New Zealand Budget Meal
- Potato & Tuna Dish
When we make this dish, we jokingly call this our New Zealand Budget Meal.
At the beginning of 2019 we were in New Zealand for a little over 4 months. With a weak exchange rate on our end (ZAR10.00 = NZD1.00), this meant we had to follow a strict budget. We soon found out that shopping for groceries in New Zealand can become quite an expensive trip.
In South Africa we normally go to our favourite store and do all our shopping there, but in New Zealand we had to constantly compare prices in different stores and then buy the cheapest option. In this way, we soon found out which food items were cheap(er) and we then had to make a meal out of that.
Put it on the table:
Baby potatoes and tinned tuna were in our food basket almost weekly – and that’s how this dish came about. This is probably our easiest recipe to date!
Ingredients for our New Zealand Budget Meal
10 baby potatoes
2 tins (170g) tuna in brine
mayonnaise
salt & pepper, to taste
olive oil
chives
Boil the baby potatoes (whole and with the skin) until they are soft – about 20 minutes. Drain and slice lengthwise while it’s still warm.
Boil and slice the baby potatoes
Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl and add the two tins of tuna. Mix it gently (make sure not to break up the potatoes). Drizzle a little olive oil on top and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Mix potatoes, tuna, olive oil and salt & pepper
Spoon into individual serving bowls and drizzle with mayonnaise. Add finely chopped chives as a garnish. (Cayenne pepper adds more flavour to the dish, so don’t hesitate to sprinkle a little on top).
Delightful light meal
Our New Zealand Budget Meal
Although we had to keep a firm grip on our wallets, that didn’t hold us back from travelling and exploring new places. We always think of New Zealand when we enjoy this dish and it’s great to look back at all the photos from our time in this picturesque country.
Photo collage of our time in New Zealand
If you want to read more about our visit to New Zealand, click here to start reading the first of 14 posts.
Wet and Dusty Roads 
New Zealand is so beautiful, as you have shown in your stunning photos. I also found the people to be very warm, welcoming and friendly. How fortunate that you were able to enjoy an extensive stay there, and that your yummy looking meal brings back nice memories.
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Yes, there is no doubt that New Zealand is an absolutely beautiful and green country! We never had the opportunity (or maybe I should actually say “money”) to visit the south island … a good excuse to go back there. And then to see if the potatoes and tuna are still the cheapest food items on the shelves 😃.
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Dit klink lekker Corna! Maklik en lekker 🙂. New Zealand is ‘n pragtige land en ek sal enige tyd weer gaan.
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Ek dink ‘n mens kan hierdie resep met toe oë maak Aletta! Jy’s reg, New Zealand is ‘n pragtige land … jy moet net seker maak jy het genoeg note in jou beursie (en dalk ook goedkoop verblyf by jou vriende of kinders 😃) om meer van die land te verken.
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Verseker ‘n duur plek😲 gelukkig bly my seun hulle daar.
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Vir iemand soos ek en Bertus wat op aartappels kan leef, is hierdie resep baie welkom, Corna.
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Wat sal ons tog doen sonder aartappels? As jy nou al ooit ‘n perfekte dis vir ‘n warm somersdag gesien het, is dit hierdie een Una. So, vul jou koskas aan met baie blikkies tuna (en maak sommer ‘n groot tuin waar jy jou eie aartappels kan plant) … dan’s die Kaap – of Mosambiek – Hollands!
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We visited north New Zealand over 20 years ago when our sons were small. I enjoyed the Bay of Islands probably most of all. Hopefully we’ll get to visit South Island one day too. Enjoy your weekly recipes Corna.
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The furthest north we were on the North Island was as far as Whangārei, so we unfortunately missed the Bay of Islands. But we did visit the Bay of Plenty (south of Auckland) and that was beautiful. You know what? I think we should make a date with you so that we can go to the South Island together since we haven’t been there either! I’m glad you enjoy our recipes Marion.
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Sounds a great plan Corna x
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Oh that looks absolutely deliciousss
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Lucky that potatoes and tuna were so cheap in New Zealand because we love both!
