I\’ve been up to more culinary adventures. Every few weeks I get a hankering for macaroni and cheese; and here is what I like to do.

I fill a 2-quart pot about halfway with water; and put it on the stove over a very low flame. The water heats while I get the other ingredients ready.

I drain and flake the tuna.  I open the can of peas; drain it; and measure out 1/2 cup. I put the peas with the tuna until it\’s time to add them to the macaroni.

The directions on the box say to use 4 tablespoons of margarine or butter; and 1/4 cup milk. I use 1 tablespoon of olive oil; and 1/4 cup plain, low-fat yogurt. I also prepare some freshly-ground white pepper and parsley flakes.

When the \”mac\” is cooked to my liking, I remove the pot from the stove; but leave the burner on very low. I drain the macaroni in a colander and return it to the pot.

Then I add the olive oil; pepper and parsley; the yogurt; and the contents of the cheese-powder packet. I return the pot to the stove, stir until the cheese powder is well mixed in, and stir in the peas and tuna. When I have olives on hand, I like to slice up about six of them and add them to the mix.

Voila! A cheapskate version of Pasta with Smoked Salmon (The Feed Zone Cookbook, pg. 227). When I\’m hungry after a long Sunday ride, this makes a nice lunch; with enough left over for lunch (or breakfast!) the next day. And there are always more culinary adventures out there!

Note: this isn\’t an endorsement of the brands shown here; it\’s what I have on hand at the moment.