This really isn't your Grandmother's TUNA CASSEROLE a post with lot's of secrets

I pondered and pondered how to make this pretty...


All I ended up with was a really pretty GREAT tuna casserole (but an ugly photo).



You have been reading along, right?


Remember this post, Marinara Sauce - This Time it IS Your Italian Grandmother's Red Gravy?  It doesn't show it, but the pasta above (and the tuna) just sucked up the sauce.  The entire batch made (using 3 pounds of tomatoes) was used.  The secret is in the sauce for any pasta dish.



Remember this post, Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa and a Tour of the KC Farmer's market?  I showed this photo of the artisan pasta seller's stand.  I couldn't resist.  I bought a bag of LEMON PARSLEY ribbon pasta.  The kind with the wavy edges.  I like the wavy edges.  First, it looks so much better, but also (more importantly), the wavy edges help to grip the sauce.  Like I said, the secret is in the sauce, but if you get a good pasta, in the best shape, that could be a little bit of a secret too.


So, I knew I was making sauce.  I had a big bag of top notch pasta.  Only question was what the final dish would be.  On the way home from the market, I asked Jackie (communication, that is a secret of a happy marriage).  I was horrified when she said she would really like a tuna casserole.


I suffered a flashback while driving that potentially could have caused a train reaction crash shutting down a key artery of the nation's Interstate Highway system.  The ghosts of hideous tuna casseroles past seized my mind. My brother and I would hide the monthly Better Homes and Garden Magazine, praying that my sainted mother would not make another hot tuna dish (their secret was usually Velveeta or Cream of Mushroom soup... I threw up in my mouth a little when I remembered the infamous March 1969 issue that featured a tuna casserole with the soup and topped by the processed cheese food).


But, as the T-shirt says, "When Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" (T-shirts often extol secrets.  Some days when my life has no direction, I hang out at Wal-Mart to read advice.  But I digress).  So, I swallowed the bile building in the back of my throat, and agreed.


But I had one secret in my back pocket... Internet Search Engines!


Long story short (too late), I found this recipe that would use not only the tomatoes that I had bought, but also the half pound of Kalamata Olives I had bought at the market.


And not a can of soup in sight.


So, here's the original link (a NY Times recipe).  But of course I made a few changes... 


Here's what I did...


Made 6 servings

2 packages of Albacore Tuna in water (sorry, I don't remember the size, but the packages are pretty standard one size fits all)
2 TBS Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic (smashed and minced)
1 batch of Marinara Sauce - This Time it IS Your Italian Grandmother's Red Gravy.  Again, I don't have a volume amount.  The recipe in the link was totally used in this recipe.  I am guessing it is about 2 to 3 cups.
1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted and sliced in half
1/2 pound of Pasta, I used a Parsley Lemon Artisan Pasta
Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese to taste
Ground Pepper to taste


Note: No extra salt should be added to the recipe.  the Olives are packed in a brine, and add all the salt taste you need.  Also, I used a generous amount of "Not Your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence", my herb mix that I always have a little baggy of around the house, in my Marinara Sauce - This Time it IS Your Italian Grandmother's Red Gravy.  You may want to add extra herbs (parsley, dill, thyme, etcetera) if you use a jar sauce (but don't, be a cook and grab some cheap tomatoes, save money and make your own... but I digress)...


Cook the sauce
Cook the pasta
Mix everything
Top with Cheese, Olives and Pepper


And OMG... OMG... OMG...


The secret is a little bit in the sauce, but the real secret to this dish is the Olives.  Salty, spicy and amazing.  I mean really amazing.  Totally unexpected how really good this recipe is.  And shhh, don't spread this secret around, but imagine how healthy this is.  Lots of veggies in the sauce, tuna for protein and vitamins, health benefits of Olive Oil and Garlic... This has it all.


But that doesn't matter as much as the taste.


The secret is in the taste!


Sorry Mom, but this is not my Mother's Tuna Casserole.





And speaking of tomatoes, come back tomorrow, I'll share a rich thick hearty (and cheap this time of year), Tomato Soup, no wait, actually it is a bisque, but I'll explain that next post...

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Marinara Sauce - This Time it IS Your Italian Grandmother's Red Gravy

This is one of those "application" posts.  In order to make dish B, I need to make dish A.  This is dish A, but tomorrow I have an amazing dish B...

Here's dish B, with the addition of the sweetness and richness of fresh Kalamata Olives, as well as the residual brine and oil they were shipped in, makes this tuna casserole, "Not your Grandmother's Tuna Casserole".  But that's a post for tomorrow.


