Adriatic Tuna Salad Without Mayo

My Crolicious tuna salad is packed with bold and delicious flavours. You will be amazed at this mayo-free, gluten-free, low-carb tuna salad. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare. This dish is perfect for your no-cooking Friday.

The Tuna salad is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. Here are some quick tips

1.  Drain the life out of the canned tuna. Otherwise, it will be mushy and not taste as great.

2. Chop your vegetable into small, even pieces.

3. Use fresh lemon juice vs. bottled lemon juice.

4. Use fresh herbs vs dried ones.

5. Crumble the tuna. You don’t want large chunks. 

Ingredients for Dressing

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

The zest of one lemon

The juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper

For the Tuna Salad

3 cans of tuna (solid white albacore tuna in spring water drained well)

1/4 cup chickpeas

1 celery stalk chopped

1 Persian cucumber chopped

1/2 shallot chopped

1/4 cup kalmata olives

3-4 radishes. stem removed and chopped

4-5 basil leaves chopped -about 1/4 cup

Directions

1. In a small bowl whisk together Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and lemon zest., chopped chives. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, add canned tuna, with chopped vegetables, Kalamata olives, and chopped fresh basil. Mix to combine

3. Pour the dressing over the tuna salad, and gently mix to combine all the delicious ingredients

4. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving

5. When ready to serve, toss again and enjoy.

Mushroom Risotto

We move through our days so quickly. We tell ourselves we don’t have time for the mundane things, like grating fresh cauliflower resembling rice. Oh please I’ll buy the prepared, frozen bag. While I do buy and use frozen cauliflower rice, I found freshly grated cauliflower elevates my dishes to a new level and taste.

I love risotto, and I enjoy it when it’s low carb and gluten free as a way to lower my risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions such as arthritis an autoimmune and inflammatory disease which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body. While I do suffer from chronic lower back pain, I found that sticking to mostly a lower-carb, gluten free diet helps with my overall health and mental well-being. That’s not to say that I never eat carbs, I do but in moderation. This balanced approach to eating has helped me tremendously, as I move through my days with more ease and overall happiness. Moderation is key. Now back to my mushroom cauliflower risotto.

Risotto reminds me of the Adriatic as it’s mostly served with squid, or as a vegetarian dish with lots of seasonal veggies. I opted to make my version with mushrooms, shallots and lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Ingrediets

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup mushrooms chopped into quartered

1 teaspoon fresh herbs I used dill and basil, you can also use parsley, cilantro, oregano

1 head of cauliflower grated (approx 3 cups)

1/2 cup of mushroom broth or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons salted butter

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

-Place a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add extra virgin olive oil and shallots. Saute for 5 minutes until shallots become soft and translucent.

-Add quartered mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes , mixing often as not to burn

-Add cauliflower rice, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes stirring often.

-Remove from heat and add fresh herbs, I used dill and basil, butter and parmesan cheese. Mix through and serve right away.

-Optional- drizzle some extra virign olive oil on top.