Summer Tuna Salad with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Summer Tuna Salad with Chickpeas & Tomatoes

If you take a look at my last few posts on this blog, you will see a lot of similarity in the recipes.  This recipe just sort of happened when I came home really hungry last Thursday.  On Thursdays, I hang out at a local Farmers Market.  My friends, Jacki and Janet, demonstrate spinning wool on their spinning wheels.  They have some items on display such as wool sheared from a sheep in various stages of preparation... washed, unwashed, combed, carded... and then Jacki and Janet demonstrate how the yarn is actually spun on the wheel. They also have some hanks of yarn on display; a hank of yarn is yarn that is ready to be knit up.  I sit there and knit and chat in the shade of the big, beautiful trees and I talk to folks about knitting if they are interested.  It's a fun way to spend the morning but I came home hungry and hot this past Thursday.

I really liked a salad I had tried earlier in the week... white beans, tuna, red onion, arugula, and a vinaigrette dressing with dried herbs.  On Thursday, I was thinking of making up a similar salad with a Greek-sort-of-dressing with fresh and dried oregano but I saw my homemade "Merlino's Belvedere Salad Dressing" sitting on the counter top so I decided to use that. I was hot and hungry and just wanted to eat! This salad turned out so good.  I had it all gobbled up in two days. So easy and refreshing on a hot summer day.


Summer Tuna Salad with Chickpeas & Tomatoes

1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 5-ounce cans tuna packed in water, drained (I used albacore tuna)
1 very small Vidalia (sweet) onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 to 2/3 cup)
about 1 cup grape tomatoes
6 tablespoons of the prepared Merlino's Belvedere Salad Dressing (see recipe below)
Salad greens if desired (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, tuna, onion, and tomatoes.  Top with about 6 tablespoons of the salad dressing; gently toss to coat.  If desired, serve over a bed of your favorite greens.  I had iceberg lettuce on hand, but spinach or any other leafy green would be great.  This salad is also good without any leafy greens.  

Merlino's Belvedere Salad Dressing

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup light olive oil (or peanut oil)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried basil

Measure all ingredients into a bowl; whisk to combine. Alternatively, place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine all ingredients.

Turkey and Broccoli Skillet

Turkey and Broccoli Slaw Skillet

A gal I know mentioned a meal she made up; she basically cooked up a pound of ground meat (turkey/chicken/beef... whatever you prefer or have on hand) and added in a bag of broccoli slaw. If you are not familiar with broccoli slaw, it's a packaged salad which is made up of shredded broccoli stems/stalks and carrots.  The gal I know did not mention adding any seasoning to her dish; she just portioned out into four or five servings and then would eat it for a healthy meal.  It sounded great but I wanted to doctor it up a bit. I remembered a recipe I had tried a long while ago.  It was Teriyaki Chicken and Veggie Lettuce Wraps (see it HERE).  I remembered that the sauce was rather healthy, easy, and tasty, and I thought it would go good with ground turkey and broccoli.  I gave it a try last week and I loved it!  The only think I'll do differently next time is not cook the vegetables quite as long. I think it would have been better if the veggies were not as soft as I cooked them.  I added some additional vegetables (onion, red bell pepper, mushroom, and garlic) and they were great additions. I think you could add in other vegetables as well based upon what you may have. I think celery would be great, as would canned water chestnuts.  I opted to add in come crushed red pepper flakes but I also think fresh ginger would be really good.  I am sure I will continue to experiment with this recipe.

You will find broccoli slaw in the produce section of your grocery store in the refrigerated area with other packaged salads and greens.  At my Kroger store, I found broccoli slaw in bags and in clear plastic containers.  I opted for a 12 ounce package but you could add in more broccoli slaw if desired.

Turkey and Broccoli Slaw Skillet
Ingredients 1/4 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound ground lean turkey (may also use chicken or beef)
12 ounce package of broccoli slaw
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced 
1 cup white button mushrooms, thinly sliced (more if desired)
2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced

Crunchy Topping (optional):  
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine the tamari (or soy sauce), water, honey, cornstarch, and pepper flakes (if using).  Stir with a fork or whisk to combine; set aside.

In a small dry skillet, over medium heat, combine the sliced almonds and the sesame seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, until the almonds begin to brown slightly. This should take just a few minutes; watch it carefully so that the almonds/sesame seeds do not burn.

In a large skillet, over medium to medium high heat, cook/brown/crumble the ground turkey until no pink remains.  Add in the vegetables all at once and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 5 minutes (you want the vegetables to still be slightly crunchy, not mushy).  Make a well in the center of the skillet, pushing the vegetables and turkey to the sides of the pan.  Add in the sauce all at once.  The sauce should thicken rather quickly. When it begins to thicken, toss all the vegetables and turkey around in the pan to coat them with the sauce.  

Serve turkey and vegetable mixture over hot cooked quinoa, brown rice, or white rice.  Top each serving with the crunchy topping and a few sprinkles of tamari (or soy sauce).

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Bacon in the Oven

Cooking Bacon in the Oven

Why did I not try this sooner!?! Yes, you can cook bacon in the oven. I'd rather cook up a pound of bacon all at once and use it in meals all week long, as opposed to cooking a few strips of bacon here and there.

I finally tried cooking bacon in the oven and it worked like a charm. It is very simple to do and it did not make a mess in the oven.

Here's how I did it:

I lined two rimmed baking sheets with foil. I preheated the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  I lined up the strips of turkey bacon on the foil lined baking sheets, ensuring the bacon strips did not over lap.  Once the oven was preheated, I baked the bacon for 11 minutes.  That's it!  No turning/flipping was required. 

I like to cook up a bunch of things on my food prep day; this makes meal preparation easier all week long.  Today I cooked up a pound of turkey bacon (I use Oscar Mayer brand) as part of my food prep.  Here are some more photos from my food prep session today.

I got all of this before noon!  The chicken wings are for my husband.

Above... I made up four identical meals.  This is quinoa, sautéed red bell pepper and onion, oven roasted turmeric cauliflower, and sautéed shrimp (season with a spice blend called Za'atar).

Above... hard boiled eggs and bacon baked in the oven.

Baby carrots and celery sticks... always part of my weekly food prep.

Finally, I portioned out Greek yogurt and frozen berries for yogurt fruit parfaits (which I will have with granola).