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| A more "adult version"of an old standby. |
It's easy to get into a rut with canned tuna. Mayo. Celery. Maybe chopped, hard-boiled eggs. So I was intrigued when I spotted a recipe on-line with a Mediterranean kick. Unfortunately, I was not at all satisfied with the results and almost threw it into the garbage. Fortunately, I let it sit in the fridge overnight and WOW. All it needed was time for all those incredible flavors to mingle and mellow. We ate it at work as a kind of dip using Scoops. It would be great stuffed into a tomato, maybe with a bit of melted cheese on top.
I used yellowfin tuna in olive oil. It's much "meatier." The first time I made it, I used regular tuna in olive oil which, even after drained, made the mixture soupy. I prefer the yellowfin.
I deviated from the original recipe quite a lot which used celery; instead, I used water chestnuts. I also added green pepper, Old Bay for just a bit of a kick, seasoned salt, and upped the red onion. If you like Kalamata olives, you will appreciate this recipe. It's important to drain your red peppers to prevent the salad from becoming too wet. The Old Bay does not make it "hot" or spicy. Feel free to add a bit of Cayenne or my new favorite, Aleppo Pepper.
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| Water chestnuts are a great sub for celery in any cold-salad recipe. |
- 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 2, 5-ounce cans tuna in oil, drained (see notes below)
- 1, 5-ounce albacore tuna in water, drained
- 1/2 heaping cup chopped, roasted red pepper from a jar
- 15 Kalamata olives, drained and sliced lengthwise into strips, some chopped
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts, roughly cut
- 4-5 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 3 tablespoons finely diced green pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Remove red peppers from jar and pat dry on paper towel before dicing.
Whisk lemon juice into mayo. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Serve as a dip with corn chips, as a cold sandwich or open-faced sandwich with melted cheese on top, on a bed of lettuces with fresh-sliced tomatoes, or in a wrap.
Notes: I used Starkist Yellowfin Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil.