So, it’s late morning on a Sunday. Yesterday, you knocked out all of your chores for the weekend. The house is clean, the shopping is done for the week, the laundry is done (less the folding, because I’m fairly certain no one washes, dries AND folds their laundry all on the same day), and now, your Sunday can be devoted to whatever your heart desires. One problem; you may or may not have caved yesterday while at the store when you came face to face with a buy one, get one free deal on those wonderfully salty corn tortilla chips….the bite-size ones. With the Sunday “off”, those bags are now sitting in one of your cabinets, softly calling your name.
The good news is, you were able to walk by the display of buy one, get one free queso cheese dips that were only 8″ away from where the chips were. Nice Work. Still, you need to find something to pair with those chips that will help fill you up, because even though they give a “serving size” on the package, it’s impossible to read it without bursting into laughter.
I’m personally not a huge fan of canned foods. When I do buy them, I look for organic products, non-GMO, and packed with just salt and water. When I find these, regardless of the product, I usually grab a few cans and sock them away in the pantry. Today, that’s turned out to be a good practice. I took what I’ve saved in the pantry, plus what I had hanging on in the garden despite the cold-snap of the last few days, and here is what we have. I’ll call it a salad because it’s very good as a stand alone, but today, I have a date with those corn chips.
Mediterranean Style Salad
Serves 4
• 2 -5oz cans of wild caught tuna, strained and dried
• 1 -15oz cans of artichoke hearts, rinsed, dried and quartered
• 2 -15oz cans of black-eyed peas, rinsed, skins removed, dried
• 1/2 red onion, fine chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, fine chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and fine chopped
• 5 small / medium basil leaves, fine chopped
• 5 sprigs of Italian oregano, leaves separated from stems and fine chopped
• 2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tsp dill weed
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 lime
Except for the lime, combine all of the above ingredients in a large bowl. Cover, and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let all of the flavors meld. Once ready to serve, cut the lime into wedges and serve of the side so everyone can add their own splash of freshness. This salad (or dip) is packed with proteins. Also, black eyed peas, as with almost all legumes, are a great source of fiber. One serving of these can contain as much as 16% of your DV. Not only is fiber great for digestion and heart health, but it will also keep you feeling fuller, longer. Not a bad thing for a Sunday during football season!
ENJOY!
Epicurean Adventures: Going Blue 