Meatless Fridays: Thai Tuna Sliders



I can't tell you how many post-ops have looked me straight in the eye and told me it was impossible for them to have a good lunch at work.

Now for some of you this is true. But many I spoke to worked in offices with all the necessary components to have a good lunch with just a little prep.

Today's lunch for me are these yummy tuna sliders. They are based on my original tuna burger recipe, but a bit smaller (the Wonder Pouch isn't so wondrous these days for whatever reason). On top is a mixture of low-fat mayo and Greek yogurt and a dollop of my mango salsa (together the two work sorta like an exotic tartar sauce). I would have loved a few chunks of avocado and maybe some red onion...but we work with what we've got!

Nik's Thai Tuna Sliders

Ingredients

1 can tuna with liquid (preferrably water)
1/4 c. textured vegetable protein (or tvp...if you're going "huh?" click here)
1 egg, beaten
1 good squirt (about 1/2 tsp) lime juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Directions

In a bowl combine tuna (with liquid) and TVP. Mix well and let it sit about 2-3 minutes for the tvp to soak up the liquid.

Add spices and mix well before adding in the egg.

Heat up your sprayed skillet (I used a grill pan). Form the tuna/tvp mixture into slider sized patties (mixture may be loose. Just mush it together and get it in the pan. It'll hold better once one side is cooked).

Cook 2 minutes on one side then flip and cook about 2 minutes on the other side.

Remove from pan, top as you see fit and enjoy!

Today's offering was SUPPOSED to be crab cake sliders but guess who forgot to go to the fish monger? Yeah...so...next week peeps!

Low Country Boil, Shrimp Fritters, & Lemon Pesto Oh My!

~~posted by Jen

So last night I got semi-ambitious and made Low Country Boil for our Friday night dinner. For those who're asking "WTH is Low Country Boil?", I'll tell you! It's a very common dish in Coastal Georgia and the Carolinas. For you Northeastern folks, it's like a clambake in a pot. Quite simple to make, here's how:

Basically you bring a ginormous pot of cold water up to a boil, season it with some Old Bay, and a couple tablespoons of butter. For your main ingredients, base the amount of each on how many people you're feeding. Once the water is at a good boil, throw in some whole potatoes and kielbasa or smoked sausage links.

Let them boil for about 5 minutes, then add in some ears of fresh corn on the cob, boil another 5 minutes, then add your seafood. I usually add shrimp, crab claws, crab legs if I get a good price on them, and sometimes clams. (You can use lobster, mussels, whatever seafood you like. I would not try fish, only shellfish or mollusks.)

Boil it for another 2 or 3 minutes, just until your seafood is done. (When the shrimp turn pink, they are done. Same with the crab claws. MAKE SURE NOT TO OVERCOOK THEM, or they will be rubbery and your pouch will NOT be happy.) Then drain the water out, spread your table with newspapers or brown paper bags, and pour the whole lot down the middle of the table. (Kids LOVE this because it's like making a big mess, only not.)

Serve some melted butter, lemon wedges, mustard, and cocktail sauce as condiments for the seafood and sausage. Toss a loaf of crusty bread on the table to pass around. It's a great way to entertain, very easy, and LOTS of fun! Everyone eats with their hands, then when it's all finished, roll the whole thing up and toss it in the trash. Best of all, only 1 pot to wash!

I had some leftover shrimp from dinner that I wanted to use up, so I made Shrimp Fritters today. You can also use leftover salmon, crab, tuna, or basically any kind of fish if you prefer. I hate serving leftovers in the exact same form I originally served them, so I try to make them over into something "new" for the second round. It's kind of a challenge, and I think it's fun. But y'all know I am twisty like that anyway. Sooooo, here's how I did it!

Shrimp Fritters with Lemon Pesto Dipping Sauce

Jen’s Shrimp Fritters

12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped fine, I use mini chopper

1 c TVP, ground fine (I use mini chopper)

2 large eggs

1 tbsp Onion Powder

2 tbsp Garlic Powder

2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning

2 capfuls Lemon Extract

2 tbsp celery flakes

4 tbsp multigrain pancake mix, I use Arrowhead Mills

1 c Fage 0% total Greek yogurt

4 tbsp minced dried onions (or you could use fresh onions, just sauté them first)

¼ c French’s Spicy Brown Mustard (or Dijon if you prefer)

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

4-5 tablespoons of olive oil for frying

In a mini food chopper or food processor, combine TVP, onion powder, garlic powder, celery flakes, Old Bay seasoning.  Pulse until TVP is ground to consistency of coarse bread crumbs.   Pour the dry ingredient mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside.  

