Tuna Cakes with Tarragon Cucumber Salad

I

always

have canned tuna in the house. Easy enough for a sandwich on the weekend, or dress it up and pan fry it for a lovely weeknight dinner, either way you've got a healthy and high protein meal. 

Tuna Cakes

Ingredients

• 10 oz. canned tuna
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 large shallot (or sub half an onion), finely diced
• 2 ribs celery, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons celery leaves, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Sweat the shallot, celery, and celery leaves in the butter until softened, around 8 minutes. Add to medium-sized mixing bowl. Let cool for a few minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients and stir until just combined. If you have the time, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat a saute pan with olive oil. Hand form 4 cakes (or use a ring mold like I did, found at your local kitchen supply store), and cook on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes a side. To ensure they keep their form, don't touch them while they're cooking. Once they form the bottom crust, you will be able to gently flip them.

This recipe serves 2. I made a little cucumber salad to go along with it. I peeled, seeded, and made half moons out of 4 medium sized cucumbers. I then salted them with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and let them drain in a colander for 15 minutes. I added a couple of splashes of olive oil, a few more splashes of tarragon vinegar, cherry tomatoes, pepper and fresh chopped tarragon and served.

My little guy gobbled up the tuna cakes.

Diary of a Peace Corps Foodie

I've always loved to cook. Cooking calms me. It inspires me. It feeds my soul. Some people get this from communing with nature, running or gardening. But I get it from chopping, mashing, tasting and kneading. My dear friend John, who I met in Niger, sent me the picture above. He had a beautiful home in the capitol, Niamey, that he generously opened to a few of us PCV's. We spent many a day in the kitchen creating masterpieces. We hosted Thanksgiving celebrations twice, and a Christmas party too. It was a complete 180 from the time spent in my village eating millet porridge with okra sauce...

Or, on the very special occasions that we'd have meat to eat (goat usually).

But, even though there was a difference in the food that I ate in each distinct location, it always brought folks together. I appreciated the communal way that the women in Niger pounded the grain together.

And, the way a birthday celebration in Bellayara could!

December 2012 marks 10 years from the time I began Peace Corps training in Niger. My how time flies.