Nana’s Kitchen: White Bean and Tuna Salad

Nana’s Kitchen: White Bean and Tuna Salad

Greetings, home cooks, welcome to Nana’s Kitchen,

My goodness it as been hot this week. I hope you have been able to stay comfortable. I know some have had loss of power and have suffered with the heat. I feel for those who have. I know what it is like to be in the heat with out fans or air conditioners. Hopefully your electric is back on.

Tending to my flowers outside in the heat seems to take away my appetite. Have not felt like cooking.
Sandwiches and tomatoes have been the thing. I did fix this simple salad. It is easy and you probably have the ingredients on hand. Because I had no one else eating this meal I halved the recipe. The recipe is given today as originally written. Serves 4.

White Bean and Tuna Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup fine chopped red onion 
Zest and juice of one lemon or can use 2 limes
2 cans tuna (5-6 oz) packed in oil 
2 cans cannellini or Great Northern white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped parsley, arugula, or or 2 tablespoons thin sliced mint
A few splashes of Tabasco sauce or one minced Serrano chili, or one teaspoon of chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, 
Salt and extra virgin olive oil to taste

Sprinkle some of the lemon juice over the chopped onion. Takes away some of the bite of the onion.
Drain oil from tuna and place in a large bowl.
Add drained beans to tuna. Stir to combine and break up tuna.
Add onion, herbs, black pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice and combine.
Add Tabasco sauce or chili to taste.
If the salad needs more acid add a little more lemon juice.
If the salad seems a little dry add some olive oil.
Salt to taste.
Chill before serving so the flavors can meld. At least several hours. 
Serve with your favorite crackers or some hard crusty bread.

Hints:
Good in the refrigerator tightly covered for 2 days.
I used mint as I had some in my herb garden.
Used tuna packed in water. Worked just fine. Did add some olive oil to moisten the salad.
This took minutes to make. I really like it. 
Another hint, if you put the halved onion in a bowl with some hot tap water for 10 minutes, drain well and pat dry it will take some of the bite out of the onion before using. I find red onion can be a little upsetting to the stomach. This trick helps. The lemon trick works well, too.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Just a note, I will be on vacation this next week and not be cooking much. Will catch everyone the following Sunday, July 3. Keep cool!