Tag Archives: Mediterranean

Tuna Burgers

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Tuna burgers aren’t quite as popular, in my opinion, as salmon burgers. It’s probably because salmon is more fatty and moist, so burgers made with prepared salmon are more apt to be moist and tender.

Tuna doesn’t have the richness of salmon, but it is delicate and flaky, and can definitely lend itself to a burger-type preparation.

So whenever I grill a large amount of tuna, I saved the leftover tuna for burgers.

The fun thing with tuna burgers is that so many approaches can be taken. Do you want Asian burgers? Easy! Do you want them Indian? Really easy! Mexican? Sure!

For these burgers, I decided on Mediterranean flavors.

Here’s what I did.

Mediterranean-Inspired Tuna Burgers

Leftover grilled tuna, about 8 ounces, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 tablespoons good mayonnaise
Roasted red bell peppers, diced
Kalamata olives, diced
2 shallots, minced
Chopped parsley
Sweet paprika
Salt
White pepper
Crumbled goat cheese
Bread crumbs, as necessary

Crumble or chop the tuna and place in a small bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Whisk in the mayonnaise. Add the bell peppers, olives, shallots, and parsley and gently stir. Season with the paprika, salt, and pepper.

Combine with the flaked tuna. Add goat cheese to taste.

Slowly add bread crumbs just until the mixture firms up. (See note.) Form four burgers, place them in a baking dish, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the burgers until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot.

I included a capered mayonnaise with these burgers, which I served without bread.

A good mustard or mustard-mayo mixture would be good, too. Or mayonnaise mixed with paprika creme.

I hope you can tell how tender the tuna burgers are.

Note: When I catered ladies’ lunches for one special client, she often asked me to make crab cakes. They weren’t that unique, but I do believe that they were popular because of their moistness. If you make crab cakes or tuna burgers meat-heavy instead of breadcrumb-heavy, they are a little harder to work with, but they will be tastier and much more enjoyable.

White Bean and Tomato Salad

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Beans, beans, beans. The more I eat, the more I’m addicted! I really love making beans from scratch, because still love the idea of creating meals for pennies. And a pot of beans can be turned into multiple meals.

But I’ve also touted my loved of canned beans on this blog – especially canned Great Northern beans for making my white bean dips. And I love canned black beans, because they make fabulous black bean salads, or a quick black bean dip. So I keep canned beans on hand always.

Today I’m going to show you how simple and easy it is to make a bean salad – this time using Navy Beans, priced at $1.19 per can.

But what’s even better than canned beans being inexpensive, is that they’re extremely healthy, and can be dressed up however you want! Black beans lend themselves beautifully to Mexican and Southwestern dishes, but for me, personally, I keep my white beans for Mediterranean-inspired salads.

They can be a healthy and hearty side dish, or make a whole meal. And, they’re good year ’round, depending on the ingredients.

So today I’m making a navy bean salad with tomatoes, and topping it with capers, shallots, and chives, because chives have returned to my garden. You can add oregano or basil, or anything you want to this salad. That’s the fun of playing with bean salads! Enjoy!


Navy Bean Salad

2 – 16 ounce cans navy beans, well drained
1 container cherry tomatoes
1-2 shallots, diced
Capers, drained
Chives, chopped, or parsley if you prefer
Olive oil and vinegar, or a basic vinaigrette*

Place the drained beans in a medium-sized bowl.
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Slice the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise and let them hang out on a paper towel to drain a bit.
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Add the amount of vinaigrette you want to the beans and give them a toss. Right before serving add the tomatoes and stir them in gently.
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Place the beans in individual serving bowls; 2 cans should make 4 servings unless this salad will be a whole meal.


Sprinkle the bean salad with shallots, capers, and the chives. Feta cheese would also be a wonderful topping, but I kept this salad cheese-less today!

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Alternatively, you could add all of the ingredients together in the salad. I was looking for a more purely bean and tomato salad, with some toppings.


Taste for seasoning, especially salt and black pepper.

Serve at room temperature.

* My home-made vinaigrettes tend to be about half vinegar and half olive oil. I often add fresh garlic, and maybe some Dijon mustard, plus I always add salt. That’s it. I love vinegar with bean salads, and tend to use lemon or lime juice-based dressings with grain salads for some reason. But you could certainly substitute lemon juice for vinegar in this case. Use what you love!

note: If money is an issue for you, keep your eye on bean prices. Where I live, Cannelini beans cost twice as much as Great Northerns, and Frijoles Negros cost twice as much as black beans. They’re just considered and treated more “gourmet” with the foreign names!