I like to use phrases like, "Not your Grandmothers's..." (Like my "Not your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence").  Often, with availability of ingredients, new fangled cooking appliances or even building on years of other cooks experimenting, updated recipes really are better.  But also often, all you are really doing is dressing up a classic that doesn't really need to be dressed up.


And marinara sauce is one of those things that really doesn't need much of a dressing up.  Tomatoes are everywhere now.  Cheap; $2.50 a pound is the going rate for sorted, top quality, and as little as a dollar for a bag if you are willing to take fluctuating sizes, a few bruises and variations in color.  For this recipe, grab the dollar a bag ones.  In fact, grab 5 or 6 bags.  Make a big batch, freeze in bags of 1 cup size each bag and you will be very glad you did.  February is just around the corner.  I don't think my wife will take me to the tropics this year.  But with a few bags of these in the freezer, next winter, I can take my wife to the Mediterranean.  Well, at least her taste buds.


Need I add that this bounty all came from my Farmer's Market.  If you missed it, I did a photo review of the Kansas City River Market.  Click HERE to see one of the best in the country.


And you don't need much to make this thick rich sauce.  All "real food", nothing zingy.  But deep rich flavors will add all the zing you need.


1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 clove Garlic, smashed and minced
3 pounds ripe Tomatoes (a $1 bag), skins removed
1 tsp sugar
and a few leaves of Basil
2 TBS "Not your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence"   
or, use the herbs you like, thyme, rosemary, lavender, whatever you please.  My  "Not your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence" herb mixture works great, and since I always have a little bag of it handy, easy and fast, and is a ready made batch of the herbs I like.

Removing the skins is an easy thing to do.  Get a pot of water boiling, and have a bowl with ice water handy.  Cut an X into the top (not the vine end, the other end)just enough to break the skin.  Plunge them into the boiling water for only 15 seconds.  You want the outside to cook just a shade, but not so hot that the inside starts to cook.  Remove and plunge into the ice bath.  The skin peals easily now.


Smashing and mincing garlic is just as easy.  Take a wide chef's knife, put a garlic clove between the flat of the knife and a cutting board and smash away with the flat of your hand.  Then just mince away.  Easy and fast!

And now, once all the prep work is done, it is finally time to cook.  In a big cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the minced garlic and sauté for just a few minutes. 


While that is working, rough cut the tomatoes into quarters.  Be careful and don't cut your hand, but best to quarter the tomatoes over the skillet. Every bit of juice you lose on the cutting board is just a bit less flavor.  Also, while you are cutting, remove any hard parts.  the stem end, and if the center is not ripe and red, pull it out.


Add a little sugar, add the "Not your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence" spices (or your own favorites) and stew away at a gentle simmer.  At a simmer, it takes about 45 minutes for the tomatoes to break down properly.  BUT, the longer you allow them to simmer, the sweeter the sauce will be.  I was doing other things around the house, and let mine cook for an hour and a half.  If you have less time, you can cook at a higher heat.  But keep an eye on them and stir often so they do not scorch.

And here it is after the hour and a half... All bubbly, sweet and filled with flavors.  I moved this in a couple of batches into a food processor and pulsed for just a few times to break it up.  At the last minute, add some fresh minced Basil leaf.  If you want a thin sauce, pulse a lot.  If you want a thicker sauce, no real need to pulse at all.  Me, i like the smooth even look, texture and taste of a thick but not chunky sauce.


Like This...





Can you stand a little history???  As originally printed in the WISEGEEK.COM site...

Marinara sauce originated with sailors in Naples in the 16th century, after the Spaniards introduced the tomato to their neighboring countries. The word marinara is derived from marinaro, which is Italian for “of the sea.” Because of this, many people mistakenly believe marinara sauce includes some type of fish or seafood. However, marinara sauce loosely translates as “the sauce of the sailors,” because it was a meatless sauce extensively used on sailing ships before modern refrigeration techniques were invented. The lack of meat and the sheer simplicity of making tasty marinara sauce were particularly appealing to the cooks on board sailing ships, because the high acid content of the tomatoes and the absence of any type of meat fat resulted in a sauce which would not easily spoil.

Even though marinara sauce has a reputation for being easy to make at home, there are currently several hundred different types of marinara offered on the market. Perhaps the increased popularity of marinara sauce is due to recent research which revealed that cooked tomatoes are rich with lycopene, an antioxidant which may help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

Written by A. B. Kelsey

 So, simple, fast, easy to make and much richer than the jars you get in the stores.  And CHEAPER!  Save a dollar here and 50 cents there, and you have the budget to buy those little extras (like Kalamata Olives that add so much extra flavor to a simple tuna casserole (well, not so simple actually)).  But, that's a post for another day


See you tomorrow for this...

