Beach Day Tuna Salad

Yet another recipe from The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook I just bought(the other was Blueberry Corn Salsa…in case you missed it!).  The thing that caught my attention was the raisins!  I mean, raisins in tuna salad? Crazy?? DELICIOUS!

Tuna is standard in my lunch time meal repertoire and has been for most of my life.  My typical version would be tuna/mayo/celery/eggs.  That’s how my mom and Bernie made it growing up.  But I’ve also made curried tuna salad and this cilantro tuna salad…both really good!

The recipe in the book only makes 2 servings (it uses 2 cans of tuna).  I adjusted for more and used 5 5-ounce cans (chunk light for the lower mercury content…packed in water).  But I didn’t think it was necessary to increase the mayo/oil/mustard by much…I don’t like any of my salads (chicken, egg) overly creamy.  I left out the parsley too…I used the inner celery leaves instead.  This is something I always do, they have so much flavor! 

The sweetness from the raisins is subtle.  And just note, I couldn’t find golden raisins so I ended up using regular brown ones.  This salad works on whole grain toast for a sandwich option.  Or you could serve it over lettuce/spinach/some other green.  Make a big batch like I did.  I promise, you will wish you had more…especially if you have a roommate!!

Beach Day Tuna Salad
adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen

makes 4-5 servings

5 (5-ounce) cans water-packed tuna (I used chunk light)
1/3 cup raisins
3 celery stalks, diced…including some of the inner leaves
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise or extra-virgin olive oil…depending on how creamy you want it
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drain tuna well and put into a mixing bowl. Soak raisins in warm water for 5 minutes to soften, then drain. Coarsely chop raisins and add them to the tuna.

Add celery, mustard, lemon juice, and mayonnaise or olive oil to the bowl and stir well to combine, breaking up the larger chunks of tuna. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once, or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.

Per serving (based on 5 servings…only the tuna salad…no bread/lettuce/etc): 262 calories, 8 g fat (1.3 g saturated), 10 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 37 g protein (1 1/2 fat, 5 protein, 1/2 fruit)…FYI…4 servings would make it 327cals…that’s probably what I end up eating

* The amounts in this recipe are completely up to you…less celery? Sure.  More lemon or mustard?  Why not!  You might fall in love with the raisins and decide to add more of those too.  Just don’t be tempted to add TOO much mayo/oil.  Here’s my opinion of mayo…you might be surprised!

Three-Seed Crusted Tuna

You know that person whose food you can’t wait to eat?  Maybe its your mom…or your grandmother…but everything they cook is perfect in your mind.  For me that’s my Aunt Millie.  She has a way of always cooking exactly what I was hoping to eat on that day.  Since my mom passed away, she has become the cook for many our family celebrations…Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving, Father’s Day, Easter, Birthdays. 

She has a few meals that are welcome repeats (ribs, roast, gumbo).  But she also loves to try new recipes too; she’s a food magazine girl just like me. 

Uncle Wayne deserves a little credit too :)

Three-Seed Crusted Tuna is one of the recipes she’s shared with me over the years.  It is so easy…but looks really fancy!  All you need is really good tuna (I love when I’m the lucky recipient of some freshly caught tuna…also a benefit of being their niece…Uncle Wayne loves to fish). 

The original recipe is served with lima bean, corn, and pancetta succotash.  It’s from The Wine Lover’s Cookbook and the recommended pairing is with a chardonnay.  But usually I just cook the tuna and then do something “Asian” with it…maybe lettuce wraps?

Three-Seed Crusted Tuna
from The Wine Lover's Cookbook

make 6 servings

1.5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds of tuna (Ahi/yellowtail), cut into 6 steaks
salt and black pepper
1.5 tablespoons sesame seeds
1.5 tablespoons poppy seeds
1.5 tablespoons mustard seeds

Using a pastry brush (or your hands) coat tuna steaks with 1 tablespoon oil on all sides.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Mix seeds together in a bowl and coat tuna evenly on top and bottom with the mixture. 

Heat remaining oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  When very hot, add tuna to the pan.  Sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side, making sure you don’t overcook it!  I prefer it very rare inside. 

Remove from heat and thinly slice (use a good knife…or it won’t slice as pretty…and will make your pictures less appealing!). 

