TUNA SALAD WITH RED GRAPES & SPINACH

2/08/2017


Tuna salads are one of my go-to lunches that I make at home. I always play around when it comes to my salads hence with my turkey mince lettuce cups which was a twist to an original salad dish. If you missed it just click here to see but this traditional salad is a staple that I always come back to. I don't manage to eat salads as often anymore mainly due to work and also, being in London and the temperature being slightly colder I crave something warmer usually for lunch but especially in summer, or back home in Malta this is an all time favourite. It's so fresh, and full of good nutritious ingredients plus the grapes give it a nice sweet taste, I usually add grapes instead of tomatoes for a change. So for those of you out there who don't like raw or tomatoes in general (what?!) I know there are many of you out there - you can use grapes instead for a similar texture and my are they good. I have never tried tomato and grapes together - quite frankly I can't imagine them going well together .. I always alternate between the two to keep things different but if you ever try the two together let me know if it's good or not! Maybe one day, I will try it for the sake of testing.. after all it's through trial and error do we learn! 

I never go heavy on my salad dressings, I was never one to like caesar salad dressings or these thick sauces. Whenever I order salads from outside I always order dressing on the side and I barely ever end up touching it. I love traditional dressings or perhaps more commonly known as french dressing - which is composed of dijon mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and parsley mixed together with the usual salt and pepper to taste - super tasty & satisfying! This time round I opted for an even simpler recipe by just adding a little apple cider vinegar for added benefits & a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil - I kept it light to keep the taste of the grapes & avocado, but enough to cover my leafy greens.

I love tuna in sunflower oil - I drain the excess oil but the taste just makes it so much more palatable (and for this reason a lighter dressing works well) as it's full of flavour on it's own. Avocado for me is a must in my salads, I only use half as not only are they expensive but they are also quite rich, even though they're the good kind of fat I still try to moderate my intake - plus it allows me to add the other half in my dinner or as a snack if I feel peckish throughout the day. 

This meal requires no cooking, minimal preparation and is perfect for lunches on the go. If sometimes you're looking for a more substantial meal you can always add a pitta bread on the side or cut up chunks of it like I did & add extra toppings, I went for pumpkin seeds. 

In supermarkets here in London, seedless grapes are more common to get your hands on than seeded, I don't always get a chance to go down to the market as often as I'd like. However, did you know that the seeds of grapes are super beneficial and if you're having a nutritious salad why not go all the way: a lot of medication is done with grape seeds, and it's usually the part we always remove when we eat them. Some of it's perks are that it helps with de-swelling, bone strength, water retention, tooth decay, full of antioxidants & way more - look it up for yourself and you'll be surprised! So perhaps opt for the seeded grapes if you can  easily get your hands on them. 




INGREDIENTS:


- X1/2 can of Tuna
- a bunch of red grapes
(I used seedless but seeded is recommended)
- x1/2 avocado 
- handful of spinach 
- 1tbsp of apple cider vinegar 
- 2tsp of olive oil 
salt and pepper to taste
- Pumpkin seeds to garnish (optional)
- x1 pitta bread 

    -----


HOW TO:



Add the greens first - - make sure that your spinach leaves are washed before hand, my spinach pack is pre-washed so it's so handy to just have it ready to add a handful in all my cooking. Dice the avocado into small cubes, I prefer having it into smaller chunks so you surprisingly find them everywhere in the salad once you mix. 

You can opt to cut your grapes in half or as a whole. I did both - half is easier to prick with the fork you don't want your grape to go flying on the floor, trust me you're going to want it to go in your mouth. 



Add your tuna next - I only used half a can which allowed me to use the other half to make a rice salad for work the next day.



Then just add any toppings that you desire - I had pumpkin seeds on hand so I only added that, but you can add almonds or any other nuts/seeds that you make like.


As I mentioned above, this salad doesn't need a lot of dressing, I drizzled a little olive oil  mainly and added some cider vinegar for a tangy finish and the usual salt and pepper which lets be honest no dish is ever fully complete without. 


et voila.. This step is obviously optional - some days I cut my pita in half and add some of my salad inside to have a pitta pocket and some remaining salad on the side...



other times I cut it into strips and have it mixed in with my salad...


other days I go carb free and have this salad with no pitta bread but those days are mainly in the summer time when it's hot and you only want cold, FRESH ingredients but again that's very rare ha ha I love my carbs...



it sounds weird adding grapes to a salad but I hope you give this combination a go! What's a weird topping you guys love in your salads?



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