Hi there,
It’s summer, I’m just back from a beach trip, and every moment I’m not working I’ve spent outside with my kids. Which means, I don’t feel like cooking! Especially I don’t feel like firing up my oven.
Even though I’m a cookbook author slash food writer who’s written thousands of recipes, I still feel like I’m constantly wondering, “What’s something easy I can make for dinner?” It’s like I get amnesia around 5:00 pm and have no idea how I could ever put together an actual meal.
I’ve recently found a secret summer dinnertime solution that sounds impossibly magical: it’s made of mostly pantry ingredients, there’s no cooking needed, and it takes 5 minutes to make.
What’s the secret? Tinned fish.🐟
Okay, I know that depending on where you’re from, you might be a little tinned fish wary. But hear me out: tinned fish is having a big moment over there on TikTok.
Why? It’s healthy, full of protein and omega 3’s, shelf stable for years, and honestly tastes really good when you prepare it right. I promise! So it’s trending for all the right reasons.
Let’s jump into this together and make a delicious, summery no-cook dinner with the stuff. Will you take the plunge and try it with me?
Why are fish and chickpeas good for health and longevity? Sources:
5 reasons you should eat more canned fish (Eating Well)
The underrated fish you should be eating more of (Eating Well)
Why to eat chickpeas (Harvard)
In my opinion, canned smoked trout is truly delicious. Like way better than tuna. It has this irresistible smoky undertone and doesn’t even taste too fishy.
This recipe is similar to a tuna salad, but you’ll use canned smoked trout and then add a can of chickpeas, which helps to stretch the trout to more servings. It also adds fiber, because fiber is also having a moment over there on social media.
The combination of ingredients is so satisfying, and with olive oil, legumes, fish, fresh herbs, it perfectly fits the Mediterranean diet (and is dairy-free and gluten-free depending on how you serve it).
One of my very favorite foods is smoked salmon, so this idea is not a big stretch for me. (My family is Norwegian and I’m from Minnesota, so canned and jarred fish isn’t out of the ordinary.)
Ways to serve it: Spread it on toast with some herbs and it’s a little bit of heaven! I have also served it on a plate with pesto quinoa (aka, I mixed leftover cooked quinoa with a spoonful of leftover pesto), and a big scoop is great in any type of bowl meal situation with greens, farro, rice, or other make-ahead salads (like my dense bean salad). It’s also great in a wrap or with crackers as an easy lunch.
Let me know 1. Are you a tinned fish fan or wary? 2. Would you try this recipe?
As you may know, I love nerding out on longevity and lifestyle medicine (after taking a class from Harvard about it and having a lifestyle medicine doctor as a close friend — more on that to come). It looks like the Substack algorithm figured me out, because it suggested I subscribe to Longevity Decoded by Dr. Adrian Laurence, which I promptly did.
This week he wrote about famous writers, philosophers, and composers worked out their best ideas while walking and suggested starting a walking habit.
He says, “Regular walking is one of the most reliable, low-risk things you can do for long-term health.”
I love the idea that walking is not just great physically, but intellectually, too! Read more about it here! He gives some great ideas on how to get started.
This week’s invitation: Take a walk (a longer one, if you can) without your phone. Notice what’s around you and allow your mind to wander. Or, bring a friend and get in some personal catch-up time while you go.
xoxo
~Sonja
If you want to take healthy eating & living to the next level:
Join The Every Night Club: ad-free, sponsor-free, algorithm-free
The 50+ Anchor Recipes Collection: the searchable, ad-free archive of the recipes I keep in rotation
Printables & Resources: pantry guide, seasonal menus, cheat sheets
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