Welcome to another work week everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend. Philip and I had a quiet weekend by ourselves, but I was also celebrating the fact that I didn’t have to work this weekend, so we enjoyed having the entire weekend to be productive, relax, and spend quality time together.
We had high (perhaps lofty?) hopes of having nice, warm weather so we could get out and go biking or hiking together, but since the weather wasn’t that great out, we decided after our individual morning runs to instead take it easy, go to a coffee shop to sip on…smoothies (#notacoffeedrinker), and have a movie night. While we missed not spending time with family this weekend, it was nice having time to get things done and still be able to relax together. #yearoffun
Not to mention, today we have painters coming to paint the majority of our main floor, the upstairs stairwell, and hallway in our house. So yesterday meant we had to take down decorations, remove all the wall plates, and move furniture away from the walls. Although it really wasn’t much, during the midst of it, I had a slight internal panic reliving the idea of one day moving again. It amazes me what will fit in just one closet!
Coming off a holiday that is inevitably centered around food (and candy!), it seems like we’re all looking for something a little lighter following a day of overeating. If you’re thinking, “Yes! That’s me!” I have the perfect meal idea for you today: Mediterranean Tuna Salad. Even if you didn’t overeat this past weekend and are just in the mood for a healthier twist on tuna salad, you’re going to love this one. It’s filling and protein-rich from the double-duty of the beans and tuna and is bright and fresh with spring staples like lemon juice and fragrant herbs. I’m still striving after my goal for the year of eating more fish, and I’m happy to report that so far, so good! And this salad makes it super easy for me, too. It’s great for lunch or even a light supper.
Being that it’s a Mediterranean tuna salad, it has healthy fats, light and bright flavors, and leaves out the heavy mayonnaise and overly sweet pickle relish found in traditional tuna salad. My husband, one who has this traditional tuna salad down to a science, was the first to report while eating it that he never knew there was another way of having tuna salad. I tell ya, I keep opening his eyes up to new things every day. ;) The verdict: He loved it!
The tuna salad is served over mixed greens, but it would be great served with whole wheat crackers like Triscuits, too! Make this Mediterranean Tuna Salad soon…it’ll help you feel better after having one too many Peeps and jelly beans this past weekend. :)
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas beans, drained and rinsed (also labeled as garbanzo beans)
- 2 (5- to 6-oz) cans water-packed chunk light tuna, drained and flaked
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons dried parsley, divided
- 1 (4 oz) jar capers, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 cup lemon juice, divided
- 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 8 cups mixed salad greens or spinach
Directions:
- Combine beans, tuna, bell pepper, onion, parsley, capers, rosemary, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl. Season with pepper.
- Combine the remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil and salt in a large bowl. Add salad greens; toss to coat. Divide the greens among 4 plates. Top each with the tuna salad and serve. Alternatively, keep the lemon juice and olive oil mixture in a small bowl. Drizzle desired amount of vinaigrette over individual servings of salad.
Adapted from: Eating Well
RD in the Midwest 