“Italian” Themed Tuna Salad

 

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This is another of my “special” themed tuna salads. It is really nice in wraps, but is a good salad topper as well.

Ingredients:

• Tuna 2 160 g tins (in oil)
• Red Onion 1/4
• Tomato 1/4
• Black Olives 6 pitted
• Oregano 1/4 tsp
• Garlic Mayonnaise 1 to 2 Tbs to your preferred creaminess
• Pesto 2 two 3 tsp according to your taste
• Parmesan 2 tsp grated

Method:

Drain the oil from the tuna, and fork the fish into a medium bowl. Dice the onion and tomato and add it to the bowl. Slice the olives and add them and the oregano to the bowl.  Add the mayo and pesto and mix well, then add the cheese and stir again.

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Basic Tuna Salad (Tuna Mayo)

On Friday I posted a piece which examined fusion dishes, and the regional and national variations in certain recipes. Tinned (canned) tuna mixed with mayonnaise is one of those recipes which has an incredible number of variations. With that said there is a basic starting point which most (but not all) share.  So here is a basic tuna salad recipe which we can build on.

Ingredients:

• Tuna Canned 160 g (I prefer oil packed, but water packed is fine)
• Onion 2 to 3 slices
• Mayonnaise 1 well rounded Tbs
• Black Pepper (to taste)

Method:

Drain the tuna thoroughly and fork into a mixing bowl. Finely dice the onion and add it to the tuna.  Spoon in the mayo and sprinkle in some pepper.  Mix thoroughly and serve in a sandwich or on top of salad.

As I have said, this is a basic starting point, and I will post some more elaborate recipes on the theme in the near future.

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Crab and Tomato Salad with Sweetcorn

We were at Cromer over the weekend, and Cromer is the place for British North Sea  crab. We found a very nice fishmonger on Garden on garden Street called Davies, and bought three nice dressed crabs.  I have previously posted my recipe for crab and pasta salad. This time I went with crab and tomato with some sweetcorn thrown in for good measure.

Ingredients:

• Dressed Crabs 2 large or 3 medium
• Bell Pepper 1/4 small
• Vine Ripened Tomatoes 2
• Mayonnaise 2 Tbs
• Spring Onions 2
• Ground Black Pepper large pinch
• Sweetcorn 1 ear
• Salt to taste
• Water for prep

Method:

Bring a medium pan of water to a boil and place the corn in it.  Boil for 3 or 4 minutes, then remove and allow corn to cool.  Dice the bell pepper and tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Remove any rough outer layers of the spring onion and dice the onions as well. Add the onion and crab meat to the bowl. Using a sharp knife cut the kernels from the cob and add to the bowl as well. Add the mayo and stir until in forms a uniform texture. Serve over a bed of lettuce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Mustard Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• New Potatoes 400g/ 14 oz skin on
• Spring Onions 3
• Mayonnaise 2 Tbs
• “Yellow” Mustard  (French’s Classic, or similar) 1 Tbs rounded
• Crisp Bacon crumbled 2 Tbs or (veggie bacon bits such as Bacos) [optional]*
• Gherkin 1 medium
• Salt
• Water to cover

Method:

Bring enough water to cover the potatoes to the boil in a medium pan.  Lightly salt and add the potatoes. Book for about 8 minutes, drain and allow to cool. When the potatoes are sufficiently cooled (room temp or lower). Halve each potato into a large bowl.  Dice the onions and gherkin and add to the bowl.  Then stir in the mayo and mustard.  Stir in bacon. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

* Omit the bacon or use bacon substitute for vegetarian version.

If in a hurry canned new potatoes can be used (500 -530 g tin drained).

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Pasta Salad 2

Here is a pasta salad with a bit of a Mediterranean feel.   I am particularly fond of the pesto flavour that accompanies the richness of the sun dried tomatoes and olives. This is a great picnic side dish, or a nice lunch in its own right.

Ingredients:

• Pasta 1 1/2 cups uncooked (I use gluten free)
• Sun Dried Tomatoes 4 large
• Spring Onions 3
• Olives 10 pitted
• Capers 1 tsp
• Pesto 1 Tbs
• Mayonnaise 1 to 1 1/2 Tbs according to desired consistency
• Water as per pasta instructions
• Salt to taste

Method:

Prepare the pasta according to the manufacturer’s instructions, but leaving it slightly firm. While it is cooking dice the onions, and tomatoes into small pieces and add to a large bowl (including any oil leaked from the tomatoes). Next cut the olives into rings and add to the bowl. Add the capers and stir. When pasta is ready rinse  in cold water and drain very well. Add the pasta to the bowl, and spoon in the pesto and mayo.  Stir very well until everything is evenly coated.  Add salt to taste (I didn’t need any). Cover and chill until ready to serve.

