Battle of the salads: Tuna three ways. Each has a secret ingredient. How we’ve never seen the Stenmark twins before.
Warm Tuna Pasta Salad
Serves 2
Preparation 20 minutes
Cooking 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
190g spirelli pasta
425g can tuna in oil
100g can corn kernels, drained
1 small red capsicum, sliced thinly
1 small (100g) red onion, sliced thinly
1 sticks (75g) celery, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons good quality whole egg mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon seeded mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
1 Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender; drain.
2 Meanwhile, drain tuna, reserve 2 tablespoons of the oil.
3 Combine pasta, tuna, corn, capsicum, onion, celery and parsley in a large bowl.
4 Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, garlic, rind, juice, mustard and reserved tuna oil in a small bowl or jug. Add to pasta mixture, toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Salade Nicoise
These are the classic ingredients for a salade nicoise. However, if, like Jordan Stenmark you prefer a lower GI result replace the chats with kumara (sweet potato) or quinoa. Add pinenuts too if you like.
Serves 2
Preparation 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
100g mixed lettuce leaves
250g chat potatoes, boiled and sliced (or kumara or cooked red quinoa)
125g cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup (45g) black olives, stoned
2 small hardboiled eggs (or 6 quail eggs), sliced
3 anchovies (optional)
175g baby green beans, blanched and sliced
185g can tuna in oil, drained, flaked
Dressing
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
1 Layer lettuce, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, olives, eggs, anchovies, beans and tuna on a serving platter.
2 Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Pour over salad and serve.
Tuna and Red Kidney Bean Salad
Add anything you like here. Zac Stenmark added baby beets and cucumber. It was delicious.
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
185g can tuna in chilli oil
2 x 125g cans red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 red onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley or coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g baby rocket leaves
1 small avocado (200g), peeled and diced
Dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons (30ml) red wine vinegar
METHOD
1 Drain tuna, reserve 1 tablespoon of the oil.
2 Combine tuna, beans, onion and herbs in a medium bowl. Toss gently to combine.
3 Mix reserved tuna oil, with olive oil and vinegar in a screw-top jar with salt and pepper to taste; shake well.
4 Divide salad among serving plates or bowls. Top with avocado and extra black pepper; drizzle dressing over salad.
5 Serve with crusty bread, if desired.