Easy Tuna Casserole (a no-soup version!)

Sometimes when the weather is cool and rainy, I crave an old fashioned casserole to eat. My Mother-in-law used to make a wonderful Tuna Casserole, but I really haven't tried to make one myself too often. You see, my husband won't eat it-he doesn't care for canned tuna. But, the other day it sounded so good to me that I decided to come up with a Tuna Casserole for my daughter and I for dinner. It turned out wonderful. I did not use creamed soups, but made my own white sauce with a little cheese. This Easy Tuna Casserole was creamy and delicious and I'll definitely be making it again! This recipe is for a small pan and will feed only 2-3 people, so double it to feed more.

EASY TUNA CASSEROLE
from Lynda's Recipe Box

2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup onion, diced
about 4 ounces of sliced mushrooms- I used some leftover from the day before.
1 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup milk or half and half
1/2 cup (4 ounces), shredded cheddar cheese
5-6 ounces egg noodles
1 can tuna, drained
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
crushed potato chips for topping

Cook noodles according to package directions.
To make sauce: In a large saucepan melt the butter and saute the onions and mushrooms for a couple of minutes until onions are soft and mushrooms have lost alot of their liquid. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Pour in the chicken broth and whisk while it cooks and thickens. Add the milk or half and half and whisk thoroughly until thickened. If it gets too thick, add a bit more milk. Stir in the cheese, peas, salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings if needed.
Now gently fold in the noodles and drained tuna, taking care to leave the tuna chunky, if possible. Pour mixture into a buttered 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with crushed potato chips, if desired. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until casserole is bubbly. Enjoy!

Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia Sandwiches

I love a good sandwich and this Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia Sandwich definitely fits into this category. Tilapia is a very mild tasting fish that is delicious used in lots of different styles of cooking. In this recipe, the fish is dredged in a spicy cornmeal mixture and cooked in a skillet with minimal oil. Topped with the last of my garden tomatoes, leaf lettuce and mashed avocado with onion and cilantro, this yummy sandwich is perfect for dinner on your busiest weeknights! Forget the drive-through at the fast food joints- make your own "fast food" at home! Serve this healthy, nutritious and delicious sandwich with oven roasted sweet potato fries, or with a steaming bowl of soup on a chilly evening. Try this tasty, easy sandwich on your next super busy day.

Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia Sandwiches

3 T. yellow cornmeal

1 T. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

4 tilapia fillets

1 T. canola oil

2 avocados

2 T. diced red onion

juice of 1/2 lime

1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

sliced tomatoes

leaf lettuce

4 french bread sandwich rolls

Peel and seed the avocados. In a bowl, mash the avocado with a fork. Stir in the diced onion, lime juice and cilantro. Set aside. Heat a large skillet and 1 T. canola oil over medium heat. Mix the cornmeal and spices together in a container large enough to be able to lay the fish. Dry the fish with paper towels, then dredge the tilapia in the cornmeal mixture. Shake off excess. Lay fish in the hot skillet and cook about 3 minutes, and then turn over. Cook about 3 more minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fish from skillet to a platter. Toast the sandwich rolls under the broiler if desired.

To assemble the sandwiches;

Spread the avocado mixture over each roll half. On the bottom half, lay the fish fillet, then a couple of tomato slices and the leaf lettuce. Top with other half of roll. Open mouth and insert sandwich! Enjoy!

I was inspired by a recipe in Cooking Light's 2009 cookbook, that is similar to this, but used lime butter instead of the avocado mix that I used. The fish was also broiled, instead of browned in a skillet. My husband and I both loved these tilapia sandwiches, so I'll be adding this to our rotation. A meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes- can't beat that! Have a great weekend!

Spicy Sauteed Tilapia with Cherry Tomatoes

I found a recipe for sauteed fish recently that sounded so easy and delicious. It came in real handy this week, as I've started baby sitting with my granddaughter as of yesterday! Her momma had to go back to work, so I feel privileged to care for her. And since I haven't taken care of babies in such a long time, I thought this weeks meals had better be easy to prepare.
The hardest part of this recipe is just cutting the cherry tomatoes in half and mincing the garlic and herbs! The tilapia took about 5 minutes to saute and the tomatoes much less than that, but this dish had great fresh flavor. The original recipe called for olives, but I didn't have any, so therefore I used lemon to add a nice tang. We loved it!

