Another tasty tuna melt

Yesterday I shared one of my favorite tuna melt recipes. Well, here’s another!

Another Tasty Tuna Melt

Thick sliced bread
Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Mustard
Clove of garlic, mashed
Tuna
Capers
Avocado, sliced
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Mix the olive oil through the garlic in a deep glass measuring cup or bowl and beat with an immersion blender to create an emulsion. Or you can just whisk it really well. Mix the dressing with the tuna and capers. Place thin slices on avocado on slices of bread, and pile on the tuna. Add cheese and wrap sandwiches in foil to heat, or grill them.

A tastier tuna melt

The tuna melt, the iconic luncheon pick in diners all across the land. I love a good tuna melt, and here’s a way to make it a little more grownup and tasty. I like to either wrap them in foil and melt them in the oven or on the grill, or even better, skip the foil and do them on an indoor grill or panini press.

Tasty Tuna Melt

Thick sliced bread
Tuna
Scallions, chopped
Capers
Parsley, chopped
Lemon juice
Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Mix the tuna with the scallions through lemon juice. Pile it high on slices of bread and top with cheese. Add another slice of bread and wrap in foil to heat or grill.

Beef and linguine casserole (OAMC)

Beef and linguine casserole makes a great freezer meal! You can double, triple, or whatever this recipe so that one is ready tonight and more are ready for another day :-) The basics of Once A Month Cooking (OAMC) can be found at the link, and I’ve got other great OAMC recipes here.

Beef and Linguine Casserole

8 oz cottage cheese
1 c plain yogurt
8 oz cream cheese

1-1/2 lb ground beef
Green pepper, chopped
Onion, chopped
Salt
15 oz can of tomato sauce

16 oz linguine

1/4 to 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To make and serve immediately:
Mix the cottage cheese, yogurt, and cream cheese together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Brown the ground beef with the peppers, onions, and salt. At the same time, boil up the linguine to the al dente stage. Drain well and add to the cheese mixture while still hot. Place the linguine mixture into a large casserole and top with the meat mixture. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes at 350, top with parmesan cheese and serve.

To freeze and serve later:
Prepare the cheese mixture and place it in a freezer container. Do the same with the meat mixture. Do not prepare the linguine or grated cheese until time to assemble and cook. Freeze for later.

To serve, thaw the bags in the fridge overnight. Boil up the linguine, grate the cheese, and follow the instructions for assembly above. Cook for 30 minutes at 350 until hot, top with parmesan cheese and serve.

Chicken with spicy marmalade sauce

Even though Mike doesn't care for marmalade too much (he says he'd rather spread the toast with shortening before using marmalade, can you believe it?), he agreed that this dish went into the "to have again" file.

If you start with chicken tenders or if you cut up your chicken breasts during once a week prep time, and already have pre-cooked rice on hand, this dish will be ready in under 20 minutes. If you have to boil up the rice, you'll still have a thirty minute meal if you use Arborio rice.

Chicken with Spicy Marmalade Sauce

Olive oil
Shallot, diced

1 lb chicken tenders
1 c chicken stock
2 T wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
2 T marmalade
1 t cornstarch
Salt and pepper

Green vegetables of your choice, chopped (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc)

Grated orange zest for garnish
Pre-cooked Arborio rice

In a heavy skillet or wok, saute the shallots. Mix the stock through the salt and pepper in the pan and add the chicken. Bring to a low boil. When the chicken is almost done, add the vegetables and cover to steam them. Serve over rice.

Black eyed peas dahl

Most of the time, we think of dahl as being made out of lentils or split peas, but other legumes can stand in too. We particularly like this mildly spicy dahl made from black eyed peas. I used the canned form to save time, but if you’ve got the time to soak and cook up the dried beans, the meal will be even more inexpensive.

Black eyed peas dahl

Ghee or mild vegetable oil
4 whole cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 small onion, chopped
1 T fresh ginger, minced
6 to 8 oz plain yogurt
2 cans (15 oz) of black eyed peas
1/2 t ground tumeric
1/4 t ground red pepper
1/2 t garam masalah (prepared or my favorite mix)
2 t coriander
Salt to taste

In a large heavy skillet with a cover, saute the cinnamon and cloves for a few minutes. Add the onions and ginger and saute until golden. Drop the heat and add the yogurt and beans. Add the spices. Heat through and remove from heat. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes. Serve over rice if desired, as a side or main dish.

Maryland crab soup

When we went to Winterfest in Ocean City, MD, this year, I had an amazing bowl of Maryland Crab Soup. Since then, I've been working at recreating it. I think I've gotten it just about as close as it's going to get. I've got some optional ingredients listed in this recipe, because I think everyone has a different idea about what makes a perfect soup. I like mine thick and stew-like, so I added some tomato paste.

Maryland Crab Soup

28 oz can stewed tomatoes
2 c beef broth
1 c baby peas
1 c corn kernels
1 c carrots, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 T Old Bay Seasoning
2 t Worcestershire sauce
12 oz Crab meat
Water or tomato paste as needed
Tabasco sauce

Put tomatoes through seasonings into a pot. Heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the crabmeat and simmer 10-15 minutes longer. Add water or tomato paste as needed. Serve hot with Tabasco on the side.

Pork chops with orange and fennel stir fry

Oh. My. Gosh. These are the tastiest pork chops you've ever had, as long as you don't overcook them. I highly recommend using a meat thermometer so as not to go overboard.

Pork Chops with Orange and Fennel Stir Fry

2 large seedless oranges, supremed

3 T orange juice
2 t lemon juice
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t cornstarch

Olive oil
4 pork chops
Salt and pepper
Fennel seeds

Large fennel bulb, chopped thinly
Shallot, chopped
3 - 4 c fresh baby spinach or other dark green

Supreme the oranges and set them aside. Mix the juices through the cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside. Season the pork chops and fry in olive oil, being careful not to overcook. Remove them from the pan and set them aside. Quickly stir fry the fennel and shallots in the pan. Add the greens and wilt them, adding the reserved sauce.

Place the vegetable mixture on the plates, top with a chop and some orange slices.