Receipe Review: Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe from Taste of Home

Source: Taste of Home

I have been wanting to revisit my Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole and create some variations. In this case, I found someone else's recipe that sounded like it had promise. I loved the ingredients list of the Taste of Home recipe because I didn't have to leave my apartment to get any ingredients because it just uses:

• onion
• butter
• flour
• salt
• pepper
• milk
• noodles
• tuna
• peas
• cornflakes (this is a common old-school topping but I just went with some seasoned breadcrumbs)

I did make two additions. I added finely minced garlic and cayenne pepper.

Who wins in the case of Cheap not Frugal Eats Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole v. Taste of Home's Tuna Noodle Casserole? Mine, definitely. Don't get me wrong. The Taste of Home version is solid and I enjoyed my meal. I just find milk sauces without a lot of other flavorings too sweet for my taste.My Pasta with Béchamel Sauce and Spring Vegetables works because it has lots of sauteed onions, garlic, and tons of vegetables to balance the sweetness milk acquires as it cooks. I find the Taste of Home version needs something bright. In my tuna noodle recipe I add brightness two ways: Dijon mustard and sour cream.

I made this meal with spaghetti and I found I really liked that. I'm not normally a big fan of spaghetti or fettucini, it's too messy to eat for me, an already messy eater. A few years ago, Z. and I had a chance to stock up on pasta for almost next to nothing (and some was free) so we have tons of thin, long pasta to finish. I liked the texture of the pasta after it baked. I got several ideas just from making this dish and can't wait to share them with you. Enjoy!

Recipe Review: Tuna Cakes

Recipe Review: Tuna Cakes

Source: Simply Recipes 

I know that anything that has the word cake in its name and doesn’t have sugar in it, will probably be rather ugly looking, most likely a washed out shade of brown. It’s the ugly sister with lots of personality and a bad tan. This has been the case with my Quinoa Cakes and now my Tuna Cakes. Unlike my Quinoa Cakes, since discovering them, I make my Tuna Cakes on a regular basis. I’m sure anyone who is also cheap or enjoys a quick meal, will agree that canned tuna is a staple in their pantry. 

At any given time, I probably have at least 30 cans of tuna in my pantry. I buy ridiculous amounts of the stuff when I find it at the price I’m willing to pay ($0.30 or so for most brands, up to $0.50 per can for my preferred brand). I eat so much tuna that when my father and sister found a case of 48 cans of my favorite tuna on sale, they bought it, and mailed the case to me. I love and appreciate them so much that I have never had the heart to ask why they just didn’t send me the money and have me purchase the tuna at the same chain grocery store in my neighborhood. I think they were just trying to take care of me in my time of college poverty.

I only have one tuna recipe up my sleeve that does not involve making a sandwich. My one tuna recipe is my popular Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole. Not feeling in the mood for something creamy, salmon cakes popped into my mind as inspiration. Why not substitute tuna for the salmon? I found a tuna cakes recipe on Simply Recipes (a blog that I already read regularly) and gave it a try.

Tuna cakes was a winner and has since become a regular in my repertoire. Since most of the ingredients are from the pantry or refrigerator basics, I create variations according to what is fresh my fridge. I would say, start with Elise’s original recipe which is fresh and bright with lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh herbs, and green onions. I would not eat a tuna salad sandwich without mustard and hot sauce (Melinda’s XXX hot for me) but would never have thought of adding them to my tuna cakes. Thanks, Elise! 

Just a few quick points I have learned: 

• I have made tuna cakes with different types of bread and have never noticed any differences. The original recipe calls for white bread, something I don’t have in my home unless the word white is switched with words such as French, Italian, or sourdough. When I buy bread, I get whichever of my preferred brands is on sale. It varies from plain whole-wheat to multi-grain bread with a variety of nuts and seeds. Of course I had to write a paragraph to tell you what you should have already figured out. My point: use what’s on hand and it will be just fine.
• Two cans of tuna will leave you with 4 patties, so if you do the math one can of tuna will provide two tuna patties. I find that two patties make a great dinner for me. I have taken to halving the recipe and using just one can of tuna (Z. doesn’t eat tuna so there is no one to share with). The tuna cakes make decent leftovers but are best fresh. My point: Even though I’m using one can of tuna, I use a whole egg and the patties come out just fine. Unless you’re using eggs that come out of a carton, I’m not sure how to use half of a whole egg. And if I did, I would probably forget about it and waste half an egg.
• When I haven’t had fresh parsley, I have used a few shakes from my jar of trusted Italian seasoning. I actually really liked the flavor of the Italian seasoning with the tuna but was missing the fresh element. I had recently enjoyed my Root Vegetable Soup with Cilantro Pistou and had cilantro on the brain. I didn’t think adding chopped cilantro would be extraordinary but I thought of a sauce I could make and use for other meals. Check back soon to see what I made with cilantro that has become one of my favorite additions to Tuna Cakes. Enjoy!

Dinner for One: Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole

I have a confession. I would occasionally purchase and make Tuna Helper the first few years I lived on my own. I know, what was I thinking? Well, I had lots of canned tuna and knew only one recipe: tuna salad sandwiches. Just a couple months after I left home a package containing 40 cans of tuna went on sale. My father and sister bought me one of these packages and shipped it to me all the way in Oregon. And, Zachary gets mad at me sometimes for my lack of common sense...

