Warm Tuna Pita Pockets

Fishing trip with Rémy — new spot on Bayou Teche, crawfish Monica. The summer heat is building the way a roux builds: slowly at first, then all at once, and when it hits, the only response is to keep stirring. Stirring the roux. Stirring the life. Stirring the pot of a family that is four at the table now (sometimes five when Luc comes home, sometimes three when Colette is at a friend\'s), and the stirring adjusts, and the adjustment is the skill, and the skill is: show up with the spoon regardless of how many bowls need filling.

The food this week was good. The company was better. The week was a week — not a milestone, not a crisis, just seven days of waking up and cooking and working and sleeping (six hours most nights now, bless Dr. Tran and the therapy that turned the water off) and being alive in Louisiana in the part of the year where the mosquitoes are back and the AC is straining and the only thing keeping the heat at bay is the cold beer and the knowledge that crawfish season is winding down and deer season is five months away and the calendar is a circle and the circle is the roux and the roux is everything.

Rémy and I came back off Bayou Teche sun-cooked and quiet in the best way, and the last thing I wanted was to stand over a hot stove adding more heat to a house already straining against July. These warm tuna pita pockets are what I reach for when the week has been full enough on its own — when the cooking itself needs to be easy so the sitting-down part can be the whole point. Four at the table, maybe five, cold beer on the counter, and something in everyone’s hands inside fifteen minutes: that’s the recipe for the night after a good fishing trip.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 cans (5 oz each) tuna packed in water, drained well
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 whole wheat pita breads, halved to form pockets
1 cup shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
4 slices mild cheddar or provolone (optional)

Instructions

Make the tuna filling. In a medium bowl, combine the drained tuna, mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery, green onions, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder. Stir until evenly mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Warm the pitas. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Place pita halves in the skillet and warm for 1 to 2 minutes per side until soft and lightly toasted. Alternatively, wrap pitas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.
Add cheese (optional). If using cheese, tuck a slice inside each warm pita pocket and let it sit for 30 seconds so it begins to melt from the residual heat.
Fill the pockets. Spoon the tuna mixture evenly into each pita half. Top with shredded lettuce and a slice or two of tomato.
Serve immediately. Plate and serve right away while the pitas are still warm. A dill pickle spear and cold beer on the side are not optional in this household.

Nutrition (per serving)

Warm Tuna Pita Pockets — When the Roux Settles and Supper Gets Simple