Mock Tuna (Salmon) Salad delicious snack

I've really missed my favorite tuna salad. Canned tuna was one of my trusted, inexpensive pantry staples until I read the Chicago Tribune's reports showing canned tuna sometimes contains more mercury than the government had thought.

Cans of chunk light tuna typically contain skipjack tuna, a smaller species, and the Food and Drug Administration says skipjack's lower mercury levels are safe. But the Tribune's 2005 investigation caught the government and everyone else off guard when it found chunk light tuna also contains yellowfin tuna as much as 15 percent of the time. (Tuna cans list "chunk light" with no species indicated.) Yellowfin tuna contains three times more mercury than skipjack — roughly the same level as albacore tuna, for which the FDA has issued a health warning.

But mercury or not, I was still craving a tuna-salad sandwich, so I decided to experiment. What if I took my favorite tuna-salad recipe and substituted canned salmon? Like tuna, salmon is inexpensive, pantry-friendly, heart-healthy and apparently still safe.

After some recipe tweaking, I'm happy to report that today's Mock Tuna (Salmon) Salad, while milder in flavor, is a delicious alternative for "tuna" sandwiches, salads or a quick snack any time the craving strikes.

Menu suggestion: Mock Tuna (Salmon) Salad

Pita pockets

Tomato wedges

MOCK TUNA (SALMON) SALAD

Start to finish: 20 minutes

2 large hard-boiled eggs (for about 1/2 cup chopped)

3 large ribs celery (for about 1 1/2 cups chopped)

1 foil pouch (7.1 ounces) boneless, skinless pink salmon (see Cook's note)

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sweet-pickle relish

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (see Cook's note)

1- 1/2 teaspoons seafood seasoning blend, such as Old Bay (see Cook's note)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup dried cherries, optional (see Cook's note)