Welcome to day 27 of 30 Days to a Food Revolution. Today’s guest blogger is Iris. Iris began writing The Daily Dietribe when she first started eating gluten-free over a year ago. In addition to sharing her gluten-free recipes, she writes about her experiences as a weight-loss counselor and her own struggle with weight and binge eating disorder. Iris got her MA in psychology, but then realized she wanted to become a registered dietitian so she could help others find a healthy balance with food. She’s going back to school now to get her MS in nutrition.
Iris’s Recipe: Tuna Burgers
Iris’s Tip: Double your recipes and freeze the leftovers
I was excited when Diane included me in her list of bloggers for this event. Like Diane, I had been watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and, while not surprised by what I saw, I was nonetheless upset by it. I applaud Jamie for trying to make a change in our country’s health, and I know there are many others out there who are trying to do the same thing. But I couldn’t help but feel that it wasn’t enough for me just to watch. One person could start a revolution, but it would take so much more support to carry it on and make lasting changes. That’s why I was so glad when Diane contacted me. She’s keeping Jamie’s message in the forefront, and I’m happy to be a part of that.
As a weight-loss counselor, I work with clients to help them change their food habits. But I see how hard it is for them to make those changes stick. We live in a fast-paced world, and many of us don’t have time to cook dinner every night, much less pack a healthy lunch or have a good breakfast ready in the morning. Fast food joints and carts laden with doughnuts call to us when we haven’t had time to eat before rushing out the door. And this is just assuming you’re cooking for yourself. What if, like one of my clients, you have three kids at home who love McDonald’s, a husband who doesn’t want to eat your new “healthy” food, and you work full-time and go to school part-time? How do you get everything done, cook healthy meals that everyone in your family will like, and still have time to breathe?
The truth is, it’s hard. No matter how many tricks you have up your sleeves, there’s always the temptation to just grab a frozen pizza or pick up take-out on the way home. It’s certainly easier to stop for burgers when your kids are clamoring in the back seat of the car. But a second truth is that finding the time to cook healthy meals for yourself and your family is worth the effort. As my clients will tell you, when they’re eating right, they feel better and have more energy to tackle their plans each day.
I have two tips to share with you to keep you on that healthy path. The first is to make double batches of whatever you’re cooking or baking. Freeze the leftovers in individual meal-sized containers so you can grab a homemade frozen meal on those nights when the idea of cooking makes you want to cry. The second is to make meals that are easily adaptable to different taste buds. I’m sharing my recipe for tuna burgers because it can be made so many different ways. The picture above was what I made for my boyfriend. I added lettuce, tomato, a sprinkling of cheese, and a whole-wheat roll. For myself, I chopped up the burger and added it to a garden salad. And because it’s naturally gluten-free, it could easily be made with a gluten-free roll for friends or family who can’t have gluten.
Tuna Burgers
Ingredients:
2 5-oz. cans tuna in water, drained
1 small sweet onion, diced (approx. 1 cup)
1 large russet potato
1 medium carrot, diced (approx. 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, chopped
1 cup canned or fresh diced tomatoes (drain off the extra liquid if using canned)
1 egg
1/4 tsp. capers
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. sea salt
red pepper flakes to taste
2-3 tsp. olive oil
optional: gluten-free bread crumbs
Directions:
- Quarter the potato and put in a pan of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Put the cooked potato in a large mixing bowl and mash it with a fork until it’s the consistency of mashed potatoes. Set aside.
- Heat a saute pan over medium-low heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, and once the pan is hot, add the onions. Saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the carrots, capers, and spices, and saute another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and tuna and continue to saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Beat an egg into the mashed potatoes. *Add the tuna mix and sunflower seeds and stir until completely mixed.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to your pan as needed. Form burgers with your hands and cook one at a time, about 3-5 minutes on each side.
*These burgers are delicate and I have to be careful when flipping them over. You can add gluten-free breadcrumbs to the mix to hold them together more if you like. I leave it out so that they’re lower in carbs, but that’s just a matter of preference.
Makes 8 burgers
Read more today on The Daily Dietribe.
Don’t forget:
In order to be entered to win one of 7 cookbooks, here’s what you need to do to gather entries into the drawing. The more you do, the more chances you have to win!
- Leave a comment on this blog on as many of the 30 guest food bloggers as you like. Each comment is an entry.
- Sign up for The W.H.O.L.E. Gang newsletter.
