How not to feel broke when eating tuna fish

So I've gotten really into Dave Ramsey over the past few years; if you're into saving money and all that good stuff (or if you aren't but you know you should be), you should check him out. The dude's legit, with an amazing riches-to-rags-and-back-to-riches story.

The first riches were based on credit cards, loans and lines of credit, then he literally lost it all - over the course of about a week or two. He was broke... the kind of broke that most college students (who think they're broke because they don't know better) don't even want to think about. He then worked his way back from brokedom through simple methods like living below his means... paying cash for stuff instead of using credit cards... and tithing+saving before spending a dime of what he earned.

He is an incredibly animated, funny, attention-grabbing speaker, and he tells great stories. One thing he talks about decently often is how he can't eat tuna fish, because when he and his wife were broke, that's all she would ever pack in his lunch box for work... so now, he says, "Whenever I eat tuna fish I feel broke!"
I think tuna is that to a lot of people, really... which is unfortunate, because it's really quite good, especially when you get the kind in olive oil (yes, of course I'm going to post pictures). If you're like me, tuna might also be what your mom packed for your lunch all through elementary school, even though it was likely room-temp (therefore pretty smelly and probably not particularly safe to eat) by the time lunch period came around. But hey... whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger, yeah?

"Typical" tuna salad (ie., probably the kind that makes Dave feel broke) usually consists of little more than tuna and mayonnaise. Maybe some pickle relish or chopped-up celery, if whoever made it was feeling adventurous. If you just nodded your head, brace yourself. This recipe may just knock your socks off. It's affordable, it's nutrient-packed, and eating it makes you feel like the feudal lord, rather than the lowly serf. Ready?

But wait - before I start, I should talk a bit about the tuna... first off, here are some reasons why we should eat it.

1) It's yummy. It really is, as long as you're willing to be a little creative... actually, strike that - you don't even have to be. I know people who eat it out of the can. It just has to be the right stuff.

2) Good-quality protein. Even if you're a mostly-veg omnivore like me, fish is on the "nice" list.

3) Ever heard of omega 3 fatty acids? They're the *good fats* (along with monounsaturated fats, which we'll get to in a second). All the cool kids are getting them these days, and tuna's got lots. Not to mention that if you're buying the right kind, it's packed in olive oil... and olive oil is a bangin' source of *good fats* - the monounsaturated ones - as well.

Now that we've covered the warm and fuzzies, I'll give you some recommendations.

1) NEVER GET ALBACORE. It's bland; there's absolutely no flavor to it. Sometimes that's okay, but in tuna it's not. Personally, I hate the texture as well. It doesn't make sense to my mouth. And, if all that wasn't enough to discourage you, albacore is much more likely than other types of tuna to be contaminated with mercury. Boom.

2) NEVER GET ANYTHING PACKED IN WATER. I think that may be half the problem for some people. It's a flavor thing, it's a nutrition thing, it's a common sense thing. I would love to rant about how our culture's screwed-up view of fat is killing us, but I won't. Just, please... buy tuna packed in oil, not water. Olive oil is preferred.

And now, meet your tuna!

Money-licious Tuna Salad

1 can good-quality yellowfin tuna packed in olive oil (Genova Tonno is good, and happens to be on sale at PChop right now)

Any combination of 2 or 3 of the following:

~ 1/4 cup finely chopped red or yellow bell peppers

~ 1/4 cup finely chopped celery

~ 1/4 cup Pucker's Gourmet "Dilly Sweets" pickles, finely chopped (these are like, the Rolls-Royce of pickles, baby... naturally fermented, no weird colorings or artificial flavorings, and NO HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!! The Half Sours are also good.)

~ 1-2 tsp capers. You can get a jar of them at Honest Weight - or Trader Joe's, which will be opening in the area soon! Yayyyyy!! (Generally you would put in the chopped pickles OR the capers... however, if you like some serious sweet-and-tangy, go for both. You only live once.)

~ 1/4 cup frozen peas (just throw them right in, no nuking necessary)

~ 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts (raw or toasted, doesn't matter)

~ about 3 Tbsp finely chopped sweet red onion

~ 1-2 Tbsp chopped kalamata or black olives, or 1 Tbsp of a store-bought olive tapenade

~ 1/4 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts, or 2 Tbsp of a store-bought marinated artichoke spread

Really, you could chop just about anything really fine and throw it in here. But the reason I say limit your options to 2 or 3 is that while all these add-ins are great, you still want it to taste like tuna. So if you want to add 4 or 5 of these, a good rule of thumb is to add about half the amount that I recommended of each ingredient, and work your way up from there. Also, make sure the flavors you're adding don't clash. I'll give some examples in a bit. Continuing...

1 Tbsp olive oil mayonnaise (or whatever you've got handy... but I like this stuff)

1 Tbsp Shaker Mountain Chili Sauce (I'm extremely upset because I haven't been able to find this lately... I was contemplating leaving it out of the recipe, but it's so good! As soon as I find it I'll let y'all know where!)

a sprinkle of parsley (just a pinch if it's dried, about a 1/2 Tbsp if it's fresh - chop it fine)

Yesterday I used peppers, celery, peas, and pickles... see other combinations below.

Place the tuna in a med-large size bowl - don't drain it! Add the olive oil it's packed in too... it adds flavor and some more liquid. With a fork, break it up until there are no big chunks.

Add your veggies/nuts/condiments, and mix them in good.

You have a choice with the parsley here, if it's fresh. You can mix it in, or just sprinkle it on top as a garnish. If it's dried, you should mix it in so it can rehydrate a bit and impart a bit more flavor.

Some of my favorite combos:

~ Peas, pickles, peppers/walnuts (I love a little crunchy in my tuna)

~ Olives, artichokes, celery/onion (with a sprinkle of fresh basil from my windowsill)

~ Pickles, peppers, 1/2 onion+1/2 peas

~ Artichokes, peppers, capers, walnuts, and a little bit of lemon zest

You're done! Now serve OR cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit (in the fridge, of course) for 20 minutes or so to give the flavors a chance to meld together a bit. As for how to serve, I usually just eat it with a fork... you can also use it for tuna melts (cheddar is good, Gruyere is better - base your cheese on your audience of course), you can top a green salad with it, you can wrap it up in a tortilla or pita (or do a lettuce wrap!) with greens and tomatoes... I also like to use a celery stick to scoop it up.

But hey, you don't have to do as I do. Be creative! I know you are. The beauty of cooking is that it is an art form... and a very useful one at that. It gives you a canvas on which to attempt amazingly daring feats, such as the adventurous mixing of flavors, textures, colors, etc., and it also provides sustenance. Brilliant! Enjoy it. And I'd love to hear how y'all mix up yours.

Ciao for now! And enjoy our extended hours of sunlight :-D