Tuna Avocado and Feta Salad
July 16, 2014 § Leave a comment
Do you ever use up all the herbs you buy? They tend to either dry up or wilt on me that I almost always have to throw away the left-overs (I know, I know… I can always freeze them – my excuse? I have yet to buy those ice trays). This salad was inspired by the need to use up the leftover dill I had wilting away on my crisper. And because canned tuna is my go to when I find myself in such a dilemma (see here and here), I obviously went that route again. And I am impressed with how this turned out, satisfying, hearty salad perfect as a main lunch or dinner meal.
The tuna can be made ahead of time and kept for other uses, making this salad the easiest ever. This is something I will be making over and over during avocado season.
With avocado’s good for you fats and the high source of protein that tuna provides, this is not only the easiest thing ever but the benefits that these yields make this real winner on all aspect. Yes?
Tuna Avocado and Feta Salad
What You Need
For the tuna:
- 1 canned tuna packed in oil
- A few sprigs of dill, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sliced olives
- 1 teaspoon pimenton dulce or smoked paprika
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Honey
For the Salad:
- Salad greens
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- Feta cheese (I used the one marinated in olive oil and some herbs)
- 1 tomato, diced
What You Do:
- Drain tuna, flake apart slight with a fork and add to bowl with the chopped dill, olives, and the pimenton. Stir very gently to combine.
- Whisk together lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and cracked pepper on a small bowl until well combined. Add honey to taste and slowly whisk in olive oil until well combined.
- Arrange salad greens, topped with tuna, feta, avocado and tomatoes. Drizzle with dressing just to coat.
What to Eat in Cadiz
June 28, 2014 § Leave a comment
Credits: Quickpage created by Roshni Patel.
Occupying a tiny peninsula on the south of Spain with five coastal provinces, Cadiz is blessed with some of the best and freshest fish and shellfish provided daily by the Mediterranean Sea. Although its cuisine is typical Andalusian in character, subtle influences from the Romans, Phoenicians and the Moors spawned an exquisite regional cuisine with flavors unique to Cadiz.
Yes, the gaditanos (native of Cadiz) are meat lovers too, the pastures of the province keep it supplied with Iberico pork, goat, the local Retinto beef; however fish, fried fish, is the star.
Dredge in flour (only) and then fried in a large amount of hot olive oil. So simple yet so ridiculously addicting. Sea bream, Dover soles, sea bass, cuttlefish, dogfish, and monkfish are usually what is used for this staple.
And the place to have a taste of this fried fish is at Freiduria Las Flores, a traditional fried fish restaurant, almost an institution in Cadiz.
A must try: Cazon en adobo–marinated fried fish usually dogfish or monkfish.
This fry shop serves excellent fried fish without the frills. Ordered from a counter and served in a cartucho, paper funnels. And like the dishes it serves, this shop is simple and functional. Be prepared to wait for a table especially at peak hours. Most locals order to take away.
I always leave room for dessert and if you are like me, you will love the pasteleria across the Freiduria Las Flores 2 in Calle Brasil.
Antonia Butron is famous for her savory pastries, but the empanada filled with dates comes highly recommended, and so are their cakes and roscones (sweet bread loaf).
Or how about this delicious dessert common and renowned in this part of Spain? Tocino del cielo, which means “bacon from heaven”, is so true to its name.
Traditionally made with the egg yolks that are discarded in the process of making sherry, this rich and creamy egg custard truly is a slice of heaven and a perfect way to end any meal. Definitely a must have.
Freiduria Las Flores Plaza de Topete, 4 +34 956 226 112 Freiduria Las Flores II Calle Brasil, 5 +34 956 289 378 Obrado Antonia Butron Plaza Jesus Nazarino, 5, Chiclana +34 956 401 094 Av. Ana de Viya, 16, Cadiz +34 956 284 260
Better Late than Later
November 24, 2012 § 6 Comments
Albeit late, here’s hoping everyone had a happy thanksgiving. Mine was a quiet dinner with the folks and instead of turkey, we had Peking duck. 🙂
How have you been? I hope you have not abandoned me as I have abandoned this blog of late. It has been a wild few months in my real life lately… mostly work but I managed some very much-needed downtime out-of-town, the country even.
The food I’ve encountered during my respite is unbelievable and share with you, I will… eventually.
But for now, I owe the Kulinarya Club some sisig!
A friend gave me a beautiful tuna belly from General Santos. Not as fresh as it came anymore as I had to throw it into the freezer while I was away. I have however, put it to good use on this month’s challenge, which I am co-hosting with Iska, by the way.
So without further adieu, I present to you my version of Tuna Sisig.
It really is pretty straightforward pork sisig recipe (which I have yet to make) replaced with tuna – I call it the healthier sisig.
Tuna Sisig
What You’ll Need:
- 500 grams tuna belly, sliced
- 1/2 can liver spread
- 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium size onion, chopped
- 1 pc. green sili, chopped
- 1/8 cup chicken or beef stock
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1/8 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. liquid seasoning
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper to taste
- a bit of cooking oil
- calamansi
What You Do:
- Fry tuna slices until slightly brown, drain on paper towel before flaking.
- In a wok, stir-fry garlic until fragrant, then add flaked tuna, liver spread, onion, stock, vinegar, soy sauce, liquid seasoning and green sili, cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the mayonnaise, stir and cook for another minute or until the liquids have dried out.
- Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve on a sizzling hot plate topped with an egg or serve on an oven-proof platter, make a well and top with egg (this is so the egg stays on top). Broil in oven at medium to high heat until egg white becomes opaque. Serve with calamansi.
