Aioli Pan Bagnat or Stuffed Pita

• 1 5-ounce can water-packed tuna
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1/4 cup aioli
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (to taste)
• Lemon juice as desired
• 1/2 pound tomatoes, half chopped, half sliced
• 3 or 4 basil leaves, torn or cut in chiffonade
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Bibb lettuce or spinach leaves (a generous handful), washed and torn into smallish pieces
• 1/2 cucumber, or 1 Persian cucumber, peeled if waxy, seeded and sliced thin
• 2 whole-wheat pitas, cut in half
• 1/2 to 1 small red or green bell pepper, sliced in rings, or roasted and sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced, soaked for 5 minutes in cold water, drained and rinsed (optional)

1. Drain the tuna and toss in a medium bowl with the celery, aioli and Dijon mustard.
2. Stir in a little lemon juice if desired.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, basil, spinach or lettuce, and some of the sliced cucumber, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Toss together.
5. Open up each pita half and fill with some tuna mixture.
6. Put tomato, pepper, onion and cucumber slices on top of the tuna/vegetable mixture, and serve.
7. If not serving right away, wrap tightly in plastic.

water, celery, aioli, mustard, lemon juice, tomatoes, basil, salt, bibb lettuce, cucumber, pitas, red, red onion

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12588 (may not work)