The Fine Art of the Tuna Pancake

Anyone who knows me, knows that although I am muti-talented in a variety of different skills, arts, sports etc.. , my cooking capabilities are something that I could do nothing less than improve on.

Being as co-ordinated in the kitchen as the white guy on the dance floor (sorry for the stereo type guys..) it's hard sometimes to maintain a healthy diet. I can stick to the basics.. I make a helluva chicken stirfry, and a gourmet pizza to be reckoned with. However, anything beyond University Cooking 101 and I'm stumped. Now don't confuse my lack of understanding of preheating, broiling and marinating with lack of enthusiasms.. because let's make one thing very clear.. I LUUUVVVVEEE to eat!.

When your as active as I am, fuel is a must. For a couple of years now, I've managed to conquer the art of the healthy snack, I'd much rather munch away on trail mix, fruit bowls or a granola bar long before I would pick up a bag of chips. Water has long since been my beverage of choice far above any sugar filled soft drink or other trendy "fruit drink" like SoBE or Fruitopia. Still, I am always searching for new ways that even I can create a healthy, fuel filled, body boosting meal that fills my belly and satisfies my appetite each and every night.

I've tried "simple-to-do" "anyone-can-cook-these" recipe books, but when the "recipe for dummies" recipes call for items that I've never ever heard of... it's a bit discouraging right from the start. Besides, most of the recipes require at least more than one pot to cook with.. and that's just not something I'm willing to invest in right now. I own ONE pot and a frying pan and if I can't make a meal out of that.. then it's just not simple enough for me to cook.

Last night, Tena, my good friend and volleyball partner extrordinaire, cooked a little something up last night - as we opened up a can of Whoop-A$$ on the beach!!!! Ahem.. sorry.. couldn't resist.... anyhow.. Unfortunately Tena is as unequipted in the kitchen as I am, and as we both moaned with hunger and complained about having nothing to eat, Tena throws out "I think I'm just going to make Tuna Pancakes for dinner". WHAT?!?!?! Did you say "Tuna Pancakes"?? What in Gods name is that?? And have you become so desperate in the kitchen that you've concocted something called Tuna Pancakes and have convinced yourself to actually eat it? And further more- you've actually premeditated the fact that your going to eat this later tonight??!?!? Please explain.

Ok- so it's not as bad as it sounded at first and as Tena explains it, Tuna Pancakes actually sound healthy, protein packed and most importantly- easy!

When I got home, I decided to give the Tuna Pancake a go.. here' how it all went down:

Necessities:
1 can of Tuna
1 Egg
Some diced tomatoes
Some grated cheese
1 frying pan

Workflow:
Add can of tuna (including all the tuna juice) into a bowl. Crack the egg into the bowl and mix it all up. Add in the tomatoes and the cheese and heat up the frying pan. You may want to spray the pan with a little PAM, or use a little oil..

Then, just like little mini-pancakes, put the tuna into the pan. They end up looking like little Crabcakes and cookup like omelets 'cause of the egg. You flip them over after they fry for a bit, and in less then 10 min- voila! TUNA PANCAKES!!!

Tena suggested that you add a bit of Oatmeal (or just plain oats) to the mix for a bit of texture, but I didn't have any. I had a bit of Cottage Cheese on the side for a little "j'ne sais quoi" but it's not a must.

This recipe made four little pancakes and were the perfect little treat for a late night meal after playing hard on the beach.

So there you have it... Sarah's newest kitchen experience. Thanks Tena!!!

I hope someone tries out this recipe and let's me know if they enjoyed them just as much as I did.

S.