Add the shrimp to mini chopper and pulse until well chopped.  Add shrimp to the mixing bowl.  Stir in the eggs, Greek yogurt, minced dried onions, mustard, and cheddar cheese.  Fold ingredients together until well blended.  

Form into 20 small patties.  Pre-heat olive oil in a skillet and fry the shrimp fritters on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, turning once.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate until ready to serve.  

 *****Note:  I formed up a very tiny patty and cooked it to test for seasoning before I formed and cooked up the whole batch.  This is advisable anytime you make fritters (or meatballs, meatloaf, etc ) so you don’t end up with a big batch of under or over-seasoned meat patties.****** 

Makes 20 small shrimp fritters, 2 fritters is my usual post-op WLS portion.  Stats for 2 fritters (without sauce), using these EXACT SAME INGREDIENTS:

Calories: 211  Fat 7.9 g   Carbs  13.5 g   Fiber 3 g  Protein 20.3 g

Jen's Lemon Pesto Dipping Sauce:


Ingredients:
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
3 tablespoons Pesto (I make my own, but you can buy it prepared in the Italian food section of the supermarket)
2 tsp Lemon Extract

Directions: 
Combine all 3 ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until well combined. Give it a taste to make sure you don't need to add any salt or adjust the seasonings. Great dip for seafood or chicken, also an awesome sandwich spread, or even salad dressing!

Meatless Fridays: Spicy Cajun Tuna Burgers

I have noticed that since I committed to doing meatless Fridays in Lent that I have been eating a LOT more fish/seafood. Interesting.


One of my favorite things to make when I don’t want to fuss in the kitchen is tuna burgers. They come together easily (seriously…they take like 5 minutes to mix up a batch), are simple to cook and the only limit to the flavors is your own imagination.

I personally can’t do hamburgers (not even turkey…something about the coming together of ground meat seems to offend my pouch). I can do bites of a hamburger but even if I make a teeny one it doesn’t go so well. Tuna burgers give me the opportunity to sandwich something between two pieces of (low-carb, whole-grain) bread and eat it.

So for my offering today I present:

Nikki’s Spicy Cajun Tuna Burger

1 can of tuna (do not drain)

¼ cup textured vegetable protein (TVP), dry (if you are saying to yourself, “what is TVP?” click here)

1 egg white

¼ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp black pepper

½ tbsp Cajun spice blend

Optional: chopped onions or scallions
Directions:

1. Empty the contents of tuna can into a bowl and add TVP. Mix well and let stand for a few minutes so that the TVP can soak up the excess moisture
2. Add all spices and mix well again.
3. Add egg whites and mix again. If mixture seems too wet, add a tablespoon or so more TVP and mix
4. Heat a sprayed skillet. Take up some of your tuna mixture and form a patty. There will be some excess liquid and the mixture will be somewhat loose, Trust me, it’ll hold together.
5. Place the patty in the skillet and cook about 2 minutes or so. GENTLY flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove from pan and serve!

I eat mine on a whole-wheat Arnold Sandwich Thin with shredded cheese of some sort (sort of a tuna melt type deal) but it is also good as a wrap and you can also make tuna “meatballs” if you are newer post-op and can’t eat a whole patty. I think it’d also be fun to do tuna sliders…but that’s because I’m weird like that.

Meatless Fridays: Vegetarian Breakfast Tostada

Ah...Lent...it brings out the vegetarian in me for sure! I notice, though, that lately I've not eaten a lot of meat on any day of the week. Dairy? Yes. Meat? Not so much. That could have something to do with the fact that I have an extremely high maintenance pouch. Meat has to be cooked just right or it gets rejected y'all. The other day my mom made the most indulgent looking meatloaf. Three bites in I could tell it wasn't going to work. Ah well...I guess I was made for meatless Fridays.

I made an awesome discovery at Aldi's the other day. Fit and Active Multi-Grain wraps. These things are yummy, have good stats and they beat the cost of Flat-Out wraps hands down! Good news for this bitch on a budget! (I have been trying to work that term into a sentence FOREVER! Yay!)

So this breakfast tostada is quite wonderful. I will be eating it on meatless Friday atop a Fit and Active wrap. Not sure how much of it I will be able to eat although the wonders of the wonder pouch never cease.