Wonderful with ice-cold beer, especially on an unusually hot day. It’s nearing the end of November, can anyone tell me why does it feel like summer still?
Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture & its colourful cuisine.
Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.
Not Quite There Yet
February 28, 2012 § 5 Comments
Exhausting weekend. No, I have not moved yet but my paintings and most of my furniture has though. I spent most of last Saturday general cleaning and planning which wall the paintings go.
“Tama na ba ma’am, Is this alright? “Baba pa, taas pa, medyo kanan pa, lower, higher, a little more to the right…” – an example of the weekend I had with the workers.
The grease trap under the kitchen sink leaked, flooding the kitchen. The drain in the balcony is clogged, the range hood doesn’t have a socket nearby, the lights are not bright enough… problems one wouldn’t know or notice until one is about to move in, I reckon. It was so exhausting but satisfying at the end of the day. Seeing that I’m almost there make me jump for joy.
A glimpse of my unfinished living room
While the recent purchases are settled in their own little corner in my new flat, there are the existing things that I own that needs to move with me. That is no doubt, stressing me out. Imagine the packing and the unpacking.
I’ve weeded out stuff that I don’t need over the past months. I’ve sold some, given away many and ate at home so much. Truth to tell, I’ve stopped stocking up on food. I’ve been consuming stuff from the freezer and the cupboard (which would mainly be canned and bottled products). The less you have, the less you’ll need to transfer, yes? I’ve made some progress… I’ve consumed the last of my canned tuna and with it I made a quick lunch just to get us by.
Tuna with Fried Kesong Puti
I used this recipe sans the arugula and mushrooms.
You will need:
- 1 can tuna in Olive Oil
- ½ a tablespoon capers, slightly crushed
- A dash chili flakes (optional)
- A few strands fresh dill, (I snip it with a scissor)
- Any bread will do; I used English Muffins but Ciabatta or sliced baguette will do just fine.
- Kesong Puti (Filipino fresh cheese), sliced
What you do:
- Sauté the capers with a bit of oil from the can until it start to crisp.
- Stir in the tuna with half of the oil from the can, adding more depending on your preference (I like mine drier).
- Add the dill and let it simmer for a minute. Season with chili flakes, salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Meanwhile, pan-fry the sliced cheese in hot oil until golden brown.
- Spread tuna mixture on your choice of bread and top with the fried kesong puti.
Enjoy! And being a new member of the Kulinarya Cooking Club (yay!), I was inspired to fuse in a Filipino ingredient on this dish. It has inspired me too to learn to cook more Filipino dishes. In my attempt to whip up new dishes, I’ve neglected our own native dishes along the way. So here’s to more Filipino (inspired) dishes on this blog. 🙂
Happiness
February 7, 2012 § 4 Comments
Is it February already? Boy, what a hectic start of the year. It’s performance review again at work and I’m in the middle of moving with last-minute touches and changes here and there. So you can imagine what’s been keeping me busy lately. Except for the one weekend I was in Laos, I haven’t had much of a weekend since 2012 set in but my new flat is getting to look livable by the day. Not without glitches, I’m afraid. I hope I am still friends with my contractor-friend when we’re done. I wanted to move in 2 months ago but… well it didn’t happen.
Another problem came up today. I could sulk and brood about it but I chose to look at the brighter side. Today, I purchased the most beautiful and perhaps the most valuable piece of furniture I so far own. That makes me happy. And when I’m happy I make Tuna Mushroom Pasta.
Canned tuna never tasted so good. I passed by the deli before heading home and was even happier to find fresh dill.
This must be God’s way of telling me that everything is not all that bad. The problem will be solved (hopefully tomorrow) but tonight, we will celebrate.
Tuna Mushroom Pasta
You will need:
- 1 can tuna in Olive Oil
- 3-4 shiitake or brown mushrooms, sliced
- ½ a tablespoon capers, slightly mashed
- Baby Arugula
- A dash chili flakes (optional)
- A few strands fresh dill, (I snip it with a scissor)
- 200-250 gram pasta of your choice
What you do:
Cook the pasta as the pack directs. Meanwhile, sauté the capers with a bit of oil from the can, add the mushrooms and sauté for another minute or until the capers starts to crisp. Stir in the tuna with half of the oil from the can, adding more depending on your preference (I like mine drier). Add the dill and a bunch of arugula. Let it simmer until the arugula starts to wilt. Season with chili flakes, salt and freshly cracked pepper. I chose to have it with pasta, but this dish goes well with pasta, rice, and oatmeal or even on top of sliced baguette.
Everyone knows that the saltiness of the caper and the citrusy burst of fresh dill is perfect complement to tuna. We added a new dimension as the mushroom lends an earthy flavor, the arugula some tangy zest while the chili boosts all these up. Go ahead, give it a try and let this simple dish give a bit of happiness today.
Spanish Sardines with Rosemary and Capers
April 14, 2011 § Leave a comment
Many a busy weeknight I whip up something fast and furious and this is one of the recipes I go to. The fragrant rosemary leaves and the citrusy notes of capers bring this comfort food up a notch,
not to mention that Spanish sardines (particularly this brand) is an all-time favorite. It’s fuss-free, just throw everything into the pan, and so versatile it can be served in various ways – over rice, pasta or as a sandwich.
What you need:
- Bottled Spanish Sardines
- Dried or fresh rosemary
- Capers, roughly chopped
- Button mushrooms, sliced
What you do:
- Saute the mushroom in a bit of oil from the sardines.
- Add capers, cook for a few minutes until capers has a bit of a crunch.
- Add the sardines, include oil and everything else. Cook a few minutes more. Serve over rice or pasta.
Storm In My Kitchen 