 I will be submitting this to Two for Tuesday.  Join the fun, all the ask is that you submit a recipe using "Real Food", I've been dreaming of REAL FOOD.  Makes me cry just a little bit (Click HERE for 2 for Tuesday details)...
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Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa and a Tour of the KC Farmer's Market

I kind of felt obligated to include a recipe, since this is a food blog.  But really, this is a photo tour of the Kansas City River Market.  So, it will be a quick read (mostly photos and captions, but i will get to the recipe at the bottom of the page (all made with fresh ingredients bought at the Market!

Established in 1857, the farmer's market has been feeding fresh produce to the Kansas City area for over 150 years (and you thought we were just BBQ).

While of course, the produce is the main attraction, you can spy lots of fun things here.  Like this display of lawn decorations.

Life is just a little more ... nostalgic here.  No Wii or X-Box or high tch anything.  But the kids can take a ride around the parking lot in the barrel train, pulled by  John Deere Tractor.

But of course, the star of the day is the produce.  All the "regulars" are there, onions, bell peppers, potatoes and corn.  


Beans and Tomatoes... 




Most of the vendors are the family of the farmers.  How can you not buy something when the signs read, "hand picked yesterday"!


Makes you want a fresh salsa doesn't it???


Keep reading...

But look at these beauties.  It's not the neighborhood grocery store produce section.

But if you just want to enjoy the fruits of others labor, plenty of home baked goods for sale.  I like to make my own bread, but I was sure tempted by this ladies' Asiago/black Olive loaf.

May as well plan to come hungry.  Everyone gets samples of whatever you might like.  Breads, fruit, watermelon, even a little wine tasting place.

But again, more than produce.  Want to learn to grow tropical orchids?  This is the place.

Once a month this seller offers a class on, "How to Grow Orchids at Home".  Think this would brighten my kitchen?

But it is of course, all about the produce.

Of course, it could be just a little about the artisan Pasta Seller!

Even Lassie gets a booth to call her own, a table full of specialty dog biscuits.

This guy fires up his own sausages!

Look Ma... OLIVES!  Cheap, plentiful and a dozen imported Italian olives!

And what trip for me would be complete without a stop to say Hi to my beloved spice guy?


$1 for a half a cup of any spice you might want!

http://www.localharvest.org/

While I think The KC River Market is pretty special, I would bet that there is a Farmer's Market close to you.  They are worth the hunt.  A cook is only as good as his ingredients.  Fresh, local and cheap... What's not to love?  The link above, to Local harvest website offers a terrific service.  Just plug in your zip code and the closest market pops up.  A quick search for the KC area found over 30 markets.  Some are little more than a road side stand, and a couple are large almost River Market quality.  The site offers reviews so you know what you are getting into!


I would love to hear about (and read a review) of your next visit to your Farmer's Market.  Anyone want to share your hometown gem?


But really, don't you wish you lived in Kansas City???


And, as promised...

Everything came from the Market...


1 part Red Bell Pepper
1 part Vidalia Sweet Onion
1 part fresh Pineapple
2 parts Tomatoes
1/2 part Jalapeños 
1/2 part "Not Your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence"
Juice of 2 small limes (or one big one)
1/4 part fresh chopped Cilantro

Start dicing... try to make everything the same size (tiny is best).

Mix...





A dozen uses, sweet from the pineapple, a little touch of heat from the pepper and filled with fresh amazing flavors.  Top a burger, add to fish, serve as a side dish or just dip a bit with a Frito!
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Wasting Away in Strawberry Jell-O Shot Margaritaville

"Some people claim that there's a woman to blame...
But I know, It's my own damn fault"


Actually, there was a woman to blame for these.  It was the anniversary of my friend and neighbor's 29th birthday.  I was to provide the treats.  Sure, I made a cake...

A 4 tier red velvet cake thank you very much, but that's a post for tomorrow.  


Today, my specific instructions were to make treats for the party.  Jackie insisted that I make the cake, which was fine, but I had the most beautiful strawberries from my trip to the Farmer's Market (are you counting... fifth post in a row of pretty good stuff inspired by the market).  So, I made the cake to make Jackie happy, but these were the hit of the party.  Well, the first 20 minutes of the party anyway.

I found this recipe on the Kimberly Belle - Food Maven blog.  She tells a wonderful story about her history with jell-o.  But you'll have to hit the link to read her story.


But here's what I came up with from her inspiration...