Nik's Vegetarian Breakfast Tostada

1 low-carb tortilla (I like La Tortilla Factory's the best for stats - 50 calories and 3 net grams of carbs! You can't beat that! Be sure to get the taco sized thought)

1/4 c. fat-free refried beans

1/4 c. textured vegetable protein  (if you are saying to yourself, "what's that?" click here), reconstituted in water mixed with 1 tbsp taco spice

1/4 c. low-fat shredded Mexican blend cheese

2 tablespoons unflavored Greek style yogurt

2 tablespoons medium salsa

Directions:

Lay your tortilla out on a sprayed cookie sheet. Spread on an even layer of beans, then add the TVP, then add the cheese. Bake in a 350 oven for 10 minutes or until the tortilla is browned at the edges and the cheese is all melty. Top with yogurt and salsa.

This get the Nik "hell yeah" seal of approval. Two yums from the divas and an emphatic "woof" from the puppy. So I am confident in telling you it is good!

Enjoy!

Meatless Fridays: Mediterranean Shrimp & Quinoa Salad/Cajun Tuna Burger

So I had my blog post all written and then I realized something. It was tuna. And last week was tuna. I don’t want you all to think Meatless Fridays is ALL about tuna. It’s just my go-to for quickie meals and lunches. So while I am going to post my original recipe which is what I’m having for lunch, I will also post what I am having for dinner. To get out the tuna box. Mind you…this is Mediterranean and last week’s recipe was too but that’s more a testament to the fact that I actually USE my ingredients until they are gone. I am many things peeps…in the position to waste food is not one of them!

This salad is made with quinoa. If you’ve never tasted quinoa you should. It’s not rice, it’s a grain and it’s a complete protein source (meaning it’s got at least 8 out of 9 of the essential amino acids in it). It can stand in the place of rice, couscous, orzo, or risotto in a dish. It’s got a different texture than rice or even wild or brown rice (it’s chewier) but it takes on flavors well, works great in cold salads and gives you a lot of fiber and protein for what you spend in carbs. So…without further adieu…

Nikki’s Mediterranean Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 lb. shrimp, tails off, deveined and cut in half
10 grape tomatoes, halved
¼ c. chopped red onion
6-8 kalimata olives, pitted and chopped
¼ cup reduced fat feta cheese
½ cup Ken’s Light Northern Italian Dressing
A few shakes of oregano and dried basil
A bit of Parmesan cheese for the top


Basically you just put all this in a bowl, mix it up and refrigerate. The longer you let it linger in the fridge, the more intense the flavor. This is really filling and good to make in batches and eat on throughout the week.
Ok…so with that out of the way…here is the original recipe I was going to post.

One of my favorite things to make when I don’t want to fuss in the kitchen is tuna burgers. They come together easily (seriously…they take like 5 minutes to mix up a batch), are simple to cook and the only limit to the flavors is your own imagination.

I personally can’t do hamburgers (not even turkey…something about the coming together of ground meat seems to offend my pouch). I can do bites of a hamburger but even if I make a teeny one it doesn’t go so well. Tuna burgers give me the opportunity to sandwich something between two pieces of (low-carb, whole-grain) bread and eat it.
So for my offering today I present:

Nikki’s Spicy Cajun Tuna Burger

1 can of tuna (do not drain)
¼ cup textured vegetable protein (TVP), dry (if you are saying to yourself, “what is TVP?” click here)
1 egg white
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tbsp Cajun spice blend
Optional: chopped onions or scallions
Directions:

Empty the contents of tuna can into a bowl and add TVP. Mix well and let stand for a few minutes so that the TVP can soak up the excess moisture

Add all spices and mix well again.

Add egg whites and mix again. If mixture seems too wet, add a tablespoon or so more TVP and mix

Heat a sprayed skillet. Take up some of your tuna mixture and form a patty. There will be some excess liquid and the mixture will be somewhat loose, Trust me, it’ll hold together.

Place the patty in the skillet and cook about 2 minutes or so. GENTLY flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

Remove from pan and serve!

I eat mine on a whole-wheat Arnold Sandwich Thin with shredded cheese of some sort (sort of a tuna melt type deal) but it is also good as a wrap and you can also make tuna “meatballs” if you are newer post-op and can’t eat a whole patty. I think it’d also be fun to do tuna sliders…but that’s because I’m weird like that.

