Quick and Delicious Tuna Salad -GF

Quick and Delicious Tuna Salad

I discovered something and now I am never making tuna the same way I used to! :)

Do you remember how mom made tuna salad? All slathered in mayo and slabbed on white wonder bread?  - yup- well for me- Never again!

Try avocado- and yogurt! yup... The avocado makes it creamy, with out the horrible oils of processed store bought mayo! Avocados are rich in potassium, vitamin B-6, folic acid, fiber, and antioxidants! They have twice the amount of potassium as a banana! Super good for you! 

for base: 
1 avocado mashed, 2 spoonfuls of plain homemade yogurt, salt & pepper, 1-2 cans of tuna drained and rinsed. (for 2 cans use 2 avocados)

to this you can add
additions: 
dill, pickles, chopped celery, pine nuts, flax seeds, lemon juice, mustard, parsley, pinch of cayenne, chopped onion, chopped green onion or chives, diced tomato, sunflower seeds, peanuts, shredded cucumber, shredded carrot, shredded lettuce, oregano, chopped fresh basil, or chopped fresh spinach!!!!! (any combination there of, that makes you happy!)

you can served this on a bed of spinach leaves,
or dolloped into a romaine lettuce leaf and rolled up like a wrap,
inside a hollowed out cucumber,
inside a cleaned hollowed bell pepper,
or inside a hollowed out beefy tomato!

So versatile, so easy! Give it a try! Super yum!!!!!!

Note: This would be considered gluten free!

I read the original idea to use avocado somewhere- truly, the way I sit in the early morning and read, read, read; I probably absorbed it unconsciously from a genius! Who ever it was, I thank you!!! What an inspiration!

Homemade Yogurt Using a Yogurt Maker

 Homemade Yogurt Using a Yogurt Maker

I start with gathering the materials,
sauce pan, Whole organic milk (not ultra pasteurized), cooking  thermometer, spoon to stir, my jars and yogurt maker, and measuring cup (this just gives me a handy pour) :) and 1 packet of yogurt starter cultures.
Measure out enough milk for filling the 7 jars into a med saucepan.


Heat on med on stove, until milk reaches 180 f degrees
(yes, a thermometer is handy for this, but basically- just before boiling- you do not want the milk to boil.)
turn off heat and let it cool....
When milk cools to 110 f  (or to the point where you can touch it, and it's warmish- over room temp- but not scary to touch) add either 1 packet of dried yogurt starter cultures,  or 1 entire jar plain yogurt  (1 jar of previously made homemade yogurt from the last batch! Yay!)
Stir until completely incorporated.
Pour into clean sanitized jars and place them in yogurt maker.
Place in an area where they will not be bumped or moved around, and turn on. Leave for 8-10 hours, checking toward the end. each hour until the yogurt has set. The longer you leave it the stronger the flavor!.
When it's set, lid the jars and set them in the fridge for at least 2 hours before eating!
Absolutely delicious!  You can flavor and top the new homemade yogurt any way you'd like! Substitute it for sour cream in recipes, add it to your favorite recipes for extra flavor and beneficial probiotics!
 Every one will benefit! And enjoy!

 

The benefits of making your own yogurt are simple. Yogurt, being homemade is controlled by you- meaning it has nothing unwanted in it. Store bought yogurts often contain preservatives, unnatural flavors sweeteners and additives. You control what goes in. Also being fresh, it has more of the good stuff. Store bought yogurts often sit on the shelf so long the beneficial probiotics have started to die off. Home made yogurt has all the  fresh, live probiotics ready to help your body; it is awesome for gut health! Probiotics in it are wonderful for your digestion! Homemade yogurt is a great way to boost your calcium intake, and it is said to boost your immunity. You simply cannot loose by trying it.

There are ways to make homemade yogurt without the yogurt maker, using your oven, a dehydrator and even a crock pot. I as yet, have not tried these. And I do not feel comfortable writing about it unless I have tried. it! However, it is easy to find numerous blogs and posts by wonderful people who have tried it! Research and start making your own fresh homemade yogurt! You are going to love it!

you might like these:

Homemade yogurt Yummmmm!

