What can you do with can of tuna?

Just when you think there's nothing in the house to eat, you remember. Security is a can of tuna in the pantry and a can opener in the kitchen drawer. Show of hands, now, I bet you have them. See?

Even the late, great James Beard himself was a fan of canned tuna. But he never called it "tuna fish." As in "I'll make tuna fish salad." You wouldn't say you were having salmon fish for dinner, would you? Or red snapper fish, either.

It's tuna, just tuna. So please mind your superfluous nouns.

Tuna is high in protein and low in calories. Only the egg can compete with it on equal terms. But, pound for pound while eggs win on cost, they lose on cholesterol levels. Let's call it a draw.

But, hey, didn't we just read a recent news controversy about high mercury levels in some fish, especially blue-fin tuna? That's the kind that often is used for sushi. Unless you are pregnant or have special dietary restrictions, the occasional serving of canned tuna should not be a problem. Your call, however.

Canned tuna comes in a variety of textures: solid pack, which is usually a single piece of meat; chunk, which is made up of large pieces of meat; flake, smaller and less desirable pieces of meat; and grated, which is mushy and useful only where the end use is an unrecognizable mixture such as a pate or sauce.

Canned tuna also comes in different packing media: olive oil, vegetable oil, brine and water. Technically, they are interchangeable in recipes, but olive oil will give the best flavor. And with apologies to Charlie the Tuna, all of our tested recipes were made with Italian-olive-oil-packed tuna. Life is short. Eat the best.

We say 6-ounce cans here, but if you have a 6.5- or 7-ounce can, it should work fine.

Here are 10 things to make with canned tuna:

1. Instant Tuna Salad Plate

For each serving, use one small can of oil-packed tuna. Open the can, drain it and arrange the tuna in one piece, as it comes from the can, in the center of a bed of greens. Garnish with any or some of the following: sliced avocado, quarters of hard-cooked egg, cucumber slices or sticks, cherry tomatoes, strips of red or green pepper, ripe olives, strips of pimiento, anchovy fillets, artichoke hearts, cooked asparagus spears, tiny new potatoes, cooked and tossed with vinaigrette dressing. A mound of mayo is a welcome addition.

2. Simple Salad Nicoise

To serve 4, open two large cans of tuna and drain off the oil. Place the tuna in the center of a large platter covered with greens. Pat the contents of a can of anchovies to rid excess oil and arrange them around the edge of the tuna. Arrange four tomatoes, quartered; four hard-cooked eggs, halved; either cooked and chilled green beans or asparagus, both dressed with vinaigrette; cold cooked tiny new potatoes; and red pepper strips for color. If you think of it, add artichoke hearts. Serve with a toasted baguette.

3. Tuna-Stuffed Eggs

Hard cook six eggs, cool and cut in half. Flip the yolks out into a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup mashed or flaked tuna, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature, minced garlic ( 1/2 garlic clove pushed through a press and minced), 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. Mix well. Season with fresh lemon juice and a few drops of red pepper sauce. Spoon back into the egg white halves, mounding the stuffing. Top each egg half with a caper.

4. Tuna-Stuffed Cold Tomatoes

Cut out the core of six tomatoes, and use a small sharp knife or scoop to remove the pulp and seeds. Sprinkle the interior of the tomatoes with salt and invert on a rack to drain. Mash a 6-ounce can of tuna. Add two hard-cooked eggs, chopped; 2 tablespoons capers; 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley; 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives or scallions; two anchovies, mashed; and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise. Use the tuna mixture to stuff the tomatoes, piling it high. Serve on salad greens with warmed pita bread on the side. Makes 6 servings.

5. Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad Vinaigrette

Drain a 6-ounce can of tuna and a 14-ounce can of cannelloni beans and combine in a bowl. Add five scallions, chopped; 1/4 cup olive oil; and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Allow to stand for about an hour for the flavors to mingle. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in about 1/2 cup chopped parsley.

6. Tuna, Spaghetti and Lemon

Wing this one. Cook maybe 1/2 pound of pasta and drain. While the pasta cooks, sizzle a minced clove of garlic in olive oil. Add the oil and garlic to the cooked and drained pasta along with a 6-ounce can of tuna, drained, some chopped parsley and the juice of a lemon. Add a big lump of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Some people like grated cheese with this.

7. Tuna Melt Sandwiches

From the time-honored tradition of melted cheese on toast, we add tuna for a "melt." Butter bread on one side. Place butter side down in a medium-hot skillet. Top with a slice of good melting cheese, add about 1/4 cup tuna salad and cover it with another slice of cheese. Top with a slice of bread and butter it. When the bottom side is brown, flip the sandwich and brown the second side. Cut in half or quarters and think about coming home for lunch in elementary school. For an open-face version, split and toast an English muffin. Spread both pieces with tuna salad and top with a big slice of American or cheddar cheese. Run under the broiler until the cheese bubbles.

8. Tuna Without Mayo

This low-fat alternative to a tuna sandwich has a lot going for it. You can just make it up as you go. Mix drained tuna with the juice of a lime, minced scallion, lots of minced cilantro leaves, salt, freshly ground pepper and hot pepper sauce. Spread the tuna mixture on a flour tortilla, pita bread or your choice of sliced bread. Add a couple of lettuce leaves and sliced tomato. If you're not kissing anyone any time soon, add a thick slice of red onion.

9. Tuna Pate

This is good spread on crackers. Add a few black olives and small radishes or cherry tomatoes on the side for a quick lunch. Into the container of a blender put 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 small onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 (6-ounce) can of tuna, drained, one stalk celery (cut in pieces), and one small carrot (cut in pieces). Cover and blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Chill. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

10. Baked Tuna Noodle Casserole

Is there a single community cookbook in the entire world that doesn't pay homage to this classic from the 1950s? Go all the way back down memory lane and serve it with a bowl of canned tomato soup. Cook 4 ounces macaroni or penne pasta and drain thoroughly. Place the cooked pasta in a greased casserole dish and toss with a little oil or melted butter. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons chopped onion and two stalks chopped celery and cook until tender. Add one can cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup milk and 4 ounces American cheese. Heat until the cheese is melted. Stir in the contents of a 6-ounce can of tuna, drained. Pour the tuna sauce over the pasta and mix well. Now, here's the best part. Sprinkle the top with crushed potato chips, about one cup. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes until heated through and browned on top. Makes about 4 servings. Just for fun, try barbecue or sour cream and chive potato chips.