Tuesday, April 14, 2009

TBG Recipe: Sassy Tuna Salad


Current Weight: 169.4 lbs.

Back when Mrs. Bootleg and I were just Girlfriend n' Boyfriend Bootleg, we split the cooking responsibilities almost equally. Over time, Mrs. Bootleg has assumed control of the kitchen and I'd be lying if I said I was uncomfortable with this arrangement. These days, my culinary contributions are few and far between, but there's still one dish I dust off semi-regularly.

The city of San Diego endured a rare, rainy Saturday this past weekend, so I rolled to the store and picked up fixins for what I call "sassy tuna salad". A more appropriate description would be "spicy tuna salad", but I daresay there's not another tuna salad out there that captures the stereotypical ethnic attitude of the 1970s and 1980s.

This is the only recipe that I can legitimately claim as my own. Mrs. Bootleg believed my last batch was the best ever and it just so happened to be the first time I ever actually measured the ingredients, instead of going by taste-n-feel:

==

One (1) 12-ounce can Bumblebee-brand chunk light tuna in water (Don't cheap out here, kids. This'll run you between $3 and $4, but it's worth it.)

1/3 cup of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of sweet relish

1/4 cup of diced tomatoes (I use 1/3 cup, but your mileage may vary)

1/4 cup of finely diced onions

1 heapin' tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro

3 or 4 small pickled chili peppers (stemmed), finely diced (seeds and all)

Dash of black pepper


1.) Drain tuna (sorry, gotta assume I'm writing for men, here) and flake into a medium-sized bowl.

2.) Add mayonnaise and relish; stir thoroughly.

3.) Add tomatoes and onions, stir thoroughly some more.

4.) Add cilantro and chili peppers, stir thoroughly some more. Again.

5.) Hit it with a shot of pepper and stir one last time.


Personally, I think it tastes infinitely better when tightly covered and left in the refrigerator overnight. Mrs. Bootleg, however, hovers like a horsefly until I declare it "done", then swoops in for some.

Serving recommendation: This'll make the best tuna melt you'll ever eat or serve it as an hors d'oeuvre with the criminally underrated Olive Oil & Cracked Pepper-flavored Triscuit crackers. Classy!

13 comments:

Mark Smo in CT said...

Have you ever included this with pasta? I like things plain and one of my summertime food staples is "macaroni salad"....just any kind of pasta with tuna and mayo mixed with salt/pepper.

Mrs. CT said...

I assume I'll be making this at some point since you used 2 of a Nick'as favorite words... Tuna melt.

Mrs. Bootleg said...

I must confirm that the "sassy tuna salad" that my hubby made on Saturday was the best EVER! It was so good I didn't even bother to cook Easter dinner.

Aaron C. said...

Well, then. That certainly changes the dynamic of this lightly-read blog.

Also, she speaks the truth about Easter dinner. But, that's another blog post.

Tom said...

Is this the first Mrs. Bootleg sighting in Bootleg history?

that mexican guy said...

HOLY SHIT! A Mrs. Bootleg sighting!

Seriously, Cam, "That Mexican Wife" thanks you for this. Now that we have the recipe our family has no further use for you.

Mrs. Bootleg said...

Yes, it's me, Mrs. Bootleg! I'm ashamed it took me so long to reveal myself.

acctg.sean said...

Wait - your wife reads this crap?

I'm guessing she'll be changing the dynamics of your face pretty soon.

(Psst, Mrs. Bootleg - look for your husband's review of your Thanksgiving dinner last year.)

Aaron C. said...

Dammit, stop encouraging her!

CrazyCanuck said...

I look forward to Mrs. Bootleg's travel diary of the next Cam Fam vacation!

Don't worry Mr. Bootleg, I'll always love your stuff too.

SHough610 said...

It would be interesting to have a husband and wife blogging for the contrast. Though if she reads too much you might need to start charging because of the ring you'll need to get her.

thatlonestarguy said...

I just made the tuna for the second time, and its a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy, its a party in my tummy, so yummy so yummy

thatlonestarguy said...

It would be boring for a wife blogging with a husband:) Sports, Beer and food takes, mixed in with cramps, nagging, and kid takes = something I'd prefer my own job over, which is saying something.

Men = Blogging
Women = Kitchen

hahahahaha