Diary of a Nutritionist

Canned tuna used to be a household staple growing up.

So did mayonnaise.

I can remember my parents both having opposing views on brands of mayo—my father preferring Miracle Whip and the rest of us were raised on Hellman’s “Real Mayonnaise.”

Once an “Extra-Mayo-but-no-extra-meat” kind of girl, I now cringe at the thought of any mayo. Mayo—anyway you spread it, is far from “miraculous” or a blend of “real” good ingredients.

Soybean oil and eggs? Vinegar? Sugar?

Oh, wait… now you are using “Canola oil”?

Yikes!

Mayo, get out of town! Talk about a sure fire way to increase cholesterol, add pounds, slow digestion, and spread on those skin clogging oils, and GMO ingredients. No thank you!

Recently, though, I decided to see if I could do what so many raw aficionados have done before me, and whip up a Raw “Mock Tuna” salad. I borrowed a recipe and crossed my fingers.

Made with a large helping of soaked, raw sunflower seeds, this recipe is denser than my typical cuisine, but also a wonderful source of beautifying magnesium, antioxidants, selenium, and an excellent source of unprocessed fat. When blended, these oils are released and no added oil (or mayo) is needed. No cooking necessary.

The resulting “tuna” tasted authentic. Not in a “oh my gosh, it’s fish” sort of way, but in a wholesome, “feel-good about what I am eating” way, that can only be found when using unprocessed ingredients. True to its name, it was subtly reminiscent of the sea (in a non-fishy sort of way).

To accompany my “mock tuna,” I made a beautiful base of soft leafy greens to balance out the weight of the sunflower seeds and flush the body with alkalinity, enzymes, and light but satiating fiber. To emphasize the Mediterranean theme I was aiming for, without taking away from the Mock Tuna itself, I tossed the greens in a very minimal amount of raw apple cider vinegar. I added dimension with the subtle flavor of scallions, kalamata olives, and my favorite— Monterey Farms artichokes.

Because I needed to make this ensemble of borrowed recipes my own, I also reached out to my new favorite raw foods company, New Earth, for some extra crunch.

The last thing I would want my guests, or clients to do is shovel up their sunflower seed tuna with processed flour crackers, so in keeping with my seed theme, I knew these crackers would make an excellent addition to my salad entrée.

New Earth crackers are unique in that they use dehydrated chia seeds in their raw cracker recipes, differentiating them from the plethora of raw flax crackers that jump from the shelves of specialty grocers (Read more about the benefits of these high fiber, calcium and protein rich super foods with Dr. Oz). In fact, this out of the box thinking is what draws me to all of their raw food products. With such unique flavor and beautifully paired ingredients, I cannot help myself but to want to utilize the three-dimensional flavors that confidently explode from the New Earth packages. 

Krystalle, one of the generous and passionate founders, sent me her unique chipotle chia crackers, which I was beyond excited to share!

Crunchy, and vibrant in color with subtle smoky flavor, these raw crackers were a lovely and nutrient dense alternative to crackers or croutons. The New Earth Raw Chia Chipotle crackers made this salad pop with originality— both aesthetically and in taste.  I felt good about sharing these raw and alkaline creations with my guests. I only wish I could claim this recipe as my own.

You’ll be hearing more about New Earth, for sure.

Recipes

Mediterranean Mock Tuna Salad on a bed of Greens  (Serves 4)

Greens:

• 6 oz Mache greens
• 1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup kalamata olives, rinsed and chopped
• 1 package of Monterey Farms “Natural” artichokes, (or can– but rinse in cool water and drain)
• Sea Salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste

Toss ingredients in a salad bowl and serve on plates.

Mock Tuna Salad—adapted from “The Everything Raw Food Recipe Book” by Mike Snyder with Nancy Faass, MSW, MPH and Lorena Novak Bull, RD

• 2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 4 tbsp chopped onion (I omitted this) 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp capers
• 2 tbsp dulse flakes (this adds a salty sea flavor)

Process all ingredients in a food processor until the resulting pâté is well mixed and slightly chunky. Scoop ¼ cup onto each bed of lettuce and serve with a raw flax or chia cracker. I used the New Earth! Sprinkle with pink Himalayan sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Have you ever made a sunflower seed, or mock tuna recipe? Similar or different than this? Like or dislike?