Two Tasty Twists on Tuna Salad - get lost, Mayo!

(Tuna Salad two ways, recipes in post)




You know what I love about fall? Well, a lot of things, but for starters...

Fresh Michigan Honeycrisp apples, organic and still the size of my fist. The sweet smell of wet leaves. Breaking out the extra-comfy cozy socks. And, enjoying a run on what might be the last decent day of the year. Ah, so good!

Although a warm dish might be more fitting for the season, I'm a big fan of a high-protein lunch after running, and tuna is so easy. Besides that, I'm by no means finished with my vegetable kick from earlier this week.


While I normally take the ever so fancy route of eating my tuna straight out of the can, with a squeeze of lemon or drizzle of apple cider vinegar and perhaps a pinch of dried basil...


(Elegant, right?)


I decided that today I'd go all out and make tuna salad. But, not your normal mayo-and-celery-between-bread tuna salad - no, today I'd put a spin on things.


First up is a grape and walnut tuna salad - if you've never put grapes in your tuna (or apples in your chicken salad) you're missing out on a whole new experience. My intention for this one was to serve it wrapped in lettuce, but not having any bib or iceberg on hand, I had to make due.

Note to self, butter lettuce may be pretty and delicious, but it is not ideal for wrapping things.






Grape and Walnut Tuna Salad, Sans the Mayo
Makes 1 - 2 servings

1 can tuna (Albacore in water, if you please)
4-5 TBSP Greek yogurt (depending on your Personal Preference of Consistency - or your PPC, as we like to call it)
~1/4 cup grapes, halved
1 handful walnuts, broken up and lightly toasted (or pecans, or almonds)
2-3 TBSP. celery, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. basil (and/or any other herbs that float your boat)
Bib or Iceberg lettuce for wrapping (or tortilla, or bread for sandwiching)
Optional: Tomato, avocado, onion, anything else you want to add to the mix...

Method:
Lightly toast walnuts in a skillet over dry heat, stirring/shaking the pan to keep from burning. Once heated through, remove from the pan and set aside.
Combine tuna and yogurt in a bowl with a fork. Add celery, grapes, walnuts, basil and any other seasonings you like. Stir.
Arrange in your wrap or on your bread with tomato, avocado, etc., roll or sandwich, and enjoy!





Om nom nom! But wait, what's that in the background? Another kind of tuna salad, you say?


Avocado Tuna Salad Wrap
Makes 1 - 2 servings

1 can tuna
3/4 - 1 very ripe avocado (amount depending on your PPC)
2-3 TBSP onion, finely chopped
2-3 TBSP celery, finely chopped
2-3 TBSP tomato, diced
squeeze of lemon juice or a drizzle of apple cider vinegar (maybe 1-2 TBSP, to taste)
pinch of salt
1 handful of Spinach or other leafy green
Optional: Pickles (bread and butter, dill, or spicy - whatever you like)
Tortilla wraps (I'm partial to La Tortilla Factory's Smart Wrap brand - yay for uncompensated product placement!) or bread, or bowl and spoon... as you like.

Method:
Mash together tuna and avocado with a fork in a bowl. Add onion, celery, tomato, lemon, and salt - mix.
Spoon onto a wrap along with some spinach or lettuce, pickles, and any other fillings you want. Roll and devour!





Okay, so this one might be a little less appetizing with the greenish-grey hue, but trust me, the flavor is good. It might even be fun to leave out the pickle, replace the lemon with a squeeze of lime, and add cilantro and salsa - voila, Mexican tuna!

(Okay, since I haven't actually tried that out I'm not going to endorse it, but if you put it to the test let me know how it goes)



As an added bonus to being a delicious and healthy meal, these are great for make-ahead lunches - just wrap them up burrito-style and throw them in a baggie or tupperware and you're good to go!

Happy wrapping!



____________

Update: I've recently started making my tuna salad with hummus (my favorite so far is roasted red pepper hummus, but whatever you like is fine) and as weird as it sounds, I can't get enough! Just one more mayo-free option!