Apple, celery and tuna sandwich
Tuna mixed with crisp diced apple and celery in a light yoghurt dressing instead of mayonnaise — fresh, slightly sweet and ready in ten minutes, a light, reviving start.
- 10 min
- Serves 2
- Mix
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-stagnant types are prone to low moods, a tight chest and frequent sighing, and Chushu's 'autumn fatigue' and muggy heat make mornings even harder. Fragrant celery calms the liver and eases irritability, and apple generates fluids and stirs the appetite — the crunch alone is reviving; tuna replenishes, and yoghurt instead of mayonnaise keeps it light.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 0 min- 1Drain the tuna and flake with a fork. Core and finely dice the apple and toss with the lemon juice so it doesn't brown. String and finely dice the celery.
- 2Mix the tuna, apple and celery with the yoghurt and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- 3Lightly toast the bread if you like, add the lettuce and tuna filling, top with the second slice and cut diagonally.
Cautions
- Choose tinned tuna in water with low salt and don't eat it too often; if you have a cold stomach or loose stools, toast the bread warm.
Chef's tips
- Toss the diced apple in lemon juice straight away so it doesn't brown; mix the filling the night before and keep it in the fridge, then just assemble in the morning.
The TCM view
Celery is sweet, pungent and cool, calming the liver, clearing heat and draining damp, and its aroma soothes constraint. Apple is sweet, sour and cool, generating fluids and easing irritability — the Diannan Bencao says it 'treats spleen deficiency with excess fire and boosts qi'. Tuna is sweet and neutral, replenishing qi; wholemeal wheat calms the heart. Together they soothe the liver and lift the spirits.
