(NC) Sometimes it feels like dinner just comes around too quickly. For weeknights when you’re feeling strapped for time, there’s nothing better than being able to make your family a healthy meal using a staple ingredient that’s in the cupboard.
Canned tuna is budget friendly, extremely versatile and wonderfully good for you. Look for sustainably sourced options like MSC certified tuna with the blue fish label. When you purchase seafood that is MSC certified, you can enjoy wild, sustainable seafood while helping to preserve the ocean.
A great quick idea is to pair the tuna with couscous. If you’ve never made the grain before, fear not, because if you can boil water, you can make couscous. Once cooked, it’s also a good leftover that keeps well in the refrigerator. Feel free to add other ingredients that you may already have like fresh spinach, spring onions or even dried fruit like apricots for a hint of sweetness.
Ingredients:
• 4 oz can MSC certified tuna (broken into chunks)
• ¾ cup uncooked Moroccan couscous
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
• 2 tsp grapeseed oil
• ½ red bell pepper (medium diced)
• 3 oz Kalamata olives
• 3 oz seeded green olives
• 2 tbsp Italian parsley (roughly chopped)
• 1 heirloom beefsteak tomato (medium diced)
• ½ hot house cucumber (medium diced)
• 3 preserved grape leaves (layer leaves, roll them tightly and “chiffonade”- cut into thin strips)
Dressing Ingredients:
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp orange blossom honey
• Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. To make the couscous, add vegetable broth and grapeseed oil to a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for five minutes, then fluff with fork, and set aside to cool.
2. To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a small glass bowl and incorporate thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Plate by folding together the couscous, vegetables and desired amount of dressing in a large bowl and fluff. Add the flakey chunks of tuna on top of a bed of couscous salad and drizzle remaining dressing over salad and tuna. Garnish with fresh lime wedges, a sprinkle of parsley and fresh-cracked black pepper.