Tuna Salad with Poached Eggs : A Great Healthy Lunch

If you are looking for a great healthy lunch idea, then look no further ... you may just have found it! Why not consider this very tasty and colourful plateful.

Tuna Salad:
Serves Two

5g carb per serving
1 can drained tuna in olive oil
1⁄3 cup / 80 ml chopped celery stalks
½ red onion
½ cup / 120 ml mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ lemon, juice and zest
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons small capers
2 oz. / 55 g leafy greens or lettuce
2 oz. / 55 g cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Poached eggs:
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white vinegar 5%

See recipe instructions at Diet Doctor site here

"Tuna is a member of the mackerel family, tuna are mainly found in the world's warmer oceans. They can grow to a huge size (up to 700kg) and their meaty flesh is distinctively flaky and firm with a rich, strong flavour, the consequence of its comparatively high oil content. Tuna is mainly sold as steaks. It dries out quite quickly, so should be cooked very briefly over a high heat; marinated before cooking; or simmered in a sauce.

Tuna is available all year round, but at their best when in season, starting from May going through to early September (according to variety).

Choose the best - as tuna are oily, they go off quickly, so need to be very fresh. When buying tuna steaks, look for those that have been trimmed neatly, with firm, dense red or dark red flesh and a meaty aroma. Avoid those with strong discolouration around the bone, or which have a dull, brownish cast. Thicker-cut steaks will stay juicier during the cooking process.

Tuna is also available tinned. Albacore is one of the best types sold this way. Skipjack (which, like bonito, is a somewhere between tuna and mackerel, but classed as a tuna) is the most commonly tinned variety. Tinned tuna is available packed in water, brine, vegetable oil or olive oil (with the last being the best).

When preparing Tuna - the steaks should not be washed before cooking - just pat them dry with some kitchen paper. Tinned tuna should be drained before use.

With regard to storing Tuna, if it's fresh tuna, remove any packaging, wipe with kitchen paper, put on a plate, then cover with clingfilm and put on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Consume within a day. Tinned tuna should be stored in a cool, dark place. After opening, it should be transferred to a non-metal, airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

You may cook Tuna by Barbecue, grill or pan fry (up to 2 minutes each side), by Bake, wrapped in oiled foil (10-15 minutes), by Braise (10-15 minutes).

Some alternatives to Tuna are herring, tilapia or mackerel."
Read these words and more here

All the best Jan