I grew up on tuna fish sandwiches. They were a staple at our house and my mom makes the best damn tuna sandwich in the world, no really so flippin’ good (thanks mom!). But… (always with the but I know) I just can’t bring myself to eat much seafood these days. Our oceans are in seriously poor shape. Fish supplies have dwindled and many species have gone extinct. Fishing practices are often harmful to the environment and cruel. Farmed fish (even ‘organic’) pose their own set of problems with genetic mutation from inbreeding, foul water sources, and disease. And don’t even get me started on the mercury levels, or Fukushima, because down the proverbial rabbit hole of world destruction I will go and that’s a shitty place to be, amiright? So let’s just avoid it for a bit by making a fantastic substitute for our beloved albacorian affair.
Like almost all substitutes in life, ‘ain’t nothin’ like the real thing baby, ain’t nothin’ like the real thing‘, so just let that expectation go right now. No really, let it go. Okay, now that we are approaching this with open minds we can begin to explore the endless possibilities that await us in creating this protein packed splendor. I mean really, think of the add ins: maybe your grew up with relish in your tuna salad, or maybe celery, or olives, or just some nice onion, or maybe you like to spice it up with cayenne, garlic powder, wasabi, or tahini. You can’t really go wrong here, but I’m going to share a basic recipe to get you started and you can alter it as you see fit, I won’t mind.
To get a fishy flavor you can add chopped up nori (seaweed sheets) or umiboshi vinegar (add a little at first as it is salty). I didn’t have any on hand, so I tossed in some capers for added saltiness. But I can’t wait to try it with umiboshi next time.
Mercury & cruelty-free “chickpea of the sea”:
Adapted from thekitchn.com
Ingredients:
- 1 can garbanzo or chickpea beans, drained and rinsed.
- 1/2 small red or white onion, chopped fine
- 1 celery stalk washed and chopped fine
- 1-2 Tbs of mayonnaise or veganaise depending on your preferred consistency and disposition
- 1-2 tsp of dijon mustard
- 1 tsp capers
- A few lettuce or spinach leaves
- Tomato slices
- 2 slices whole grain gluten free bread
Directions:
1. Smash your chickpeas with a fork or lightly chop in a food processor (be sure if using the later to not over chop as the chickpeas will turn into paste).
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Put your greens and tomato on your sliced bread and add your “chickpea of the sea”. If your bread tends to be dry you can always add some mayo to your slices.
4. Cut in half and enjoy!
