Garlic Pesto Ranch Dressing - Tuna and Egg Salad

I love ranch dressing. Actually, my favorite is an off-brand buttermilk-peppercorn version, but recently I went big. Bought this ranch then realized it was a bit boring and needed a little help, so here's what I did.

4-5oz. ranch dressing

4-5oz. basil pesto

1T coriander chutney (a spicy cilantro chutney)

1t granulated garlic

I stirred these together and loved the results. So much that, in addition to a salad dressing, I decided to use it in place of mayonnaise this morning to make tuna-egg salad.

2 hard boiled eggs

2-3 stalks of celery and tops

1/2 med. white onion

2 4.5oz. cans of EVOO packed tuna

Chop the eggs, celery and onion into a medium glass bowl. Add the undrained tuna, chop it up then stir all the ingredients together. Add as much of the basil ranch dressing needed to make everything cohesive. 

Today I had this on half a large pita, split and toasted.

It was excellent. . .Lin

Tuna-Egg Salad - A Healthy Refresh

I'm always so happy when I think of an even healthier way to create foods that I love! I was craving this today so I started assembling ingredients. I realized I bought the wrong mayonnaise. Instead of one made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I had bought regular mayo. . .Hmmm. As I added the tuna packed in EVOO, an idea struck. What would this taste like with no mayonnaise -and- more olive oil in its place? 🤔 . . . Well, let's find out!

4 large Pasture Raised 'medium-hard' boiled eggs

1 big stalk of celery

6 green onions

4-5 small dill pickles

1/3 orange bell pepper

1 can EVOO packed tuna

single source EVOO

salt & pepper

Chop everything, break up the tuna, adding it -plus the oil- to a medium glass bowl. Mix together well, using enough olive oil to hold everything together, plus little more. Season, mix well once more, then serve. . .Lin

Another Tuna and Egg Salad

I mixed up ingredients, at home, to use as a base for this, and also enough for chicken salad later in the week. In the black container I combined:

1c or so olive oil mayonnaise

6 mini dill pickles - chopped

2T snipped garlic chives

a splash of salad vinegar

a little brown mustard

1c chopped celery

¼-½t black pepper

Add about half of this mixture to 1 5oz. undrained can of tuna packed in EVOO and about ⅓c of chopped purple onion. Add chopped celery tops and 2 hard boiled eggs.

Mix this together then let the flavors blend an hour or so before serving in a tortilla wrap, over crispy Romaine leaves, as a stuffing inside a big Beefsteak tomato, mix with some small pasta shells, or serve just as is with some rice crackers. . .Lin

Mediterranean Tuna Pasta Salad

I chopped and sliced everything a day ahead, combining the vegetables with the dressing to marinate 24 hours. The next day, I needed a package of chicken from the freezer - but they were all gone! I changed the meat to tuna and was surprised at how well it turned out. Didn't take ingredient photos, so I'm going from memory now:

2-3T mayonnaise

a big splash of Lemon-Oil Dressing

2 cans of EVOO-packed tuna

I don't remember measurements, but the vegetables I used are marinated-jarred artichoke hearts, bell pepper, celery, Vidalia onion and Kalamata olives. Thin slice all these.

I didn't want the pasta to dominate, so I only used 2/3c dry pasta, cooked, drained and rinsed in cold water, then drained again.

Combine the UN-drained tuna with the prepped vegetables in a medium glass bowl. Good quality EVOO adds to the health benefits of this salad. Check the flavors. I added quite a bit of black pepper, a pinch of cayenne and a good sprinkle of garlic salt. 

I had never made this with tuna, chicken is my preference, but this is one I'll make again. . .Lin