• 3/4 pints Strawberries (hulled)
• 1 bunch Basil
• 4 cup Water
• Lime Juice from 1 fresh Lime
• 2 envelopes Knox Gelatin
• generous 1/3 cup Tequila
• 1/4 cup Cointreau
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• Fleur de sel (a brand of large grind salt.  Makes em look really pretty)

Make sure the tequila and Cointreau are well chilled in the freezer. Puree the heck out of the strawberries, so even the seeds get pureed as best you can. Add enough water to the berries to make a total of a little over 1 cup of liquid. Boil the lime juice, strawberries and water. Mix the gelatin with the sugar, and then slowly stir it into the boiling juices. Allow to cool to room temperature. Add the tequila and Cointreau. Pour into a baking pan, top with the basil leaves, and chill for 1 hour. Sprinkle with fleur de sel mixed with lime zest and chill overnight. Slice in the morning and serve.


I do love the instruction to serve in the morning.  Well, celebrate the kids going back to school anyway you chose.

Have a great weekend everyone, I have to go hunt down my lost shaker of salt.


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Blue and Yellow Corn Muffins from Bobby Flay - Stuffed with Farmer's Market finds!

Presentation and taste...


Mostly taste!  These little gems are Bobby Flay's Blue and Yellow Corn Muffins.  According to Bobby, these are the most consumed item at his MESA GRILL restaurants.  They are the hit of his bread basket.


And look close, Fresh sweet (really sweet) corn, red bell peppers and jalapeños add color, texture and taste. Out of the ordinary muffins to be sure.  And continues my streak of Farmer's market related posts.


Finding the blue corn meal can be a bit of a challenge.  There are plenty of places on the internet to order.  I found this at my neighborhood store.  Oddly enough, it was not on the shelf sitting next to "regular" corn meal, it was sitting in the gourmet food section.  So, you may need to hunt, but it does exist, and it is available.  Just start asking.


But, the blue is just for looks.  Tastes the same as yellow corn meal.  So, feel free to use this recipe with the easy to find stuff.


One other note, I use something called "Polenta Corn meal".  The ingredient list is exactly the same, but the color is much deeper yellow.  Tastes the same, just better presentation.

Makes 12 large muffins or 3 dozen little mini muffins...


Nonstick cooking spray
6 TBS Butter
1 cup fresh Sweet Corn kernels (can use frozen)
1/2 cup finely diced Red Onions
1/2 cup finely diced Red Bell pepper
1/2 cup smashed and chopped roasted Garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 jalapeño Chili Peppers, finely diced 
2 TBS finely chopped Cilantro
1 1/2 cup all-purpose Flour
1TBS Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/3 cups whole Milk
4 large Eggs
2 TBS Honey
1 cup Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup Blue Corn Meal


OK, before I get to the instructions, a bit of fair warning, if you compare the ingredient list to what is printed in the Mesa Grill Cookbook, there are a couple of little changes.  I doubled the amount of corn.  I like corn.  I like the looks of corn just busting out of these muffins when you break into one.  And the Kansas Sweet Corn right now is the best in the world.  I also roasted the garlic cloves (350 degree oven, rubbed with olive oil, wrapped in aluminum foil for 30 minutes).  The book says to mince the cloves.  I roast em, smash em with the blade of a knife and chop those.  The roasting adds deeper garlic flavor.  The smashing makes more of a paste, makes for a creamier taste.

1. Roast the garlic while you Mise en Place the veggies.  Start chopping.
2. Rack in the middle of the oven, preheated to 400 degrees.  Grease a 12 muffin pan, or mini muffin pans.  I was going to serve these with soup, so made mini muffins that worked great as croûtons.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.  Add the smashed and diced garlic.  Divide the mixture evenly between two bowls.
4. In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, eggs, red peppers, jalapeños, corn and cilantro.  Add half of the mixture in with each of the bowls containing the onion mixture.
5. Put the blue and yellow corn meal in separate bowls.  Add half the flour, baking powder and baking soda in with the corn meal.  Sprinkle a bit of salt in each.  Mix each corn meal mixture with the separate onion mix. 
6. Put a spoon full of each mixture side by side in a muffin mold.  Do not mix, as you want the Yin/Yang look.  Bake for 16 minutes (or for 14 minutes if you are making the mini muffins).
7. Serve with Farmer's Market Butternut Squash - Sweet Corn - Crab Bisque

Here's a few more photos to give you a better idea of how to make these...

Recipe #3 from the book.  Great to cook from, great to inspire (and even better to eat from!)


Bobby is a winner!

