TUNA Tips and a Special Recipe from Ellie Krieger

People across the country have stocked up on canned tuna, but beyond tuna salad or a tuna melt you may be wondering what do you even do with a can of tuna?

Ellie Krieger is a leading go-to nutritionist in the media today well known from her hit Food Network show "Healthy Appetite." To help inspire home cooks everywhere, Ellie has developed a delicious recipe for pasta salad using Chicken of the Sea Tuna. She also shared four of her special tips for tuna lovers!

1) Turn any salad into a complete and satisfying meal, effortlessly, by adding tuna. A 5-ounce can of Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna in water contains 24 grams of high-quality protein, not to mention hearty-heathy omega-3 fats. What could be easier?

2) If you stocked up on tuna during the quarantine, you are in luck, because there are so many ways to use it to add satisfying protein and immunity supporting nutrients like vitamin D to summer dishes. For example, layer Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna with grilled vegetables on a sandwich or in a wrap, add it to pasta salad, flake some onto your avocado toast, or mix it in with a green salad.

3) I always reach for my pantry staples when I want to pull together a great meal quickly and easily. One of my must-haves is Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna in Water. It's a good source of satisfying protein, heart healthy omega-3s, and vitamins and minerals. With some pasta, canned tomatoes and frozen vegetables, you are on your way to a wonderful meal even if you haven't been to the store in a while.

4) I often look to the Mediterranean for flavor inspiration when using tuna in recipes because it is commonly used in the wonderful dishes there. For an easy, Mediterranean-style tuna salad, toss drained Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna with some olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, fresh parsley and chopped olives. Serve it in a sandwich made with crusty Italian bread, over an arugula salad or on toasts as an appetizer.

And here's Ellie's fantastic recipe, just right for the end of summer or busy fall days!

Pasta Salad with Tuna, White Beans and Vegetables (Servings: 4 - 6)

Ingredients:

• One 12-ounce can or two 5-ounce cans Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna in Water, drained
• 8 ounces rotini pasta or a similar shape, regular or whole grain
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, or 1 teaspoon each dried oregano and dried basil
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1 medium yellow, orange or red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup finely diced red onion

Preparation:

1. Cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain, then transfer the pasta to a large shallow dish, toss with 1 teaspoon of the oil, and allow it to cool completely.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, Salt and Pepper.
3. In a large bowl toss together the pasta, tomatoes, bell pepper, beans and onions. Add the Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna and the dressing and toss gently to combine. Season with additional salt to taste.

Note: The pasta salad will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days.

Ellie Krieger Bio:

Host and executive producer of the cooking series "Ellie's Real Good Food" on Public Television and well known from her hit Food Network show "Healthy Appetite," Ellie Krieger is the leading go-to nutritionist in the media today, helping people find the sweet spot where "delicious" and "healthy" meet. Her success can be attributed to her accessible way of offering tools for nurturing a richly satisfying, sumptuous lifestyle while cutting through the gimmicks, hype and extreme eating that permeate our world.

Ellie is a New York Times bestselling, IACP and two-time James Beard Foundation award winning author of 7 cookbooks. She is also a weekly columnist for The Washington Post and has been a columnist for Fine Cooking, Food Network magazine and USA Today.

Ellie is a registered dietitian nutritionist who earned her bachelors in clinical nutrition from Cornell University and her masters in nutrition education from Teacher's College Columbia University. Her latest book Whole in One: Complete, Healthy Meals in a Single Pot, Skillet or Sheet Pan was released in October 2019. She finds happiness living with her daughter and husband in New York City.

For more information on Chicken of the Sea Tuna, please visit https://chickenofthesea.com/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ellie Krieger and Chicken of the Sea Tuna

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