When I received my cans of Meatless Select Fishless Tuna from Atlantic Natural Foods, I have to admit I hesitated. Fishless tuna? It seemed strange to me and I’m not quite sure why. After all, I eat and love vegan versions of chicken, beef, sausage, and other fishy-type foods like vegan shrimp and calamari. When I opened up the can, it looked like tuna. It looked exactly like tuna. I tasted a bite and guess what? It tasted like tuna. But it’s not make from tuna. It’s vegan.
Meatless Select Fishless Tuna could fool anyone – as I said, it looks and tastes just like tuna. But minus the cruelty of our sea animal friends. It’s a soy-based product that’s low in calories, carbs and fat.
Photo from Meatless Select web site
Then I debated what to make with my complimentary cans of fishless tuna. A tuna sandwich seemed obvious but too easy. I wanted to cook something but I’ve never been a fan of cooked tuna dishes. So I decided I would make crabby cakes with the fishless tuna. Ok, maybe technically they should be called “tuna” cakes but I was using my recipe for Tempeh “Crab” Cakes and honestly, I just didn’t want to call them “tuna” cakes. I know it’ s not fishless crab but it’s not really tuna either so I took the liberty
Anyway, I made the most delicious Crabby Cakes with my fishless tuna – vegan and gluten-free. I used two cans which made about a dozen cakes. They were so good – flaky and tender. Using kelp, lemon and Old Bay Seasoning give you that flavor of the sea that is reminiscent of fish dishes. The Crabby Cakes were a hit!
I served them with a horseradish-dill aioli and made a simple red cabbage slaw on the side. Yum!
Meatless Selects Fishless Tuna is available at select stores. You can download a form from their web site to give to your store requesting they carry it. The product is also available from Amazon, Vegan Cuts and Vegan Essentials.
I can’t wait to get a few more cans of Meatless Select Fishless Tuna so I can make myself a tuna salad sandwich. Next time I won’t hesitate to open up the can. Fishless Tuna rules!
Fishless Tuna Crabby Cakes with Horseradish-Dill Mayo
GF
Makes about 12 cakes
For the Horseradish-Dill Mayo
¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
2-3 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp. hot sauce
Scallion greens, for garnish
For the Crabby Cakes
1 Tbs. ground flax seed + 3 Tbs. warm water
2 cans Meatless Select Fishless Tuna, drained
3 Tbs. canola oil, divided
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped (reserve some greens for garnishing the mayo)
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Zest of one lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 Tbs. gluten-free, vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. Old Bay Seasoning
1 Tbs. kelp or dulse flakes
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
A dash of cayenne pepper
½ to ¾ cup gluten-free bread crumbs
Lemon slices for garnish
To make the Horseradish-Dill Mayo: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Taste to make sure it is to your desired level of spice. Refrigerate until ready to use. Garnish with scallion greens.
To make the Crabby Cakes: In a mug or small bowl, combine the flaxseed and warm water. Mix and let sit for 10 minutes until it becomes a thick paste. This is your binder.
Heat 1 Tbs. of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the carrot, celery, scallions and garlic until softened, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool. Wipe the skillet clean.
Transfer the fishless tuna into a bowl and mash it up with a fork. Add the vegetables along with the mayo, parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the baking powder, Worcestershire sauce, flax gel and seasonings to the bowl and mix (with your hands is best) until everything is well combined and you have a relatively smooth mix with no big chunks of anything. Add the bread crumbs and mix again until smooth. Check the mixture to see that you have a consistency that will hold together. If the mixture feels too loose, add more crumbs, up to another ¼ cup. Cover and refrigerate the mix for at least 30 minutes; the longer, the better.
Divide the mixture into cakes. The cakes should be smaller in diameter and thicker than a burger patty. You can make the cakes by hand or use a round mold. A mold will help you create denser cakes. Let the cakes rest for a few minutes so they can set. This will help them absorb moisture and hold together better.
Heat the remaining Tbs. of oil in the skillet. Cook the cakes over medium-high heat until they are golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Be sure to flip them very gently so they don’t break apart. Serve with my Horseradish-Dill Mayonnaise and lemon slices.
The “V” Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.
- For the Horseradish-Dill Mayo
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2-3 tsp. prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp. dried dill
- 1 tsp. hot sauce
- Scallion greens, for garnish
- For the Crabby Cakes
- 1 Tbs. ground flax seed + 3 Tbs. warm water
- 2 cans Meatless Select Fishless Tuna, drained
- 3 Tbs. canola oil, divided
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 3 scallions, finely chopped (reserve some greens for garnishing the mayo)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 1 Tbs. baking powder
- 1 Tbs. gluten-free, vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbs. Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 Tbs. kelp or dulse flakes
- 2 tsp. dry mustard
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- A dash of cayenne pepper
- ½ to ¾ cup gluten-free bread crumbs
- Lemon slices for garnish
- To make the Horseradish-Dill Mayo: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Taste to make sure it is to your desired level of spice. Refrigerate until ready to use. Garnish with scallion greens.
- To make the Crabby Cakes: In a mug or small bowl, combine the flaxseed and warm water. Mix and let sit for 10 minutes until it becomes a thick paste. This is your binder.
- Heat 1 Tbs. of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the carrot, celery, scallions and garlic until softened, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool. Wipe the skillet clean.
- Transfer the fishless tuna into a bowl and mash it up with a fork. Add the vegetables along with the mayo, parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Add the baking powder, Worcestershire sauce, flax gel and seasonings to the bowl and mix (with your hands is best) until everything is well combined and you have a relatively smooth mix with no big chunks of anything.
- Add the bread crumbs and mix again until smooth. Check the mixture to see that you have a consistency that will hold together. If the mixture feels too loose, add more crumbs, up to another ¼ cup.
- Cover and refrigerate the mix for at least 30 minutes; the longer, the better.
- Divide the mixture into cakes. The cakes should be smaller in diameter and thicker than a burger patty. You can make the cakes by hand or use a round mold. A mold will help you create denser cakes
- Let the cakes rest for a few minutes so they can set. This will help them absorb moisture and hold together better.
- Heat the remaining Tbs. of oil in the skillet. Cook the cakes over medium-high heat until they are golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Be sure to flip them very gently so they don’t break apart.
- Serve with my Horseradish-Dill Mayonnaise and lemon slices.
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