Pasta AND Tuna.... can a dish get any tastier?

As much as I hate the idea of eating far too many large fish... I keep the odd can or two of 'dophin-friendly' (whatever that's supposed to mean) and Choice-selected 400g tins of Tuna in my cupboard for such a day as Sunday.

Sunday I worked in the garden. It was a big day.  My family watched telly and played with the dog.  I reclaimed a small parcel of land that had begun environmental warfare on my original plan.  At the end of the long day... I was buggered. (That's 'tired' in Austalian slang in case you had just arched your eyebrows considerably).

This is not quite the meal that cooks itself, but it comes close.  I once followed a recipe I had copied from our local pre-school.  I ate with the children a few times in a previous life, and really enjoyed this Tuesday and Friday lunch meal, or something close to this.  The recipe disappeared a long time ago, but the tastes remain memorable:  

So from memory, the ingredients consist of the following:

Pasta or Rice - whichever gluten or gluten-free lifestyle you and/or your family are adhering to.
400g can of tuna (drained)
400g can of any of the following SOUPS (Chicken, Cream of Chicken, Asparagus or Celery)
bunch of fresh asparagus (or a canned/drained)
1 or 2 tomatoes
1 onion

Fresh breadcrumbs & grated cheese for the topping

STEP ONE:

Cook the pasta or rice.

STEP TWO:

Turn the oven on to 180/350;

STEP THREE: 

Pull out a skillet and gently fry up the onion, asparagus and tomato - gently - just to take the crunch and sting out of the onion.  Turn it off.

STEP FOUR:

While the vegies are softening, tip the canned soup and drained tuna into a casserole dish.

STEP FIVE:

Add the vegies to the casserole dish with the soup and tuna

STEP SIX:

Add the pasta or rice to the casserole dish, fold it all together until it's mixed:  Don't have all the soup in one gluggy bit in the middle and the tuna staying in a corner on the other side of the vegetables.  So I guess I should have said, make sure your casserole dish will hold a fair whack of tuna casserole.

THE TOPPING:

Throw 2 pieces of fresh bread into a food processor and process till it look .... like breadcrumbs!  Add 1/2 to 1 cup of grated cheese.  Mix it all together, spread it out on top of the casserole.  Make it look pretty with either some paprika or chilli.  Whatever your tastebuds desire

Bake for 20 minutes covered, then another 10 minutes uncovered with the temperature up a few notches to make the topping crunchy.

Leave the casserole out of the over for 5 to 10 minutes to cool down before eating it.  Yum!  My family give this a 9/10.  The reason it's not 10 is because while I'm cooking it, everyone is convinced they're not fond of tuna... then they eat it.






Should have had a photo here of it out of the oven... hot and sumptuous.  But we ate it instead.

some of my favourite cooking blogs ♥

When I need to cook steak - every time I need to cook steak - I need to remember how to do it.  True story.  so I go here:
http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/article/how-to-cook-the-perfect-steak-a139.html

and then, to completely contradict myself, I go all Earth Mother and return to Vegetarian - and even Vegan
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/classic-israeli-salad/

I know we don't celebrate America's Thanksgiving (plus it's far too close to Christmas actually), but there's some groovy Christmas-sy (aka Thanksgiving) recipes here:  Christmas and Thanksgiving recipes are defined by how many people one dish feeds.  ie at least 8, preferably 20
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/11/12/dining/essential-thanksgiving.html?r=mashed-potato-casserole-with-sour-cream-and-chives&ref=dlink&smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=DI_MPC_20131127&_r=0

Passionfruit Souffle.  I have a prolific fruiting vine!! And I adore passionfruit.
3 ingredient Passionfruit Souffle

Hopewood Health Retreat always has great recipes.  This is one of my faves. http://www.hopewood.com.au/recipes?sessid=5e488738d97ef9ba707bf882d528746e

I have a FB friend who is Greek and she also loves to cook.  Sometimes when she starts to cook, I know this is going to be exciting.  No one pot, 15 minute meals for her:  This sweet walnut dish takes 10 days to cook!!!  http://www.cypriotandproud.com/2013/07/04/karidaki-glyko-walnut-sweets-with-sugar-or-agave-syrup/

Little Blueberry Cheesecakes

Was a complete fiasco disaster.  No wonder I haven't posted anything in months......

Yes.... even the best of us, through to the least best of us, have abysmal days..

