Hello, it’s me. Bad to the Blonde – Dani on the Daily. No good recipe starts without a good story. Sorry, it’s a long one and if you don’t want to read it – just scroll right to the bottom for my 10 step low-carb tuna cakes melt recipe that I have nicknamed Poor Man Crab Cakes, aka Tuna Cakes.
I guess my low-carb tuna “melts” looked pretty good on Facebook and there were several requests for the recipe! This is a life + style blog after all so let’s get to the life part. My Mama always made damn good and simple tuna melts with bread, tuna, mayo and those Kraft singles. I often crave them. To make them a little healthier, I cut out the bread because I eat a ton of noodles and rice already. Kraft singles, well they gotta go and I am not buying them! The tuna and mayo can stay though.
I am on a budget which is another reason why I came up with this easy tuna recipe – I love to eat out. Jimmy John’s I love and was about to order but really am trying to stop these habits. With no bread in my house like usual, and a never ending supply of tuna (thanks Costco) and I really wanted sushi and/or Jimmy John’s but spending money was not an option so…I ended up with Poor Man Crab/Tuna Cake! I = winning.
Eat, drink and be fat and drunk
Every vegetarian knows that when cutting out meat it is somewhat hard (maybe it was and still is just hard for me) to get adequate protein. This was why I waited to turn vegetarian for so long – I was seriously worried about protein consumption as a fit model and fit chick, and just as a human being. Doesn’t my DNA need meat? Turns out – that is the least of my worries and I have to be healthier (I at least think I am). There’s plenty of protein through the vegetables, grains, dairy, seafood and nuts.
I actually eat way more carbs than I have in a long time, too, with this switch to vegetarianism. I don’t really diet but I have tried the low-carb thing and when I had my fat stage I tried to lose weight on that water + cayenne pepper + honey, or lemon juice diet. It lasted a day and a half. Turns out, it was my birth control helping me put on the lbs. I have attempted to train for several fitness comps (for the 10th time, recently) and gave up (again) because I just like real, good food! This recipe, I think so anyway, works for all of you. Unless you are allergic to something on the ingredient list – don’t’ eat it. Otherwise, consume at your own risk!
100% Vegetarian?
Turning vegetarian has been quite easy because of recipes like this. First I started with Meatless Monday’s and quickly, within a few weeks like maybe even just two weeks, I had cut meat out “90% of the time”. Definitely not a strict vegetarian.
I guess I am not even a vegetarian by definition either (according to http://www.vegetarian-nation.com):
- Pescatarian (Pescetarian): While technically not a type of vegetarian, these individuals do restrict their meat consumption to fish and seafood only. Pescatarians do not consume red meat, white meat or fowl. This is considered a “semi-vegetarian” or “flexitarian” diet.
Pleather I prefer over leather any day (ok, I do own a few pairs of Frye and Old Gringo boots – and motorcycle jacket – but they will be buried with me). I will only wear cruelty free makeup (90% of the time) and often vegan makeup (shoutout to Kat Von D – ladies give it a try).
I will never cut out cheese because vegan cheese tastes like shit (cardboard actually). Dairy is my main source of protein – I eat a ton of cottage cheese, greek yogurt and any kind of cheese, and I won’t ever be changing that!
This whole vegetarian thing all started because I have watched one to many sick documentaries, YouTube videos and Facebook videos about animal abuse and animal cruelty, and I had to join the fight. I have made some changes that I am extremely proud of! Seeing cattle on the semi’s on their way to the slaughterhouse makes me shutter (they just want to eat some damn grass people, leave them alone).
I turned vegetarian to get more vegetables into my diet because everyone has cancer these days, I don’t eat enough of them, and we eat like shit in this country. A cheeseburger really lacks the nutrients and vegetables. Insert sad face. For the record, I am what I consider a 90% vegetarian and occasionally can’t resist an In-N-Out burger. Or a few bites a good, expensive steak. Like I said, vegetarian, 90% of the time.
I’m trying to not eat out so much so that means I gotta play more in my kitchen and I actually have a few recipes that I can’t wait to share with you! I am no Betty Crocker but I eat what I make and think for the most part it is rather good. I keep it simple. There is always mac and cheese as a backup.
I crave a #15 Club Tuna from Jimmy John’s “on the daily” with pickles…even when I have a never ending 12-pack of canned dolphin friendly, chunk light in water, free caught tuna from Costco in my cupboard. I am trying to break this bi-weekly $15 habit (I always get salt and vinegar chips too and have it delivered, oh before I forget, I have a recipe for you regarding that to come as well). Pickles and chips. The pickles stayed in this recipe…the chips became onions. Good enough. Let’s get cooking some Tuna Cakes!
Poor Man Crab/Tuna Cakes
This is an easy, simple and clean tuna recipe. So, here I am with several cans of tuna. One gallon jar of pickles (Costco). No bread. No crackers either. Am craving Jimmy John’s like a MOFO but am going to settle with my own free will-ie. Ok, not funny. I have enough stuff always on and, and you do too, to whip up some low-carb and budget friendly tuna melts that are almost 90% protein (or more, I don’t do math or calculate every gram/calorie of food that I eat – I just try to eat clean and simple). I am really trying to not spend so much money…let’s make some “poor man’s crab/tuna cakes” because I sure as hell ain’t buying crab anytime soon! Canned tuna is such an easy thing to dress up with easy tuna recipes like this one!
My “Poor Man Crab/Tuna Cakes” tuna recipe are a simple 10 step process that you can whip up in five minutes or less and these little shits only take 20-25 minutes to bake! They look gross but they are actually pretty damn good.
What you will need:
- Oven
- Muffin Tin (I went with the big guy – 12 but only used 7)
- Medium bowl to mix
- 1 can of tuna (standard 7 ounce can)
- 1 egg
- Mayonaise (I used about 1/4 cup – few scoops with a spoon)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Flavor God Everything seasoning (I use 1 tsp.)
- Shredded cheese of choice (I used the taco mix/Mexican style because that’s all I had)
- Pickles (I actually used Bread and Butter Chips because they are my favorite)
- 1/4 Cup diced onion
How you will make them:
- Preheat your oven to 350.
- Locate your muffin tin (I love my Calphalon cookware because nothing sticks to it and I never have to spray my pans with that canned spray crap nor add extra butter or oil).
- Drain tuna
- Cut up pickles (or get crafty and layer tuna/pickle/tuna for a low-carb “sandwhich”)
- Combine all ingredients in bowl
- Mix
- Fill each “muffin” half full
- Press down each “tuna cakes” so they bake evenly
- Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown (longer if you overfilled your “muffins”)
- Eat as many as you want. I used 7/12 “muffins” and ate 4/7 for dinner.
If you enjoyed my Poor Man Crab/Tuna Cakes PLEASE share this recipe from my blog with your family and friends! How did yours taste? Hopefully they turned out pretty good! Leave me some comments and let me know. Don’t be afraid to add your own twist to them, please do, and if you do please let me know about it. Enjoy!
Be classy, sassy and a bit bad assy.
XOXO