Why are salads always better when someone else makes them? I don’t know, but what I do know is that I love salads. Growing up in Venezuela, salads where a big part of my diet. Actually, being well-fed was a big part of my childhood. I had somewhat of a disciplined upbringing, but I love that I did, because that made me who I am today.
For most of my childhood I attended a bilingual school. I had to learn all the subjects in Spanish and in English. That was a total of 16 subjects. Yes, even math. Homework occupied most of my free time outside of school, since I had double the homework for each subject. In addition, I also attended music school, which encompassed hours of practice and more homework as well. Very exhausting for a child, that’s probably why I needed all that energy to power my brain.
Sometimes I had to scarf down my lunch in the car on the way from school to music lessons. Other times, I was dropped-off at my grandparents’ house after school, so I could walk to the music school after lunch, which was pretty close to their house. Those were actually my favorite days. This meant that I would have lunch at my grandparents’ house.
Lunch in Venezuela is traditionally the big meal. Dinner is usually lighter than lunch. My mom always made great delicious and filling lunches every day when I came home, but lunch at my grandparents’ house was more of a treat. They included appetizers, soups, salads, the lunch itself, always accompanied by plantains as a side, fresh fruit juice and usually dessert. Not to mention, grandma was always baking something for the afternoon meriendas, which I enjoyed after my music lessons.
Most of these proper lunches at my grandparents’ house included a salad or apio soup (my favorite) as an appetizer before the lunch. As a kid, I didn’t enjoy the fact that I had to first eat the salad before I could eat the lunch, but I think that is what made me love salads… and soups. I got used to them, and I ended up loving them.
Like I mentioned, in Venezuela dinner is usually smaller and lighter than lunch. Dinners are usually arepas, soups, sandwiches, or even just salads. A big filling salad, much like the tuna salad.
Tuna is very common and accessible in Venezuela. This common and large blue-ish fish with that delicious fatty and tasty meat can be found in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean amongst others. The most common species in Venezuela include the Albacore tuna, the Bigeye tuna, and the Yellowfin tuna.
Obviously the most common and easiest way to consume tuna fish is canned tuna. This makes it the perfect ingredient for a light and simple dinner; Tuna Salad. As I mentioned, salads are always best when someone else is making it. My grandma and aunt Gaby are known for their delicious salads and homemade vinaigrettes. On the other hand, my sister Mariale is known for her exquisite Christmas Dinner Chicken Salad and her Tuna Salad. A few weeks ago, I drove 7-8 hours to visit her in Illinois and the first thing I asked her to make for me when I got there was her famous tuna salad. Before I left, I had to ask her to make it again, so we could add it to the blog. It’s a very simple recipe and it’s very light, perfect for a light Venezuelan dinner, or anytime you are on a diet.
This tuna salad recipe is also perfect to enjoy as a filling for arepas. You can serve the arepa on the side of the salad, or you can serve an arepa filled with tuna salad. It’s the perfect arepa filling recipe. Either way I would also recommend adding a few slices of avocado on the side.
What you need:
– 3 cans of white albacore tuna in water (4oz cans, drained)
– 2 Tomatoes, diced
– ½ Large onion, diced
– ¼ Cup chopped cilantro
– ½ Cup light mayo
– 1 tbsp. lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
– Salt & Pepper to taste
– Optional: Avocado slices, lemon wedges and arepas.
Preparation:
1. Chop the onion, tomatoes and cilantro. Combine ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Drain the tuna very well and add it to the bowl.
3. Add the mayo a bit at a time, while mixing with the rest of the ingredients. For a lighter version, you can add less mayo. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly distributed and coated with mayo.
5. Serve with avocado slices and lemon wedges on the side and enjoy. You can enjoy it by itself, on top of toast, as a tuna salad sandwich, with crackers, or as a dip with chips.
6. This recipe is perfect as an arepa filling option as well. Open the hot arepa fresh from the stove, and stuff it with the cold tuna salad. Serve with optional avocado slices and lemon wedges on the side. This is a great option for a light dinner of filled arepas.
¡Buen Provecho!
Venezuelan Cooking 