Another day, another quarantine cooking challenge! I just cobbled together a gourmet lunch using canned tuna, leftovers from this week, and condiments from my fridge. Miracles are happening in this kitchen, people!

We’ve all got plain tuna in our cupboards. It’s cheap, simple, and lasts a long time. And while it’s easy to default to tuna sandwiches, it’s actually a surprisingly versatile ingredient that's easy to transform into a delicious gourmet meal.

Today I decided to make pan-fried tuna cakes with a quick remoulade sauce. I came up with a recipe that used canned tuna, condiments, and leftovers from other meals this week. I used a baggie of plain, steamed brown rice (leftover from a weekend stir fry), half of a red pepper (leftover from making an omelet), two wilted green onions where I could only salvage the white and pale green bottoms, and fresh chopped parsley and chives (leftover from an awesome spring risotto). I also threw together a side slaw using leftover cabbage mix.

The rice, panko and egg were plenty enough of a binder, but I added in a tablespoon of ground flax seed to the mixture too. Flax is one of those ingredients that’s pretty much flavorless, but packs a punch of nutrients, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. Plus, it’s a great binder; when mixed with liquid, it sort of turns into a gel or paste. I often use flax as an egg replacement when I don’t have them on hand. I also toss a tablespoon into most homemade baked goods (muffins, cookies, etc.) and my morning smoothie.

My tuna cakes were delicious! I loved the fresh flavors of the lemon, herbs and red pepper. Even though they were fried, the taste was very light; the panko coating made the tuna cakes crispy on the outside but everything stayed moist on the inside. Frying was a dream in my NUCU fry pan, but if you don’t want to pan-fry, I bet baking them would taste just as great (375 degrees for 20 minutes should do). The recipe I put together made 12 good-sized tuna cakes. Half of them went right in the freezer for a great lunch next week!

TUNA CAKES

INGREDIENTS

1 (5 oz.) can of tuna in water, drained
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup red pepper, diced small
1 green onion, diced small
2 Tbsp of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegenaise
1 egg
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tsp lemon or lime juice
1 Tbsp ground flax seed, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Panko bread crumbs for breading
Vegetable oil or coconut oil for frying

Quick Remoulade

2 Tbsp mayonnaise or vegenaise
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp dill relish
½ tsp yellow mustard
½ tsp lemon juice
½ tsp Old Bay seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl, combine the tuna, rice, red pepper, green onion, parsley, mayo, egg, 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs, lemon juice, flax (if using), and salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
In a shallow dish, add about 1 cup of Panko bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover a quarter sheet pan or small tray with foil and set aside.
Form the tuna mixture into individual patties using your hands. Set the patty in the Panko breadcrumbs and gently cover the entire patty. Repeat.
Place patties onto the prepared sheet pan, then set in the freezer for 45 minutes.
Make the quick remoulade sauce by mixing together the mayo, ketchup, relish, mustard, lemon juice and Old Bay. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare a plate covered in paper towels.
Add oil to a pan and bring to high heat. There will be about ¼ inch of oil in the pan, enough to come halfway up the fish patty. The oil is ready when a few breadcrumbs start bubbling when dropped in the pan.
Fry the patties on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown on the outside. Place on the plate with paper towels to absorb the oil.
Serve warm with quick remoulade sauce. Makes 12 tuna cakes.