Bouchons Au Thon (or Puffed Tuna Souffle)

Are you prepared to cry...tears of joy and happiness? Really, I'm serious. I love these things and you can gobble up a plenty if you so desire because not only am I going to print the original recipe from an amazing food memoir called, A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, I'm going to give you the extraordinarily low fat version that I made this morning and you too....will love these "Bouchons Au Thon." Serve them for lunch with a nice green salad - but I don't think you'll be able to wait that long because I had them for breakfast with my coffee. But my oh my, I think they'd go nicely with a glass of white wine too! Enjoy this simple too easy dish that Molly Wizenberg can only describe as "What France Would Taste Like." Of course my version would be what the "Nicer Side of Suburbia Tastes Like When The Kids And Hubby Have Buzzed Off For The Day." Bon Appetite!

Molly's Version:

One 6 ounce can of tuna packed in water, drained well, 1 cup of lightly packed finely shredded Gruyere, 1/3 cup of creme fraiche, 3 tbsp. tomato paste, 3 large eggs, 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion, 2 tbp. of finely chopped Italian parsley, 1/4 tsp. salt.

Set oven rack to the middle position, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease 8 cups of a standard-sized muffin tin, and set aside. Put the tuna in a medium bowl, ad use a fork, mashing and poking, to break it up into small pieces. There should be no chunks larger than a dime. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well with the fork, mashing a bit as you go, until the mixture is thoroughly combined. It will be a soft orange-pink colour.

Divide the mixture evenly among the 8 prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bouchons look set on top and around the edges. Transfer the tin to a rack, and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully run a small, thin knife arond the edge of each bouchon to make sure it isn't stuck, then carefully remove them from the tin. They will collapse a bit as they cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My Version (perfect for those on the Dukin or any low carb diet)

1 tin of tuna (mine was in oil) drained, 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese, 1/3 cup of Laughing Cow cheese, or four wedges, 3 tbsp. of sugar free ketchup, 3 eggs, 1/4 cup of chopped onion, 1 tsp. of dried dill, 1/4 tsp. of salt, 1/4 tsp. of pepper.

Mix all of the about ingredients up until nicely blended. Spray 8 muffin tins with Pam cooking spray, and fill up the cups evenly with the tuna mixture. Put into a 325 degree oven until shiny and brownish on top for 20-25 minutes. Take out of the oven and cool and then run a thin knife around the edge of each bouchon to make sure it doesn't stick and carefully remove from the tin with a spoon.

Yum!!!!!