tuna cakes

When it comes to baby led weaning what I love most is the fact I don’t have to cook two meals for our family each day.  Going through the motions of steaming/mashing/packaging/freezing/thawing/reheating pureed baby food is laborious to say the least.  My days are hectic enough without the added task of multiple meal preparation and to be perfectly honest when I am graced with a very rare spare hour I would much rather indulge in a little mama self care in the form of a session of rejuvenating yoga, a stroll with Grace to the park or spending a little time creatively writing.

Another beloved reality of baby led weaning is the special family connection you experience at meal times.  I love that Grace will happily nestle in her high chair aside us at the dinner table and munch away on the meal we’re also enjoying.  It feels so special eating together, enjoying each other’s company and Rob and I really delight is watching Grace learn and develop her eating techniques, some of which are truly creative to say the least.  It’s amazing how quickly they learn to ferry the food that sits in front of them into their teeny tiny little mouths, munch away and greedily look for more just until their instincts signal their petite tummies are full and content.

Last night was baby led weaning deliciousness at its best…tuna cakes.  The latest version of my favourite childhood classic was a lovely recipe of golden fried juicy tuna cakes spiked with Dijon mustard, creamy tangy mayonnaise, lemon zest, chives and fresh parsley.  Grace absolutely loved them and watching her nibble away on a good serving of fish and fresh vegetables had me feeling like one very proud mama.  Today we were spoilt with lovely leftovers for lunch so we packed up the lunch box with tuna cake sandwiches to soak in the sunshine.

This recipe begins by placing the tuna, eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, chopped chives and parsley into a large bowl.

Using a wooden spoon mix until all of the ingredients are wonderfully combined.

Divide the mixture into four and using damp hands mould into patties.

Heat a fry pan to medium-high heat and drizzle in a little olive oil to fry in.

Fry the patties for 3-4 minutes each side until golden and cooked.

Remove from the fry pan and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

To serve, we simply threw together a handful of our favourite mixed leaves, a few slices of cucumber and some lovely scoops of avocado flesh.

Tuna cakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart

INGREDIENTS

425 grams tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked

2 large eggs

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup chives, chopped

1 cup plain fresh breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 lemon, zested

Olive oil, to fry in

To serve, mixed leaves, avocado & cucumber

METHOD

In a large bowl, stir together tuna, egg, parsley, chives, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and lemon zest.  Mix gently until ingredients just hold together.  Divide the mixture into 4 and shape into patties (using damp hands if necessary).  In a large nonstick frypan, heat oil over medium, fry cakes until golden brown and crisp on the outside, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Serve with a side salad of mixed leaves, cucumber and avocado.

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