Spicy Sauteed Tilapia with Cherry Tomatoes ( adapted from Epicurious)
1 pound tilapia fillets, thawed, if frozen
3 T. olive oil, more if needed
1 1/2-2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 T. chopped fresh Greek Oregano
1/4 tsp. dried, crushed red pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
Feta cheese
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Salt and pepper the fish fillets and lay in the skillet. Let them brown about 2 minutes, until they turn white around the edges. Carefully flip fish over with a spatula. Cook until the fish flakes, about another 2 minutes. This will depend on the thickness of the fish. Remove fish to a platter and keep warm. Add more oil to the skillet and add the minced garlic and the crushed red pepper. Stir until fragrant, but don't brown. Add the tomatoes and the herbs. Stir until heated through and then stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the fish and serve topped with Feta cheese. Enjoy this easy and flavorful dish. I will be making this one again!

Pasta and Shrimp Primavera

A few weeks ago, I won a contest at Grace's blog, A Southern Grace! I won! The prize? Well, the folks from Garofalo sent me pasta, three different varieties of delicious pasta! We love pasta in this house, so I was very happy, let me tell ya! Garofalo sent a pound of whole wheat spaghetti that I decided to use for this Pasta and Shrimp Primavera. A few years back, I had made a primavera that was loaded with veggies and had a tomato base instead of a cream base. But, I have lost the recipe, so I decided to wing it again and came up with my own version, which is extremely good! I will make this again and again as my husband and I really enjoyed it. It's a fairly quick meal, suitable for weeknight dinners, but yet nice enough to serve to company!

First of all, you need to prepare all the veggies, then saute some shrimp in olive oil. I bought frozen shrimp that was already shelled and deveined. That saved a lot of time, plus, I can't buy fresh shrimp here. I removed the shrimp from the skillet and added some asparagus, onion and zucchini and sauteed until tender crisp. Don't overcook!

I added a little more oil, some minced garlic and sauteed til fragrant. I wanted to use fresh, diced tomatoes, but mine aren't ripe yet, so I used a can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes, which worked really well. Add the cooked shrimp and stir this mixture til tomatoes are heated through. Add 16 ounces of hot, cooked pasta.

Toss ingredients together and serve! Be sure to add cheese! It is a delicious, very flavorful and healthy dish that isn't too time consuming to prepare. It was wonderful with Garofalo's whole wheat spaghetti, but you could use any pasta you desire. Enjoy it with a salad and some crusty bread.

PASTA and SHRIMP PRIMAVERA

16 ounces of cooked pasta

1 bag of frozen, shrimp- shelled and deveined (I used a 14 ounce bag)

2-4 T. olive oil

5 or 6 garlic cloves, minced

1 zucchini squash, or yellow squash, diced in bite size pieces

1 pound of asparagus, ends trimmed off and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion, diced- I used a red onion

1 can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes (about 15 ounces), or 2 cups of fresh, diced tomatoes

fresh basil- I used about 3T. of chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

Fresh Parmesan cheese or Feta cheese

Cook pasta and drain. While pasta is cooking, prepare all the vegetables. Break tough ends off of asparagus and cut stalks into 1 inch pieces. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again, and slice. Dice onions. Now, in a medium hot skillet, add 1 T. of olive oil and add in shrimp. Cook about 2minutes until shrimp are pink and opaque looking. Remove the shrimp from skillet. Add another T. of olive oil and add squash,onion and asparagus to the skillet-saute until crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes. Move veggies to side of pan and if needed, add more olive oil to saute the garlic. Only cook the garlic until very fragrant but not brown. Pour in the tomatoes and basil and stir to heat through. Stir shrimp back in and add the cooked pasta and toss well. Place primavera on plates or in a pasta bowl to serve. Serve with plenty of Parmesan cheese or Feta cheese. Enjoy!

So, are you a fan of whole wheat or whole grain pastas, or do you prefer the regular white pastas? NOTE: If you'd like an extra kick of flavor, try adding a good pinch of dried red pepper flakes with the garlic, and cook as directed.

Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa

This is one amazing meal, full of flavor, color and it's healthy and quick! What could be better? I made this for just 2 of us, but it's easy to make as much as you need. It's a fast weeknight meal, but it's special enough for company too. I did the fish in a cast iron skillet, but it can also be done on the grill with some veggies. The Tilapia is somewhat spicy, but the Pineapple Salsa really enhances the fish and adds such a freshness to the meal that leaves you wanting more! This recipe is slightly adapted from one I found at Cooking Light. Here's what you need;

Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa

For the salsa you need;

1 1/2-2 cups diced, fresh pineapple ( you may buy the fresh chunks, if desired)

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

1/3-1/2 cup diced Roma tomato

1/2 cup diced red onion

1-2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

2 Tbs. Rice Vinegar

Mix all ingredients, cover and refrigerate till ready to use

For the Tilapia, you need

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp. dried Thyme

1/4 tsp.celery seed

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne

Or, you can use some Creole seasoning, INSTEAD of the above seasonings, but I didn't have any, so I had to improvise. But the flavor of the fish was perfect for us. If you are going to serve rice, as I did, start it first. Heat your skillet to medium heat, with 1-2 tbs. of canola oil. Season both sides of the tilapia with the spice mix. When skillet is ready, lay the fish in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork. It cooks quickly, so don't leave it to do something else! When done, remove tilapia to a platter. Ahhh, it smells so good, and tastes so good! Serve with the yummy Pineapple Salsa. Here's how I served it;

I spooned some cooked brown rice on the plates and made a bed for the tilapia. Lay the fish on the rice and top with this wonderful salsa. I served it with my Oven Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar, a salad and some good bread. This was a great meal, that I'll make again, many times!

