I decided to use fresh tuna for these little cakes instead of canned. It gives them a taste of the sea.
Fish cakes in general can fall apart, especially when turning them over. Here are some tips to avoid this. Make sure your skillet is very hot, but on a medium heat. Use a wide spatula when transferring the cakes to the skillet. Once in the skillet, do not move the cakes until a crust forms on the bottom of the cakes. Turn them over, using a wide spatula underneath the cakes and another spatula on top to help.
A salad of corn mixed with pickled onions completes this quick and flavorful meal.
Helpful Hints:
— You can use two 3.5-ounce cans of albacore (white) tuna packed in water instead of fresh tuna.
— Fresh tuna can be coarsely chopped in a food processor instead of by hand. Try not to overprocess.
— A quick way to defrost corn is to place the kernels in a colander and run warm tap water over them.
Countdown:
— Start tuna cakes cooking.
— While cakes cook, make corn salad.
Shopping List:
To buy: 3/4 pound fresh tuna steaks, 1 small bottle Worcestershire sauce, 1 small bottle hot pepper sauce, 1 small jar Dijon mustard, 1 bunch scallions, 1 medium tomato, 1 bag washed-ready-to-eat salad greens, 1 container panko crumbs, 1 bottle olive oil spray, 1 package frozen corn kernels, 1 bottle pickled onions, 1 bottle reduced-fat mayonnaise, 1 bottle reduced-fat salad dressing.
Staples: eggs, salt and black peppercorns.
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FRESH TUNA CAKES
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
3/4 pound fresh tuna steaks
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Several drops hot pepper sauce
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 scallions, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
2 cups panko crumbs, divided use
Olive oil spray
Place tuna on a cutting board and coarsely chop with a knife and place in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, mustard and scallions and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend in egg and 1 cup panko crumbs. Mix well. Shape into 4 cakes about 4 inches in diameter. Place remaining 1 cup panko crumbs on a plate. Add tuna cakes to the crumbs making sure both sides are coated with crumbs. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with olive oil spray. Add tuna cakes and cook 5 minutes. Carefully, turn (see note above) and cook 5 minutes. Place two tuna cakes each on two dinner plates.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 545 calories (20% from fat), 12.1 g fat (2.7 g saturated, 3.7 g monounsaturated), 264 mg cholesterol, 53.6 g protein, 50.2 g carbohydrates, 2.7 g fiber, 725 mg sodium.
CORN AND PICKLED ONION SALAD
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
1 cup pickled onions
1 medium tomato cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons reduced-fat dressing
Several salad leaves from bag washed-ready-to-eat salad greens
Add corn and pickled onions to a small bowl. Add the tomato cubes and salad dressing. Place several salad leaves on the two dinner plates used for the tuna cakes. Spoon corn mixture over the leaves.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 131 calories (16% from fat), 2.3 g fat (0.3 g saturated, 0.7 g monounsaturated),1 mg cholesterol, 4.7 g protein, 27.5 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 28 mg sodium.
