Ensalada de Atun {Tuna Salad}

I'm starting a new feature today.  I was looking at the calendar last week and noticed that Cuaresma (Lent) will be starting soon. February 17th to be exact.  During Cuaresma, Mexicans refrain from eating meat and poultry on Fridays.  The only "meat" allowed is seafood.

My kids aren't big seafood fans, so I alternate between seafood and vegetarian dishes.  This got me to thinking that this would be something great to do all year long.  Not only in my house, but on this blog.  So every other Friday, I will post a seafood recipe.  And I will post a vegetarian recipe the other Fridays.  Now, if only I could come up with a catchy name!  If you have any ideas, feel free to post them in the comments or head on over to my Facebook fan page.  I'd love to hear from you!   

Let's talk about Tuna. Canned tuna, wasn't always something I enjoyed.  My grandmother always prepared what she called Ensalada de Tuna (tuna salad) with mayonnaise, chopped onion and pickle.  And I kind of liked it.  Until I got food poisoning at the age of 13 from a bad old can of tuna.  I refused to eat tuna for 7 years.

That was until one of my brothers-in-law moved in with Hubby and me.  He liked to cook on his days off and was pretty good at it.  One day, he announced that he would be making Ensalada de Atun.  I had no idea what Atun was, but it sounded interesting.   When Hubby and I got home from work we were greeted with a large bowl of tuna salad.

I was confused.  Didn't he say he was making Ensalada de Atun?  I asked both Hubby and brother-in-law why they called it Atun, when it's Tuna.  They both looked at me and laughed.  They explained that the spanish word for tuna fish is Atun.  And that Tuna in spanish is a cactus fruit.  That last tidbit of information confused me even more.  But I finally understood.

This is Atun.

And this is a Tuna.



It was my brother-in-law's tuna salad that made me fall in love with tuna.  Or should I say Atun?

 Ensalada de Atun
(Tuna Salad)

Ingredients:


  • 1/2 head of lettuce, shredded
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 or 4 tablespoons onion, chopped
  • 1 small can corn kernels, drained
  • 2 canned jalapeño peppers, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons jalapeño vinagre (the liquid the jalapeños are packed in)
  • 2 cans tuna fish, drained
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise (depending on how creamy you like your salad)

 

Directions:
In a medium serving bowl, combine the lettuce, tomato, onion, corn kernels, and jalapeño peppers.




Add the drained tuna, jalapeño vinagre and mayonnaise.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix until all of the ingredients are well combined.
 
 

Serve with tostadas and/or crackers.  Enjoy!!!




With Love,

8 comments

  1. leslie, my question is this: what brand of canned tuna did you buy that looks this good? i swear i have purchased every single brand they have at the local aurrera bodega and none look this good! too much water and not enough atun! (although my cat loves it!)

    thanks!

    barb on the southside of lake chapala

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    1. I know what you mean I live in San Nicolas De Ibarra, I go to Chapala to look for good tuna... never found it!

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  2. leslie, my question is this: what brand of canned tuna did you buy that looks this good? i swear i have purchased every single brand they have at the local aurrera bodega and none look this good! too much water and not enough atun! (although my cat loves it!)

    thanks!

    barb on the southside of lake chapala

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  3. Barb: Sorry to disappoint you, but I got the picture of the canned tuna from the internet. I didn't like how my picture of tuna looked! :D

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  4. leslie, i meant the tuna in the penultimate picture of your salad. (sorry about the previous double posting; my computer's acting up....or out.)

    barb

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  5. Barb: Sorry about the confusion. I use the only tuna fish available in our small town...Dolores Atun.

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  6. Leslie this looks so good and its a great change up from my normal tuna salad which sounds more like what your grandma made you.

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  7. i made this today and it was really good..and I am not really a tuna fan but my husband is! i added a little lemon but it took some of the flavor away..

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