Spanish Inspired Lunch-Toast with Tuna, Peppers and Onions

After writing about last year's trip to Spain I'm craving those Spanish foods we enjoyed!

I ate so many tapas - I lost count some days.

One combo that is etched in my memory is a tapa of tuna in oil tossed with slivers of roasted piquillo pepper and onions. Closest to the right in the photo.

This was enjoyed with friends on Christmas Eve in the streets of Alcala, Spain.

Man. This was THE best bite!

So, today - my own version!

I have no piquillo peppers so I'm using roasted red peppers instead.

I loved the little kick of acidity - probably sherry vinegar...since the Spaniards love it so much.

So you end up with sweet flavors from the peppers-salty flavors from the tuna-unctuous tastes from the olive oil-acidity from the sherry vinegar and the aromatic onion ties it together. Pile it all on a slice of bread for delivery - and this bite will be gone!

Ingredients

• 1 can tuna packed in olive oil, preferably Spanish or Italian, drained and flaked

• 1 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar

• About a quarter of an onion, yellow or sweet, sliced

  • Raw for a stronger bite or sauteed a bit for a warmer, softer flavor

• 1/2 cup Piquillo or roasted red Peppers, cut into strips

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (you could reserve oil the tuna came packed in)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Sliced bread

  • Originally a baguette-ish bread but I made sourdough, so I've used that today

  • I don't toast the bread slices because the original was not toasted-but play around with this!

Instructions

Raw onion version:

1. Combine all ingredients except for bread and gently toss everything together so that the pepper strips do not break.

2. Taste and adjust for salt, pepper, vinegar.

3. Top your sliced bread with the mixture.

Sauteed onion version:

1. Saute the onions in a small amount of oil over medium heat. We want them softened, not browned, so turn down the heat if they seem to be browning.

2. Once the onions are half-cooked, sprinkle in the Sherry vinegar and a little salt. Let them cook a little longer until the liquid is mostly evaporated.

3. Add the sliced peppers to the hot pan (off the heat) and gently toss everything together so that the pepper strips do not break apart.

4. Combine the peppers, onions and remaining ingredients in a bowl and gently mix.

5. Taste and adjust for salt, pepper, vinegar.

6. Top your sliced bread with the mixture.

Enjoy! ...and pretend you are in Spain.