Sometimes I spend so much time painting my own nails, that by the time they’re complete, I’m entirely disenchanted with the finished product. (Ridiculous sentence to start a blog post with. Don’t be like me.)
The same goes for cakes. The longer I spend folding, baking, cooling, and frosting a cake, the less I want to slice into it in the end. Sad story, right?
The same can be said for laundry, obviously. Gathering, washing, drying, air drying, folding, putting away. AAHHH. Laundry is boring and totally not delicious… so, duh.
This salad though… in and out. No exorbitant amount of slicing and dicing. Just enough to create a pretty pretty salad and also enjoy your efforts. It’s the ideal balance of greens, health, and kitchen time.
I hope the start of your week is feeling great!
Let’s put some greens in the mix!
Leafy green kale + parsley, onions, and herbs + salty capers and parmesan + eggs and nuts for girth.
When it comes to kale, I usually chop it small and massage (yes massage) in some olive oil and rice wine vinegar. Just a bit. This will help soften the firm greens.
In a separate bowl I combine tuna with herbs, olive, oil, and some of the hard boiled egg. We’re going to mash together a cohesive tuna salad without the use of mayo.
Capers and parmesan add an essential salty kick. Celery because it remind me of my grandmother’s tuna salad and it adds a nice little crunch.
Crunchy bits and lots of green!
Protein and greens bite and crunch. It’s just the right amount of healthy for the start of the week. It leaves plenty of room for the buttery barbecue shrimp that fill the streets of New Orleans… and zero kitchen fatigue, too!
Tuna and Kale Salad
serves 2
4 cups clean well chopped kale (I used curly kale)
1 (5-ounce) can albacore tuna, drained of its liquid
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup roasted shelled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons capers, drained
olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Toss kale in a large bowl with a splash of olive oil and rice vinegar. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, combine tuna and half of the sliced boiled egg. Add the green onion and parsley and a bit of olive oil and use the back of a fork to work the mixture together, breaking up the tuna and eggs. Add the sunflower seeds, cheese, and capers. Add a bit more olive oil if needed and fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the tuna mixture to the kale bowl. Toss to combine. Before serving top with the remaining egg. Enjoy!
