Egg-free Tuna Salad (AIP, Paleo, Whole30)

From kindergarten through 8th grade, my two younger sisters and I attended a very small private school that did not have a traditional school lunch program, meaning that my mom packed lunches for us most days. One of my very favorites, probably more towards the middle school side of education, was tuna salad with corn chips & a tiny can of V8. The tuna salad—based on my Grandma Jones’s recipe—was made with canned tuna, kraft mayo, diced celery, celery seed & onion powder. I can still taste her version now, if I really think about it.

Tuna salad has changed a lot for me these days. It also has become something I eat not just because I like it but because i know it’s really good for me, especially with ingredients like sauerkraut & fresh veggies that my version incorporates. What took me the longest in my AIP tuna salad appreciation has been to get over the lack of mayo. I’ve tried a number of AIP “mayo” recipes, but honestly, in tuna salad I find a mashed avocado works better as a regular mayo replacer.

I’ve also grown to appreciate tuna salad because I typically have all the ingredients for it on hand, meaning that I can easily make it for a meal if other plans have fallen through (or if I simply didn’t start lunch prep early enough). In a pinch, I’ll eat the tuna salad by itself, but most of the time, I prefer it served over salad greens, or with plantain chips (a throwback to my days of eating tuna salad on corn chips), or on cucumber slices.

Egg-free Tuna Salad (AIP, Paleo, Whole 30) 
yields 1 large serving or two small servings 

1/2 of a large (90 g) Avocado, mashed
1 tsp Lemon Juice (fresh is best, but bottled works in a pinch)
1-5 oz can Canned Wild Caught Albacore Tuna  (do not drain or rinse)
2 Tbl (30 g) Sauerkraut (homemade is best)
1/3 c (42 g, approx 1 stalk) Celery, diced
1/4 c (42 g) Cucumber, diced
3 Tbl (9 g) Scallions, sliced
1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Plantain Chips, Cucumber slices, and/or salad greens for serving

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the avocado and lemon juice with a fork. 
2. Add the tuna (with the juices, do not drain or rinse for optimal omega 3 level), breaking it up with a fork & combining it with the avocado/lemon. 
3. Mix in the sauerkraut, diced celery, diced cucumber, sliced scallion & sea salt. 
4. Serve with plantain chips and cucumber slices, or over salad greens. 

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Refrigerator Pickles (AIP, Low FODMAP, Paleo, Whole 30)

Dill pickles have been one of my favorite foods since I was a small child. Finding commercially made pickles that fit within AIP guidelines (i.e no nightshades, or sugar/corn syrup, or questionable vinegars etc.) was a challenge; however, finding low FODMAP pickles in a store is pretty much impossible. 

As I navigate this unique health journey, I continually come back to the quote “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Thankfully, pre-low FODMAP, I had found a recipe from Charlotte, a fellow AIP blogger over at “It’s me, Charlotte,” for refrigerator pickles that were totally AIP & super easy to make.

I have made Charlotte’s original recipe a number of times, however her pickles do rely on delicious, delicious garlic cloves to flavor the brine/pickles. Once I went low FODMAP back in July, I knew I wanted to continue making pickles, but doing so would require a garlic clove substitution. Enter one of my current favorite pantry ingredients: garlic-infused olive oil. FODMAPs are NOT oil soluble, meaning that a garlic infused oil will not contain any FODMAPs, but will have some of that garlic flavor that I’ve been unable to replicate with any other ingredient.

As with many AIP / Low FODMAP recipes, I didn’t know how my substitutions would work until I tried it.... Mixing garlic oil & vinegar is a bit like making salad dressing, but it actually works in this situation! I still prefer Charlotte’s original recipe, but this low FODMAP version allows me to continue eating a variation on one of my favorite foods. That, most definitely, is a win in my opinion.

Low FODMAP refrigerator pickles
yield’s 1 Half Pint Canning Jar | Inspired by “It’s Me, Charlotte”

1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp Sea Salt (I use Real Salt Kosher Salt)
3 generous sprigs Fresh Dill
1 Kirby Cucumber, if possible, otherwise english/persian cucumber can work too
1 1/2 tsp Garlic-infused Olive Oil (Trader Joe's Garlic Flavored Olive Oil is my preference), divided into 1/2 tsp amounts
White Wine Vinegar
Filtered Water

1. Wash & very thinly slice the cucumber. I prefer to carefully use my small mandolin (similar to this one  set to the middle thickness, but you can also use a knife. The thinner the slices are, the better the brine can flavor the cucumber. Discard the ends of the cucumbers, as they can disrupt the pickling process. 
2. Add 1/2 tsp salt to the bottom of half pint canning jar . Top with a sprig of dill. 
3. Fill the jar approximately 1/3 of the way with cucumber slices. Drizzle over 1/2 tsp garlic oil. Add more dill. Repeat the process twice more until the jar is full of cucumber slices--there should be three cucumber layers at that point. 
4. Top off the cucumber slices with 1/4 tsp sea salt, fresh dill & the remaining 1/2 tsp of garlic oil.
5. Fill the jar 2/3 to 3/4 full of white wine vinegar, depending on how sour you prefer your pickles. Fill the remainder of the jar with filtered water.
6. Screw on the lid (I prefer the plastic storage caps for vinegar-y things like pickles, salad dressings & bbq sauces) & give it a couple gentle shakes. Let rest in the refrigerator over night before tasting. 
7. Jar will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Note that the garlic oil does solidify a bit in the refrigerator, which is completely normal. 

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