Healthy Curried Tuna Salad

Tuna salad is my go to lunch when we don’t have leftovers from dinner.  The key ingredient in making canned tuna tasty?  I think many would quickly said mayonnaise.  I know I would have a few months ago.  Mayonnaise has loads of preservatives that makes an otherwise healthy lunch choice…not healthy.  Awhile ago, I found a recipe from Pinterest and skeptically tried to make tuna salad without mayo.  Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the tuna salad and have eaten it this way a number of times since.  Now when I add mayo into my tuna salad it tastes too heavy.  The avocado and the oil in the recipe add the moisture and creaminess that the tuna salad usually gets from mayo.

Ingredients:

1 can tuna
1 avocado
1 T grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
1 t yellow curry powder
1 pear chopped
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 T slivered almonds
Handful of cilantro (or other herbs), roughly chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
**Have fun adding other herbs, veggies, fruit, even cheese to your tuna.  Get creative!**

Preparation:

Mix all together. Serve cold.  I often enjoy mine over lettuce or on cucumber slices.

–Adapted from: http://www.health-bent.com/

Basil Heirloom Tomato Salad with Blueberry Vanilla Goat Cheese

This recipe really is an ode to Trader Joe’s and the amazing creations that keep appearing in their store. One of my favorite summertime vegetables is Heirloom Tomatoes. We’ve been growing them and receiving them in our CSA box, but we always eat them up so quickly, so I bought us some more from Trader Joe’s. I love the produce at Trader Joe’s, they always have plenty of organic fruits and veggies for reasonable prices.

On that same shopping trip, I discovered their Blueberry & Vanilla Goat Cheese, you can read more about that product here. I had no idea what I might use it for when I bought it, but really how can you not buy a creation with that delicious combination?? Finally I had some leftover Basil Vinaigrette to use, which by the way, was made with all Trader Joe’s ingredients.

Here’s what I came up with, and it was an amazingly refreshing treat on a hot summer night.

Ingredients:

3 Heirloom Tomatoes

1/2 Log of Trader Joe’s Wild Blueberry & Vanilla Chevre Goat Cheese

2 T of Basil Vinaigrette

2 T of Olive Oil

Preparation:

Slice the tomatoes thinly and arrange artistically on platter. Crumble the goat cheese on top of sliced tomatoes. Drizzle the vinaigrette and olive oil on top of everything. Let each flavor dance on your tongue as you enjoy every refreshing bite.

Thanks Trader Joe’s for being so great!

–Jennifer Gunther

Green Bean Salad with Goat Cheese & Dates

I was inspired by a recipe found in Whole Living. The dish is too tangy without the dates, but when added the dates bring a perfect sweet & sour mixture. Perfect salad for hot summer night.

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 ounces crumbled fresh goat cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 C dates–pitted & chopped

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook just until they turn bright green and are barely tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and cool in a bowl of ice cold water. Drain and pat dry.

To make the dressing, whisk together remaining ingredients. Toss green beans with it. Chill until serving.

Kale with Raisins & Almonds

1/4 c slivered almonds
2 lbs. fresh kale, rinsed, stems removed, and leaves chopped (20 cups)
1/2 c water
1/2 c apple juice
1/4 c golden raisins
2 T butter or margarine

1. Toast the almonds in a large skillet over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring often. Scrape into a small bowl.

2. Add the kale and water to the skillet. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring and turning occasionally with 2 spoons, until the leaves are just wilted and most of the liquid is evaporated.

3. Stir in the apple juice and raisins. Cook uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the apple juice is almost evaporated. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the butter, then almonds. Serve right away.

*Kale is a great source of calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and C. The apple juice and almonds of this recipe really tone down the flavor of the kale, which is a good thing in my opinion! 🙂

–The Women’s Day Cookbook pg. 416

Melon Salad with Sweet Sesame Dressing

1/3 c honey
3 T vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground ginger
3 T vegetable oil
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 t sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 t sesame oil
Dash pepper
Lettuce leaves
2 c cut up watermelon
2 c cut up cantaloupe
2 c cut up honeydew
1 c sliced cucumber
Snipped fresh cilantro
Crisp-cook bacon (if desired)

1. For sweet sesame dressing, in small saucepan combine honey, vinegar, salt and ginger. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Transfer to medium bowl. In a thin steady stream, slowly add vegetable and olive oils to sugar mixture, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in sesame seeds, sesame oil, and cayenne pepper, set aside.

2. Line salad bowls or platter with lettuce, top with watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and cucumber. Drizzle with some of the dressing (about 1/2 c). Sprinkle cilantro and bacon.

–Grace A. Eckstorm, Better Homes and Gardens Annual Recipes 2009