Mediterranean vegetables and tuna

Written by Catherine Saxelby on Tuesday, 11 August 2009.
Tagged: #5aDayChallenge, healthy cooking, healthy recipe, high fibre, high protein, light meal, Mediterranean, nutrition, olive oil, salad, tuna, vegetables

  • Ready In: 60 minutes
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 40 minutes
  • Serves: 4
Mediterranean vegetables and tuna

 

Tuna teams so nicely with tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum, garlic and olive oil – all key ingredients of the heart-winning Mediterranean Diet – I couldn't resist combining all here in this easy Sunday night dinner recipe. Try to buy the tuna in chunks so you can arrange large chunks of it on top of the vegetables.
 

Ingredients

  • 1 long piece kumera (orange sweet potato), about 300 g
  • 3 baby potatoes in skin
  • 1 knob garlic, about 4-5 cloves kept together
  • Olive oil for brushing
  • 2 finger (baby) eggplants, halved lengthwise
  • 2 zucchini, 300 g, halved
  • 4-5 small Roma (egg) tomatoes, halved
  • 1 capsicum, seeds removed and diced (100 g)
  • 425g can tuna chunks in spring water, drained and chunked
  • PESTO DRESSING:
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half a lemon)
  • 2 teaspoons pesto
  • Freshly-ground black pepper
  •  
  • TO SERVE:
  • 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts

Nutrition per serve

1550 kilojoules (370 Calories), 15 g fat (including 3 g saturated fat), 28 g carbohydrate (including 13 g sugars), 8 g fibre and 130 mg sodium. Read our nutrition rating system.

Directions

1. Peel and cut kumera into 4 or 5 chunks and cut potatoes in half. Line a roasting pan 30 x 40cm with baking paper and arrange kumera and potatoes. Add garlic, spray or brush with oil and roast in oven for 20-25 minutes or until just turning brown. When done, remove from heat and leave to cool.

2. On a second oven tray, oven-roast eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and capsicum for 15 minutes until golden brown. Take care not to burn. Leave to cool.

3. Arrange all prepared vegetables on a bowl or a large serving plate.

4. Just before serving, pour over combined dressing. Arrange chunks of drained tuna over the top. Sprinkle pine nuts over.

To make pesto dressing:
Place all ingredients in a small jar and shake well to combine.

 

Note:
Check how oily your pesto is – if very oily, reduce the quantity of olive oil you add to the dressing.

Variations

  • No pesto? Simply chop 5-6 fresh basil leaves and mix into a standard dressing of oil, lemon juice and pepper. Make ahead and leave to infuse for an hour or so.
  • Salad? Serve this on a bed of wild rocket (aragula) or mixed leaves, about 100 grams. Just arrange a handful of the leaves on a serving platter then arrange the vegetables and tuna on top. Before serving, drizzle with the dressing.
  • Add 250 g green beans, trimmed and halved to the vegetables. Just blanch in hot boiling water for a minute then cool and combine.
  • Heartier meal? Serve with spiral pasta, prepared according to packet directions.

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