December 11, 2021. Cold autumn day. Best Ever Banana Bread Muffins. Updated March 30, 2023 I wanted to share a fabulous and easy recipe that I have been making again and again for the past few weeks since the guys can’t seems to get enough …
September 20, 2020. Evening. Pan Seared Halibut. I really enjoy eating a piece of nice firm fish and nothing is quicker than making an easy Pan Seared Halibut for a delicious dinner on a busy weeknight. When I was a child, we ate a lot …
September 16, 2020. Afternoon. Tuna Cakes
Jump to RecipeWhen I asked my husband what cake he wanted for his birthday, he quickly replied “Easy Canned Tuna Cakes”! I was amused and thought he was joking. But apparently he was serious and meant it! Since, it’s his birthday, I granted his wish. He’s quirky and lovable that way! Lol!
These “tuna cakes” came to be during the early times of the Covid-19 pandemic and we were isolating at home. The supply of fresh food and produce at grocery stores was haphazard and uncertain. In reaction to that, we stocked up on shelf stable staples. Canned tuna* was one of the items. After a while, I got tired of eating tuna sandwiches and wanted to see if there were other ways to serve up this fishy ingredient. After a bit of research I thought it might be fun to serve it up like a crab cake patty. I found a simple recipe from Cooktoria that uses mackerel and decided to adapt it for tuna.
The first time I made this Tuna Cakes recipe, my husband and son devoured them! I made further tweaks and am sharing the latest version that I used to make those Birthday Tuna Cakes I mentioned. They looked pretty fancy served with salad, and glasses of prosecco. The amazing thing is how quickly this delicious meal comes together! From start to finish, it only takes about 30 minutes – now that’s what I love about recipes like this!
You will need the following ingredients to make the patties:
15 oz canned Albacore Tuna in water, 3 standard 5 oz cans
3 large eggs
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated. I used Parmigiano Reggiano.
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbs mayonnaise
2 Tbs mustard
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic (optional). You can also use minced, or roasted
3 stalks of green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp dried chili powder or cayenne (optional)
vegetable oil for frying
For equipment, you will need a large frying pan and a 1/4 cup measuring cup.
Let’s start by gathering all the ingredients. I like to do this so that I won’t be scrambling for a missing ingredient in the middle of putting this together. First, drain the canned tuna and flake the meat with fork in a large mixing bowl.
Next, add all of the other ingredients, except the vegetable oil. Mix well to combine thoroughly.
Then, using 1/4 cup as a scoop, measure and shape the mixture into patties. Gently press them so that the mixture would stick together. It’s very similar to making burger patties.
In a large pan, heat up about vegetable oil. The oil should cover the bottom of the pan. When ready, arrange the patties on the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan and cook the patties in a few batches if necessary.
Fry on medium heat until the patties are golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes per side).
Finally, lightly pat the cooked patties on paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve the patties warm with salad. Enjoy!
Another fish favorite in our house => Easy Pan-Seared Halibut
We all enjoyed these delicious tuna cakes for my husband’s birthday dinner. In addition to that, I made him a surprise chocolate cake, with candles and all. And of course, we sang him the Birthday song! ❤
This recipe was inspired by https://cooktoria.com/mackerel-patties
If you are in a hurry and want a quick snack or appetizer, check out => Quick Prosciutto Manchego Apple Stacks: Results of a Forage in the Fridge
Have you seen this cool Strawberries & Cream Roll-up Crepe Cake? It was all over social media a while back and I had to give it a try. See how I put this beautiful show stopper together => How to make *The* Strawberries & Cream Roll-up Crepe Cake
Autumn and harvest season is just around the corner, have you seen how I made regular whole wheat bread into a pretty pumpkin shape? Please read my post here =>How to make Whole Wheat Bread Pretty!
One of the most popular pantry items in my kitchen are Delicious Soft Flour Tortillas. We often pick up a pack from the local grocery store during our regular weekly run. So, it wasn’t surprising that as we were sheltering at home during the pandemic …
September 9, 2020. Late afternoon. Eggplant Parmesan. Hasselback Potatoes were all the rage a few years ago. While looking for ideas on what to make for dinner, I saw pictures of Fan-Shaped Eggplant Parmesan on social media. I was intrigued and thought it would be …
September 9, 2020. Afternoon. Colorful Veggie Blossom Tart.
Jump to RecipeI saw this Colorful Veggie Blossom Tart on Facebook and Pinterest a few years ago and was totally captivated by the colorful appearance. The first time I made it, my family polished the whole thing off and asked for more! I knew I was onto a good thing. I call it a happy Veggie Blossom Tart since it makes me happy every time I take a bite. And I think it looks a lot like a colorful flower.
Since that time, I have made this veggie blossom tart regularly. In addition to tasting amazing, this tart is extremely adaptable and on numerous occasions made this recipe to clear out my veggie drawer. The tart looks like a complicated endeavor but it is surprisingly easy to put together.
In addition to being a wonderful regular treat, I think this colorful tart will look right at home gracing your holiday table. This would be a wonderful option for the vegetarian at your dinner table. I have made this for our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals last year and it melded so well with our traditional festive spread.
There are really 3 parts to making this fabulous tart. First, the pie crust. We are using store bought puff pastry sheet. You can substitute with regular pie crust, or homemade crust. Second is the pesto sauce. You can use your favorite store bought or homemade pesto sauce. This sauce binds all vegetable and crust together to make a delicious tart. Finally, the variety of thinly sliced colorful vegetables. I like to use what is in season and substitute with vegetables my family likes.
