Skip to main content

Reducing your risk of breast cancer could be as easy as opening a can of tuna. A review of 26 studies published a few weeks ago in the British Medical Journal  found that women who eat more omega-3 fatty acids had a lower risk of developing breast cancer.

tuna salad

Research also shows that omega-3s are good for the heart, by lowering triglycerides and bood pressure.

One of the best sources for omega-3s is fish. We all have a can of tuna gathering dust in the cupboard, but here’s how to dress it up a little more than the usual bland tuna salad. This one is light on the mayo and served in an avocado, which turns a weeknight dinner into something a little more elegant.

I was originally inspired to make this recipe by Sylvia Plath. In “The Bell Jar”, her main character Esther loves avocado pears. She describes how her grandfather would bring them home for her, and she would eat them with their little cups filled with a garnet sauce of grape jelly and French dressing. While I’m a little hesitant to try that concoction, I did attempt a riff on the crab salad in avocado halves she had at a business luncheon.

For a healthy weeknight dinner, I think I did pretty well for myself.

014

Tuna salad in avocado halves
Serves 2-4

1 can tuna packed in water
1/4 small onion, minced
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 dashes cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
2 generous pinches mung bean sprouts
2 sprigs fresh cilantro
2 ripe avocados

Drain tuna and add to a large mixing bowl. Add minced onion and scallions. Zest and juice lemon. Add juice to bowl. Add oil and mayonnaise and stir with a fork to combine. Add cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Finish with bean sprouts and torn cilantro leaves.

To serve, cut avocados in half and pile the tuna salad into the cavities. Grind some fresh pepper and sprinkle some cilantro over.

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.