I used to be rather intimidated by cooking fish, but with easy dishes like this, I think I'm getting over it! What's your favorite fish?

Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon

I love to fix salmon, but I really don't do it often enough and it is so easy! I can remember when I was intimidated cooking fish of any kind, but after preparing it, it seemed so easy. And it is! Now, I have several "favorite" ways to do salmon, so this is just one way. And it is delicious with the honey mustard glaze. This can be done under the broiler, in the oven or on the grill. It only takes minutes and your dinner is ready! First, let me tell you that I can only buy wild salmon frozen in the 1 pound bags, so this is not fresh caught. But it's still extremely good! I thaw out the fish in the bag in the fridge. Then, it needs to be dried off with paper towels.

I place salmon in a dish and pour about half of the honey mustard glaze over it. Then, preheat the broiler and place rack under it. With this glaze you have to watch that it doesn't burn, so I have had to move the salmon onto a lower rack to prevent it from becoming a burnt sacrifice! If that makes you nervous, you can bake the salmon instead in a 400 degree oven. Let's begin.

HONEY MUSTARD SALMON

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1/4 cup honey

1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil

4 salmon fillets, mine were 4 ounces each,or 1 pound

salt and pepper

Mix the first four ingredients together. Lay salmon in a pan, add a little salt and pepper, and pour half of glaze over it. Preheat broiler or oven. when ready to cook, place salmon on low rimmed baking sheet and place under broiler. Watch closely so it doesn't burn. Brush salmon with honey- mustard glaze several times while cooking. It will be done in about 6-10 minutes, depending in thickness and size of salmon. To test for doneness, insert a fork into the thickest part of the fish and turn slightly. If it flakes easily, it is done. Remember, if the fish gets too brown, or the pan begins to burn, remove fish to a lower rack in your oven. When done , remove salmon from oven and serve! It's a quick and easy main course, fit for company or your family. I served it with fresh green beans and brown rice.

The glaze is so good that you must be sure to get plenty on the fish! I also add more pepper if too much gets brushed off when applying more glaze. This is a wonderful tasting salmon that I will continue to make over and over again! Do you have a favorite way to prepare salmon?

Baked Tilapia with Lime and Cilantro

When I was growing up, my family hardly ever had fish. When we did, it was usually fried or fish sticks from the store! So when I married, I didn't know how to fix fish unless it was fried. And I found fish rather intimidating, for some reason, so it's just been the last few years that I've added a few easy fish dishes to my recipe box. One such dish is Baked Tilapia with Lime and Cilantro. It's so easy and quick cooking that you can have a whole meal on the table in less than 30 minutes! The Tilapia only takes 10-15 minutes to bake, so if you pair it with rice and maybe a oven roasted veggie, like my Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar, or Oven Roasted Broccoli, dinner will be ready in no time! In fact the Tilapia and the asparagus or broccoli can baked in the oven at the same time, in separate pans. This recipe was for about 1 pound of Tilapia, which contained 5 small fillets. Preheat the oven for 425 degrees and get started!

Baked Tilapia with Lime and Cilantro

4 Tbs. fresh squeezed lime juice

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2-3 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. melted butter, optional

2-3 Tbs. chopped cilantro, or to taste

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, mix the lime juice, the olive oil and the garlic together and let set for a few minutes, if you have the time. That will allow the different flavors in the sauce to "come together"! Place fish fillets in a 9x13 non reactive baking pan and pour the lime juice mixture over the fillets. Turn fish to distribute the juice evenly and make sure that some of the delicious garlic lands on the fish! Top with the chopped cilantro and pour melted butter over all. I just like the taste of butter and olive oil together, but this step is totally optional. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10- 15 minutes, until fish flakes easily. I actually let the fish set in lime mixture for about 10 minutes before bakingas I had another interruption, but the fish was fine. I did not want it to marinate because the fillets are so delicate and don't need to be tenderized. But it came out really delicious with the tangy lime and garlic flavor with the cilantro. This is a recipe that I normally use with grilled chicken breasts and I will marinate them for several hours and it's delicious too!