Tuna Boats
Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Dinner, Eggs, Fennel Pollen, Fish, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Low Carb, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Quick and Easy, Sides, Snacks, Vegetables
There are so many things that you can do with tuna. It makes a fabulous sandwich, one of my favorites. It’s a great addition to pasta, one of my comfort foods. And, it’s good in a boat. Specifically a boat made of veggies.
This is one of those awesome recipes that’s great no matter the season. So I will share one of my favorite ways to make it, and then some mix and match options.
For this recipe, the stars were hard boiled eggs, shallots, and fresh tarragon. Plus the boats: cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumber. It was fabulous.
I started with the eggs. My method for hard boiling is what my mom taught me: boil water, add 1t white vinegar, add eggs, boil for 15 minutes, cool eggs under cold running water. I like to peel the eggs right away, while they’re still a bit warm. They’re easier to peel.
After the eggs, the rest came together in no time.
We loved the cucumber boats, the tomato boats were yummy, but the cabbage boats were our favorite. There was something so perfect about the slightly sweet cabbage that went so well with the tuna and egg mixture.
Since tuna goes with so so many things, it didn’t seem fair to limit the recipe to just a these few ingredients. So here are some mix and match ideas. Mix a little something that you think would taste great together, from each of the five categories, for a quick and easy treat.
Creamy/Liquidy
Mayo, yogurt, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, aioli, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, silken tofu, olive oil, sesame oil.
Herbs
Basil, cilantro, dill, chives, fennel pollen, parsley, Rosemary, sage, thyme, tarragon.
Seasonings
Cayenne, paprika, pepper, salt.
Extras
Bacon, arugula, bell pepper, celery, back/white/fava/green beans, capers, chile peppers, hard boiled eggs, garlic, ginger, leeks, lemon zest, red onions, pancetta, scallions, shallots, radishes, tomatoes, salsa, olives.
Serve In
Avocado, cucumber, cabbage, carrots, celery, kale, chard, mixing, lettuce, radicchio, daikon radishes, radishes, fennel, beets, jicama, shiitakes.
Some may be best cooked and scooped out (beets and carrots). They could be served with the veggies at room temperature, or even chilled. Others will just need the seeds or some of the flesh scooped out (any good bits could be mixed with the tuna or saved for later). Those of the leafy variety need just be separated.
And now, here are some combos that I came up with, all of which I can’t wait to try.
French Inspired Tuna, tarragon or basil, hard boiled eggs, and mayo, served in a tomato or cucumber.
Asian Inspired Tuna, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, onion, chile pepper, and cilantro, served in summer squash, tomato, or cabbage.
Mediterranean Inspired Tuna, olives, olive oil, paprika, lemon zest, parsley, basil, dill, white beans or garbanzo beans, and red onion, served in cucumber, bell pepper, or tomato.
Mexican Inspired Tuna, yogurt, salsa, black beans, cilantro, chile pepper, bell pepper, tomato, and red onion, served in avocado, tomato, or bell pepper.
Italian Inspired Tuna, garlic, rosemary, parsley, basil, thyme, tomato, lemon juice, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, served in tomato, fennel, bell pepper, or summer squash.
Happy Eating!
Ingredients
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- 1-2 T mayo
- 1-2 T plain yogurt
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 T tarragon or basil, chopped or cut in a chiffonade
- pinch cayenne
- to taste salt
- 1 T shallot or red onion, diced
- 1-5oz. can tuna
- cucumber, tomato, or cabbage (halved, center scooped out if applicable), for serving
Instructions
- Cook eggs (boil water, add 1t white vinegar, add eggs, boil for 15 minutes, drain, pour cool water over, peel right away).
- Combine eggs through tuna. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
- Scoop tuna mixture into cucumber, tomatoes, and cabbage.
