AUNT SONIA'S SPECIAL TUNA CASSEROLE

Today's recipe is being posted by special request for my two favorite nieces, Kayla and Emily. My mother Skyped me today to ask for my Tuna Casserole Recipe. Apparently, Kayla remembers me making a great Tuna Cassarole once. So this one is from memory...here goes. Emily, please take a nice picture of it for me so that I can post it on my blog here. Thanks.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Onion chopped very fine(even though the kids won't like it)
• 2 Stalks of celery also chopped fine
• 1 Small bag of frozen mixed peas and carrots
• 1/2 Bag of egg noodles
• 1 BIG can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup--the family size kind
• 3 Small cans of albacore tuna fish in water (honestly, I play it by ear; use as much as suits your taste)
• 1 Cup of milk
• 2 Cups of shredded parmesan cheese or swiss (or any other cheese you have; its nice to have a flavorful cheese here)
• 1 Small bag of Ruffles potato chips (Wavy or with Ridges)
• Salt, Pepper, and Parsely to taste

DIRECTIONS:


1. Boil salted water for egg noodles.
2. In the meantime, lightly saute onion and celery for about 5 minutes until transluscent but not brown.
3. When water boils for egg noodles, cook them until nearly done. In the last minute or so of cooking, add frozen peas and carrots. Bring to a boil again, then strain and set aside.
4. In large casserole dish mix: cooked noodles and veggies, sauteed veggies, soup, milk, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and season to taste. Don't worry if it seems too runny or wet with soup, the noodles will soak it up.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes to heat through.
6. Remove from oven and add remaining cup of cheese to top and sprinkle crushed potato chips on the top. And Grandma, don't be skimpy with the potato chips and cheese on top. Its not low-fat so its good! Bake in the oven until it begins to brown and get bubbly at the top.




Let sit about 5 minutes before serving. Goes great with a crusty piece of bread or a small salad on the side. Enjoy kids! And, Emily...don't forget my picture!

SOUTHWESTERN BLACK BEAN SOUP

One of my Sunday staples is soup! Soups are both healthy and easy to make but not always practicle for one person unless you freeze small servings for later. I've purchased a bunch of those large and small round tupperware containers with the twist on tops and not only do they fit nicely in the freezer, I don't worry about spillage when I transport them to work.


This week I had the craving for black bean soup so here is my attempt after a bit of research, trying to use up as many vegatables as possilbe, and some creativity. This soup was more like a stew or a chili when finished: thick, hearty, and full of veggies.


If you don't have all the ingredients, feel free to omit. I would try not to omit the lime, cumin, cilantro, and especially not the black beans.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large onion chopped
• Olive oil
• 3 Stalks of celery chopped
• 3 Carrots chopped
• 3 Cloves of garlic minced
• 3 Peppers (I prefer one yellow, one, red, and one orange)
• 1 Jalapeno pepper
• 1 32 oz. Container of low salt vegetable stock
• 2 Cans of Ro-Tel mild diced tomatoes and green chilies (drained)
• 4 Cans of black beans (undrained)
• Juice of 1-2 limes (your preference)
• 2 Cups of frozen corn
• 1/3 Cup of fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 Tsp of cumin
• 5 Shakes of cayenne pepper or chili powder
• Chopped scallions for garnish
• Dollop of sour cream for garnish

DIRECTIONS:


1. Saute chopped onion and minced garlic on med-lo heat in a large soup pot for 5-7 minutes until transluscent but not brown.
2. While onions and garlic are cooking: chop carrots, celery,  and peppers. When onions and garlic are finished, add carrots, celery, and peppers to saute. Saute lightly for about 3 minutes.
3. Add stock, diced tomatoes, beans, and lime juice to saute pot. Bring to a light boil.
4. When boil is reached, add corn.
5. Add cilantro, cumin, and cayenne pepper and boil gently for about 15 minutes.  Boil longer if you like softer vegatables.
6. Take out about 4 cups of soup and blend lightly in a blender. Add back to soup.
7. Garnish bowls of soup with light sour cream, chives, and/or cilantro. Serve with crusty whole wheat organic bread or baked tortilla chips. I prefer Guiltless Gourmet All Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips (baked and made with organic corn) and Plocky's Louisiana Peppa Red Beans 'n Rice Tortilla Chips (also whole grain).


VARIATIONS:

1. Serve over rice.
2. Serve with rice in a wrap. Add chopped lettuce or cabbage.
3. Serve in a wrap with diced chicken and lettuce or cabbage.
4. Serve over salad with diced chicken, and tomatoes or salsa.
5. Make a healthy version of a Mexican pizza. Spread a bit of barbeque sauce on a whole wheat flat bread, then a scoop or two of bean soup served with a slatted spoon, light cheddar, salsa or tomatoes, corn, shredded chicken. Warm in the oven till heated through and bread toasted and crisp. Add cold shredded lettuce to the top.