I was pretty sure the kids would turn up their noses at this tonight, but they loved it! I think this may become a summer-time staple around here.
Makes 4 servings
1 16-inch-long loaf French bread (though I used a round loaf of homemade bread)
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 6-ounce can chunk light tuna, packed in olive oil, drained, rinsed and squeezed dry, or packed in water, squeezed dry (see Note)
1 large vine-ripened tomato, seeded and chopped (see Note)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 scallions, trimmed and chopped (I used a red spring onion from our coop box)
2 tablespoons chopped pitted black olives, preferably Kalamata
1 ½ tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Cut bread in half lengthwise. Scoop out crumbs from both halves, leaving 1/2-inch-thick shells.
2. Process the crumbs in a food processor or blender until finely chopped; set aside.
3. Whisk together lemon juice, oil and garlic in a large bowl. Stir in the reserved breadcrumbs, tuna, tomatoes, bell peppers, scallions, olives, capers and thyme; mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the breadcrumb mixture into the bottom bread shell and replace the top. Cut crosswise to serve.
Notes: Canned white tuna comes from the large albacore and can be high in mercury content. Chunk light tuna, on the other hand, which comes from smaller fishskipjack or yellowfinis best for health-conscious eaters. According to a recent study, canned white tuna samples averaged about 315 percent more mercury than chunk light tuna samples. (The chunk light tunas averaged 0.132 parts per million mercury content, while the white [albacore] tunas averaged 0.412 ppm.)
To quickly seed a tomato: Cut the tomato in half crosswise and scoop out the seeds with your finger while gently squeezing each half.
Nutrition Information
Per serving: 307 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 13 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 9 g fiber; 675 mg sodium; 317 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (88% daily value), Selenium (49% dv), Vitamin A (29% dv).
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat
