Lemon-Pepper Tuna Nicoise Salad

This refreshingly light salad is a definite must-have again lunch in my rotation for only 247 calories!  I wound up using diced and seasoned refrigerated potatoes (by the hashbrowns in the dairy aisle) because not a single store had the refrigerated potato wedges the recipe calls for, but a potato is a potato and these had an extra kick of spice that really kicked up the flavors this time around!  I just fried up the whole bag and divided it up saving a serving for my youngest's breakfast and then put about 2 oz into each salad container.

(Only 3 servings pictured because I ate the 4th!)

Ingredients:

2 tsp butter

2 cups refrigerated potato wedges

6 cups mixed salad greens

3 2.6-oz pouches lemon-pepper or herb-seasoned chunk light tuna

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

2 Tbs white wine vinegar

2 Tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp Dijon-style mustard

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the potato wedges.  Cover and cook about 15 minutes or until golden brown flipping or stirring occasionally.  Cool completely.

In four salad containers, if portioning out, evenly layer salad greens, tuna, tomatoes, egg slices and potatoes. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. 

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, mustard and black pepper. 

Divide among four small containers if portioning out in advance. 

Drizzle on dressing portion over the one salad portion.  Cover and shake or toss with a fork to combine.

YIELDS:  4 servings

SERVING SIZE:  ~1-1/2 cups greens, 1/2 c potatoes, 2 oz tuna, 1/4 c tomatoes, and 1 Tbs dressing

Nutritional Information:  247 calories, 12 g fat (3 g sat fat), 125 mg chol, 543 mg sodium, 14 g carb, 4 g sugars, 4 g fiber, 20 g protein

Tuna Tomato for 6 Weight Watcher Points

You can probably manipulate the points by using a Fat-Free version of the ranch, but I don't have to right now on my current allowance, so I don't.

For this dish, all you need is:

1 nice firm and ripe whole tomato                  0 points
A 5-ounce can of albacore tuna in water        1 point/ounce (total 3.3 pts.)
3 Tablespoons of low-fat mayo                      (I add this w/the almonds to make a point)
A healthy pinch of toasted sliced almonds     (I add this w/the mayo to make 1 whole point)
1/2 Tablespoon of ranch dressing                   1 point
Lettuce                                                             0 points

My low-fat Hellman's mayo comes out to zero points per tablespoon, but I assign it a point for using 3 tablespoons and count the pinch of almonds with it as well.  Since it comes out to 5.3 points for me, I round up to 6 just in case.

I have no idea where I got this recipe from.  It was easy enough for me to remember and I like it enough to eat when not dieting.  I will also serve this up to the ladies who join me for a lunch.

When I was doing NutriSystem, this is one of the three options I had for the pouch of tuna salad they provided as a lunch.  Sometimes I used the almonds and ranch dressing and others I didn't, depending on whether or not I had the allowance of the Extras.  The other options I made for that tuna salad pouch were a simple tuna fish sandwich with onions added in, and this Tuna Melt recipe. 

In the picture above, I used too many almonds and too much ranch. I was winging it based on suggested serving sizes according to the packaging of the ingredients I used because I couldn't remember the points, but I adjusted the recipe I am sharing accordingly for your use.

Wash your tomato and cut off the bottom if it doesn't sit well without rolling.   Core the stem piece out. Cut your tomato into 8 wedges (think pizza style), but do NOT go all the way through.  Go about 3/4 the way down with each cut.  Then gently open the tomato so it rests all flowered out.  Fill it with your tuna mixture of all of the tuna fish and 3 tablespoons of lite mayo.  Top with a drizzle (no more than 1/2 tablespoon) of ranch dressing and a healthy pinch of toasted sliced almonds (no more than 0.12 ounces). Put a bed of lettuce down onto a plate and place your finished tuna tomato on top.  Cut with a knife and fork down and through the lettuce for each bite.

I will come back at a later date and show you another way to prepare and eat this dish. 

Voila! All done. 

Tuna Melts at 4 Points each

I got this recipe from Weight Watchers, or one of their books I bought, from when I was a member back in the early 2000s.  It's very Filling when you have two for 8 points too.  I have never found a 6-oz can of tuna, as all available to me here come in 5-oz. cans.  I just go with the listed 4 points however despite that.

To separate the fixings into 4 equal parts, I use a small food storage container to mix it up, then pack it down, and using a knife I then divide into four.  As you can see below, I already scooped out my two servings for lunch today.

I've also frozen the individual servings at this point for a more grab-and-go approach.  The liquids separate a tad when defrosting, but a quick stir Fixes it back up.

Ingredients:

1 6-oz. can albacore tuna in water, drained
1/4 c. chopped fresh celery
3 tbsp. light mayonnaise
1 tbsp. sweet pickle relish
4 tomato slices
4 3/4-oz. slices fat-free American processed cheese
2 English muffins, split and pre-toasted in a toaster

Toast your muffin halves first in a toaster.  Combine tuna, celery, mayo, and pickle relish in a bowl.  Place muffin halves on a baking sheet with cut sides up and scoop 1/4 of the tuna mixture into each muffin.  Top with a tomato slice followed by a cheese slice.  Broil for 2 minutes or until cheese melts (or around 8 minutes if you like a little char to your cheese like me as pictured above.)

Place on a bed of lettuce if you wish.

Yields 4 servings (each muffin half is a serving).

Points: 4 points

182 calories, 15.9 g protein, 4.8 g fat, 18.7 g carb,  0.9 fiber, 18 mg cholesterol, 640 mg sodium