As I’ve posted before, I love crispbreads for their health properties, and their versatility. They’re a wonderful, healthful base for a wide variety of toppings. Usually made of whole grains and not much else, I like to think of crispbreads as perfectly preserved thin toasts/crackers that are ready to eat anytime. The thinnest, crispiest version I’ve found is Finn Crisp. Their original version is made of just 4 ingredients: whole grain rye flour, water, salt, yeast. You get a nice dose of fiber, some iron, and sodium levels in line with eating bread (not crackers). Other brands, such as Wasabread, will also make great bases.
Crispbreads are great when you’re in a rush to make an easy meal, when you’ve run out of bread, or you need an emergency backup in the cupboard in case your planned lunch doesn’t quite measure up to it’s promises.
And the entire category of fish and seafood are foods that most people could eat more often. Though in land-locked Saskatchewan, I get that it’s not always easy. So these easy recipes rely not on fresh fish – which takes a little more than 5 minutes to cook, but not by too much – but on simply-preserved version. Tuna, canned in water, is featured in the first meal. It’s a pantry staple that’s easy to keep on hand, and generally has just a little salt added. For an upgrade, switch to canned salmon with bones, which has more omega-3 fats, as well as calcium from the bones – which you can just mash right in. Salmon is featured in another meal, this time smoked so it’s ready to eat. Smoking will make the salmon a bit salty, so it’s a good thing that it also concentrates the flavour.
5-Minute Meal #1: Tuna Salad on Crispbread, Spinach Salad
This is such an easy lunch. How to: Just use crispbread in place of toast or sandwich bread, with your favourite tuna salad or other seafood sandwich filling. The salad shown here includes little bits of dried apricot, a sprinkling of sliced almonds, and is dressed with a creamy poppyseed dressing, although a balsamic vinaigrette would work just as well.
5-Minute Meal #2: Smoked Salmon on Crispbread, Cherry Tomatoes
Smoked salmon always feels like a treat to me. How to: Choose a few pieces of crispbread, spread them with cream cheese (or avocado if you have it), and top with thin slices of smoked salmon. A grind of black pepper would be welcome on top. To make a balanced meal, serve with a fresh vegetable of your choice – like these beautiful multicoloured cherry tomatoes.
5-Minute Meal #3: Smoked Oysters on Crispbread, Sliced Cucumber
So oysters are rumoured to have aphrodisiac properties… there’s no science behind that idea, as far as I know, but if you enjoy canned smoked oysters, or canned smoked mussels, there’s no reason to wait until a special evening to eat these gems. How to: Spread crispbreads with mayo – or my preference, miracle whip – then top will well-drained oysters or mussels. If you want to get fancy, a tiny bit of lemon juice would be a nice way to finish the assembly. Then, balance out the meal with an easy fresh vegetable. Sliced cucumbers are pictured here, but anything you have on hand will do.
Does the thought of meal planning feel a bit overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be all on you. Let me help. Check out the Meal Package.
Liking this crispbread theme? There’s more! See 6 tasty snacks featuring crispbreads.
When you have 5 minutes and access to your pantry, what will you make?