- Visit that guest blogger’s site and leave a comment there too.
- Tweet about this project using both of these in your tweet so I’ll find you #30days2 #foodrevolution
When the initial 30 days of guest posts are over on June 4th, we’ll pick the winners.
hi. your recipe looks delicious. I totally agree with doubling and freezing. it makes life easier.
These look so good, and so colorful! Great tips! I've allowed my "batch" cooking to fall a bit, and my freezer is looking a little lean. Time to ramp it up! I've found a lower-carb way to make gluten-free "bread crumbs" for burgers – use almond flour! It holds the burgers together well without drying them out, and it's lower in carbs than bread. 🙂 And I tend to always have it around…something I can't say about GF bread.
Wonderful post, Iris! It's always great to see your smiling face (love that photo) and the recipe photos are totally delectable! 🙂 The potato surprises me, but I bet it really helps hold the tuna burger together and makes it so delicious. I like Alta's idea on using almond flour. I use almond flour for so many things and it is a great, healthy binder. I usually make my hubby tuna melts, but I bet we'd both love these–thanks!
Great tips, too. My freezer is getting much more empty and with the heat and humidity upon us, it makes even more sense to double recipes and only heat up the kitchen once.
Shirley
Thanks for the recipe! Cooking every meal can be very time-consuming, but it's so worth it. And, when there's just not time to cook, we have found a couple of local burger places that don't add anything to their meat and are willing to do lettuce wraps. I like the idea of freezing food ahead of time…just have to figure out how to make candida diet meals that I can freeze.
Over the weekend, my family slows down and eats pancakes for breakfast (banana spelt pancakes for the non-allergic members of the family, grain-free nut flour waffles for me). I've learned that it saves time if I can make a big batch of batter Friday night or Saturday morning, and then use it all weekend.
that recipe looks amazing! As a mom to 4 kids doubling and tripling a recipe for another time has been a life saver. People think that whole foods/healthy eating is time consuming, but it just takes a little more planning. I made gnocchi the other day and decided to make enough to freeze, I got not only the one serving for that nights meal, but two more gallon sized bags ready for a fast meal. Just as a gnocchi side note, I was letting the one bag thaw and decided to see what they would be like baked and voila: homemade tatertots! quick and easy! Thanks for the inspiration Iris!
Great tips. I often double recipes so I can get two meals out of my cooking time. I also like to have leftover grilled chicken or burgers for the kids for when they don't like the spicy meal I may be fixing later in the week.
Great tip. I like to make extra and freeze them for later. It make lunches so quick.
Thanks for the great tip. The tuna burgers look wonderful, I have never had a tuna burger! A. must try
Iris … great tip and recipe. I'm going to have to give these tuna burgers a try! Keep on keepin' on! You have a lot on your plate — no pun intended :), but what you are striving to be is so needed in this world!
I missed this yesterday and so glad I went back, the Tuna Burger looks and sounds YUMMY! Perfect lunch for myself (hubby doesn't eat fish)
I am new to freezer cooking and needed that reminder 🙂 thanks!
Thanks everyone! I know you all have so many great tips to share too…
Kelly, that gnocchi sounds awesome! It's been so long since I've had any!
Alta, almond flour's a great idea. Thanks for telling me!
Shirley, for some reason the potato makes it taste more like a tuna melt to me without needing to add the cheese.
Christa, I'd love to hear about some of your candida recipes!
Iris these look fabulous! I know what I am having for dinner 🙂 altho, can't do egg, but I will try a mix of almond flour and applesauce. Thanks for your hard work! 🙂
Thanks Jamie! If you tried it with almond flour and applesauce, I'd love to hear how it turned out!
Thank you for time saving ideas.
This recipe looks easy enough, and I've been looking for some new ideas, so I will give it a try.
Thanks
thanks for the great tips and great recipe; look forward to trying it!
Yes, double batch cooking is such a good idea. I'd gotten away from it, but with your hint, I will definitely revisit the idea. Thx!
Ooo, tasty! I made some tuna burgers a few months ago and was pleasantly surprised. I like your recipe better though; so many flavors!
I also loved when you said "for those nights when the idea of cooking makes you want to cry"; I'm glad I'm not the only one!!! (I usually find cooking to be therapy – but we all get tired sometimes :))
~Aubree Cherie
Iris–Delayed response, but that's really great to hear about the cheesy effect of the potatoes. Thanks! 🙂
Shirley