I caught Rachael Ray making Uptown Tuna Casserole on TV the other day, and although her version didn’t appeal to me (way too much fish!) the idea of the kind of tuna noodle casserole my mom used to make was stayed with me. It’s been almost a year since I last made “tuna nood” — the affectionate nickname college roommates of mine gave this family classic.
When I cook, I try to use as many whole ingredients in their natural form as possible, because I believe that when you start with those healthy ingredients, great taste and a good nutritional profile will follow. That philosophy goes out the window here, since 3 out of the 4 ingredients come from a can. Sometimes you have to bend to nostalgia! I was interested in cutting the calories, fat, and sodium because hey, it’s comfort food, and I know I’m going to eat more than what is supposed to be a single portion.
I’m including the brands of the ingredients I used here, because I think the overall nutritional information is as good as it gets for a meal made out of canned food. If you break it down into 4 generous servings, you wind up with just 388 calories, < 4g fat, 23+ g protein, 76.5 g carbs (with about 7 g of those as fiber), and 515 mg sodium (this is still high for a single meal, since the current recommendation is to limit sodium to 1,500 mg per day) per serving. Overall I was satisfied: I definitely noticed the difference in salt, but aside from being slightly less creamy the dish was overall close to what my mom used to make. I did add some garlic powder and lots of pepper after a discussion with Sharon about seasonings. I am not a fish person, and for some reason the garlic really heightened the smell of the tuna while it was baking — it was almost enough to make me not want to eat it. But the spices really helped balance the reduced sodium.
By the way, the nutritional data for that Rachael Ray recipe,which uses mostly all whole foods and no canned ingredients, would be a big splurge. Each serving has 1303 calories, 60.5 g of fat, and 1716 mg of sodium. It’s not that I never eat food like that — I do. I just don’t want to indulge with tuna nood!
Since this casserole is pretty bland and uniform in color, I thought there was a possibility A. would try a bit. He didn’t. Sometimes the cook gets to make what she wants to eat!
Lighter Tuna Noodle Casserole
12 oz. Ronzoni Healthy Harvest whole wheat, yolk-free wide egg noodles
10.75-oz. can Campbell’s Healthy Request condensed cream of mushroom soup
5-oz. can Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna in water, drained & flaked
15-oz. can Le Sueur 50% Less Sodium young spring peas, drained
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
ground black pepper — lots
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Cook noodles according to the package directions, but reduce the cooking time by a few minutes so they are very al dente. Drain and return to pot. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined. Pour mixture into a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the top is browned and crunchy.
March 9, 2010
This past week was, well, a week. Nothing stood out. I did make a beanless steak chili (using stew meat) in the Crock-Pot over the weekend, but the spicing was too mild and I want to try it again before I post the recipe. I made a batch of chocolate chip blondies, too, which are too delicious to be in my kitchen — I cut them small, and I want to pop one in my mouth every time I pass by the container.
Although we’re expecting clear, sunny days in the mid-50s this week, I am in a bit of a winter funk and wanted comfort food. I’m kicking off the week with tuna noodle casserole, which I’m going to make a tiny bit healthier using whole wheat noodles, reduced-sodium peas, and reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup. At least, healthier considering 3 out of 4 ingredients come from a can.
Monday: Tuna noodle casserole, apple slices
Tuesday: Farro and Roasted Butternut Squash, roasted asparagus, challah rolls (This meal has been bumped for weeks, even though it sounds delicious to me. I am definitely making it this time, when my sister is visiting!)
Wednesday: Roasted chicken, Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Mushrooms & Brussels Sprouts
Thursday: Chicken noodle soup, steamed broccoli
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Order in or go out
Sunday: Triple Tomato Sauce with Ziti, fresh mozzarella, garden salad
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
March 8, 2010
I’ve been dragging this week, and I am craving comfort food without a lot of work. I’d planned on roasting butternut squash and tossing it with goat cheese and farro for dinner Thursday night, but as I was making lunch that day I decided to throw something homey into the Crock-Pot instead. These were all ingredients I had on hand (I used flanken straight from the freezer), and by the time dinner came around I was thrilled and thankful to have this haimish dish ready to go.
The boys wouldn’t touch it, and J. finished a small bowl. When I asked him what he thought about it, I got no response. I know I’m not doing much to convince you to make it, but I really enjoyed these flavors together and this stew is a good way to make a little meat go a long way. I froze the bulk of the leftovers and will serve it (and happily eat it) another day.
