by Marijoyce Porcelli

Created on: February 22, 2009   Last Updated: February 23, 2009

Students like burgers. They're usually cheap and full of protein. They can also be full of fat. And beef can be expensive. Here is a way to substitute tuna, to create some mouth-watering spicy tuna patties for a healthier type of burger, a "Cajun tuna burger."

These may sound difficult to make, but they're not. Ingredients for this recipe are inexpensive overall, the burgers are tasty and they are a lighter as well as a delicious substitute for your regular beef burger.

Here is a quick and easy recipe that anyone can master for tasty Cajun tuna burgers. This recipe will provide enough Cajun tuna burgers for either 8 smaller servings or about 5 to 6 larger servings.

Ingredients needed:

2 six-ounce cans of tuna, drained.

About 8 to 9 saltine crackers

1 large egg

1 small stalk of celery, finely diced

About 1/2 cup of flour, more or less (you're going to need 1 tablespoon of flour to add to the Cajun tuna burger mixture, the rest of the flour is for coating tuna burgers as they cook to create a nice looking crust on your tuna burgers).

1 small onion, diced

1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (note this is optional, if you don't like spicy burgers simply omit this ingredient).

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Hamburger buns

Slices of red onion (one small slice of onion per serving)

Lettuce leaves (one lettuce leaf per serving)

Tomatoes (one thick tomato slice per serving)

Mayonnaise (to spread on buns)

Vegetable or olive oil for frying (note: olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, is better for your overall health, but it tends to be more expensive)

Directions:

Add 1 tablespoon of the flour first to a bowl big enough for mixing all ingredients. Next, add both cans of drained tuna to this bowl. With the exception of the oil set aside for frying Cajun tuna burgers as well as the rest of the flour that should also be set aside, add all the other ingredients to the bowl of tuna and mix well (break and crumble the saltine crackers as you add these to the tuna mixture).

Note: if tuna mixture seems a little too dry, although it should be okay with the one egg, you can always add a tiny bit of milk to moisten the mixture if needed. Add milk gradually, though. and only use a very small amount if and as needed. You don't want a soupy tuna mixture or tuna patties won't hold up in frying pan.

Once tuna and other ingredients are mixed, using a floured surface, spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of tuna mixture onto floured surface and shape mixture into tuna patties (for faster clean up, cover surface with waxed paper and add flour to waxed paper instead of directly onto surface).

Coat these shaped tuna patties on each side with a scattered but generous sprinkling of flour. This helps to create a nice brown crust to your Cajun tuna burgers while they are frying.

Coat frying pan with oil. Fry patties on medium heat, for about 2 to 4 minutes, until crust on bottom has started to look nice and brown. Flip and fry on other side.

Place each Cajun tuna burger on a one half of a hamburger bun.

Spread the mayonnaise on the other half of each bun. Top each Cajun tuna burger with lettuce, tomato, and a slice of red onion. Serve these Cajun tuna burgers warm.

For a complete meal serve with chips, cole slaw and a side of sliced pickle. Or serve your Cajun tuna burgers with a small bowl of hearty soup. For a more extensive meal add a small salad to the soup and tuna burger combination.

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