Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Roasted Red Peppers
Gloppy tuna salad gets a fresh-tasting makeover in this easy recipe. Take this with you on a busy day, or arrange the peppers on a white platter, top with the tuna mixture and parsley, and take to a potluck occasion as a salad or appetizer. Be prepared for second servings and to give out the recipe. Instead of tuna, you can lightly beat 2 large eggs or equivalent egg substitute and stir them into the pilaf during the last minute of cooking until the shreds of egg are fully cooked (as you would do for fried rice). Add 1 tablespoon olive oil in place of the oil from the tuna and mix in the remaining ingredients.
Note: Piquillo (little beak) peppers from northern Spain are well worth seeking out for this recipe. Costco or better grocery stores will have them packed in jars. These small, conical peppers are roasted over embers, which gives them a distinct sweet, spicy, slightly smoky flavor. Unlike bell peppers, they aren’t good raw but are delicious when roasted, peeled, and deseeded. Piquillo peppers stuffed with tuna is a dish you’ll see in tapas or little plates restaurants.
Serves 4 • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 15 minutes
1 cup water
11/4 cups uncooked Power Pilaf mix (see here)
1 (6 1/2-ounce) can tuna packed in olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 jarred roasted red pepper halves, or 8 jarred whole roasted piquillo peppers, cut into large strips
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the pilaf mix and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain off any water and fluff with a fork.
- Add the tuna with its oil, the lemon zest and juice, garlic, and oregano. Stir to blend, breaking up the tuna. Arrange the strips of pepper on a serving platter, mound the tuna salad on top, and sprinkle with parsley.
Calories 131 • Total Fat 4g • Saturated Fat 0.5g • Carbohydrates 7.5g • Protein 15g • Dietary Fiber 2.5g • Sodium 170mg