Slow Cooker Beef & Barley Stew
1 lb. flanken (a cut of beef short rib)
32 oz. vegetable stock
1 medium onion, diced
1 c. pearled barley, rinsed
10 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned + quartered
1 c. carrots, chopped (about a large handful of baby carrots, cut into coins)
1 bay leaf
black pepper + salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker, and cook on high for 4 hours. Take flanken out of the crock, discard the bones, and shred the meat making sure to trim off any visible fat. Set the meat aside. Remove and discard bay leaf and any remaining bones that are in the stew. Then add the shredded meat back into the crock, stir, and adjust seasoning with salt + pepper. Serve hot.
March 6, 2010
G. had been so receptive to the Meatless Pasta Pie last time I made it, I really wanted to try it again. I was rushed preparing dinner last night, and decided to just throw the dish together without rereading the recipe. I forgot the step where you toss the par-cooked pasta with a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese before standing them in the pan. I missed this added burst of flavor, but no one else did.
This time I simply stood a pound of rigatoni upright in a 9-inch cake pan, rather than my too-big spring form. I created a collar out of aluminum foil around the edge because I thought I would trip to turn the whole thing out of the pan after it baked and then flip it right-side up, but I didn’t have the time to let the whole thing cool down and settle after it baked so we just scooped it out of the pan like baked ziti. The rigatoni were filled with a mixture that contained a jar of marinara sauce, a small container of part-skim ricotta cheese, a little bit of grated Parmesan, and some garlic powder. Shredded mozzarella cheese topped the “pie” before it went into the oven.
Both boys ate this pasta and had second helpings, even though there was initial reluctance about the sauce. Are the upright rigatoni magic? They seem to be in this house. My niece and all the adults enjoyed this cozy, simple dish too, and I packed up leftovers for them to take home. Definitely a rare, universal success.
March 4, 2010
I’ve finally got the house back in order after a snow storm that started last Thursday knocked out all our utilities for four full days. No heat, middle of winter. J. built a fire in our living room on Friday night, and we all slept around it trying to keep warm. The boys and I were fine, bundled under our blankets and wearing fleece. But J. barely slept, since he was up regularly keeping the home fires burning, literally. On Saturday we packed up and headed to my in-laws until power was restored. They took very good care of us; the boys had a great time there and were actually mad when our power finally came back on late Monday afternoon. All they wanted to do was go back to grandma and grandpa’s house! I was really ready to be home, though.
Other than a massive amount of paperwork — calendar updating, bill paying, form filling, etc. — we are back to normal now. And starting tomorrow I’ll be cooking again too. Lots of repeats from previous weeks on this menu, since we didn’t get to them during the power outage.
Monday: Grab what you can from the fridge (first night back in the house)
Tuesday: Order in pizza
Wednesday: Meatless Pasta Pie, steamed broccoli
Thursday: Farro and Roasted Butternut Squash, steamed green beans, challah
Friday: Dijon Egg Salad, challah, raw red pepper + carrot sticks
Saturday: Bean-less Chili (made with stew meat — I’m making it up as I go along), salad, corn muffins
Sunday: Order in
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
March 2, 2010
At about 3:30 AM on Friday morning, February 26 we lost our electrical service during a heavy, long-lasting snow storm. And we have been without power — or heat — since then, until 4:30 PM yesterday. That’s four days of no utilities in the middle of winter. We spent Friday night in the house, sleeping around our fireplace, but then had to jump ship and go to J.’s parents. It was just too cold. I’m back now, in my warm house with every convenience around me, and a very big smile on my face. Look for a meal plan posting later today.
March 2, 2010
I have a tiny pantry, but it has pull-out shelves that enable me to cram more than I should be able to in a very slender space. I was reorganizing my baking supplies the other day and found a 3.5-oz. bag of cooked, shelled chestnuts that I bought because they were on sale for 99 cents. Turns out, it was no bargain.
I decided to chop the chestnuts into a cookie, and I used these Back Bay Chestnut Cookies as inspiration. I’m sure the recipe didn’t expect my chestnuts to be a little mushy, and practically flavorless. I proceeded anyway, and used mini chocolate chips instead of the golden raisins.