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I will definitely be reading about your time in NZ. I was there for something like 12 hours :(. Your recipe looks wonderful. I enjoy potatoes in any form. With a little attention, I think you can eat inexpensively. Not a bad lesson to learn! I love those pictures.
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It’s actually hard to imagine that we’ve been in NZ for 4 months and haven’t visited the South Island – I heard (and read) that the scenery there is just breathtaking. I definitely think one can eat inexpensively – you just have to plan (very important) and know that simple ingredients can put a good meal on your table.
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Your inexpensive dining choice looks lovely. I could eat potatoes any way! I read your New Zealand stories with interest. Four months sounds like a long time but I bet it flew by with all that you managed to see. It is all so very beautiful and your photos could be postcards or part of a travel brochure. It is one of so many places I never got to see. My mother and I were on a ship that stopped in Wellington in 1962. We did a bus trip and I remember lots of sheep and very green countryside. All those waterfalls and beaches and the thermals. I’m with you about yachting, though. I was never happy in a sailing boat that could in theory tip over! New Zealand wines are some of the best I have ever tasted..along with South African wines of course. Oh la la, don’t tell the French! I was interested in the campsite too and wondered if those facilities are in the event of cold wet weather? Or maybe they just like posh camping. Seems to me if you go camping, then you camp!
Great to read your adventure. Thank you1
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We love potatoes and I can honestly say that our kitchen is never without these. I’m glad you enjoyed our posts about New Zealand – it’s a marathon to read all of them. I’m thinking now … Wellington must surely have looked very different in 1962 than it does these days. But we certainly saw many sheep and greenery during our 4 months there (at least that hasn’t changed after all these years). Oh yes, the French certainly won’t be happy with my statement about the wine. I like a lighter wine (if you can call it that) and those type of wines are very popular in South Africa. The few French wines I’ve tasted were quite “heavy” … but hey, what do I know — maybe that’s how wine should taste like! I never thought that New Zealand’s camp sites might have been designed this way because of the inclement weather – that’s a very good observation. But I still think I prefer our more rustic way of camping.
Thanks again for reading Carolyn – it’s much appreciated.
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That’s awesome that you were able to spend a little over four months in New Zealand! I’ve always wanted to go. I’m actually in the process of extending my maternity leave so we can spend 4-5 weeks there this spring. It’s funny how we get to be really creative with food when we’re on a budget. And now I’m going to check out your New Zealand posts! Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Linda
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Yes, we really enjoyed our few months in New Zealand and because it’s so far to travel (for you even more than for us) it’s definitely worth going for a longer period of time. When we got married in the late 1990s, we often made “budget meals” and I remember them being some of the tastiest meals I ever enjoyed. Mind you, I wish we knew about this potato and tuna dish – it’s really good.
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Oh gosh, we’re all too familiar with “budget meals”. It’s also one of the main reasons why we camped so much when we first started travelling as it’s so much cheaper. We still like to camp and make our own food, but I’m glad we can splurge with some better options now!
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You’re absolutely right Linda. It’s a good thing that we like camping so much, right? But in winter, however, it’s not always fun and then, as you say, it’s nice to rent a cottage instead. But we still make our own food most of the time … more money for travel!
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The simplest meals are usually the most delicious, and how can you not love a dish that brings back memories of New Zealand. A lovely photo collage that really showcases the beauty of the country.
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Absolutely! Sometimes one only needs a few simple ingredients to be able to put a really good meal on the table. Thanks, the photo collage is just one of many – we’ve seen so many amazing places in New Zealand that it’s hard to capture the beauty of this country in just a few photos.
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You make me wish I liked tuna! What a great meal that looks easy to make. Beautiful New Zealand pictures Corna!
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Berto doesn’t like tuna very much either – but in New Zealand he had to learn to like it because it was so cheap! Thank you Diane, NZ is a beautiful country and it wasn’t hard to find lovely places to take pictures of.
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It helps when you have an eye for nature!
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