First gather up all the ingredients and tools. To simplify preparation of the veggies, I highly recommend using a kitchen mandoline.
For the pie crust – 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed. I am using a store bought crust today. You can use homemade or store bought.
Next, for the pesto, please prepare the following items:
3 cups fresh basil
¾ cup pine nuts
¾ cup parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic
¾ cup olive oil, divided
½ cup ricotta cheese
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
If in a hurry, please feel free to use your favorite store bought pesto.
For the vegetables. Wash, dry and carefully slice thinly with a kitchen mandoline or a very sharp knife.
2 medium zucchinis
2 medium yellow squashes
4 large carrots
1 large eggplant
For today’s recipe, I am using 1 large eggplant, 2 carrots, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper and 1 yellow pepper.
Start by using a mandolin slicer or vegetable peeler, slice the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots and peppers into thin ribbon-like slices.
Then on the pre baked pie crust, spread out the pesto mixture evenly on the bottom. Pre-cooking the pie crust means no soggy bottom!
Start layering on the veggie ribbons from the outer rim, working inwards.
Make sure to alternate the vegetables so the colors blend beautifully, until the entire shell is completely filled.
Last but not least, lightly drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with dried oregano.
Pop the tart into the oven and bake in the 400°F oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
When done, remove from oven and cool on rack for 5 minutes.
If you like, top the tart with fresh basil leaves.
Slice the Veggie Blossom Tart and enjoy!
Want to try another delicious and colorful dish? Check out my Easy Colorful Ratatouille Casserole
Have you ever tried a Pull- Apart Garlic Bread that looks like a gigantic flower? Read about how I put together this gorgeous showstopper here => Beautiful Pull-Apart Flower Petals Garlic Bread
Have you tasted this soft ooey gooey Cinnamon Rolls and tried to make it at home? Read how I put it together here => I Tried Making the Best Cinnamon Rolls at Home!
I made this Fun French Apple Tart and learned a new technique on how to prepare the apples correctly. It makes shaping the tart a breeze. Read how I did it here => Fun French Apple Tart – Taking up Sara Moulton’s Challenge!
This recipe is adapted from https://tasty.co/recipe/rainbow-veggie-and-pesto-tart
These treats will never win any beauty contests, but we simply love the taste of these Quick and “Bursting with Blueberries” Scones. My family calls it our favorite Lumpy Blueberry Scones. The generous amount of blueberries packed into each scone makes them lusciously lumpy! The …
This popular and tasty Malaysian Roti Jala, literally translates to roti=bread, and jala = net. Malaysian Roti Jala is a lacy thin pancake crepe that is delicious eaten unadorned, or yummy served with stew or a savory spicy curry, especially Kari Ayam (Chicken Curry). The …
These Quick Prosciutto Manchego Apple Stacks came to me when I was feeling peckish for something savory. I didn’t want to turn on the oven, so I started to rummage around my fridge and pantry.
We had a block of manchego cheese, a packet of thinly sliced prosciutto, and a few apples. In addition, I also found some lovely peppery arugula and cherry tomatoes.
After gathering up all these ingredients, I came up with the idea of making Prosciutto Manchego Apple Stacks! I love the contrast of taste and textures – salty & chewy (prosciutto), sweet & crunchy (apple), peppery (arugula), creamy (cheese), and juicy (tomato). It’s the perfect little bundle of yum!
Here’s how you make it. First, cut the prosciutto in half, lengthwise. Then, slice the cheese into about 1/4 inch thick pieces. Next, I core the apples and cut them into roughly the same size as the cheese. Finally, cut the cherry tomatoes into small rounds.
To start, lay down one slice of prosciutto. On top of that, place one slice of apple, 2 arugula leaves, and one piece of Manchego cheese. Then firmly and carefully roll them up into a neat prosciutto bundle.
After that, add the sliced cherry tomatoes rounds and it’s ready! Repeat the steps with the remaining ingredients.
In addition to tasting fabulous, I think they look colorful and pretty enough for company. These little stacks also taste delicious with a glass of well chilled white wine, or cocktails.
The next time you feel like a quick snack, or have unexpected guests dropping in, how about trying this delicious Quick Prosciutto Manchego Apple Stacks? Above all, you can pretty much substitute any cheese*(see my note below) and apple for this recipe. Just experiment with your favorite combos and find your perfect quick, no-cook, finger food snack in no time!
Happy tinkering!
*Note on cheese: when I was writing up this post and doing a bit of research on the different types of cheese for appetizers and found this handy article on 19 different types of cheese. I’m including a link here in case you are curious =>https://www.nutritionadvance.com/types-of-cheese/
Another party bite we love => Spicy Potato Samosas!
If you are in the mood for something colorful and delicious, please check out my post on this veggie tart = > Colorful And Happy Veggie Blossom Tart
If you are in the mood for a simple meal, please consider this quick and flavorful galette. I have a recipe that makes a yummy zucchini and cheese galette.
If you have never heard of Grape Clafoutis (pronounced klah-foo-TEE) then you are in for a treat. This fabulous French dessert is typically made with black cherries but is presented here with a lovely twist. This French Grape Clafoutis is absolutely scrumptious! Backstory About 8 …