The result was a cakey cookie, which on the day they were baked were OK with a cup of coffee, but not something I’d make again. The chestnut flavor was imperceptible (I believe this is due to the quality of my ingredients, not the recipe itself), but I did enjoy the combination of cinnamon and chocolate. The flavor actually reminded me of biscotti, though the texture was much softer than that. A. ate one but didn’t ask for more; G. had a bite and then told me he was full. Full of cookies! Impossible! I think he just couldn’t wrap his head around not liking a chocolate chip cookie.
By the second day, the chopped chestnuts had hardened, and were out of place in the soft surroundings. On the third day I threw the rest out. Next time, straight chocolate chip cookies — I promise.
February 24, 2010
The boys were off from school last week, and had two nights’ worth of sleepovers at their grandparents’ houses. That enabled J. and I to slip away for a mid-week dinner date at Peter Luger’s in Brooklyn, which I think I enjoyed more for the fun of being out on a weeknight and coming home to an empty house than the food. Although, I am still thinking about the warm pecan pie with schlag (whipped cream).
The bit of cooking I did do was using new recipes: Chana Masala, a chickpea curry which is just bursting with spices and tastes great the next day too; and Hot & Sour Soup, which will remind you of the dish you’d get from a Chinese restaurant, but is easy enough to make in your own home.
This week I am looking forward to a little baking: I’m trying an Overnight Coffee Cake recipe to bring to a baby shower, and I may bake cookies for the boys as well.
Monday: Roasted chicken with carrots and onions, ciabatta rolls
Tuesday: Hot & Sour Soup (leftovers from the freezer), Bob’s Cold Sesame Noodles (I will leave some noodles plain for the boys), steamed broccoli
Wednesday: Order in pizza
Thursday: Farro and Roasted Butternut Squash, steamed broccoli, challah
Friday: Dijon Egg Salad, challah, garden salad
Saturday: Bean-less Chili (made with stew meat — I’m making it up as I go along), salad, corn bread (bumped from last week)
Sunday: Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Mushrooms & Brussels Sprouts, mac & cheese for the boys
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
February 21, 2010
Carol’s recipe for Hot & Sour Soup is perfect for a cook like me: it’s evocative of a dish I enjoy in restaurants, but it’s simplified so it’s easy to find everything you need to cook it on your regular grocery run. I like the chance to cook with authentic ingredients sometimes, but for me at least a reasonable approximation of an ethnic dish is usually just fine. (Kevin at Closet Cooking researched traditional recipes for his Chinese Hot & Sour Soup, which includes harder-to-find ingredients such as dried lily buds, if you are able to get your hands on specialty groceries.)
I used my homemade chicken stock and generally followed Carol’s recipe, though I used .75 oz. of reconstituted shitake mushrooms in addition to a couple of cups of baby bellas. I also used 2 Tbsp. of ground ginger (from a jar), added straight into the soup for flavor. The scallions aren’t just for garnish, they add a nice bite to the overall flavor so don’t leave them out.
Overall I really enjoyed this soup, and with the egg, tofu, and very generous amount of mushrooms it’s very filling. I don’t think I’ve ever used vinegar in a soup before, so the flavor was very different than what I usually make and I really enjoyed that change. It definitely reminded me of hot & sour soup from a Chinese restaurant, though not as gelatinous and much more mushroom-y (for me, that’s a good thing). Next time I will tone down the mushrooms and add bamboo shoots as well. You can also garnish with additional red pepper flakes for a little more heat — I did, and my gums still feel a little warm from it!
February 20, 2010
A. ran into Bed, Bath & Beyond with me the other day and noticed these cute thermal cups made by Copco immediately. “Mom, look… coffee!” he said. Sadly for me, they were not filled with coffee, but these insulated, BPA-free travel mugs are designed to look like a disposable cup from your favorite coffee shop. They hold 16 oz. of coffee, which is the same size as a Starbucks grande, and are dishwasher-safe.
I am totally in love with my mug, which has a brown band like this photo (the BB&B site sells them in all different colors; in the store they only had brown and pink). Over the past several months I have found it more convenient to make coffee at home in the morning rather than stopping to buy it while I’m out, and the take-away shape of both this cup and lid make my home-brewed coffee feel a little more fun… even decadent. For $7.99 (and use one of those ubiquitous BB&B 20% off coupons), you can hardly go wrong with this little gem. I am tempted to buy more of these cups in different colors, but I am not ready to put my already-loved Tim Horton’s travel mugs (gifts from Jodi!) out of service.
February 20, 2010
Previous page
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two boys, ages 4 and 6, and husband. Trying to feed my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 