Classic tuna melt gets an extreme makeover
When our "Desperation Dinners!" cookbook appeared in 1997, the subtitle was "Home-cooked meals for frantic families in 20 minutes flat." If we had it to do over again, we'd probably position the word "Healthy" squarely in front of "Home-cooked."
These days, it seems everyone is more health-conscious - including us. And while most of our recipes do make use of healthy ingredients and cooking techniques, from time to time we'll pull out a favorite and realize that, owing to improved ingredients, a tried-and-true recipe is ripe for a makeover.
Take today's Creamy Tuna Melt. English muffins made from 100 percent whole wheat weren't available when we developed the recipe, and reduced-fat cheese slices were nearly impossible to find. We've opted for low-fat cottage cheese here, but you could even use fat-free. As for tuna, the fish itself hasn't changed, but the no-drain foil pouches give tuna a fresher flavor with no draining required. Some things stayed the same: Creamy Tuna Melt can still be fixed in 20 minutes flat, and it still tastes terrific!
From time to time, we hear from readers who've adapted our recipes to fit their own health requirements. If you have a favorite recipe of ours that you've updated, please tell us about it by e-mail at bev-alicia@desperationdinners.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Suggested menu: Creamy Tuna Melt with sliced apples and pears.
• Write Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Or visit desperationdinners.com.
Creamy tuna melt
4 whole-wheat English muffins (see note)
2 celery ribs (for about 1/2 cup diced)
1 pouch (7 ounces) light tuna (see note)
1 cup low-fat (1 percent) cottage cheese
⅓ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
8 slices ripe tomato (about 2 large tomatoes)
4 slices (4 ounces) reduced-fat Swiss cheese
Place an oven rack in the top position, and turn on the broiler.
Split the English muffins in half, and place them, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Place the muffins under the broiler, and toast until lightly browned. Remove the muffins from the oven, leaving the broiler on, and set them aside.
While the muffins toast (but checking them frequently), proceed to rinse and dice the celery. Place the celery in a medium, microwave-safe mixing bowl. Add the tuna, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Stir until well mixed. Microwave, covered with a paper towel, until just warm (but not hot), about 1 minute.
Spoon the tuna mixture evenly on top of the toasted muffins, and flatten it out for even heating. Place one tomato slice on top of the tuna mixture. Cut the cheese slices in half, and place a half-slice over the tomato on each muffin. Broil just until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Place one or two muffin halves on each plate, and serve at once.
Serves four to eight.
Cook's note: Thomas brand now offers 100 percent whole-wheat English muffins with great texture and taste. While most adults will eat two muffin halves, children and those with lighter appetites may prefer only one. If you don't want to use four full servings, only toast the number of muffin halves you need. The unused tuna mixture can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days. It makes a good dip served cold on crackers or chips, or use it for future tuna melts (warming in the microwave as directed in the recipe).
Tuna in foil pouches does not have to be drained. You can also use two cans of tuna, drained well.
Nutrition values per tuna-topped muffin half: 195 calories (28 percent from fat), 6 g fat (2 g saturated), 18 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 17 g protein, 21 mg cholesterol, 459 mg sodium.