Tuesday 2 May 2023

Good Old Comforting Tuna Noodle Casserole!

  


 

Ingredients:

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 to 2 tablespoons butter to grease a 9x13-inch pan

a 12-ounce bag of dried egg noodles

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced

2 teaspoons of capers, rinsed and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste.

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups vegetable stock

1 cup half-and-half

¼ cup white wine

1 pound of tuna canned in water. Drain the tuna and use a fork to flake it.

1 cup frozen vegetables, par-cooked

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

About 3 or 4 scallions, sliced

2 cups plain panko bread crumbs mixed with

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

Directions:


Heat the oven to 375 ° F and grease the 9x13 pan with the 1 to 2 tablespoons butter.

 

Cook the noodles according to package directions until they reach the al dente stage. Drain and set aside.

 

While the pasta is cooking, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven. Add the celery and onion and cook over medium heat while stirring. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. 


Add the mushrooms and cook while stirring, about another 5 minutes. 


Add the capers and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 ½ minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.


Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, reduce the heat, and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. 


Add the stock, the half and half and the wine, and bring to a boil.

 

Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring until the sauce has thickened, about 7 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.

 

Stir in the tuna, the vegetables, the scallions, the parsley, and the dill. Taste to check if the seasonings need to be corrected.

 

Add the noodles and toss well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the panko bread crumbs and the cheese on top, and bake, uncovered, until the tuna noodle casserole is it's bubbly, about 25 minutes.

 

Monday 23 January 2023

Fillo Cigars: Greek "Cigar" Appetizers with Spinach and Feta Cheese




Ingredients:

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 scallions sliced thinly; use the white and light green parts only 

16 ounces/500 grams spinach, chopped 

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons chopped dill

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped mint

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 egg, beaten

Olive oil as needed

sesame seeds

16 ounces / 500 grams of fillo, thawed 


Directions:

In a skillet, over medium heat, add the onion and cook for about a minute. Add the spinach and cook for about 5 minutes, until the water from the spinach has evaporated. Add the scallions and stir.  

Remove from the heat, and add the beaten egg, salt and pepper, feta cheese, dill, parsley, chives, and mint. Mix well.

Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Unfold the fillo. To keep it from drying out, cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Remove one sheet of fillo and place it on a work surface. Brush the top half of the fillo with olive oil and fold the non-oiled half onto the oiled half. Cut the fillo sheet in half lengthwise to create two rectangle fillo sheets. 

Place about a teaspoon of filling on each phillo sheet and roll up into a tight cylinder that resembles a cigar. Place the fillo cigar on the baking pan, seam side down. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Repeat this process with the rest of the fillo. 

Bake for 10 minutes, until the top of the fillo is golden. 

Serve the cigars on their own or with tzatziki sauce.