Per 6 oz serving: 230 calories, 2 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat (1.1 g saturated), 37 g protein (exchanges: 1.5 fat, 5 protein)

Curried Tuna Salad

I know, I know…another salad recipe.  I can’t help it!  Its what I eat when I know I’m not going to have time to cook THE WHOLE WEEK.  For the past 8 days (Saturday to Saturday) I have been wrapped up with all things dance.  Extra rehearsals, privates, teaching class, choreography for Saintsations, Saintsation practice, 2 days of dress rehearsal, 3 recitals. 

And sure enough, I didn’t find time to cook (besides quickly grilling some zucchini to eat with pesto and mozzarella for a quick lunch…and making cookies for some deserving dancers).  So it was a good thing I found time to make this earlier in the week. 

The recipe was inspired by this and this.  I love curried chicken salad, so why not tuna?  And I haven’t had fish in a while (something I try to eat regularly), so it was a perfect solution.  I buy water-packed canned light (as opposed to albacore) tuna for the lower mercury levels.   

The biggest differences between my recipes for chicken and tuna salad and other traditional ones is that I try to add more veggies and use less mayo (swapping Greek yogurt for SOME of it…you can read my opinion of mayo here). 

And while I did have a tuna salad sandwich one day, the rest was eaten over romaine with cucumbers.  Love a salad on a salad!

Curried Tuna Salad

makes 5 servings

3 5-6 ounce cans light tuna packed in water, drained
4 celery stalks, diced finely
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup raisins, chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (I use Fage 0%)
1/2 - 1 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to combine, breaking up any large pieces of tuna.  Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or curry powder if needed.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Per serving (about a cup) – 258 calories, 11 g fat (2.4 g saturated), 10 g carbohydrate, 1.6 g fiber, 29 g protein (exchanges: 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 fruit, 2 fat, 4 protein)

What Does a Dietitian Eat? (Day 2)

Tuesday May 5th

• Breakfast - 2 small peaches, cottage cheese and Greek/vanilla yogurt (1/2 cup each), coffee with 1 tbsp condensed milk
• Snack - Hummus (2 - 3 tbsp) with snow peas
• 3 mile jog
• Lunch - Salad with dijon-cilantro tuna salad
  
• Snack - Whole wheat toast with strawberry jam
• Teach dance from 3:30 - 7:30 pm
• Dinner - Peanut butter (1 Tbsp); Omelet (2 eggs plus 2 whites) with mushrooms, tomatoes, green onions, and 2% cheddar 
• Dessert - Strawberry buttermilk ice cream

I wake up early on Tuesdays to go to mass...it's something I started doing right after my mom passed away and now it's part of my routine.  I usually have something to eat before I go because I always wake up hungry - today it was 2 peaches.  Afterwards I had the cottage cheese and yogurt for a little protein, plus coffee.  Every week I by a tub of 0% FAGE and another of vanilla Wallaby yogurt, and I mix the two...the FAGE is too tangy and the Wallaby too sweet and runny, but together they are perfect.

Right before my run, around 11:30am, I needed a little snack.  I love hummus, but it's a starch (and a protein) so I like to find something non-starchy to dip (as opposed to pita bread or chips).  Sometimes I do carrot sticks or red bell pepper strips.  I had snow peas in the fridge so I decided to go with them.  The hummus was some that I picked up at the farmers market from Nur's Kitchen - I love it!

After my run, I made dijon-cilantro tuna salad which is loosely based on this recipe.  I combined 2 6-ounce cans of tuna (packed in water...chunk light) with shredded carrots (1 cup), diced celery (4 stalks), cilantro (1/2 cup), diced sweet pickles (1/4 cup)...these are estimated amounts, I hardly ever measure vegetables when I make something like this - the more the better right???  For the dressing I combined 1 heaping tbsp each mayo (regular) and Greek yogurt (fat-free), 3 tbsp mustard (I did a combo of grainy, dijon, and spicy), and a little salt and pepper.  I figure it makes about 4 servings and I had about 1 serving over romaine lettuce.

I've said it before, but I love omelets for dinner.  I actually make something more like a frittata because I don't fold the omelet and leave it open-faced instead.  It's a great way to use up left-over (or not-so-fresh) veggies and eggs are a cheap protein source.  Plus it's a starch-free meal.

One criticism of today...too much added sugar:  in the yogurt, coffee, jam, and ice cream.  I have a huge sweet tooth and if I don't pay attention, it can get the best of me.  I'll have to do better tomorrow!