Beyond tuna fish

I struggled about admitting to this. I know there are a good many people who this won't appeal to.

1. Anyone who doesn't like seafood like clams or anchovies. (If you don't like salmon or tuna too, you're sick!)

2. Anyone who won't eat ANYTHING that comes from a can.

3. People who can afford fresh seafood without blinking.

But that leaves some of us. I love seafood of any kind. However, my limited income does not. And that's why I will now admit, I eat seafood from cans. In fact, a few days ago, I enjoyed recipes I had created from three different kinds of canned seafood. I'm going to share two of those recipes here today. I am not going to share with you my recipe for Salmon a la King, because a la King is an acquired taste. If you like it, you already have a good recipe for at least Chicken a la King, and the difference is putting in canned (or fresh) salmon instead of chicken.

I will also say that if you are buying Tuna Helper or making a favorite tuna casserole with canned soup, Tuna ala King and Salmon ala King are better! I have titled this blog entry "Beyond Tuna Fish" because I want people to know that canned seafood can be used for so much more than the standard tuna sandwiches and casseroles.

Speaking of better, because I have an extreme preference for fresh vegetables, I will recommend that if your a la King recipe (or any other recipe for that matter) calls for pimento, put in fresh colored peppers instead! I don't even know where pimento is in my favorite grocery stores, and if I could find it I am sure it would come in a jar with way too much for the recipe, and costing far more than a single red pepper. Pimento is a sweet red pepper. Use that instead, or as I did, use a yellow one. Or even a green one if you really want to save some money.

The recipes I would like to share with you today are clam dip and a flavored mayonnaise. On my first food-related post, I shared with you I had bought clams for 99 cents at the 99 Cents Only store. Since then, I saw them at the March Air Force Base Commissary for the same price. I can't say for sure they would ever be that low at a normal grocery store, but keep your eyes out for a good price.

CLAM DIP (Courtesy of McCall's)

1 package (8 oz) whipped creamed cheese

1/3 cup sour cream

1 can minced clams

Seasonings to taste, i.e dried parsley, garlic salt, seasoning salt, fresh parsley, fresh or jarred garlic

Combine cream cheese and sour cream in bowl, mix in seasonings. If you wish to serve any of your guests a vegetarian version of this dip, spoon out some now. Add clams. Add additional sour cream to taste. Good with crackers, chips or on celery stalks.

ROSEMARY MAYONNAISE

3 anchovies from can of anchovies, dabbed with paper towel to absorb oil, then pureed

2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (or 1 1/2 tsp. of dried)

1 cup mayonnaise

Mix first two ingredients into mayonnaise. Let sit at least 30 minutes. Serve with fish. Also a good dip for French fries, either made with sweet potatoes or regular potatoes.

Note: Do you really hate anchovies? OK. Leave them out. I love them, but I'm sure this mayonnaise would taste good flavored only with rosemary or another spice.

Updated Dec. 19: I just checked the email associated with this blog, and over the weekend, allrecipes.com sent me a recipe for chicken ala king! I'm going to share that link with you. Remember, canned tuna and canned salmon would work in this too!
Chicken ala king