College Meal Kicked Up a Notch: Tostada de Atun

One of my favorite bites that I discovered while vacationing in Cancun, Mexico was Tostada de Atun,  a “Mexican version” of classic tuna salad. The difference is that Tostada de Atun uses fresh lime juice and a touch of olive oil for the dressing, adding a load of flavor and healthy fat, a much healthier alternative to mayonnaise.  Tostada de Atun also has a variety of vegetables, herbs, and hot peppers for flavor. The tostada shell is a nice change vs. classic bread.  I also discovered that I have a new obsession with hot sauce (every flavor) and a mexican spice called Tajin which is a tangy, spicy “fruit seasoning” powder that consists of chile peppers, salt, and dehydrated lime juice.  I have been adding both of these items as condiments to the majority of my food!

Being such a foodie, I enjoyed tasting all of the different types of authentic Mexican food.  Authentic Mexican cooking is much healthier than what many Americans think of it to be.  In America we have our own “Americanized version” of it, adding loads of processed ingredients to add flavor that are high in fat.  In Mexico they add lots of fresh, low-calorie ingredients such as lime/lemon juice, salsas, and hot sauce for flavor and use very little oil, if any, when preparing food.

Being a college cook on a budget, I ended up spending $15 for all of the ingredients, and appreciate that the Mexican tuna salad only took me 10 minutes to prepare.  Making multiple servings of the salad will provide me with a couple meals for the next week, and its low cost will provide me more money to spend on my wardrobe.  Being a fashion student, we have priorities! haha ; )

Ingredients for Mexican Tuna Salad

–  2 cans tuna in water drained

–  1 avocado diced

–  1 small tomato diced

–  1/3 cup corn (canned or frozen)

–  1/4 cup diced onion (if desired)

–  1/4 cup chopped cilantro

–  1/2 diced fresh jalepeno

–  1Tbs Olive Oil

–  juice of 2 large limes

salt and pepper to taste

Optional hot sauce and Tajin

Mix Above Ingredients and Serve on Tostada Shells.  Garnish with Hot Sauce and Tajin if Desired.