Tuna Casserole

I don't like seafood. I don't like any seafood. And when I was in my early 20s, I discovered that I have an allergy to shell fish, so it gave me a very easy excuse not to indulge in any seafood, not that it broke my heart anyway. My distaste of seafood is a long story, and I won't bore you with it, but I tell you this because this is the only meal I make or eat that has any indication of seafood in it. That's because it doesn't smell fishy at all. I don't even like tuna salad. Blecht! I know, I'm odd. I've heard that before.

1 large can or 2 small cans of white tuna fish
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can peas
1/3 to 1/2 cup of milk
small shell noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the shells according to the directions on the box. I usually use about 1/3 of a box per casserole. Drain the tuna and peas and pour into casserole dish. Add the cream of chicken and milk (you just need enough to thin the consistency of the soup). Drain the noodles, and add them to the casserole dish. 

Mix all ingredients well. The great part of this recipe is that if you have a larger family and need more of it, just increase the ingredients. Use 3-4 small cans of tuna or two large ones; use 2 cans of soup; cook more noodles; and add more milk.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the top begins to brown.

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

I find it rather funny... growing up my mom used to make this meal, and I would meticulously pick out every piece of bell pepper that was in it. I never, ever thought I would make this myself. About 10 years ago, I was at a vegetable stand getting some fruit and vegetables for me and my daughter and I saw these bell peppers in a basket and they just looked so pretty. I picked one up and squeezed it and then smelled it, and I had never smelled anything so amazing. I bought them, brought them home and made this meal. I make it at least once a month now. And now it's my daughter's turn to meticulously pick out all traces of pepper in the mixture. This is a very easy meal to make, and the leftovers warm up very well, which is great for lunches. It's also very flexible. You can make as much or as little as you want or you can have it more meat heavy or more rice and bell pepper heavy, which is how I make it.

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1-2 small to medium jalapeños

2-3 tsps minced garlic

2-4 cups uncooked instant Minute rice (white or brown works fine, and sometimes I mix them)

1-3 green bell peppers

2-4 cans tomato sauce

season all salt

Brown the ground beef in a skillet large enough to hold the whole meal. I season my ground beef with season all salt. It's lower in sodium than regular salt and I just like the flavor better. While the beef cooks, dice up the bell pepper, onion and jalapenos and set aside. 

With just a very light bit of pink left to the meat, add the jalapeños and onion and continue cooking until the beef is thoroughly cooked. Add the garlic and mix well.

Now here's the hard part... pour in as much rice as you want for the mixture of meat to rice that you desire. Afraid I have never once measured how much rice I use, but I guess it's about 2 or 3 cups. Add the bell pepper, and pour the tomato sauce over it all. 

I usually use one to three 15 oz cans of tomato sauce depending on how much rice I add. This batch I added more rice than usual and ended up using two 15 oz cans and a small one. The most important part is that when it's all mixed together it needs to be soupy. Not swimming in tomato sauce, but it cannot be dry. This is what cooks the rice and bell pepper.

Put a lid on it, reduce the heat to med-low or med, and simmer for about 20 minutes. The rice will be tender when it's done. You need to stir it frequently to ensure it doesn't stick or burn, but that's it. What I love most about the recipe is that the bell pepper cooks some, but still maintains a bit of crunch to it. Lots of flavors in this meal. And as I said, it's super EASY to make, and it reheats very well. Let me know if you try it and alter it any!

Cauliflower Soup

I love cream soups - cream of leek, cauliflower soup, cream of asparagus. It's a great way to get some vegetables in your diet, and they make for an enjoyable light dinner. This recipe was passed to me from my mom. I think she got it from our German friends who used to own a cafe, but I'm not positive. Here it is.

Cut off the base and greenery from your head of cauliflower. If it's too big for your pot, you can cut it in half. Cover with water and boil until the cauliflower is fork tender. Remove from heat and remove cauliflower to cool, but keep the water stock. Once the cauliflower is cool, cut it up to your desired size. My mom always kept the florets rather large. I mangle mine into bite-size pieces.

Then we make the base of the soup next. Mom's recipe only calls for about 2-3 Tbsp of butter and flour, but I used a whole lot more - probably 1/2 to 1 cup of butter. Melt it in the soup pot. Add enough flour to create a roux. Add some of the water stock, about a cup or two, and whisk until smooth, and then add enough of the stock to fill about half the pot.

Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat. If it's not thick enough, and it probably won't be, pull a cup or so of the liquid and put in a bowl or cup. Add flour until thick and then slowly add the mixture back to the soup pot. Whisk well to ensure a smooth consistency. Do this however many times you need until the soup begins to thicken to the consistency you want. Once complete, add the cauliflower, and be sure not to boil the soup again.

Right before serving the soup, mix one small container of heavy whipping cream and one egg yolk, and add to the soup and mix well. 

You will probably want to add some salt and pepper to the soup while it's still in the pot. It's only cauliflower, water, flour and butter, so it can be pretty bland by itself. I use Maggi seasoning in my bowl of soup and I love it. This soup really hits the spot, and it's pretty inexpensive to make.