I originally posted this Mediterranean Chopped Tuna Salad a little over a year ago. I made it again recently and decided to snap some new pics (the ones in the original post were from my iPhone). It’s one of my go-to salads (one that I will most likely be having for lunch today) and really fills you up with a good amount of veggies and protein. It’s funny, and a little ironic, because as I’m rereading my thoughts in my original post as I just scheduled initial assessment for my gym’s 60 Day Comeback Challenge for tomorrow this morning.

Earlier this year, I made a commitment to make health and fitness a priority in my life. I know I am generally very health and fitness focused but I had some personal changes and goals I wanted to work towards, especially after having my 3rd child. Joining a new gym and really stepping up my work outs have been a game changer for me. I feel stronger than I ever have in my life and am really proud of my accomplishments at the gym. I wake up before the crack of dawn 4 days a week and am excited to get to the gym – how many people can say that? I love my trainers, my workouts and the overall postive vibe and people at my gym.

Now, although I feel stronger and have the gym situation under control, I still struggle with food. Plain and simple – I like to eat! 🙂 My Fitness Pal is going to make a comeback in my life to help my achieve my goals in the 60 Day Challenge (and maybe help me win some cash too!). I’ll keep you posted here and hope to share any food and recipe ideas that are helping me along the way.

Stay tuned…and enjoy this salad in the meantime.

(Originally posted August 19, 2014)

There a couple reasons why I’m loving this salad so much lately. One, it’s incredibly filling and full of flavor. Two, it’s low in calories, carbs and is helping me lose weight! For the last couple of weeks, my husband and I have been buckling down and tracking our food and activity in My Fitness Pal, as well as using our Fitbits to keep us motivated to move. I’m happy to report that in just a couple of weeks of really paying attention to what we are eating and how much exercise we are getting in, we are both losing weight at a healthy, steady pace.

It’s no secret that I’ve been trying to shed some baby weight for the last 10 months and I’ve been majorly frustrated lately because I’ve been stuck at a weight since February. Unfortunately for me (as I’m sure many others), my weight tends to affect my mood more than I’d like to admit. I get by by wearing yoga pants most of the time, but when it’s time to put on real clothes I usually get hit with a reality check that doesn’t make me feel all that good (ugh).

My goal has never been to be “skinny” but to be comfortable in my skin, be healthy and fit and feel good about myself in my clothes. For me to get back to that place, I know I need to muster up a little extra will power and motivation and make smart choices, keep my calories in check and move more. So that’s what I’m doing! (Believe me it has not been easy. But with each successful day that passes it gets easier, more routine and more doable. I am looking forward to reaching my goal!)

I have made myself this salad recipe a couple times in the last few weeks, most recently this weekend for both my husband and myself. It’s obvious that I love it, but I was extra happy to see that my husband loved it too, especially because he has never been a huge tuna fish lover (like I am).

It’s light, filling and simple. It is great for lunch, but would make a nice healthy dinner salad too. Feel free to add whatever veggies you have on hand (if I had cucumbers and tomatoes they would have made it into my bowl).

Also, I have been cutting back on salad calories lately by just dressing my salads with red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. If you want to add a drizzle of olive oil, feel free to, but if you love vinegar like I do then I think you will enjoy this just how it’s prepared.

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Mediterranean Chopped Tuna Salad

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Yield: 1 salad
• Category: Fish

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Ingredients

• 1 can Italian tuna in olive oil, drained well (or whatever light tuna you prefer)
• iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, sliced or chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced or chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced or chopped
• 1/4 onion, sliced or chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• pepperoncini, optional
• a couple of splashes of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil
• dried oregano flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Add lettuce, celery, pepper, cucumber and onion to your salad bowl. Top with feta and tuna. Splash with red wine vinegar and sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper, to taste.

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Notes

For a less filling salad, use only half a can of tuna.

(Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.)

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So, our nephew Ryan has been staying with us while his new apartment is getting ready for him.  You may have heard me mention Ryan before, he was the mastermind behind this delicious Tropical Fruit Salsa we served over grilled salmon last summer.  What’s fun about Ryan staying with us is that he likes to cook so it definitely adds to the creativity going on in the kitchen.

This meal was a collaborative effort between us.  I told him what I had on hand and wanted to use up…he sparked the idea of using a bruschetta topping and broiling the patties with cheese and serving open faced on an English muffin.  The result was amazing and enjoyed by the adults in the home.  And although I’ve cut down on eating meat considerably over the last few months, I couldn’t resist taking a bite of this one.  What struck out the most was the juiciness of the burger, adding sauteed vegetables to the meat will do that.  And the freshness of the basil in the patties definitely made your taste buds jump up and down as well.  This one is a keeper.  Thanks Ryan for the inspiration! 🙂

Bruschetta Patty Melts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1/2 green pepper, minced
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 mushrooms, minced
• small handful of basil, chopped finely
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• couple of splashes of wine
• salt and pepper

Topping:

• Bruschetta
• Cheese (we used shredded mozzarella and Parmesan shavings)
• English Muffins, toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Saute pepper, mushrooms, onions and garlic and let cool. Combine basil, egg, Parmesan cheese and wine in a bowl. Add cooked vegetables and ground pork to bowl and gently combine. Form into patties. Place on broiler pan and cook for about 15 minutes.
3. Take cooked patties out of oven and top each one with a spoonful of bruschetta, Parmesan and cheese. Turn broiler on and place burgers back into oven. Cook until cheese is completely melted and slightly browned. Serve open-faced style on toasted English Muffin.

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