Tuna Gratin (Milk-Free)
ツナグラタン（乳なし）
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Gratin is a big favorite at preschool lunch, and this version is made without any dairy at all: the creamy white sauce comes from soy milk thickened with a little flour instead of butter and milk. Canned tuna gives it a mild, savory flavor that even picky eaters take to, and the macaroni makes it filling enough to be the main dish. A sprinkle of panko toasts up golden in the oven, so you still get that crunchy gratin top without any cheese.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 34.5 gcanned tuna (in oil)
- 9.8 gmacaroni
- 60 gonion
Seasonings
- 4.9 gvegetable oil
- 6 gflour
- 82.5 gsweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu)Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
- 0.2 gsalt
- 1.5 gpanko
- 0.1 gdried parsley
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- sweetened soy milk (Japanese chosei tonyu) (調製豆乳)
- Japanese 'prepared' soy milk that is lightly sweetened and flavored to taste milder than plain soy milk. Substitute: Regular (original, lightly sweetened) soy milk from the supermarket.
Directions
- 1
Thinly slice the onion, then cut the slices in half so they are half the length. Drain the oil from the canned tuna. Boil the macaroni.
- 2
Heat the vegetable oil in a pot and sauté the onion well. Turn off the heat for a moment, add the flour and stir it in.
- 3
Add the soy milk a little at a time and stir over low heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in the tuna and macaroni, then add the salt to adjust the seasoning.
- 4
Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with the panko, and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F) for about 15 minutes. Once baked, sprinkle with the dried parsley.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 265.5 kcal | 531 kcal | 265.5 kcal |
| Protein | 11.3 g | 22.5 g | 11.3 g |
| Fat | 15.8 g | 31.5 g | 15.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 21.8 g | 43.5 g | 21.8 g |
| Fiber | 2.7 g | 5.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 42 mg | 84 mg | 42 mg |
| Iron | 1.5 mg | 3 mg | 1.5 mg |
| Potassium | 340.5 mg | 681 mg | 340.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 265.5 kcal | 11.3 g | 15.8 g | 21.8 g | 2.7 g | 0.8 g | 42 mg | 1.5 mg | 340.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 531 kcal | 22.5 g | 31.5 g | 43.5 g | 5.4 g | 1.5 g | 84 mg | 3 mg | 681 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