Meatless Fridays: Mediterranean Tuna

So I'm not doing the meat thing on Fridays. Which means I gotta get protein without meat (scary).

This idea came from Whole Foods. I was there one day and bought some mediterranean tuna salad ($4 for 4 oz.) and thought "I could make this myself for way cheaper."

It utilizes a bunch of stuff you probably already have in your kitchen and it is good. These are served with a side of Kay's Naturals Parmesan protein crisps, but these days I much prefer Glenny's Soy Crisps (lightly salted flavor for this recipe).

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

1 can of tuna, drained
3-4 large black olives, pitted and sliced (or 1 tbsp already sliced black olives from the can)
2-3 tbsp unflavored greek style yogurt
1 tsp (not tbsp...tsp) low-fat mayonnaise
2 tbsp (1 oz.) chopped tomato
2 tbsp (1 oz.) crumbled feta cheese (I used fat free feta...I dare you to say that five times fast!)
2 tbsp onion (any kind you like. I like vidalia), diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Put everything except greek yogurt and mayo in a bowl and mix together

Add yogurt and mayo and mix it in to thoroughly coat.

Serve over a lettuce garnish (as shown), in a Flatout wrap, on an Arnold Thin or any other way you might like it!

Fun with Tuna

Ok, so shoot me, I don't have a picture to show you. This is mainly because my digital camera is sitting in my electronics basket...uncharged....where it has been for the last month. One day I will get around to doing the incredibly simple task of plugging in the battery charger but today it was just too much, OK???? As a consolation prize you get Charlie, the Starkist tuna. Riveting.

Moving on...

I think I am addicted to tuna cakes. Tuna cakes? you ask yourself. Yes, tuna cakes. I love crab cakes. Adore salmon cakes. Am addicted to tuna cakes. Why? Well, first off they take about 4 minutes to prep and make from start to finish. Secondly, there are not bones or shells to contend with. Third, you can get away with a lot of different flavor combinations. The one I'd like to present for consideration today is a Jerk Tuna Cake w/ Peach Ginger Sauce.

Ingredients:

1 can of tuna (doesn't have to be Starkist...sorry Charlie...but it does need to be packed in water)

1/8 c. textured vegetable protein (go ahead...ask...what's that? Click here before moving on...)

1 tablespoon light mayo (yes, I know mayo is s'posed to be the debbil but it really does have some functions and this is one of them...don't use Greek yogurt...use mayo!)

1 shake each of the following: salt, ground black pepper, onion powder, red pepper flakes

1 large egg white

1/2 tsp prepared jerk seasoning (pssst...it's in the international aisle)

1 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs (NOT ground Fiber One...yeesh...you people are health FANATICS!)

for the peach ginger sauce

1 tbsp sugar free peach preserves (I use Smucker's)

a dash of Splenda

a dash of cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 dollop sugar free breakfast syrup (I use Smucker's)

Directions:

1. Drain tuna but reserve the water you drained. Set tuna aside.

2. Mix 1/8 c. reserved tuna liquid with your TVP and mix well. Set aside.

3. Dump tuna into the same bowl as the TVP and mix well

4. In the tuna can, mix together mayo, spices, and jerk seasoning (cuts down on dishes...don'tcha just love me????)

5. Add egg white to tuna/tvp mixture and mix well. Then add mayo mixture.

6. Add bread crumbs and mix well.

7. Spray a skillet with nonspray and let it get hot. While it is getting hot form patties out of your tuna mixture (how many depends on your appetite...for some this makes 4, for some 3, for me...2). Pan fry for about 3 minutes on each side. Cool on a rack if you're going to pack it for lunch. Serve hot off the skillet if you are eating it then and there.

8. Wait! No! Don't eat it yet! The peach ginger sauce! So easy: nuke the peach preserves for about 15-20 seconds. Until it's all bubbly and gooey. Add remaining ingredients and stir, stir, stir! Dump it over your tuna cakes. There...now you can eat (really...you can eat it...SERIOUSLY)

This is so good. Just the right level of spicy and sweet. The peach-ginger sauce seems like it would be good over a corn cake but I don't roll with corn cakes anymore so I may never know. If any of you dear readers are less neurotic than I, please try it and let me know how it tastes, k?

In summary...YUM! Oh one other thing...if you're liking what I'm posting...if you try any of the recipes. If you have a thought about how blue the sky is...post comments! I need comments! I love comments! Comments are awesome!

That is all.