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Herbed Tuna Salad with Feta and Pine Nuts

May 11, 2007 by Nicole 19 Comments

chives-and-knife_web.jpg

There’s a weekly food blog event that I have been meaning to participate in for quite some time now. It’s called Weekend Herb Blogging and it’s a great way for people who enjoy using fresh herbs to share tips, ideas, information, and recipes with one another. The event, now on it’s 82nd week I believe, was founded by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen and is still hosted there the first weekend of each month. During the other three weeks, the event roams around the food blog community, hosted by different bloggers each week. If you wish to participate, simply write a little something about a fresh herb and/or post a recipe featuring fresh herbs. Put it on your blog sometime during the week (any week, every week) and then e-mail the link to the person who is hosting the event. All of the links are compiled and then posted together at the end of the week by the host. Like all food blog events, it’s a great way to learn something new, find recipes, and also discover new food blogs.

Like many Americans, we didn’t eat a lot of dishes featuring fresh herbs while I was growing up. We always had a garden, ate tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, and both of my parents were great cooks. But for whatever reason, fresh herbs just weren’t a huge part of my early culinary experience. Cilantro is probably the first herb that I remember using on a regular basis but that was only for making fresh salsa. I didn’t even know that cilantro was used for anything other than Mexican food!

Well, I’ve come a long way, and spending a few years in Sicily has certainly helped me discover the joys of using fresh parsley, basil, oregano and rosemary. I’ve also discovered that cilantro is widely used in many different cuisines around the world and I now use it all the time. I am growing several different herbs in my backyard and am always trying to find new ways to use them. I currently have rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, chives, savory and sage growing in a couple barrel planters in the back. And I generally have fresh cilantro on hand now that I discovered it in an international foods store here (cilantro isn’t a popular herb in Italy so I don’t find it in the open-air markets). But I still have a lot to learn about fresh herbs and I’m looking forward to sharing recipes and learning new things each week from all the other Weekend Herb Bloggers!

The recipe that I am submitting to the event this week is a tuna salad that features two fresh herbs: parsley and chives. My aunt Kathy is the person who turned me on to using fresh herbs in tuna. She likes to put cilantro in hers and so do I but the day I made this, I was fresh out! Parsley has become my go-to herb anytime I want to add a little something extra to a dish, so I threw that in. The chives I added just for the hell of it and the rest of the recipe just came together the way most of my recipes do — from things I happened to have on hand. The great thing about this tuna salad is that it uses very little mayonnaise and, even though I added some feta cheese and pine nuts, I think it’s much better for you than a typical mayo-laden tuna salad. On a whim, I substituted thickened plain yogurt for most of the mayo and it turned out great! I still added a little mayonnaise because I happen to really like it but I think you could leave it out completely and this would still be wonderful.

This tuna salad would be good on bread or in a pita but I’ve discovered that my favorite way to eat this is to scoop it right onto a piece of lettuce, pick it up, and eat it by hand. You can use the small inner leaves of romaine or boston lettuce and make several cute little snacks, or you can fill up a larger piece. And by all means, use a fork if you want to. But I’m warning you, it’s not as much fun 😉

So, here is this week’s recipe for Weekend Herb Blogging, which will be hosted by Pat at Up the Creek without a PatL. Be sure to check her site at the end of the weekend to find out what everyone else submitted! And if you are interested in participating, you can find the official rules at Kalyn’s Kitchen as well as information about who will be hosting the event in upcoming weeks.

herbed-tuna-salad-on-lettuce_web.jpg

Herbed Tuna Salad with Feta and Pine Nuts

6 oz. can of tuna, drained
1/4 C. plain, thick yogurt*
1 T. mayonnaise
1/4 C. crumbled feta cheese
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 T. snipped fresh chives
1 – 2 T. toasted pine nuts**
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
fresh ground black pepper
4 small to medium leaves of romaine lettuce

  • In a medium bowl, stir together all the ingredients with a fork.
  • Spoon salad into the middle of the lettuce leaves, garnish with extra chopped herbs if desired.
  • Enjoy!

