Chickpea "Tuna" Salad

I know this is going to sound like a weird question, but here it goes. Do you ever crave foods that you dislike? Well, let me rephrase it. Do you ever find yourself craving something that you have already tried and know that you hate? Hmm, maybe it's just me then.

I have always disliked the taste of fish -- even back in my pre-vegetarian days -- and the smell doesn't help either. My mom used to tell me a story about when I was little. Apparently we went into a store that sold fresh fish and as soon as I entered the door, I threw up.

I used to work at a sandwich bar back in my college dorm and I would have to smell the tuna salad all day. The weird thing is I started to want it, even though I knew I would think it tasted bad. I finally gave in and tried a bite, and sure enough, I thought it was gross. However, the next day, there I was again... wanting more.

The same weird experience happened to me the first time I tried Kombucha. I didn't like the vinegary taste and thought it smelled weird. But, by later that day all I wanted was more Kombucha. Ashley thought I was crazy. "Didn't you say that was the stuff that tasted like &%*$? You want more of it? Really?" Well, Kombucha won me over, but the tuna never did.

Yet, here I am making a mock tuna salad. I came across this recipe on Compassionate Action for Animals. I really liked this salad, but it's probably because this was very different from real tuna salad. I'm not sure if that will excite you or disappoint you. Either way, this was satisfying on sandwiches and on top of salads as well. I only used about 1/3 of the vegan mayonnaise that they recommended, but I thought this was plenty. Feel free to add a bit more in.

• 2(15oz.) cans chick-peas, drained (or 3c. cooked)
• ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup minced celery
• 1/3 cup minced dill pickle (you can also use sweet relish)
  
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon kelp powder (optional -- I didn't use this in my version)
• 1 tablespoon miso (optional)
  
• salt & pepper, to taste

To mash the chickpeas, you can either use a potato masher and do it by hand, or you can use a food processor or blender and blend for a couple of seconds. The consistency should be well mashed, but not creamy. Mix in the remaining ingredients, using ¼ cup mayonnaise at first, and then adding more as needed. Cover and refrigerate. Use on sandwiches or on a bed of salad greens.