Tuna Cucumber Salad

[tharrison]

Tuna Cucumber Salad

Serves 1 as Main Dish.

Had a hankering for cucumber salad but didn't want to use any mayo so I decided I'd try it out thai-style.

Most of the recipes I found said to use salt and copious amounts of white sugar. I took the liberty of substituting nam pla (fish sauce) for the salt and reducing the amount of white sugar and replacing it with palm sugar.

I realized I was a bit more hungry than I thought so I added a can of solid white tuna for protein (I use Bumblebee Prime Select). I've decided this is my new favorite way to eat canned tuna.

Next time I'll try it with some mango. On shrimp or maybe lump crab meat (both not canned, of course).

• 
  

Dressing

• 1/2 c distilled white vinegar
  
• 1 T palm sugar, or to taste
  
• 2 T nam pla (fish sauce), or to taste
  
• 1 fresh red Thai chilies, finely sliced
  
• 1 shallot or small sweet onion, finely sliced (or 1/2 tsp onion powder)
  
• 1 tsp roasted peanut oil (for extra peanut flavor)
  

Salad

• 1 6 oz can of your favorite tuna, drained
  
• 1 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and thiny sliced
  
• 1/3 cilantro, coarsely chopped
  
• 1/3 salted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  

For the Dressing:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the palm sugar, vinegar, and nam pla. Heat over medium just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. When dressing is cool, whisk in the peanut oil. Stir in the chilies and shallot. Set aside.

Salad:

1. Add all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour on dressing and toss. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed (using regular white sugar at the end for balancing is easiest).

Keywords: Salad, Easy, Hot and Spicy, Southeast Asian, Healthy Choices

( RG990 )