SPANISH DINNER PARTY - FIESTA FEAST

MENU:

TAPAS:  Ham, Cheese & Chorizo with Bread

                Jammon, Queso y Chorizo con Pan

                Prawns in Garlic - Gambos al Ajillo

SOPA:     Potato Soup - Sopa de Patata

                Galicean Broth - Caldo de Galicean

               COMIDA

PRINCIPAL   Chicken, Prawn & Chorizo Paella

                       Paella de Pollo

                      Potato Tortilla - Tortilla de Patatas

SUSTANTIVO:  Santiago Tart - Tarte de Santiago

                          Yogurt - Mousse de Yogur

Timeline:

The day before:

  do the shopping.  Don't forget what you bought and which dish you're making with what ingredients...

Make the soups.  Keep them on the stove if there's no room in the fridge - it's winter, it'll be fine (unless you've turned the heat up high in the house - then find room in the fridge)

Clean up the mess and go to bed.

The morning of the Fiesta:

Make the Santiago Cake

Go buy the ingredients you forgot but really need

Put some green stuff (namely spinach) in the Galicean Broth

Make the Santiago Tart

The afternoon:

Make the Tortilla

Make the tapas - except the prawns.  Just have them ready to go really quickly by 7pm

An hour before:

Heat the soups up and keep them sloooooowly simmering

Have all the ingredients ready for the Paella

Half an hour before:

Heat the tortilla's up in the oven (keep them covered)

15 minutes before everyone comes

start making Paella

let it simmer nicely while you greet your guests

Cook the prawns - Keep warm in the oven for 5 minutes until guests come

Serve the Tapas and soups with bread (pan)

the rest of the meals can come at leisure xxxxxxxx

TAPAS

SOPA

Sopa de Patata

taken from http://www.food.com/recipe/unbelievably-easy-potato-soup-74275 but with a twist of Gina

SERVES 8  

time from getting the ingredients on the bench to taste-testing:  35 minutes

You will need:

8 peeled potatos (just look for the tasty ones - not too waxy)

2 cups diced onion

1 chopped up leek

2 cups chopped celery

4 cloves garlic

lots of water

salt and pepper to taste 

(optional - you can add milk when you blend it, but I didn't)

It's really just one potato per person

once you have peeled them and recovered from the RSI

chop up everything else (except the water, silly) and throw it all into a large saucepan.  Leave the salt and pepper for a minute

Now.. don't cover it with water, just underneath.. have the water sitting just below the top of the ingredients - how much water you use now will decide the consistency of the soup.  Too much and it's watery, too little and it's too thick.  If you just put in enough to sit about a cm along the edge with the vegies still poking through, it should be fine.  

You only have to cook this for about 25 minutes 

(true story)

Add some salt and pepper - actually lots of salt and pepper (it will need a fair whack of salt) and maybe a teaspoon or 2 or even 3 of stock powder (I use Massells)

After it looks a bit sad and lifeless, but smells divine, add another tablespoon of salt and turn off the heat.

Get out the blender and murder it.

Put it all back in another saucepan, ready to heat up tomorrow night. (the Fiesta!!)

Eat some first... coz this has made you hungry

Yum ♥

Caldo de Galicean

2 Ham Hocks

2 huge cloves of Russian Garlic

2 cups of onion (one brown/one red)

300g diced Speck

3 Bay Leaves

Water or Stock (if you can get stock on special, or you've found time to make it yourself - good luck to you)

French Beans

Carrots

Potatos

1 Can white beans & 1 can Chick Peas (Garbonzos)

Spinach

smoked Paprika

Parsley

Cumin.... if you want to be a rebel

Actually now I look at the ingredients, it's nearly nothing like a Galicean Broth, but if no-one has been to Galicea, who will know?

Put the Ham hocks, garlic, onion, Speck and bay leaves into a Huge Saucepan.

Cover liberally with water.  Don't add seasoning yet

Cook for about 2 hours.  Give or take 30 minutes. (the smell is the key)

I just checked it after an hour and it had evaporated a tad, so I added another 500ml of stock/water

(The smell is very Pea and Ham without the Pea right now)

another hour and the meat fell off the ham bones without much enticement.

I put the meat back into the pot (which had reduced yet again... but I'll wait till I put the vegies in before I add a little more stock.

Then I put in about 3 carrots, 3 or 4 potatoes, a little bit of thyme, some smoked paprika, a dash of cumin and.... 3 chopped up chorizos.  The recipe I had read called for me to peel the chorizo.....but I didn't see it anywhere else.... hmm, so I improvised.. it also called for Turnip tops (boiled twice) which I'm sure could be replaced with Spinach.. but I forgot to buy that, so - no spinach!!

I let it simmer sloooooowly for over an hour.

The Chorizo gives it some serious bight, but it's an incredibly warming winter soup.  I can see a zillion things being added to it and it still works.

The secret ingredients are the pork, the beans and the paprika.  All else is changeable.

