Joey's Parmesan Tuna Cakes

 There are some things I like to buy in bulk, and canned tuna is one of them. It's always a good thing to have when you want a quick lunch. Mix it up with a little mayo, some chopped celery, and maybe a bit of onion, serve it on some fresh greens with a slice of tomato,  and boom, lunch is served. But as much as I love regular straight up tuna salad, sometimes I get bored with the same old tuna recipe. So I decided to come up with something a little more interesting. As I usually do, I took a quick survey of what ingredients I happened to have on hand, and then ran with it. This was the result! I figured this would be a win for anyone who might be choosing to do meatless Mondays, or meatless Fridays, or for those of us who do better without so many carbs. And they're delish!
 Full disclosure, I really had no idea what I was doing when I was throwing things into the bowl. I know crab cakes usually have bread crumbs in them or on them (which is why they get all lovely and browned and crisp on the outside when you fry them). I didn't want to do bread crumbs, so I tested a couple with a coating of cheese on the outside hoping to acheive the same result, but I found that you don't even need it! They browned beautifully just from the cheese that was already in the mixture.
 So I hope you'll give this one a try. Feel free to tweak it to suit your own tastes, and be sure to let me know if you discover any yummy new variations. I love to hear about it!
Ok then great then thanx then!!


2 (5oz cans) white Albacore tuna in water, well drained
2 eggs
1 tbs Dijon or brown mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup celery, finely minced
1/2 cup bell pepper, finely minced
1/4 cup onion, finely minced
black pepper to taste


Simply stir all ingredients together until everything is well combined and the tuna is well incorporated. Let the mixture stand for a good 5-10 minutes. Heat up your skillet with a little oil or melted butter. (I like to use a cast iron skillet). Scoop up some of the mixture by half cupfuls and place in the skillet to form patties. Let them brown for a few minutes and then flip to do the same thing on the other side. Serve immediately or keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Tips:
Be sure to let the mixture sit for a few minutes before going to the skillet because the cheese will work like bread crumbs to bind and tighten everything up a bit.
 Serve with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce, just as you would serve crab cakes. I like them with a bit of mayonnaise mixed with horse radish or horse radish sauce. You could also serve them on a bun as tuna burgers with a slice of tomato and some fresh lettuce.
This recipe makes 4 or 5 large patties, but you can easily make them smaller for sliders.
 There's no need to add salt because the cheese is salty enough. Just sayin!
You can also use canned salmon instead of tuna, and you can also stretch the recipe if you need to. Just add another can!