Cornbread Tuna Fritters and Easy Lemon Aïoli

I adapted the cornbread tuna fritters recipe from Cooking Light's Tuna Cornbread cakes. This meal is a must try! We loved it combined with the salad. Bill is not really a fish person and was not very excited about this, but he was pleasantly surprised. Bill even commented that this seems like something you would find at a fancy restaurant. Score! And the best part is that it's super cheap. This is definitely a budget friendly meal and it doesn't even leave out meat.  

• 1 (6 oz) buttermilk cornbread mix (I used Martha White Buttermilk Cornbread mix)
• 2/3 cup of milk
• 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 5 green onions chopped
• 1 teaspoon of creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of dried chives (you can switch this out for fresh parsley!)
• 2 packages of Tuna (Use the kind in the foil that you don't drain. I used albacore)
• 3 tablespoons of butter'
• 1 egg 
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil ( I used 1/2 vegetable oil and 1/2 olive oil)

Make cornbread with the directions on the back. Since it is going into your fritters, you only need to cook the bread for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Let bread cool until just warm.

Combine mayonnaise, green onions, egg, seasonings, and tuna into bowl. Crumble your cornbread into your mixture. Stir until blended. Next, shape the mixture into round patties (about 1/2 inch thick.)

Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a frying pan on medium high.  Add patties to the oil once the oil is hot. I was able to fit about four in the pan at a time. For my second (and last) batch, I needed to add a little bit more oil.  Cook three or so minutes on each side until golden brown.  Place cooked patties on a plate with paper towels to degrease. Serve with the  Lemon Aïoli. The  Lemon Aïoli is a must!

 Lemon Aïoli:

• 3/4 cup mayonaisse
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• dash of salt and pepper

Stir together  and serve on top of cornbread tuna fritters!

I served this meal with a spinach salad that had a raspberry vinaigrette ( I love Cape Cod's all natural) along with bacon, feta, and sliced strawberries.