzer. Marinated artichokes do all the work, even the dressing and seasoning.
| 4 | slices bread |
| 1 | (12-ounce/340-gram) jar marinated artichokes, marinade reserved |
| 1 | (5-ounce/140-gram) can oil-packed tuna, drained |
| 4 | slices cheddar |
| 4 | slices bread |
| 1 | (12-ounce/340-gram) jar marinated artichokes, marinade reserved |
| 1 | (5-ounce/140-gram) can oil-packed tuna, drained |
| 4 | slices cheddar |
Tuna Avocado Toast
Is it your new favorite avocado toast or your new favorite tuna salad? Trick question. It’s both. This would also be great as a closed sandwich if that's your thing.
| 1 | small ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled |
| 1 | (5-ounce/140-gram) can oil-packed tuna, drained |
| 1 | tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus wedges for serving |
| Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 2 | slices bread, toasted |
| 1 | small ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled |
| 1 | (5-ounce/140-gram) can oil-packed tuna, drained |
| 1 | tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus wedges for serving |
| Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 2 | slices bread, toasted |
Snag a copy of the Big Little Recipes cookbook in our Shop, or a slew of other places, like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Powell's, or Target.
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Put down those long grocery lists. Inspired by the award-winning column, our Big Little Recipes cookbook is minimalism at its best: few ingredients, tons of flavor.
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Written by: Emma Laperruque
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Much success with your cookbook. I will purchase today.
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