Spicy Tuna Salad

Copyright 2011 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

This recipe is one I came up with after falling in love with the Breakfast Tuna Melt sandwich of Dunkin' Donuts. This was back home as I don't think they serve it here in the US. It was really easy for me to recreate the tuna filling due to the availability of really good canned tuna back home. My favorite in terms of flavor is the Century Tuna Hot & Spicy variety. Canned in oil, it is flavored with spices verging on the hot side and is actually delicious straight off the can and eaten with warm bread or hot steamed rice. Is it obvious that I survived on this as a college student on a tight budget? 

Copyright 2011 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

My recipe is a bit on the healthy side with grated carrots and onions which add a crunchy texture to the salad. I have also made this with tuna canned in water which I had to drain to make sure the salad does not get watery. If you do find canned tuna in oil, do not completely drain the the oil but rather, save a few teaspoons, enough to imparts its flavor. Usually eaten as a sandwich, you can also snack on this with celery sticks. I was lucky enough to find the Century brand tuna during my visit to Seattle last week so I'm very excited to feature this recipe. 

Spicy Tuna Salad

3 6-8 oz canned tuna, plus the oil
2 carrots, peeled and grated
2 celery stalks, diced finely  
1 small onion, diced finely
2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mayonnaise

Copyright 2011 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Combine all the ingredients and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper. Keep cold in the fridge for about 2 hours before serving. As a sandwich filling, this will go well with a slice of cheese and lettuce leaves on two slices of whole wheat bread. A few slices of gala apples in the sandwich also goes well with it.