Yummy Tuna Casserole– No, REALLY!

I have NEVER been fond of tuna casserole. My mom used to make it with some kind of nasty, pasty flour-y white sauce… and then she added PEAS to it!! *shudder* Even thinking about it again makes my spinal column quiver with queasiness. YUKYUKYUK

SO it took a team of horses to drag me into a tuna casserole recipe (this was a few years ago). I skipped the peas and the pasty sauce. Instead, I used cream of celery soup and cheese and lots of tuna… and YUMMMMM it was good.

Since that first brave casserole exploit 20 years ago, I’ve tried to improve the recipe somewhat with quirky additions here and there. I’ve added broccoli, used mozzarella or monterey jack cheese, dill, s video cables, Creole seasoning (OK, just kidding on the cables– who noticed that?)….

But today, my daughter made the most luscious tuna casserole I’ve ever had. HOW did she do it?? She’s so young!

Well, here’s her recipe. This was goooood stuff. It was so good that I never got the chance to snap a photo. And it was such a pretty casserole, too.

Yummy Don’t-Worry-There-Are-No-Peas Tuna Casserole
serves 6-8

4 cans of tuna, with juice
1 box medium shells pasta, cooked and drained
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 cup fresh kale, shredded into small pieces
2 Cream of Celery canned soup
1 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
minced white onions (optional)

Throw all the ingredients into a dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

It is SO GOOD. I think the kale is what does it for me. YUM.

Now if I can just get the daughter to improve my pot roast recipe….

Easy Shrimp & Chicken Garlic Pasta

Oh have I got a new recipe for you!! This is our new favorite. I’m sorry I don’t have any photos– the food is gone as soon as I cook it! It’s an easy to make, light meal that is very satisfying.

Easy Shrimp & Chicken Garlic Pasta
Serves 6-8 hungry people
1 5-lb bag cooked, frozen shrimp
3-4 chicken breasts, cubed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
3 handfuls of raw kale, de-stemmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 pounds thin or vermicelli spaghetti
2 Tablespoons pesto sauce

Place the frozen shrimp in the sink and run under cold water, to thaw.

In a large wok, add the olive oil and toss in the chicken cubes. Turn on medium-high and simmer.

Remove the tails from the shrimp and toss them in the wok. Stir the chicken and shrimp until both are cooked/warmed well. Add the kale and garlic and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, until the kale softens. Turn off the heat. Add pesto sauce and stir well. Serve over spaghetti.

Tip: Do not overcook the chicken or it will turn to rubber. Don’t add the garlic until last– you want it a little raw and not burned to a crisp.

This stuff is SO good, more filling than nitrix, I think. I’d eat it every night, if I could. It’s very good for you, too, because the olive oil, garlic and kale are very healthy.

Four Foods on Friday #137

I buy (and cook and eat) ramen noodles like I read cell phone reviews: only when I need them.

I try to avoid ramen noodles, although my son loves loves loves them. The pre-packaged kind (with the small aluminum packets filled with powdered seasoning) are so unhealthy. I don’t like all that sodium and chemical stuff in it. But I think the ramens themselves are “ok.”

But when I buy the ramen and my son cooks them, the delicious smell of them makes me want them.

This week there are four questions about ramen noodles.

1. How do you usually make ramen noodles?
2. What’s your favorite flavor of ramen noodles?
3. Do you add anything to your ramen noodles?
4. Is there a flavor of ramen noodles do you wish was on the market?

1. Like I said, I try not to. But we eat them maybe 2-3 times every other month.

2. Chicken or beef. I dislike the “shrimp.” That’s shrimp, yeahhhhh rrrright.

3. Unfortunately, usually just the powdered seasoning packets. I used to get creative and add small florets of broccoli or kale or whatever. But I’m busy. I don’t make lunch for the kids anymore, they make their own.

4. Hmm, interesting question. Maybe chocolate flavored?!?! LOL. I am pretty happy with the chicken and beef.

How about you?

Worst Crockpot Recipe Ever: Three Cheese Penne

I’ve been in the process of trying out and reviewing some new recipes here. I downloaded an iPhone app, iPhone Crockpot Recipe Finder. The app is nice because it automatically generates a shopping list when you save recipes. I’ve already tried a few recipes, the very tasty Cranberry Brisket and the mediocre Beef Stroganoff. Oddly enough, the best recipe so far (Cranberry Brisket) got a low rating on the Crockpot app, only 2 out of 5 stars. Huh.

Well, I spotted another easy recipe, Penne with Three Cheeses that rates a whopping 4 out of 5 stars. The recipe was awful! I had to force myself to down it. It was pasty and sticky and WAY too cheesy. I thought about giving the leftovers to the dogs, but I didn’t think they’d even eat it, despite all the dog training we’re giving them to eat the scraps. This stuff was awful.

I mention it here because it goes to show you that the ratings mean next to nothing (to me, anyway). In case you are curious, here’s the Penne with Three Cheeses recipe:

10 ounces refrigerated Alfredo sauce
1 cup milk
12 ounces evaporated milk
4 cups shredded Italian 3-cheese blend
1 pound uncooked penne pasta
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

I couldn’t even bear to snap a photo. The stuff was like glue, and the milks and cheeses melted before the pasta was done, so on top of the glue-y cheese, the pasta was chewy.

I guzzled about 5 cups of cold water after having some.

Guess What We Had for Dinner?? SPAGHETTI!

Spaghetti may not sound like it’s such a special dinner… but we haven’t had ANY pasta meal in soooo long! Yahoo! My daughters put together an incredible pasta meal last week. The FIRST dish we cooked in the new kitchen was spaghetti!

And look! We even got to sit out in the DINING ROOM to eat it! Hurray, no more eating in the garage with the bats, mice, hornets, and flies! Yay!

We usually only serve water to drink with meals, but this being such a special occasion and all, we got Vitamin Water for the kids.

They seem convinced that it makes them stronger and healthier. I don’t know… does it? Will guzzling this stuff suddenly make you win sports trophies?? Me, I still like water with my dinner.

So we are BACK into the house, cooking, cleaning an eating. Ahhhhh… life is good.

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