Tuna and Brown Rice Salad with Olives, Feta Cheese and Orange

I used to be one of those people who always had 3-4 cans of tuna in the house. Solid white. In oil until I felt the need to diet, so then, in water.

I'd open the can, drain the fish, mash it with mayo, spread it on bread and voila! there was lunch.

Or I'd open a can or two occasionally for dinner, for a big salad like Nicoise or Chef's Salad.

But canned tuna changed over the years. The fish seems mushy and salty to me now and has for many years.

Maybe my tastes changed. Whatever. I stopped buying canned tuna except for the one can I keep for emergencies. And, most often, in my yearly pre-Passover cabinet purge, I discard that can because I haven't used it. 

I still make tuna sandwiches and tuna salad though, using leftover grilled or broiled fresh tuna. Grilled fresh tuna is meaty and pleasantly chewy. No mush at all. The leftovers, usually from the more well-done ends, can be dry, which makes them perfect for plain old tuna salad, mixed with moistening mayo. Also terrific for big salads that I douse with dressing.

We had this Tuna and Brown Rice salad recently. The contrasts are interesting -- tangy olives and feta, sweet fruit, earthy peas. It's colorful too, making it a good choice for a summer buffet. I suppose it would work okay with canned tuna, if you buy that. 

Tuna and Brown Rice Salad with Olives, Feta Cheese and Orange Segments

• 1 cup brown Basmati rice
• 10-12 ounces fresh tuna
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3-4 scallions, chopped
• 1 large navel orange, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 cup thawed frozen peas
• 1/2 cup halved black olives
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
•  

Cook the brown rice according to package directions. Spoon the cooked rice into a large bowl and set aside to cool. Preheat a grill, broiler or grill pan. Place the tuna in a heat-proof pan. Mix the olive oil with the soy sauce and brush this over the fish. Grill, broil or pan-broil the fish for about 4 minutes per side or until cooked to desired doneness. Remove the fish to a cutting board, cut into chunks and set aside to cool. Add the fish, feta cheese, scallions, orange chunks, peas, olives and mint to the bowl with the rice. Toss gently to distribute the ingredients evenly. In a small bowl mix the vegetable oil, wine vinegar and lemon juice. Pour over the ingredients. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Tuna Patties with Lemon-Mayonnaise

There’s no gefilte fish at our house on Passover. My daughter Gillian is so allergic to fish that even the cooking vapors or opened cans/jars of fish can make her sick.

Also, we don’t like jarred gefilte fish. Maybe that’s a heretical thing to say, but, there, I’ve said it.

I’ve bought freshly made gefilte fish that Ed and I loved, from a market in Riverdale, but it’s too far from where I live to go there often.

I’ve made gefilte fish, back in the day, before Gillian was born. It’s a killer in terms of time and effort. 

So, these days, if it’s not a family dinner and I can serve fish and need a good dish as an appetizer rather than main course, I make something like these tuna patties. They’re made of mashed fish mixed with seasonings, but unlike gefilte fish they don’t contain egg and matzo meal (but you can add some if you want fluffier patties). They’re sauteed, not poached. And I serve them with lemon-mayonnaise instead of horseradish.

Other than that they’re just like gefilte fish.

If you would like an alternative to gefilte fish, try these:

Tuna Patties with Lemon-Mayonnaise

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

1-1/2 pounds fresh tuna

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 thick scallion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon finely chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 large egg, optional

5-6 tablespoons matzo meal, optional

3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix the mayonnaise and lemon peel and set it aside. Chop the tuna into very fine pieces and place them in a bowl (you can use a food processor). Add the parsley, scallion, garlic, ginger, chili pepper and some salt and pepper to taste. Add the optional egg and matzo meal, if desired. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Shape the mixture into 16-20 small patties. Heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for 2-3 minutes per side or until lightly browned and crispy on both sides and cooked through. Serve with the lemon-mayonnaise.

Makes 8-10 first course servings

Tuna Burgers

When I went to the fish store the other day there were several hunks of tuna for sale but only one of them was as thick as I like — tuna dries out quickly so I like to use a piece that’s 1-1/2-inches. Unfortunately, the piece i wanted weighed too much for a dinner for two for Ed and me, but I bought it anyway so I could experiment with the leftovers.

I actually cut a half pound chunk off to play around with the next day and decided to make tuna burgers.

They were gooooood!

Here’s the recipe:

Tuna Burgers

16-20 ounces fresh tuna

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro)

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion or scallion

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Chop the tuna into very fine pieces into a bowl (you can use a food processor). Add the parsley, onion, garlic, ginger, chili pepper and some salt and pepper to taste. Stir ion 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the burgers for about 2 minutes per side or until lightly browned and crispy on both sides. Makes 4.

I served these on hamburger rolls with lemon-flavored mayonnaise: mix 1/4 cup mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel.