OH EMM GEE!! Tuna AGAIN!??!

I grew up on classic American foods for the poor. Macaroni adds to any dish--extending the life and the amount of anything. Tuna fish was also the magic addition to foods when I was growing up. Now of course Tuna is far less affordable than even chicken breast, pound for pound. I am not sure if it is because of the mercury scare or the fact less and less people want to even take the time to prepare something other than a tuna sandwich with this magical canned goodness.

I will not go on and on about the dangers of the content of this tuna, at all. Hype and propaganda should not govern common sense choices of menu items, right? I will however direct you to this one article to help you make a choice : Not Eating Tuna Causes More Risk .

So, allow Squeaky Gourmet to reintroduce to you Tuna Fish!

Squeaky Gourmet's Tuna Cakes
Serves 4

12 oz canned tuna- drained
2 egg whites
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup raw onion diced
1 tbls low sodium soy sauce
2 tbls olive oil

Blend the oats in a coffee grinder until they are a course flour. Mix the tuna with the onions, soy sauce and egg whites. Add enough oat flour until a pasty ball can be formed. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Flatten the formed tuna ball into a patty shape and place in the hot oil. Take care not to burn yourself with the hot oil as it may splatter a bit when the cake is put in the pan. Serve on a bed of fresh peas.

Calories Per Cake- 224
Carbohydrates- 9 grams
Fats- 10 grams
Protein- 27 grams

These are excellent served cold as well, so you can make these ahead of time and use for lunches or picnics!

"I want chicken nuggests and french fries Mom!"

Ah, yes--familiar words to any mother in this era of fast food and happy meals. I can't think of one child who does not like french fries or those golden deep fried chicken parts. Remember the commercial about chicken parts back when people were wondering just what the heck IS a chicken nugget? Now they advertise they are made of white meat and we have forgotten the importance of asking--how much white meat?

Well, here is a squeaky clean version of the fast food meal we seem to be unable to escape. These are very easy to make ahead and reheat later as well! Oh and yeah we did not forget the french fries either!

Chicken Nuggets-Squeakified!
serves 12
1/4 cup GF flour mix
5 Egg whites
2lbs chicken breast-trimmed of all visible fat
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
Ice water

Soak chicken breast in ice water and salt for 1 hour. Chunk up the chicken into "nugget' size pieces (2 lbs makes about 48 nuggets each about the size of a half dollar) . Mix flour with egg whites and garlic powder to make a batter. Heat a non stick skillet on medium high heat. Toss the chicken nuggets with the batter to fully coat the chicken. Place chicken into skillet heating on each side for about 6 minutes or until deep golden brown. The trick here is getting the pan hot enough to really cook it without burning it. You will need a good pan for this as well as being free from distractions so you can keep checking the chicken to ensure even cooking.

Calories Per 4 piece Serving-167
Carbohydrates- 8 grams
Protein- 25 grams
Fats- 3 grams

Easy French Fries
serves 8
4 Clean potatoes about 3" in diameter or 7.5 ounces each
1 egg white
1 tbls Olive Oil
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
Ice Water

Heat Oven to 375 degrees. Place non stick baking sheet in the oven while it preheats. Slice each potato into french fry chunks and soak in ice water for 1 hour, replacing the water each time it becomes cloudy. Mix oil, liquid smoke, egg white and salt and garlic together and coat the potatoes with the mixture. Place the fries on the hot baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stir the fries and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until they are soft.
The key here for the flavor we find is the liquid smoke, it gives the fry a taste that you cannot match without it.

Calories per Serving- 100
Carbohydrates- 18 grams
Proteins- 3 grams
Fats-2 grams

The average nugget and french fry meal is 420 calories with 23 grams of fat. Our meal is under 270 calories with only 5 grams of fat-- you can see how easy this was to clean up and I know my kids devoured it!

Hope you enjoy it!