Tuna and Avacado Salad

I went on a solo trip to Europe this past September. For two weeks, I wondered the streets of  Amsterdam, Prague, and Leipzig. It’s all clear with the first too but Leizig? – you ask me – why? My reasons were twofold. First, I always wanted to go to Germany (for wurst and beer – you guessed it right). Secondly, I had a friend who lived there and who offered me to come visit  and stay with her.

Lena and I went to school together back home, and we hadn’t seen each other for almost 10 years (yes, I’m old enought to say that!) The night I arrived, we stayed in and talked for hours over the simple but delicious food Lena cooked. This recipe was one of the dishes she made and has been a staple in my weekly rotation ever since.

Ingredients:

• 2 (5 oz) cans tuna in olive oil
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
• 1 tablespoon whole grain (!) Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• juice of a quarter of a lemon
• salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
• chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

The first time I made this recipe, I drained the oil from the tuna. I ended up adding about the same amount of it back so I prefer not to drain it at all now.

In a medium bowl, combine the tuna, mustard, and tomato paste.  Add the cubed avocado, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Add a generous amount of salt and freshly cracked black pepper, mix well and enjoy!

This salad can be served with crackers or pita bread, in a sandwich, or piled high on a veggie salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions dressed in Dijon mustard vinaigrette and topped with a handful of crunchy croutons.