Tuna Cauliflower Timbales

Click to enlarge (2 servings shown)

Today for lunch, I wanted to serve “something” made with tuna, but I didn’t much feel like having a traditional tuna salad.  I looked in the refrigerator and saw a medium head of cauliflower, thought about mashed cauliflower and I was smitten with this out-of-the-ordinary tuna idea.   The end result was tasty and very filling!  I’ll definitely be making this again, as the stats below indicate it is VERY nutritious, as well as delicious. My husband liked this dish, too, but he added more olives and tomatoes to his, which he often does on things like this.    I don’t own any actual timbale molds, so I used my 4½” mini-cheesecake pans without the bottoms to form my stacked timbales.  You could use regular timbale forms (which come in various sizes) or any small 4-5″ non-stick mold that will facilitate easy removal.  You can even take a large, round tin can, cut the bottom out as well as the top and use that to form your stacked creation.  This meal is Induction friendly and Paleo-Primal suitable as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium 5-6″ head cauliflower

¼ c. + 2 T. homemade mayo (my recipe here on the website under condiments)

½ tsp. Shawarma Spice Blend (my recipe here on the site)

1  6.4-oz pouch water-pack tuna

1½ avocados, mashed (or 2 if you can afford the extra carbs/calories)

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

8 cherry tomatoes

1 olive per serving to garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:  Boil or steam cauliflower with a dash of salt until quite tender.  Drain well, pressing out as much water as possible via pressing in a sieve with a rubber spatula.   When you can get no more water out of it, pour the mashed cauliflower into a bowl.   In a separate dish, stir the Shawarma Spice Blend into the mayo and spoon over the cauliflower.  Stir to blend well.   Place a timbale mold onto each serving plate and spoon ¼ of the cauli mixture into each mold.  Press firmly to fill the mold and level the cauli surface.  Carefully fork ¼ of the tuna onto each and spread it as evenly as possible, trying not to disturb the cauliflower.  If cauliflower water bleeds out under the bottom of the timbale form, just run a paper towel/napkin around the edge to absorb it as you complete making these.

Remove skin and seeds from the avocados and place the flesh on a paper plate.  Mash with a fork until fairly smooth and stir in the garlic powder.    “Frost” each timbale stack by spreading them with  ¼ of the mixture, smoothing it as evenly as possible with a fork or the back of a spoon. Top each with 2 cherry tomatoes and an olive (if desired).  Carefully remove the timbale molds and serve at once.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 4 servings, each contains:

367 calories

32.5 g  fat

14.9 g  carbs, 8.45 g  fiber, 6.45 g  NET CARBS

14.8 g  protein

232 mg sodium

926 mg potassium

52% RDA Vitamin B6, 136% B12, 102% C, 10% D, 32% E, 36% copper, 40% iron, 21% magnesium, 22% manganese, 47% niacin, 56% phosphorous, 52% riboflavin, 123% selenium, 17% thiamin, 26% zinc.