Three simple and refreshing spring recipes – Tuna melt, salmon and pasta

As the weather gets warmer and the flowers bloom, appetites begin to change along with the temperatures. While people either celebrate or debate Spring Day on 1 September, we have put together three simple and refreshing recipes your friends and family will ask for again and again. 

Tuna Melt sandwich

Often described as the “ultimate sandwich”, a tuna melt comes with the right amount of crunch, melty cheddar cheese, and a couple of good slices of tomato.

According to Delish – a website for recipes – the key to this sandwich is that the tuna salad is not your bog-standard, bland tuna salad. Their version contains celery, pickles, red onion and pepper flakes to make a flavourful salad that eats just as good by itself as it does in this springtime sandwich.

“For the ‘melt’ aspect of this sandwich, you can use any sort of cheese, just as long as it’s melty.”

This recipe serves 4, takes 15 minutes to prep and is ready in 30 minutes or less. 

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. mayonnaise
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 170 g cans tuna
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 2 dill pickles, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 slices bread, such as sourdough
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 8 slices cheddar

Recipe of the day: Hearty amasi baby marrow soup

Directions

• Preheat oven to 200°C. 
• In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes (if using).
• Drain tuna then add to mayonnaise mixture. Use a fork to break up tuna into flakes. Add celery, pickles, red onion, and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• Butter one side of each bread slice. 
• Top an unbuttered side with approximately 1/2 cup of tuna salad, 2 to 3 slices tomato, and 2 slices of cheese. Top with another slice of bread, buttered side facing up. 
• Repeat with remaining ingredients and place on a large baking sheet. Bake until cheese is melty, for 5 to 8 minutes.

Garlic Parmesan Salmon

Cooking salmon in the oven as one big fillet is the easiest way to serve prepare this fish, no matter what recipes you’re using.  

Serving salmon this way at a dinner party always looks impressive and it allows everyone the chance to go in with a fork and get their own portions.

This recipe serves 5, takes 15 minutes to prep and is ready in 40 minutes or less. 

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
• 1/4 c. finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (1.4 kg) salmon fillet
• Lemon wedges, for serving

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Directions

• Preheat oven to 200ºC and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together oil, parsley, Parmesan, and garlic and season with salt and pepper.
• Place salmon on prepared baking sheet and brush garlic mixture all over salmon.
• Cover with foil and bake until salmon is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle with more Parmesan and serve with lemon wedges.

Easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Of the recipes shared here, this is the perfect spring dish because it is fresh and light. If you can’t find bucatini, Delish advises using any long pasta like spaghetti or linguine. 

This recipe serves 4, takes 10 minutes to prep and is ready in 25 minutes or less. 

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 lb. bucatini or spaghetti
• 1 c. ricotta
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly sliced basil (optional)

Directions

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining. Return to pot. 
• In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, Pecorino, oil, and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add mixture to pasta along with 1/4 cup reserved pasta water and toss, adding more pasta water as needed to coat the noodles. 
• Top with basil (if using), Pecorino, and a drizzle of oil.

The recipes were found on delish.com