So, up until about a week ago, I had always been kind of repulsed by canned tuna. It just smells so fishy and the only form of it I ever seemed to encounter was in tuna salad. I also really dislike mayo, so that was another strike against the tinned fish. However, as an active attempt to get over my prejudices against certain foods, I tried a tuna salad sandwich at Pi the other day. It was really mayo-y and not that exciting. It’s an all-American staple, but it’s really not that tasty in my opinion. It’s not something that you get excited to eat. You just sort of eat it because it’s good for you, and its there. Plus, who has time to make lunch from scratch at Wesleyan?

I decided to take my own more festive spin on tuna salad. It’s got a lot of crunchy texture, is more healthy (sans mayo), and just plain prettier. Here’s what I threw together.

1 can tuna

2 Tablepoons red onion, finely minced

2 Tablespoons sweet relish

2 Tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

2 Tablepoons red pepper, finely minced

1 Teaspoon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Just toss this all together in a bowl and that’s it. I toasted a piece of bread and ate in as an open faced sandwich, but I can envision this on a bed of baby greens. If you want to try another twist on this recipe, I would replace the drizzle of extra virgin olive oil with a smaller drizzle of sesame oil. The cilantro lends itself with with Asian flavors. The cilantro also helps everything taste fresher, which is nice taking into account the canned-ness of the tuna. This was super easy, and although canned tuna isn’t gourmet by any means, it’s a great source of protein and fast lunch option: plus it was mighty delicious. I think I’ve definitely gotten over my aversion to canned tuna now.

About Jenn So

Jenn So is a senior Film Studies major who hails from a quaint town nestled among the pine trees of Maine. On campus, she is one of the head house managers of the Wesleyan Film Series. In Maine, she grew up eating her mother’s traditional Cantonese cooking and worked at her parents’ restaurant. This ignited her love for all things food and restaurant related. She has worked as a pantry chef in a French bistro and loves to travel and try exciting new dishes food from all over the world. In the recent past, she has tasted the cuisines in Australia, Thailand and China. After graduation, she hopes to roam the globe in search of even more delicious adventures.