Canned tuna and cannellini beans team up to create delicious fish cakes. This recipe renders a crisp crust without using too much oil. Add a salad, and dinner's done.
Each portion provides 2.8 servings of vegetables, 0.6 serving of whole grains and 12 grams of good fat.
Prep time 45 minutes
Cook/bake time 25 minutes
Serves 4
Tuna cake ingredients
- 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 can (398 ml/14 oz) cannellini beans
- 1 can (170 g/6 oz) water-packed tuna, drained
- 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
- 350 g (1 1/2 cup) whole wheat panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
- 25 g (2 tbsp) chopped fresh dill
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad and dressing
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, mincedSalt and pepper to taste
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
- 1.5 kg (6 cups) arugula, washed, dried and torn
- 250 g (1 c) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 10 g (2 tsp) capers, rinsed and chopped
Ready, set, cook
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat five millilitres (one teaspoon) oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, three to five minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mash the beans. Add the tuna, one egg white, about 125 grams (1/2 cup) panko, the dill, lemon juice, salt, pepper and the onion mixture. Mix.
4. Place the remaining 225 grams (one cup) panko in a shallow dish and the remaining egg white in another shallow dish. Using a generous 50 grams (1/4 cup) per cake, form the bean mixture into eight cakes, two centimetres (3/4 inch) thick. Coat each cake with egg white, then dredge in panko.
5. Heat five millilitres (one teaspoon) oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tuna cakes and cook until the undersides are browned, two to three minutes. Flip the cakes over onto the baking sheet and bake until browned and hot in the centre, about 20 minutes.
6. To make the salad and dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil. In a large bowl, toss the arugula and tomatoes with 45 millilitres (three tablespoons) dressing. Whisk the mayonnaise into the remaining dressing and stir in the capers.
7. Divide the salad among four plates. Top each serving with two cakes and spoon some dressing over each cake.
One serving is 375 grams (1 1/2 cups) of salad and two tuna-bean cakes.
Nutritional information per serving: 381 calories, 22 g protein, 40 g carbohydrates, 8 g fibre, 16 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 464 mg sodium
