Summer Salads

Hey everyone!

Even though it feels nothing close to summer here (58 degree daytime highs—no joke!), I am still all about eating certain summer fare. Besides an over-abundance of summer fruit and veggies, I tend to eat a lot of “salads”—not just the green leafy kinds, but things like potato salads, tuna salad, coleslaw, etc. What’s your favorite “summer” food or meal? So I thought I’d share some recent salads I have been enjoying—so if your in the need for some new recipes and products, look no further than this post!

I have had my eye on Hungry Girl’s I Can’t Believe It’s Not Potato Salad for quite sometime, and since her 200 Under 200 Cookbook is my cookbook of the month, I figured now would be a great opportunity to make it. What lured me in to this recipe was the awesome method of getting a super creamy(healthy!)sauce mixture—and although the original recipe does not include potatoes, hence the name, I did add a few peeled red potatoes to the mix—I just can’t justify a “potato” salad without the poor potatoes. Either way this would is great! I definitely am making another batch soon, because the first batch is on its’ last leg! Get the recipe here!

New product that just hit the shelves alert: StarKist Chunk Light Tuna Salad Sandwich Ready Spread in a convenient on-the-go pouch! I don’t know about you, but I won’t eat tuna from a can—it just has that canny taste I can’t get past, so I have been a pouched tuna girl, and now that they have a pre-mixed sandwich spread, you better believe I stocked up! At about $1.30 a pouch you can’t go wrong. It was the perfect blend of spices and flavors, and the stats are super too! Each 3-oz. pouch has 90 - 100 calories, 2.5 - 3.5g fat, 4 - 6g carbs, 1g fiber, and 11 - 13g protein depending on if you get the Albacore or the Chunk Light.

Do you have some cans of tuna lying around that you want to use up before you go out and buy more? Try these ideas!

• Combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and Serrano chilies—add tuna and fresh squeezed lemon. Serve on top of tostadas or in taco shells!
• Combine pitted olives, tuna, garlic, thyme, rosemary, anchovies(if you want), capers, lemon juice, mustard and olive oil in a food processor for a black olive tapenade with a twist!
• Brush pitas with olive oil, then sprinkle with grated fontina cheese. Top with light tuna chunks, minced garlic, halved marinated artichoke hearts, diced tomato, and kalamata olives. Bake until just bubbly for a tuna pizza!
  
• Make some tuna meatballs by combining oil-packed tuna with minced onion, scallion, parsley, marjoram, and salt. Add egg and panko bread crumbs that have been moistened with a little milk. Form small, firm meatballs and simmer in sauce made with canned diced tomatoes, the oil from the tuna, a splash of white wine, garlic, and onions. Bon appétit!
• Toss tuna into a Middle Eastern-inspired salad, tossing with some chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mound it on crispbread and enjoy!
  
• Pair your tuna with pasta by mixing a can with chopped garlic, several spoonfuls or EVOO, black olives, capers, and a sprinkle of oregano. Toss with cooked pasta(or sprouts) and add a can of tomato sauce!
• Make a melt by combining a can of tuna with sweet relish, red onion, celery, lemon juice, light mayo, and half of a sweet pickle. Scoop on top of a toasted English muffin half, add a slice(or two!) of cheese, and broil till bubbly.
• Stuff peppers by sautéing diced onion and eggplant until caramelized. Mix with tuna, parsley, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then stuff in to prepared bell peppers. Bake until steaming hot and serve with a bed of rice if desired.
• Add a can to lentils, chopped tomatoes, and parsley along with your favorite low-fat vinaigrette, plus salt and pepper. 

Have a great day as sweet as this fruit!

(yes, it was delish!)