This turned out to be a labor intensive dinner, but definitely worth the effort.

I served Sweet and Sour BBQ Tuna (which is tuna steak that has been smothered in my Sweet and Sour BBQ Sauce and grilled), Sesame Soy Avocado Salad, Simple Mango Chutney, Sesame-Lime Snow Peas, grilled yellow pepper, and wild rice. I serve this with extra Sweet and Sour BBQ sauce and some of the extra pineapple onion mixture left over from making that BBQ sauce.

Definitely worth the effort.

On our holiday trip to Oregon, we were given some delicious homemade treats, such as canned smoked salmon, canned tuna (a family favorite), and a 100th anniversary cheese wheel from the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Real, fresh caught, cooked, canned-in-its-own-juices, tuna.

Canned smoked salmon, smoked by a family friend.

My new dipping bowls, featuring artichokes marinating in olive oil from Italy (far right), roasted garlic puree (far left), and caramelized yellow onion with fig balsamic puree (front, center).

Crusty bread for all of the toppings.

A simple salad with mesclun greens, tomato, and shaved carrot with a drizzle of caramelized onion balsamic dressing (made from my caramelized onion spread, which is just onion and olive oil, cooked on medium low until caramel in color and then blended. I added some fig balsamic vinegar, which was another kitchen gift I received, sea salt, and pepper to make the dressing).

The table- with my walnut and cherry baked brie, 4 yr old cheddar, marinated olives, sparkling water, and wine.

Saute 1/2 yellow onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil until tender and starting to brown. Chop a tomato, and in a bowl, mix the tomato, onion, one can of drained tuna, a squeeze of dijon mustard, 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, and some fresh ground pepper.

Slice some good, crusty, bakery-fresh bread. Broil the sliced bread for a couple minutes. Remove it from the oven, flip them over, and top with the tuna mixture. Broil 3-5 minutes or so until all of the cheese is melted. Enjoy.