The Practicing Misis: Tuna Chickpea Palamansalad

The Practicing Misis:  Tuna Chickpea Palamansalad

Skills Muna Bago Feels

By Rosan Katlea Reodica

A-not- so-salad salad, because you hate the feeling of gnawing on too much leaves but want to know you ate good stuff.

“Wow, diet ka?” a line that teeters on encouragement, disbelief and insult, second in ranking to “Tumaba/pumayat ka ah!” Don’t you find it ironic that the Philippine culture, one that is all about having women learning the basics of domestication – making a home and being able to put good, delectable straight-from-your-grandma’s-heritage type of food on the table – also has ingrained in us the nonchalance on the repercussions of casual body shaming? After publishing my cookbook, learning a hundred recipes, coming home to family got me a mixture of congratulations and “Ayan, kakaluto mo, napakataba mo na!” Lucky for me, I knew I went overboard my healthy weight. But more importantly, I understand that my happiness should not and will not rely on people’s opinions of my body. Therein lies the beauty of homecooking: you learn what works for you, what weight you will be most confident in, and what type of food balances eating healthily and eating for fitness. Eating for fitness is a great, scientific discipline, but we can all start with eating the healthy stuff first before counting those macros, calories and whatnot. The following is a dish that is part of this new journey I have with myself, eliminating my fondness for saturated fat and food coma after-feels. Try this healthy, savory and very filling meal if you’re on the way to happy and healthy self-nourishment as well.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY:  You won’t even need to turn on your stove for this! Stop making excuses!

COUNTER: Open two cans of tuna chunks (in water/brine is best). 2 cups of chickpeas. Dice half a head of red onion. Tear and chop 2 tablespoons of mint leaves and half a cup of fresh parsley. Slice one cup of those cute cherry tomatoes. Add in some chopped, green bell pepper. Mix and toss everything in a big bowl and kick things up with sea salt, black pepper, paprika and lime juice. Make sure all ingredients meet each other well so that a spoonful of this has all the flavors (crunch, zest and mush) meet your tongue nicely. Stuff it in some protein or brown wheat wrap and add in some light feta cheese crumbles if your heart desires.

SKILLS UNLOCKED: Knowing that sometimes, beating hunger doesn’t need the grueling hot plate heat.

BONUS: 5 servings. If you really wanna know? A serving is only 148 calories! But don’t go all excited and make it as a dip for your tortilla chips! (I’m pretty sure that’ll be awesome though!)

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ROSAN KATLEA REODICA

Rosan is a Desert Mermaid who always wants to stay wet wherever she goes. She tells impatient people that she is a Practicing Misis – a woman of hits and misses. Being told she won’t be able to get married without learning to cook adobo, she has now learned to make her own pesto, guacamole and her own flavored taho. She now has a book, but still doesn’t have her own kitchen.

The Practicing Misis Cookbook [No Fiancé Required, Guaranteed Gayuma-Free Recipes] – Psicom Publishing Inc., 2016. Available in the Philippines in National Bookstore, Fully Booked and other leading bookstores nationwide. Social Media: @practicingmisis | #practicingmisis | #lukaretcooking