I was a bit apprehensive- then I asked myself, why are you doing this? Isn't spending a couple of dollars at the store for the pre-made yogurt more convenient? The answer is yes, Simply, YES!...except, lately I haven't been happy with the store bought. Too much sugar. Too runny, and tooo little effect on my gut.  More and more, I am becoming aware of labels, and quality, and basic ingredients and WHY having the live bacteria in a yogurt culture viable is so important for gut health.
I'm not old, but I'm not in the best shape- I notice if things are not working! The more I learn about eating real food, and eliminating the preservatives, and the fake of fast convenience foods- the more I know this is better for me- better for my family, and fun! So I had my answer, and motivation to stop being lazy and give something new a try! Amazing! results! I am so happy with my first batch! I just know...This is going to be a hit!
I got a Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker, and a Cultures for Health Traditional FlavorYogurt Starter to use. My initial cost is going to pay off in just 1 or 2 batches!
This first batch I used 2% milk, and I am impressed! I am going to bump it up next batch to whole milk. (I wish I had a goat- I have read goats milk is fantastic!) Any way from this one batch I can make up to 7 more! And I still have 7 more culture packets beyond that- we are looking at 49 batches before I need to re-buy cultures...

 I tilted one of the 7 jars to show you how thick it was- tilted, and  still didn't pour after I grabbed camera! 2 jars are a tiny bit thinner- so I poured them in a coffee filter to strain and the result comes out super thick! I am impressed! by the time I finish using just this first 7 batches I will almost have my money back in savings, no artificial ingredients, additives or preservatives- and viable probiotic cultures growing for everyone's gut health.... Took me a half hour yesterday morning to sterilize the jars and heat the milk, after that the yogurt maker does the rest- set it aside and wait 8-10 hours, cap the jars and put them in the fridge! Soooooo simple!
Add honey, add fruit. Add granola, oats, nuts, seeds- whatever! Be happy! Yay!!!!
I am having success. Hope this helps! :) Come summer I think this will be great for frozen yogurt bars! And the more I learn! The better it will be! There is a whole host of things plain yogurt is good for! Yayyyyy!!!  LOL :)

One of our favorite real food meals ever!

Have you ever tried the Real Food Challenge? **
 In a step to eat healthier I took the real food challenge which has the best rules I have ever tried for changing the way I eat. Basically - in my words- For one week-you cook and eat using: No fast food. No convenience food. No boxes. Just cook. It really was not as hard as I thought. It was this challenge taken that inspired me to get the yogurt maker and start making my own homemade. Also the same challenge that inspired a canning set, and making apple butter!
The toughest step for me was, and has been, cereals in the morning for the kids, and sliced cheese for the sandwiches I send in lunches. But we are doing great!

Everyone voted here and the meal my family felt was their favorite during this week was:
Chicken breast sauteed in coconut oil with Garlic and pepper, served with a mix of vegies, and Au gratin Potatoes

 My Recipe for Au gratin Potatoes
6-8 potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly,
 layered into buttered (or cooking oil sprayed) baking pan 13x9x2.
heat oven to 400 F
then
in med sauce pan combine:
 1/2 c water
 1/2 cube real butter
1/2 cup homemade plain yogurt
1 brick cream cheese *8 oz
2 c milk
1-2 tbs parsley & chopped chives
 garlic salt
pepper
heat in sauce pan stirring constantly, over med heat until cream cheese completely melts,(does not have to boil)  immediately pour over potato slices . leave uncovered and bake on center rack 45 min.
Let cool 3-5 min before serving. 

Now, in this meal I wasn't perfect according to the rules of Real Food Challenge- I did use a frozen vegie mix and I easily could have replaced this with fresh broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, or whatever! But the challenge is realistic, and allows for goofs -which is what I love for this! The fact of the matter is you are allowed to use up what is still in the fridge- the main idea being you are making better choices, and eliminating the fake foods, preservatives and unnecessary junk food. Which we have done. And my family voted on this one meal as the best. So I am posting it- mistakes and all. In my defense I can say I used fresh frozen, not canned, and not frozen with tons of "butter sauce" or something else that is so frequently offered now a days. LOL
Anyway, I want to thank the people who designed this challenge and say it has changed the way I look at food! Awesome!!!!!

**Disclaimer
The Real Food Challenge is not mine, it belongs to Roxanne at: http://theholisticmama.com/real-food-challenge/ .
I simply participated in the challenge and am blogging my opinion and results there of. I take no responsibility for it, except in saying that it is the best challenge I have ever participated in in all my 44 years! And so grateful to the Holistic Mama for sharing it!!   (*** I have posted with her permission. And Have been notified by Roxanne that there will be another Real Food Challenge available to anyone who's interested in April! Go check it out!)