artichoke and black-eye pea salad with tuna

i threw together this salad in less than five minutes this weekend and was amazed at how good it was!  it just goes to show you that you don't need to slave in the kitchen for hours to make good wholesome food.  this salad is full of artichoke hearts, black-eye peas, tuna, celery, and onion.  it has a wonderfully light dressing of just olive oil and fresh lemon juice too.  it tastes so fresh.

this salad is perfect for lunch or a light dinner.  you could eat it on a bed of greens, between two slices of bread, or with a spoon right out of the bowl (which is what i seem to do every time i walk by the refrigerator)!

artichoke and black-eye pea salad with tuna
total time: 5 minutes
yields: approximately 4 servings
adapted from kelsey nixon

ingredients:
1 (5 oz.) can low-sodium tuna fish, drained
1 (15 oz.) can black-eye peas, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz.) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoons diced red onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to combine.  season with salt and pepper to taste.

enjoy!

love, laurie

tuna cakes with spicy mayo dipping sauce

it's no secret that leko loves tuna.  he goes crazy over it.  but, we're pretty big fans of tuna too.

over the weekend, i was looking for a quick and simple dinner idea, and i decided to make tuna cakes.  these tuna cakes are full of flavor.  they are great on their own, but they are even better with a little bit of spicy mayo sauce spread on top of them.  

if your not a fan of tuna, you could easily substitute salmon.  i used canned tuna for this recipe since it's what i had on hand, but you could easily use fresh salmon or tuna that you bake in the oven and then flake apart into small pieces.

tuna cakes with spicy mayo dipping sauce
prep time: 5-10 minutes
cooking time: 10-12 minutes
yields: approximately 16 cakes
adapted from pancakes

ingredients:
1 teaspoon salted butter
1/2 onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup fresh baby spinach, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 large eggs, whisked
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 (5 oz.) cans low-sodium tuna fish, drained
salt and pepper to taste

sauce ingredients:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

directions:
to make the tuna cakes, melt the butter in a pan and saute the minced onion on medium-low heat until translucent (about 4-5 minutes).  add the minced garlic and saute for another minute.  in a large bowl, combine the sauteed onion and garlic with the breadcrumbs, chopped spinach, parsley mustard, eggs, lemon juice, and tuna.  mix well to combine making sure all of the mixture is evenly distributed and evenly coated.  season with salt and pepper to taste.  scoop 3 tablespoon sized balls of the mixture into the palm of your hands and form into a paddy.  repeat with the remaining mixture.  cook the fish cakes on a lightly buttered skillet or griddle for 5-6 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and cooked throughout.  serve warm with chilled spicy mayo dipping sauce.

to make the sauce, whisk the mayo, lemon juice, mustard, sriracha, and pepper together in a bowl.  refrigerate until ready to serve.

enjoy!

love, laurie