A Salad By Any Other Name

• The word salad used in conjunction with tuna generally implies a dish that is eaten with a fork on a bed of lettuce leaves or other greens. In reality, any recipe that blends tuna with some type of dressing can also be used as a sandwich or roll filling. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities, as the assertive flavor of tuna lends itself well to a host of other flavors provided by the sauce or dressing used to hold it all together along with any other ingredients you are inspired to add.

Keeping Things Simple

• Leaving the mayo out of the tuna salad equation instantly creates a lighter, fresher taste experience and places the tuna itself in the spotlight. This leaves you open to experimenting with other types of condiments and dressings, such as plain extra-virgin olive oil and a dash of fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, red or white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. Using other types of bottled, pourable dressings offers more flexibility, and allows you to add a vinaigrette, a Caesar salad or an Italian flair to your rolls.

Dressing Things Up

• Drain the tuna well if it was canned. This isn't an issue if you are using leftovers from last night's freshly cooked tuna steaks or fillets. Flake the tuna and add any dressing sparingly until you see how it holds together. You can also fill your rolls first with the tuna and any other ingredients, such as chopped vegetables, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce or chopped dill pickles, and then add your dressing, sub-shop style, by sprinkling it on top.

A State of Undress

• Break completely with tradition by piling the tuna on rolls without first mixing it with any type of dressing. Add interest and flavor with onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, finely sliced celery, chopped fresh basil, cubed avocado, chopped fresh parsley, a few alfalfa sprouts, some slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Try to vary the flavors and textures for contrast. Use sturdy rolls that won't fall apart, and season the filling to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.