* If your yogurt is runny, line a strainer with cheesecloth, pour in one cup of yogurt and let drain over a bowl for half an hour or so. Measure out 1/4 C. of the thickened yogurt and proceed with recipe.

** Toast pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan frequently and don’t leave them unattended, they will toast very quickly! When they start to turn a golden brown, remove nuts to a small bowl and let cool.

Update: See all the other Weekend Herb Blogging entries here!

Related Recipes:

  • Creamy Blue Cheese Dip with Lemon and Chives
  • Cheddar Chive and Sour Cream Omelette
  • Sour Cream, Cheddar and Chive Biscuits

Filed Under: Foodblogging Events, Herbs and Spices, Main Courses, Weekend Herb Blogging

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erin says

    May 11, 2007 at 5:07 pm

    I'm in the office right now and absolutely starving so I seriously want to jump into my computer and start gobbling that salad up by the spoonful. Isn't that the ultimate compliment ;)
    Reply
  2. leslie says

    May 11, 2007 at 6:37 pm

    here here, Erin! I'm surfing the web at work and what should I find? A new recipe to get my mouth watering. Gotta try this out!
    Reply
  3. astrid says

    May 11, 2007 at 8:56 pm

    this looks wonderful and very tasty - I'd love to have a bite right now!
    Reply
  4. eliza says

    May 11, 2007 at 10:08 pm

    wonderful dish! now you have to have a garden full of herbs :)
    Reply
  5. koldre says

    May 11, 2007 at 10:56 pm

    That looks very tasty! Thanks for sharing it.
    Reply
  6. Kalyn says

    May 12, 2007 at 1:57 am

    Welcome to WHB! I've learned so much in 82 weeks, and I can hardly believe it's been that long. Your herb garden sounds great. I also don't remember my mother ever cooking with fresh herbs, even once. I do remember though that my grandma Denny had a sage plant by her kitchen steps. That's about the extent of it. The tuna salad sounds great, and it has all my favorite ingredients, tuna, parsley, feta, and pine nuts. What could be better?
    Reply
  7. c(h)ristine says

    May 12, 2007 at 6:37 am

    oh that is just so sinful! i just started an herb garden this year (chives, korean perilla, korean chrysanthemum leaves, chervil, tarragon, anise hyssop, mint, basil and parsley)...my hopes are high! and i can't wait to make your recipe with the chives that mature! yum yum.
    Reply
  8. Nicole says

    May 12, 2007 at 9:07 am

    Erin: Hahaha...the same thing happens to me all the time! Leslie: Hope you enjoy it! Astrid: Glad you like it, thanks for stopping by! Eliza: Thanks :-) Koldre: You're welcome! Thanks for stopping by! Kalyn: Thanks! I am looking forward to participating each week :-) C(h)ristine: Good luck with your garden! I think I forgot that I have tons of mint growing too.
    Reply
  9. Karen says

    May 12, 2007 at 4:42 pm

    What a great idea! I can't wait to try this ...
    Reply
  10. Melanie Neichin says

    May 12, 2007 at 5:23 pm

    I love this recipe--I have to cut back on cholesterol and I have started to use non fat yogurt as a substitute for many things--suprisingly it works pretty well-1/2 yogurt and 1/2 mayo great combo
    Reply
  11. Nicole says

    May 13, 2007 at 10:27 am

    Karen: Let me know if you try it! Melanie: Yes, I think yogurt works really well in lots of things -- salad dressings, especially! Not only is it healthier but it usually adds something to the flavor rather than taking something away :-)
    Reply
  12. damewiggy says

    June 2, 2007 at 7:57 pm

    I loved this recipe. Then one day it led to an idea that was such a big hit that I thought I'd share it with you. I applied the same recipe to a sashimi grade fresh tuna (uncooked, of course -- diced) with a wasabe mayo sauce on the side and some fresh cilantro. (I didn't want to burn people's faces off without permission.) Anyway, they loved it, so I thought I'd thank you for the concept and share the praise I received. I adore your blog. Thanks for making my kitchen a happier place. =)
    Reply
  13. Tina says

    April 1, 2010 at 9:53 am

    This looks so delicious! :) You don't by any chance know a good place to find pine nuts, do you? Really like your blog thanks!!
    Reply

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