Tuna Cakes

Tuna cakes may seem humble in appearance or ingredients but they are worthy in flavor. These come together in 15 minutes from start to finish and you probably have everything on hand to make them. I fry them in a combination of canola oil and olive oil because I think olive oil can taste over powering. If you love olive oil, just use it but be careful not to make it too hot because it will burn faster than vegetable or canola oil.

What you need:

2 cans of Albacore tuna

1 scallion

1/2 a red pepper

1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper

1/4 cup panko

1 egg

Tartar Sauce:

1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp capers and juices

1-2 tsp lemon juice (light squeeze of 1/2 a lemon)

1/2 tsp salt and pinch of pepper

2 tsp dried dill

2 tsp dried

Mix all together and allow 10-15 minutes for flavors to blend.

(would also be good with a little dijonaisse…mayo and dijon mixed together or even a little spicy mayo if you wanted to mix together some

sriracha or harissa paste in with mayo for something different)

Begin by finely chopping the red bell pepper and scallion and add it to a mixing bowl. Add one whole egg, panko, herbs, salt and pepper. Rinse and drain the tuna. Mix it all together with a spoon and form into patties. It’s ok to press tightly or use a ring to form them.

Add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and turn to medium heat. It should be hot but not smoking, just gentle bubbles in the oil. Allow the oil to warm up and then carefully add the patties one at a time. Allow to cook for 5 minutes without disturbing and the carefully flip over for another 5 minutes. Serve with your sauce of choice and a side salad : )

These would also make great sandwiches on a burger bun. Enjoy!

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew is one of my favorite fall and winter meals. It’s a hearty catch-all for leftovers. I’ve made it for a large crowd in the slow cooker or instant pot with a large pork butt and its even better stirred slowly over an open fire. The simplest way to enjoy Brunswick stew is with leftovers. If you have leftover smoked pork or chicken bbq you can dump all of the meat and the bbq sauce into the pot and it will be really good. Today’s version is a way to repurpose the Thanksgiving turkey. This is a great change from the flavor profiles of sage, cream, and butter. It’s bright and smoky and a nice change of pace from the last few days.

What you need:

1 lb of shredded/chopped meat (turkey in this case, but can choose pork or chicken)

2 stalks of celery

1 small onion

2 carrots

1 sprig of rosemary

3 good potatoes (I love YuKon Golds)

3 cups of chicken broth

1 cup of bbq sauce (one that you like :)

1/2 cup of frozen Lima beans

1/2 cup of frozen green beans

1/2 cup of frozen peas

salt and pepper

butter

olive oil

First chop your celery, onion, and carrots and add to a pot with a drizzle of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper over the vegetables while they are cooking. Next chop up your rosemary (you can use about 1/2 tsp dried) and add it to the pot. When the vegetables have softened pour in your broth and begin to simmer. Add the meat at this point. (If you are going to be cooking the meat in the broth vs using leftovers, add it now and simmer for 20 minutes until its cooked through and begins to fall apart before adding remaining vegetables and bbq sauce)

Dice your potatoes into bite sized pieces and add them to the pot. Next throw in your frozen vegetables, bbq sauce, and another 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Continue simmering on low/medium until the potatoes have cooked through, approx 15 minutes or so. Serve with cornbread and red pepper flakes for those who like a little spice.

**If you are going to be adding a piece of uncooked meat to the soup, be sure to season with salt and pepper before adding. If you have a grill, searing the meat on the grill will give you that smoky flavor. For example, if I’m cooking pork butt I’ll turn the grill on medium/high and sear the pork for 5 minutes per side and then add it to my broth.

**Recently made this with sweet potatoes and they were a great addition.

**A splash of apple cider vinegar is a good addition if you are using a sweet BBQ sauce and need some acidity. Can also offer pepper vinegar or hot sauce on the side for people to add their own.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

In a quest to simplify my life and get better at weekly meal planning I decided to do a large batch of pulled pork that could start as BBQ sandwiches and then be used for other things (I have Brunswick stew in mind). This recipe can be adjusted to your likes and if you don’t feel like making the homemade sauce, store bought is fine! I have been trying to replicate the country store sauces of my childhood and this one is close. It’s different than a lot of what you find today, it’s a nice balance of piquant, vinegar, and sweetness. I use the Crockpot instead of a smoker but sear it on the grill first to infuse a little smokey flavor and keep the kitchen clean.

What you need:

6 lbs pork shoulder or por butt

Seasoning blend that contains onion, garlic, peppers, celery seed…I like the Rowdy Kitty blend from Mom’s Gourmet…use your favorite steak or pork seasoning blend.

1 whole apple

1 yellow onion

Begin by cranking the grill up to high heat. The pork sears better when it’s not ice cold, remove from the fridge 30 minutes in advance and season generously with the spice rub. Place it on the hot grill but not directly over the flames to avoid flare ups. Allow 5-7 minutes and then rotate, sear on all sides for that amount of time.

When you have given it a nice dark sear on all sides remove from the grill and place it in the slow cooker. Halve the apple and onion and place beside the pork. Cover and cook on low for approximately 7 hours. Cooking times may vary. It is finished when it shreds easily with a fork. After the cook time is complete remove the apple and onion and then shred the meat with two forks (do not drain the fat, this is the flavor). After the meat has been thoroughly pulled apart season with a bit more salt and pepper and stir in about 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce. Serve with slotted spoon and more of your favorite sauce. If you are true Virginian you’ll top your sandwiches with coleslaw as well!

If you want to copy my sauce, I used the 1975 Virginia hospitality BBQ sauce recipe but made a few of my own adjustments. Johnny and the girls loved it!

This is a good cole slaw recipe if you need one:

https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/classic-coleslaw

I add only 1 tbsp of sugar and a tsp of celery seed.

Hope you enjoy this!