There seems to be an interest in recipes, so here’s one of mine for the popular protein source, canned tuna.
In my view, tuna straight out of a can is horrible. And most tuna salads are bland, with dry tuna and watery liquid surrounding the tuna. Yuck! This version of tuna salad I actually enjoy. It makes a protein+fat meal. The recipe can be scaled as needed.
Dump 4 cans tuna into a colander. Mash tuna completely with a fork. Be sure to press all the water out, and to break apart all the tuna into little flakes, as small as possible. Big chunks will stay dry and will not absorb any seasoning.
Dump the tuna into a large bowl, then sprinkle the juice of one fresh lemon on the tuna. Mix. Then add
4 scallions, sliced thin
2 kosher pickles, cut in 1/4" dice (I buy sliced ones at Trader Joe’s)
2 stalks celery, cut in 1/4" dice
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and run through a garlic press or minced fine
2 T capers
1 T Dijon mustard
freshly ground pepper
Mix thoroughly. Stir in good-quality mayonnaise and salt to taste. I used about 3 T for 4 cans of tuna to get the texture I wanted. This seems like less than the amount used ina typical deli tuna salad, where mayo is basically used as cheap filler.
This recipe works equally well with canned salmon, or a combination of canned tuna and salmon.
(Note: Helmann’s Mayonnaise regularly wins taste tests. Trader Joe’s is great. But commercial mayo is generally made with highly-refined vegetable oils high in omega 6’s. Therefore, for more optimal fat in this recipe, I often make and use my own mayo with olive oil. Making mayo is only a tiny bit harder than making a Grow shake.)
(Final Note: Your breath WILL be horrible.)