Another yum

Simple - as in easy, but tasty - as in divine - lemon yogurt cake

This cake was one of the cakes that made me think I could bake - long before I got how easy it was!!

Lemon Yogurt Cake        Donna Hay making this cake look even simpler

Here's the ingredients:  AND YOU CAN MAKE IT ALL IN ONE BOWL!!

• • ¾ cup (180ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup (280g) thick natural yoghurt
  • 1¾ cups (385g) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 2 cups (300g) self-raising (self-rising) flour
  • lemon frosting
  • ¾ cup (120g) icing sugar
  • ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
    
    In ONE quite good sized bowl, put the oil (any vegetable oil will do - even olive oil, but it's a bit thick and tasty...but we don't need to go and find Nepalese Walnut Oil... Canola will do), the eggs and the lemon rind.
    Whisk till smooth
    
    
    
    Then add the lemon juice, yogurt (most times, if I have a small tub of yogurt - yes, Greek is the best, I just add the whole thing straight from the container - no room for precious here, you can't have too much or too little) and the sugar.....
    
    
    Mix it all up till it's sloppy and smooth.
    
    
    Add the flour (sifted)
    
    
    
    Stir, stir, stir
    
    
    Put the gorgeous, creamy concoction into any old baking tin you have (for safety's sake kill the tin with spray - or grease it the old fashioned way... but don't take chances - you want it beautiful when all is said and done)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Look how smooth and creamy it is - and how much I fit into this tiny ring tin?  It's all good.
    
    
    Bake:  180deg for 35 minutes - I tried 30, it didn't work. Stick to the preheated oven for 35minutes
    
    
    While it's cooking, stir together the sugar and lemon juice
    
    
    Tell your captivated audience that this may take a while....
    
    
    
    handle their disgust at the wait
    
    
    
    When the cake is cooked, there is no need to wait - take it out of the tin, put it on a plate and pour the icing mixture over it.  If you use granulated sugar (like Donna Hay), it'll look interesting, but taste the same.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    EAT IT!!!
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Hopewood Recipes: You can't go wrong from a Health Retreat!!

Spicy lentil soup
Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS
• 6 carrots, sliced
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ½ cup red lentils, washed, soaked and drained
• 8 cups vegetables stock
• 2 cups of tomato juice
• 4 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of tamari
• Herbs for garnish (e.g. fresh coriander, Italian parsley)

METHOD
Using some of the vegetable stock, sauté onion, carrots, cumin, garlic, tomatoes and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft. Stir in lentils, stock and tomato juice.
Bring to boil and simmer for approximately 1 hour. When lentils are soft, stir in tomato paste and tamari. Blend mixture until smooth. Return to same pan, reheat and serve garnished with herbs.



Bananas with honey and citrus glaze
Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS
• 3 bananas, halved
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 1 orange
• Fresh mint, for garnish

METHOD
Place halved bananas on the plate with flat surface point up so the glaze will remain on the fruit more evenly.
Zest half lemon, orange and lime, reserving juices.
Combine the citrus juices with honey and mix well until honey thins slightly. Pour over the bananas garnishing with fresh mint, and the zest of the citrus fruits.


Vegetable lo mein

Starch
Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS
• 500g Asian noodles (vermicelli)
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups carrots, sliced into matchsticks
• 1 cup zucchini, sliced into 1cm pieces
• 2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4-5 shallots cut in diagonals using green
• 1 tablespoon miso paste
• 1-2 cups vegetable stock
• 4 tablespoons tamari

METHOD
Boil plenty of water for the noodles. Stir-fry broccoli, carrots and zucchini in small amount of stock or water until tender but still crisp.

Remove from pan. Repeat process with mushrooms and cabbage. Add to broccoli, zucchini and carrots, keep warm. Stir-fry garlic and shallots in remaining water.

Mix together miso paste, stock and tamari. At this point, put pasta in boiling water to cook (it does not take long). Add garlic and shallots to the mix and heat until boiling.

Stir through all the vegetables through and re-heat. Strain cooked pasta and combine all ingredients. Serve at once.


Mint, pea and avocado salad

Starch
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
• 500g fresh peas, cooked and cooled
• 3 avocados, peeled and cubed
• 2 bunches of fresh asparagus, washed and trimmed
(steam for 1 minute optional)
• 3 fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tablespoon of honey

METHOD
Toss all prepared ingredients together and serve.

HOPEWOOD@HOME RECIPE BOOK
All recipes are from Hopewood’s Health Retreat’s own recipe book, hopewood@home.
hopewood@home recipe book is the perfect answer for busy lifestyles, packed with healthy and delicious vegetarian recipes, new taste sensations and weekly menu suggestions. Enjoy vegetarian cuisine that tastes great and is quick and easy to prepare.

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