Thursday, April 12, 2012

Tahini Tuna Salad

I'm pretty careful about how often I feed my family tuna (or other high mercury fish), but I have to admit that ever since I came up with this recipe, I've eaten more tuna than recommended. Okay, it has only been a month. I'm sure my craving for the perfect mix of creamy and tangy flavors in this recipe will subside. Or not :)

I do buy light tuna, since it's lower in mercury. I also buy a brand that is packed only in water and salt. Believe it or not, most cans that say 'water' are actually packed in chicken broth and other ingredients. Since I have to stay away from gluten, onions, garlic and other foods, I stick with simple. I also recommend that you stir the tahini (sesame seed paste) until smooth before using. Some brands chunk up at the bottom, leaving nothing but oil on top. Apart from that, I hope you enjoy this high protein, gluten/dairy free and 'healthy fat' version of tuna salad.

Rula's Tahini Tuna Salad


Ingredients:

3 cans light tuna in water
1/2 can of chick peas (drained)
2 roma tomatoes diced small
2 large celery stalks diced small
1/4 red bell pepper diced small
2 TBS white vinegar
2 TBS spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup tahini
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

Just mix it all up in a bowl and serve it straight up (my favorite way), on a bed of lettuce, as a sandwich with gluten free bread (try Rudi's multigrain GF bread toasted) or with a side of quinoa. It's a quick and easy meal that stores well in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!

7 comments:

  1. This sounds nice and healthy. Amazing the stuff we're consuming without knowing the harm we're doing to our bodies.

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  2. Sounds yummy. I usually buy tuna in the packages with no liquid.

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  3. This is right up my alley. I never would've thought to use chickpeas.

    Thanks!

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  4. I used to eat a lot of tuna. I haven't eaten it in years. Since before being pregnant with my first child. He is now twelve.

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  5. J.L. - Seriously, right? I'm a label reader try to stay away from all the chemical additives. They're everywhere though.

    Carol - I've had those before too :)

    Maria - I'd never tried chickpeas with tuna before, but I was rummaging through my pantry for ingredients and figured why not...and it turned out tasty :)

    Stina - That's funny, because I don't think I ate any either from my first pregnancy and for a long time after my third. Partly smell/taste issues with my hormones and partly bc of the mercury (I was really strict with pregnancy foods). I'm back to eating it now though...

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  6. I love tahini and tuna, so I NEED to try this recipe!

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  7. Hey Jennifer - Let me know what you think!

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