Jalapeño Tuna Salad

I think about simplicity often. It’s a sort of longing for something calm and slow, something I don’t always have access to but vehemently long for. Maybe this is why I enjoy making uncomplicated food but food that nonetheless tastes delicious, by taking one or two ingredients and letting them shine.

As I’ve grown older, especially in recent years, I’ve come to appreciate the beauty and intricacy of the food before me. An unparalleled appreciation for a juicy, sweet tomato and the sheer excitement of cutting into a perfectly ripe, vibrantly green avocado is something that’s become essential to cooking. Not just cooking for the sake of it but cooking with love and honor for each ingredient.

When I heard again from Joyce, the owner of St. Jude Tuna in Washington, I was ecstatic. In the last year, I learned a bit about Joyce and her husband, Joe who run the company. I found out about the way they source their tuna, about the love and gratitude that goes into every single can and about the respect for the ocean and environment. That immediately drew me to them.

Their tuna is wild caught, organic and ethically sourced and their philosophy, appreciation and care for their product is palpable. There’s not a lot of fuss aside from exceptionally tasty tuna, Jalapeño and salt that goes into each can.

So when Joyce asked me to create a recipe with this exquisite tuna, I knew it had to be something that takes nothing away from the fish but highlights it all the more. I wanted to use every single bit of the can minus the actual can and so this recipe wastes nothing.

I kept this dish fresh and light by combining ripe baby tomatoes with corn, black beans, avocado, adding chunks of this beautiful Jalapeño tuna and using the liquid to create a simple refreshing dressing with olive oil, cumin, coriander, lemon and oregano. It’s a burst of flavor in every bite and the tuna truly adds an unmatched flavor to this salad.

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Jalapeno Tuna Salad

• prep time: 10 mintues
• cook time: 0 minutes
• makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 can St. Jude Organic Jalapeño Tuna (reserve liquid)
• 10 cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1 ripe avocado cut into chunks
• ¼ cup organic canned corn, rinsed (skip for paleo and W30)
• ¼ cup organic canned black beans, rinsed (skip for paleo and W30)
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon ground coriander
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 rounded teaspoon green onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro plus extra

Equipment:

• medium mixing bowl
• small mixing bowl

Directions:

In small bowl, drain Jalapeño Tuna liquid. Add olive oil, herbs, cumin, coriander, oregano salt, lemon and pepper. Whisk well and set aside.

In medium bowl combine, tomatoes, avocado, corn and beans and gently break up chunks of tuna on top.

Add dressing, cilantro and green onion and toss until all ingredients are incorporated. Serve right away.