[peachcake]

I want to cook with tuna, I generally like the flavor but don't have many ideas. I don't like mayo and I don't like crunchy things mixed with my tuna (like celery or onions). I also don't like mayo, of any kind. I am thinking I will try to make some kind of tuna patties with tuna and spices, mixed with an egg to hold it together but I'd also like some other low cal ideas.

Thanks~!

[bandit2]

Make salad & mix loose tuna through it - nice with balsamice vinegar dressing.

[peachcake]

That sounds like a good idea. I don't eat much salad but this may be a good way to start. Thanks.

[PhotoChick]

Hm. I like crunchy things in my tuna, so this is going to be a challenge for me.

You could make a nice tuna salad with some kind of vinaigrette dressing or some kind of asian dressing instead of mayo. Just something light and with enough oil to give it some "cling" to hold together.

Tuna patties and salmon patties are a staple in my house. Take a can of tuna/salmon, add one beaten egg, some ground oats (in lieu of bread crumbs), some chopped and sauteed onion (I like to saute it to make it soft first, but you can leave it out entirely if you like), some chopped and sauteed red bell pepper (as with the onion, you can leave it out if you like), sprinkle it with cornmeal, spray with olive oil and bake in a 350 oven, turning once. I like mine with a little dijon mustard on them and a side salad.

Tuna casserole is a big one, too. 4 oz whole grain rotini, 1 can drained tuna, 1 can healthy choice cream of mushroom soup, onion and celery (which you can leave out or saute to make it soft), and some kind of veggie (usually I put in steamed broccoli, sometimes peas, sometimes steamed cauliflower), 1/4 cup or so of grated cheese. Cook the rotini and drain it - mix all the ingredients together and put in a baking dish. Top with cheese and bake at 400 for 15-20 mins or until it's all bubbly on top.

Homemade tuna pot pie - can of tuna, bag of mixed diced veggies, can of cream of mushroom soup, onion/celery/carrot (again, sauteed until tender or leave out - can you tell I like onion/celery/carrot?),canned biscuits or mashed potatoes. Put all the ingredients in a baking dish (or spoon into individual baking ramekins). Top with either a biscuit or a scoop of mashed potatoes. Cook in a 400 deg oven until the biscuit is done or the potatoes are browned and starting to crisp on top (usually about 10-12 mins).

Those are the ones we make most often.

.

[peachcake]

Ooooh, thanks PhotoChick. I think the patties may become my new "thing" since tuna is so cheap and I'm trying to save money. I like the idea of the cornmeal sprinkled on it and the ground oats instead of bread crumbs. Thanks!

[mazza]

Yumm tuna.

I mix tuna with:
- soy sauce
- cut up gherkins and soy sauce
- olives
- mixed veggies (from a freezer bag) and oregano with... soy sauce
- chives
- peas
- mashed pumpkin and mix it all together with tuna - and top it off with some tomato puree
- pepper also goes great with tuna.

[gina1221]

We have tuna pasta salad once every couple of weeks - super easy:

bowtie pasta, cooked and drained
canned tuna
peas, fresh, frozen or canned

add the tuna and peas to the pasta while the pasta is still hot,
we also add fresh chopped onions but of course this is crunchy so you can leave out,
add some fresh ground pepper, toss and you're done!

Fat free Italian dressing is also great with this and you don't need much.

I'm going to have to try PhotoChick's tuna pot pie - sounds great!

[BlueToBlue]

Similar to Gina, I like to make pasta salad with my tuna. For one serving, mix cooked pasta (1 oz dry is usually plenty), 1/2 can tuna, 1-2 tbsp low calorie vinaigrette (I use Trader Joe's Fat Free Vinaigrette) and whatever else you want. Some non-crunchy things to try are sun-dried tomatoes, sauteed or roasted onions, olives, roasted red pepper, artichokes, chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, reduced-fat feta, Giardiniera (drained, of course), or blanched green beans (ok, maybe a little crunchy).

I also like the flavored tuna that is available, like BumbleBee's Tuna Sensations. I eat it on a low carb wrap with spinach--just the tuna, greens, and the wrap, nothing else. It's a quick and easy snack.

[BlueToBlue]

A couple of other ideas:

If you want to spend a little extra for the tuna fillets sold in pouches, I find that can work as a meal with just the addition of a veggie side. I heat it in the microwave or oven (if I'm roasting the veggies to go with it, I just heat it in the oven with the veggies), then top it with salsa.

Tuna and Avocado Stuffed Shells
1 can tuna, drained
1 avocado, diced
1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh chives
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
8 jumbo pasta shells, cooked

Mix all ingredients except the shells together, then stuff mixture into the shells. Makes 4 servings (2 stuffed shells per serving)

Tuna-Stuffed Avocado
1 mango, peeled and diced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 can tuna, drained
1 avocado, halved

Mix together all ingredients except avocado. Scoop mixture onto each avocado half. Makes two servings (each avocado half is one serving).

[peachcake]

I love all these ideas... I'm going to have plenty to try. Thanks!