Cheez-y Cracker Tuna Cakes

I've heard it said that need is the mother of innovation.  Never is this more true than when living in the jungle.  Having grown up land-locked, in the great state of Minnesota, I never felt the need for crab cakes, or fish cakes, or any particular kind of cake, with the exception of DQ ice cream cake on my birthday.  Living in the jungles of Belize afforded me my first easy access (in the most relative of senses) to fresh seafood.  The coast being less than 100 miles from my jungle dwelling, as the toucan flies, salt water, sand, and fresh sea food were never more than a long weekend away.
Now, the danger in this set up, being marooned in the jungle for weeks and even months, after an impromptu Caribbean encounter, is feeding the NEED for something other than chicken, rice, and beans.  Naturally, the chicken of the sea, available in tin cans in our small village store, was the natural choice for an alternative source of protein.  I must thank the Mennonites living in the community to the North of my jungle home for the 2nd part of this culinary equation.  Bread crumbs, an essential part of 'fish cake' recipes, was not a staple of the local diet, but I found a more than suitable substitute in my cupboard.  Along with modern farming and primitive religion, the Mennonites brought Heinz ketchup, Hidden Valley ranch dressing, and everybody's favorite cheese cracker, the Cheez-It, to rural Belize.

CHEEZ-Y CRACKER TUNA CAKES:

INGREDIENTS:

2 (5 ounce) Cans of Tuna, drained

1 Cup of your favorite Cheese Crackers (crushed)

1 medium sized Onion (diced; I prefer thicker, for texture)

1 Large Lemon (juiced)

¼ Cup grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Eggs

3 Table spoons Olive Oil

PRO TIP:  add fresh chopped Parsley for an additional layer of fresh flavor.

PROCESS:

Prep 8 minutes

Cook 12 minutes

                                                                                 Step 1:  beat EGGS and LEMON JUICE in a bowl.

                stir in PARMESAN cheese and PARSLEY.

                    

                add ONION then TUNA, stirring until 

                evenly mixed.                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                              

Step 2:  shape mixture into 4 tennis ball sized cakes.

     

               flatten into patties before adding to pan.

 

Step 3:  heat OLIVE OIL in  skillet at Medium-High 

                fry cakes until golden brown...about 3 minutes

                per side.

PRO TIP: test olive oil with a chunk of onion to know when heat is right for frying. 

Olive oil has a low smoke temperature  compared to vegetable oil.  Do Not leave oil unattended.

                

PRODUCT:

6 Cheez-y Cracker Tuna Cakes