By John, Grocery Buyer & The Naturalist Contributor
Ah yes, the humble tuna salad... a staple of brown-bagged lunches for countless American childhoods. But what happens when those children grow up? Often the simple joy of the tuna sandwich is cast aside in favor of other, supposedly more sophisticated tastes. It's easy to see why. It's a recipe which is simple to make, but surprisingly difficult to master. Thankfully, we here at Cambridge Naturals are ready to show you several ways in which you can recapture the childhood comfort of the tuna salad experience in several delicious and unique styles.
Let's start with our take on a classic tuna melt! First, prepare the tuna salad. Mix 2 cans of our Wild Planet Albacore Tuna with one Real Pickles Dill Pickle spear (diced), one teaspoon Mustard & Co Classic Grain Mustard, one tablespoon Matiz Garlic Aioli, a pinch of Curio Spice Co Aegean Salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Slice some Neighborly Farms Monterey Jack Cheese and layer it on a slice of Dan's Brick Oven Rye + Whole Wheat Bread. Add a healthy layer of the tuna salad and top with more bread. Fry it up, flipping every few minutes, in a skillet with some of our Organic Valley Cultured Pasture Butter. It's ready when the cheese is gooey and melty. Feel free to add some bacon or tomato slices to up your deliciousness factor a little.
One of tuna's most delicious applications outside of sandwich form is of course in sushi. But can you make a sushi-inspired tuna salad hors douvre? You bet you can! For the salad itself, mix 2 cans of our Wild Planet Albacore Tuna with 2 tablespoons Real Pickles Ginger Carrots, 1 tablespoon Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo, and half a teaspoon Flora Sesame Oil (be very careful with that sesame oil, a little goes a long, long way!) Spoon the mixture onto Edward & Sons Tamari Seaweed Brown Rice Snaps. The bolder among you might even consider finely crushing some of our Seasnax Wasabi Stix, and sprinkling it on top. These little bites are great at parties so make sure to make a lot. They'll go fast!
Another way to be adventurous with the tuna salad concept would be to replace the tuna altogether. Why not a twist on some classic deli salmon? Mix 2 cans of our Wild Planet Wild Pink Salmon, 2 teaspoons Canaan Wild Caper Tomato Tapenade, and 1 tablespoon Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo. Spread a generous layer of our Kite Hill Almond Cream Cheese onto a Sunfood Raw Coconut Wrap along with a heaping helping of the salmon salad. Top with greens, tomato slices, a little red onion, or whatever your little heart desires. Wrap it on up and go to town! A delicious, dairy and gluten free sandwich that really hits the spot.
These three variations are simply a few of many possibilities where tuna (and salmon) salad are concerned, so come in and talk with our helpful grocery staff. We'll share our secret recipes if you share yours. Bon Appetit!