Cooking Done Light

So once again, our good friend Charles (yes, the same man who thought that simply adding more eggs to his pancakes would give him more protein!) has come to us with a cooking quandry.

At the end of a long and hectic work day, no one wants to spend hours in the kitchen. A quick and fast favorite for many is tuna fish. Now we all know that tuna is a healthy, low calorie option for a quick and easy dinner. But if you are like most people, you drown your poor tuna in unhealthy fat by weighing it down with globs and globs of mayo. Well here at Cooking Done Light, we say “NO MORE!!!” Stop making this potentially healthy dish as lousy for you as a fast food burger! This recipe (and the variations that follow) will leave both your taste buds and your arteries saying “thank you!!”

(Oh, and by the way, Charles has since learned that simply adding some chopped nuts or a small scoop of protein powder to your pancakes makes for much better results than simply dumping in more eggs…….. Right Charles?!?)

6 large tomatoes

3 (6 ounces each) cans water packed tuna, drained

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

With a paring knife, cut out and discard the stem of each tomato. Hollow out each tomato using a spoon, leaving about 1/4 inch all around. Place the removed pulp in a bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pulp and mix well to combine. Spoon the mixture back into the the tomato “shell” and serve.

If it’s the end of a long day, and presentation isn’t nearly as important as getting something in your stomach, don’t even bother with making the little tomato bowls. Simply chop the whole tomato in small pieces and proceed as above. Serve on your favorite bread, or on a bed of mixed greens.

If you are not partial to the flavors of this mediterranean version of tuna, try simply substituting your calorie laden mayo with fat free plain yogurt, fat free sour cream, or a mix of yellow and dijon mustards.

Serves 2. Per serving(3 stuffed tomatoes): 245 calories, 3 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 3 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 0 g added sugar, 16 mg cholesterol, 42 mg sodium, 117 mg calcium.