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Farmer's Market Butternut Squash - Sweet Corn - Crab Bisque

This was a special request.  On our last night on the island, we enjoyed a night out.  Sadly, what was promised as a bisque loaded with fresh Caribbean lobster meat was watery, thin, bland and worst, had a tablespoon (being generous) of meat.


We hit the Farmer's Market on Sunday and we were standing in front of the most beautiful display of summer squash.  Jackie was reminded of the last bisque I made.  Well, I live to please.

First, do you all know the difference between a bisque and a soup?  Pretty easy, soups have chunks of veggies, while a bisque is run through a blender or a processor so the entire soup is pureed.  This is actually a hybrid, I pureed the squash, onions, carrots, garlic and chicken broth in my food processor...


Que the Joanie Mitchel, Big Yellow Taxi cause, "You don't know what you've got till it's 2.500 miles away while you are sitting on a beach".  Food processor - is there a more useful kitchen appliance?  Have I mentioned my appreciation for my well stocked kitchen?  But I am musically digressing...


As I said, this is mostly bisque, but now is the season for sweet corn and I wanted to add that extra bit into the soup.  So, once most of the veggies were pureed, I added some corn.  Does this make it a soup???


Don't know, don't care, it makes it delicious!


Here's what I did...


4 cloves roasted Garlic (roasted heightens the flavor, just wrap in aluminum foil with a tad bit of Olive Oil, bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees)
3 TBS Butter
2 medium size Butternut Squash, peeled and seeded, rough dice
1 large yellow Onion, rough dice
4 large Carrots, peeled and diced
4 stalks of Celery, diced
3 cups Chicken Broth
2 TBS "Not Your Grandmother's Herbes de Provance" (herb mixture, use whatever you like, dill, rosemary, thyme... or, be a cook and make a batch of your own Herbes de Provance and have handy so that you can add this complicated mixture to your own soups easily... but I digress)
1 cup Half and Half
1 pound of Crab Meat
the Corn Kernels from 2 ears of Sweet Corn
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Cajun Spice Mix to taste (Better than Salt and Pepper)


This all comes together so fast and easy.  The vegetables (except for the corn) all get run through the food processor, so no need for precise cuts and dices.

1. Start the garlic roasting (foil, oil, 350 degree oven for 30 minutes)
2. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat
3. Start cutting and adding the vegetables, sauté as you go... Carrots first
4. Onion next
5. Squash next
6. Celery next
7. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes. It takes less than 5 minutes total to cut all the veggies.  If you are a slow cutter, you can do all that at once.  But honestly, just get the butter started and with the rough cuts, the veggies all get cut fast.  Just cut and add to the pot, cut and add.
8. Add the "Not Your Grandmother's Herbes de Provance"
9. Once the veggies are beginning to soften, and sweat out their liquids, add 3 cups of chicken broth (or stock). Cover the pot and reduce to simmer until the squash is tender (about 30 minutes).
10. While that is simmering, boil your corn for about 3 minutes only.  Slightly underdone, but the bisque will continue the cooking process.  After it cools for a bit, slice the kernels from the cob.
11. Dice the crab meat.
12. Grate your Parmesan Cheese
13. Here's the only slightly difficult part.  At the end of 30 minutes, add the 1/2 and 1/2 and the roasted garlic.  Pour about half of the soup in to your food processor and puree.  It took about 30 seconds to get the right consistency, just a little thick and visible tiny chunks.  Pour that into a bowl and repeat with the remaining soup.
14. Pour everything back into the soup pot, add the corn and 1/2 the crab meat and mix well and simmer for another 5 minutes to heat the corn and crab.
15. When you serve, garnish with cheese and the remaining crab meat.

While filled with flavors, there is not much seasonings.  Jackie loved this bisque as is.  Me, I added a couple tsp of my Cajun Spice Mix.  Added just a bit more of a kick.

Here are a couple photos to give you an idea of how it all comes together...

I love sweet corn right now.  So why not serve with a little cob of corn, real butter... killer!


This bisque is amazing.  The sweetness of the corn and crab meat really adds a wonderful taste.  Nice and thick, rich and meaty... Everything you should want in a bisque and everything a restaurant should serve (but didn't).


And best of all, all the veggies came from my Farmer's market visit.  Freshest ingredients possible!

I own the cookbook. 


I own his towels (really, Bobby Flay is selling towels at Kohls.  That BF is Bobby's logo).  


Now I know how to make Bobby Flay Mesa Grill Blue and Yellow Corn Muffins.  Look at all the corn, red peppers and jalapeños bursting through the wonderful presentation with the yin/yang look of the blue corn meal.


But that's going to be tomorrow's post.  




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