Two Great Summer Recipes
I’ve got a couple of recipes to share that are just perfect for hot summer days such as this. One is for a Napa Cabbage Slaw with Cilantro Dressing that my friend and colleague brought to my house over the weekend, and the other is for a White Bean and Tuna Salad. I found the latter recipe on one of my all-time favorite recipe sites, Simply Recipes, and I have not tried it yet but I just can’t wait to break it out for a cool evening meal.
For some reason, I always get a hankering for tuna salad for supper during the hottest days of the year. On a nice bed of homegrown lettuce with a few wedges of ripe tomato and a stack of crackers (Wheat Thins for me – I’m a Wheat Thins addict) you’ve got yourself a perfect, no fuss meal. I usually make a very simple tuna salad with canned tuna, mayonnaise, pickle relish, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, but the white beans seemed like an interesting twist. Bonus: The recipe is high in protein and gluten-free.
I’ll share those recipes below. Meanwhile, you may still be experiencing some kinks with the blog, but we are working those out. Thanks again for your patience.
Spicy Napa Cabbage Slaw with Cilantro Dressing
Note: My friend Megan added sunflower kernels to this recipe, which was a very nice touch.
1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. grated peeled ginger
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 fresh serrano chile, finely chopped, with seeds
1 small head Napa cabbage (1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Whisk together vinegar, sugar, ginger, oil, chile, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add remaining ingredients and toss well. Let stand, tossing occasionally, 10 minutes.
Source: Gourmet magazine, Aug. 2008
White Bean and Tuna Salad
Serves 4
1 cup of chopped red onions or shallots
The zest and juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes (can sub a tablespoon or two of cider vinegar)
2 (5 to 6 oz.) cans of tuna packed in olive oil
2 (15 oz.) cans of cannellini or Great Northern white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup of chopped mint, parsley, or arugula (I’m wondering if cilantro wouldn’t be good, also)
A few splashes of Tabasco sauce, or 1 minced Serrano chile or 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Salt and olive oil to taste
1. Sprinkle some of the lemon juice over the chopped onions while you prepare the other ingredients. This will take some of the oniony edge off the onions.
2. Drain the oil from the tuna and put the tuna into a large bowl. Add the beans to the tuna and gently stir to combine. Add the onions, herbs, black pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix to combine. Add Tabasco or chile to taste. If the salad needs more acid, add a little more lemon juice. If the salad seems a little dry, add a little bit of olive oil. Add salt to taste.
3. Chill before serving. This salad will last several days in the fridge, tightly covered.
Source: Simplyrecipes.com
June 29, 2010 - 9:25 AM
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I love that tuna salad recipe. It looks so light and fresh, and the beans would make it even more satisfying and filling. Plus the kick from the red pepper, zests, and herbs without any mayo to dull their flavors.
I think I’m making this for lunch today!
Those sound great. I love tuna and beans.
My mom always did this during the summer, and it’s one of those things that I carry on today. I’ll make a tuna salad like the recipe above, and mix it up with medium shell noodles. If you let it sit overnight, it gets cold and refreshing, and the shells hold the tuna (or chicken) salad in to make a wonderful meal! You should try it with some celery or onion cut up and mixed in it!
Can you buy canned tuna in olive oil? I just see it in water at the store.
Trader Joes has tuna packed in olive oil…it’s fantastic.
Yes, you can Sharon. Kroger sells it, but I’m not sure if it’s in with the regular tuna or with the imported Italian foods. It’s been a while since I bought any. I know it was not Starkist or Chicken of the Sea, it was some Italian brand.
Yeah, I was going to say I would be surprised if you could not find it at Kroger. Maybe not OUR Kroger, Sharon, but probably one of the bigger ones.
Mark Bittman has one of his “101″ series in the NYT today, and his topic is grilling. I glanced over a few of them and got about 100 ideas for dinner tonight. His “101″ things are generally easy and require few ingredients – they’re no big deal to throw together on a weeknight.
I am resting and recuperating from a broken foot. I have a freezer full of Lean Cusiine’s right now, so I won’t have to stand by the stove and cook anything. It’s been a long time since I’ve bought any, I’m wondering about the French bread pizzas. I just opened one and is it my imagination or are they smaller than they used to be?
Debbie, I love those Lean Cuisines. During a diet last fall I got quite attached to them! Try the round pizzas…the margherita in particular is tasty, even better with some red pepper flakes. The lemongrass chicken one is great too.
Hope your foot heals fast.
Thanks Kristen. I’ll try those, they sound great!
Made the tuna salad with the beans today. Yum, yum. The only thing I would do differently is either add more tuna or less beans. I served it on a tomato that was cut into wedges. A very filling lunch for me. Looking forward to having some more tomorrow for lunch.
Just thought i would comment and say neat design, did you code it yourself? Looksexcellent.