I still only know how to make one tuna dish: tuna salad sandwiches. Every once in awhile, I get really crazy and make a tuna melt. I am on a quest to find more uses for canned tuna since this is a staple in my pantry. Of course, tuna noodle casserole was the first dish that came to mind. I wondered what a homemade version would taste like. Turns out, homemade tuna noodle casserole is rather tasty. Here is what makes my Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole so tasty:

• Lots of vegetables. I kept things pretty simple but there is lots of room for creativity in this area.
• Sour cream provided a mild tang and a feeling of richness.
• Dijon mustard is packed with flavor. Two teaspoons adds a hint of flavor without being the star.
• Using only 1 can of tuna provides plenty of protein without making the home smell like cooking tuna.
• Do not forget the cayenne! I added enough cayenne to feel but not make the dish spicy.

I did not provide the traditional crunchy or cheesy topping. If you would like this, I would suggest after you have gently mixed everything together in the pan, carefully pour the pasta mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle with either toasted bread crumbs or cheese of your choice. Place under the broiler until golden or bubbly. Enjoy!

Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole, serves 2

1 1/2 cups rotelle pasta
1 5 oz. can chunk light tuna, drained
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion (or 1/2 large onion), diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced finely
1 stalk celery, diced finely
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk or 1/2-and-1/2
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper and salt
cayenne pepper to taste

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Under-cook by one minute. When finished cooking, drain, and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, milk or 1/2-and-1/2, and Dijon mustard. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium-low in a large high-sided skillet. Add onion and mushrooms; season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes; stirring occasionally.
4. Add garlic, carrot, and celery; stirring occasionally. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Turn heat down to low and add sour cream mixture, tuna, and pasta. Gently mix and season liberally with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.Allow everything to warm through then serve.

Bouchons au Thon

I am an avid reader, journeying through at least three books at a time. There is a system to my madness: one or two education-related texts, a challenging non-fiction book, and lastly, something that is purely for entertainment. I usually find these last books by wandering aimlessly through the stacks at the public library until I find an interesting sounding title. I usually take home memoirs that have to with food, homesteading, or domestic poultry, sometimes all three at once. I live on the edge, don't I? One of the food books I have read a few months ago was A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg. In this book, Wizenberg shares vignettes and memories from her life that each precede a recipe. One of the recipes that I kept was bouchons au thon, a baked tuna dish, which I finally made today. It was very yummy. If you would like to read more about Wizenberg's experiences and recipes, she has a charming blog, Orangette.

Here is Wizenberg's ingredient list for bouchons au thon:

180 grams canned tuna in water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons crème fraîche
3 large eggs
1 cup finely grated gruyère cheese
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup minced onion

I would love to try Wizenberg's recipe; I am sure it would be lovely. I adapted her recipe to reflect my cheap  pantry and my sensibilities. I think her dish is more quiche-like than mine but I still enjoyed my dish very much. The texture was very light and the tuna was nicely subdued. This time, instead of simply listing the changes I made to a recipe, I decided to include the reasoning behind my decisions.

• 180 grams canned tuna in water: Alright! A recipe for canned tuna! How do I get 180 grams of tuna when a regular can is around 140 grams? I'll just use one can and call it good.
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste: Tomato paste and tuna? I am intrigued, this could be really yummy or really weird. 3 tablespoons sounds like a lot. My solution is to use about one and one-half tablespoons of tomato paste since I am using a smaller amount of tuna. If I do this, I can get four to five batches of bouchons au thon from one can of tomato paste, costing me just $0.12-$0.15 a serving. 
•  Crème fraîche: I wish. I have only been able to purchase crème fraîche in the town I live in since October when the Market of Choice opened. I have never even tasted crème fraîche. I could use the same amount of yogurt if I had some in my fridge. Well, I think we're going along a quiche route so I will use a little milk, instead.
• 3 large eggs: How about I use two and then I can still have scrambled eggs for breakfast?
• Gruyère: Wouldn't that be nice! When was the last time I had gruyère? I would guess the last time Market of Choice sampled gruyère. Thank you Fred Meyer for having Tillamook shredded cheese on sale last week!
• Flat-leaf parsley: Mmm...fresh grassy parsley with canned tuna sounds like a great idea. I want some parsley! When I thought of this, I replayed a conversation Z. and I have almost every day:

Ace: I want some (in this case, flat-leaf parsley)!
Z: Of course you do. Whatever it is, you don't need it.

A: Of course I do! It's to make my dinner.
Z: Yeah, I want a tall, un-weird girlfriend with a real job but I don't have that. What's our motto?
A: Cheap grown-ups don't always get to buy whatever they want.
Z: And what do you have to show for this?
A: Health insurance and a retirement account funded by part-time work and a wonderful boyfriend who took me on vacation to the east coast for his birthday because he is really good at not spending money.
Z: How is this possible?
A: I save my money by not spending it.
Z: ...Who's the smarter person?
[Insert bantering and teasing here.]

Cheap not Frugal Eats Bouchons au Thon
adapted from Molly Wizenberg 

1 can tuna, drained
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup shredded cheese
Salt and pepper
chopped flat-leaf parsley or 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 cup (or less according to taste) finely diced onion

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. If using a 12-cup muffin tin, spray 8 wells with non-stick cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, use a fork to break up drained tuna into as small pieces as possible. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon mixture evenly into muffin tin, about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons for 8 wells and 2 tablespoons for 6 wells. Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm and golden. May take 30 minutes if using 6 six wells of the muffin tin. Enjoy!

P.S. With the leftover tomato paste, I portioned it onto squares of plastic wrap. I then wrapped the paste like a burrito, placed it into a ziploc to keep them all in once place, and tossed the package into the freezer.