A few months ago, I pledged on this blog that I’d be better about writing my own recipes down.

Sure, I’ve proven that I’m pretty adept at writing others’ recipes down. But when it comes to my own, dishes that I whip up with ingredients yanked willy-nilly from the fridge often don’t get reproduced for a simple reason: By the time the meal’s over, I’ve already forgotten what exactly it was that I did. (I’m still mourning the delicious tender beef in Sichuan peppercorn-soy sauce stew that I threw together recently and have no idea how to replicate.)

And so here’s another installment — for a dish so easy I actually think blogging about it is pretty silly. But hey, a pledge is a pledge. So if you want to learn about the Asian-inflected tuna salad I make at home, read on …

Many people put relish in their tuna salad. (I have been known to do that.) Some like egg. (Not quite my thing.)

What I do like, however, is cilantro — lots of it. I started adding cilantro to my tuna salad after getting hooked on the combination as a cub reporter at The Baltimore Sun years ago. The little coffeeshop across the street — Nina’s Espresso Bar — packed its tuna salad with the stuff and I simply could not get enough of it.

If you love cilantro, add more — and then toss in the other ingredients, mix well and you’re ready to go.

It’s not much but it is a little something I put together now and then. It’s delicious on its own and even better in a tuna melt. So here’s the recipe — buon appetito!

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Cheryl’s Asian Tuna Salad Recipe

2 cans tuna, drained
1 tsp sesame oil
Several tablespoons mayonnaise (Use wasabi mayo if you’d like to kick up the flavors a notch.)
Several tablespoons minced cilantro
2 tsp capers
Salt and pepper to taste

Use a fork to break up the tuna in a small bowl until it’s all flaky. Add as much cilantro as you’d like — I’d start with two heaping tablespoons of cilantro and add more if you love the flavor. Mix that well then add sesame oil and three tablespoons of mayonnaise to start.

Keep adding mayonnaise by the teaspoonful until you have your desired consistency. (Some like their tuna salad more creamy — I prefer it a little dryer.)

Add capers, salt and pepper to taste, mix well. Serve immediately in a sandwich or over greens.