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Pasta Salad 1

I have posted several summer salads recently, most of which were potato based.  Here is a pasta salad recipe.  It is versatile as a basic recipe, and in the pictured batch used gluten free pasta so I could more readily share it with my wife.  It uses fresh salad standards such as tomatoes and cucumber, and has a fresh taste.

Ingredients:

• Pasta (really any sort will do) 4 cups dry
• Tomatoes 2 large
• Cucumber 1/2
• Spring Onions 2
• Bell Pepper 1 large (yellow or red)
• Dried Parsley 1/2 tsp
• Mayonnaise 3 to 4 heaped Tbs (to taste)
• Cider Vinegar splash
• Water to cover
• Salt sprinkle

Method:

Prepare the pasta according to the manufacturer’s guidelines (using salted water). While the pasta is cooking chop the tomatoes into eighths and place into a mixing bowl.  Dice the onions and pepper into small pieces, and add to the tomatoes.  Cut cucumber into slightly larger pieces and add to bowl. Sprinkle with a little salt, the parsley, and a splash of vinegar and toss. When pasta is cooked run cold water over it to cool and remove excess starch. When well cooled drain very well and add to the veg mixture.  Next stir in the mayonnaise until everything is well coated.  Cover and chill in a refrigerator before serving.

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Potato and Beetroot Salad

It is Thoughtful Thursday, and to be fair I am really bogged down with my latest philosophical piece.  It will appear in due course, but for today my “thoughts” turn to dinner.  With that said I present Potato and Beetroot Salad.

Here is another summer potato-based salad.  It has loads of colour and flavour, and makes a great changes form the basic recipe. It is loosely based on Scandinavian dishes, but is ultimately a fusion dish.

Ingredients:

• New Potatoes 400g/ 14 oz
• Beets (Beetroot) 300 g* (boiled prepared) or Pickled Beets 300 g*
• Spring Onions 3
• Mayonnaise 2 Tbs
• Dijon Mustard 1 tsp rounded*
• Celery 1 stock
• Salt
• Water to cover

Method:

Bring enough water to cover the potatoes to the boil in a medium pan.  Lightly salt and add the potatoes. Book for about 8 minutes, drain and allow to cool. When the potatoes are sufficiently cooled (room temp or lower). Halve each potato into a large bowl.  Chop the beets into simpler sized pieces and add to the potatoes.  Finely dice the onions and celery and add to the bowl.  Then stir in the mayo (and mustard if using boiled beets, omit is using pickled beets).  Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

I prefer the tangy-ness of the pickled beets, but both versions are nice.

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Salmon Potato Salad

Here is a really yummy variation on the basic potato salad.  It adds egg, pickles, and smoked salmon for a richer flavour.

Ingredients:

• New Potatoes 400g/ 14 oz
• Spring Onions 2
• Smoked Salmon (Lox) 100g
• Dill Pickles/Gherkins 2
• Eggs 2 hard boiled
• Mayonnaise 2 Tbs
• Dijon Mustard 1 tsp rounded
• Salt
• Water to cover

Method:

Bring enough water to cover the potatoes to the boil in a medium pan.  Lightly salt and add the potatoes. Book for about 8 minutes, drain and allow to cool. When the potatoes are sufficiently cooled (room temp or lower). Halve each potato into a large bowl.  Dice the onions and gherkins and add to the bowl.  Shell and dice the eggs and add to the bowl. Next cut the salmon into thin strips and add. Then stir in the mayo and mustard.  Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

Potatoes can be peeled or skin on, and if in a hurry canned new potatoes can be used (500 -530 g tin drained).

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Basic Potato Salad

Summer is the season for picnics and barbecues, therefore it is the season for potato salad.  Here is a very basic recipe, but I will publish more elaborate variations of in the near future.

Ingredients:

• New Potatoes 400g/ 14 oz
• Spring Onions 2
• Mayonnaise 2 Tbs
• Dijon Mustard 1 tsp rounded
• Salt
• Water to cover

Method:

Bring enough water to cover the potatoes to the boil in a medium pan.  Lightly salt and add the potatoes. Book for about 8 minutes, drain and allow to cool. When the potatoes are sufficiently cooled (room temp or lower). Halve each potato into a large bowl.  Dice the onions and add to the bowl.  Then stir in the mayo and mustard.  Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

Potatoes can be peeled or skin on, and if in a hurry canned new potatoes can be used (500 -530 g tin drained).

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