SALMON NOODLE CASSEROLE

 

I have always liked a noodle casserole dish; it is comfort food. Cooking a dish that includes protein, vegetables and noodles makes a good supper when served with a starter or side salad. I wanted to make a dish that is not high in carbohydrates or calories. Specially I was looking for a dish that would count as two carbohydrate servings based on serving size. Both the DH and I are watching our intake of carbohydrates. I find that 85 grams of uncooked pasta generally provides four servings of carbohydrates and if cooking for two, the split works out well. 

I have made this dish either using salmon or tuna and both work in this recipe. I use a few different kinds of vegetables and you can add or vary what you add. For example, you could add some green peas or shredded carrots or sliced mushrooms. Instead of adding a shell style pasta, I will sometimes break the spaghetti in threes when adding to the boiled water. Breaking the spaghetti into smaller pieces makes it easier to combine with the other ingredients. I do add Parmesan cheese and Panko crumbs to the top of the casserole before baking as it provides a nice crispy crunch. I still use some favourite Corel baking dishes that have lasted for quite a number of years. 

You can see how it browns on top and makes a nice crispy finish. 

SERVES 2 to 3 depending on appetite. 

INGREDIENTS:

85 grams uncooked pasta, eg shells or spaghetti

1 tbsp oil for sautéing  

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of Paprika

Canned salmon or tuna, 213 gram can/7.5 oz, drained

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or other favorite cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Panko crumbs (optional)

Medium size casserole or baking pan

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease/oil a medium size casserole dish or baking pan. Set the dish aside.

Heat a pot of water to boil and add the pasta. If using spaghetti, I like to break the spaghetti into small pieces when adding to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the pasta until a la dente. 

While the pasta is cooking the vegetables can be sautéed. Add the oil to a non-stick frying pan and heat the pan to medium high. Add the onions, celery and pepper and reduce heat to medium. Sauté for five minutes. Once the vegetables are soft, reduce the heat to low. Add the spinach and combine.  

Mix the flour, milk, salt, pepper and paprika in a small bowl. Add to the frying pan and combine. If the sauce is too thick add some water from the pot cooking the pasta. Add the canned salmon or tuna to the frying pan. Combine with the sauce and vegetables. Drain the water from the pasta. Add the pasta and the grated cheddar cheese to the frying pan. Combine well. 

Pour the salmon vegetable pasta mixture into the casserole dish. Smooth the contents across the baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese across the top of the casserole and sprinkle some Panko crumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the casserole bubbles and the top gets crispy. Serves 2 to 3 people. 

CRUSTLESS QUICHE

 

After seeing the crustless quiches my sister-in-law makes for weekend brunches, I was enticed to make them for a supper meal. There are a variety of vegetables you can use for quiches, it depends on what you have in the fridge and your taste preferences. The quiche can be baked several ways including a muffin tin, a casserole dish or using a mini loaf pan. My sister-in-law uses silicon mini loaf pans but I didn’t have those so I used a silicon muffin tin that has deep wells. It worked well. I found one quiche served along with other cooked vegetables filling; the DH ate two quiches. Leftovers can be eating over the next few days and they store well in the fridge. They can also be wrapped and individually frozen for those times you need a make a quick meal and want something healthy.

Prep and cooking time: one hour

Makes 6 quiches 

Ingredients:

5 eggs

1 medium potato, cooked and chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 bunch of broccoli, chopped

1/2 coloured pepper, chopped

1 to 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach

6 slices of cheese; eg cheddar, mozzarella 

3 large cherry tomatoes, halved 

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the potato in the microwave until soft. I find five minutes is enough cooking time in the microwave. Let cool. Once it cools, the potato can be chopped.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease/oil a muffin baking tin. I used a silicon muffin tin and didn’t oil it beforehand. I also used a deep welled muffin tin.

Crack the eggs into a medium size bowl and gently beat them. Set aside.

Heat a non stick frying pan to medium high on the stove. I added a bit of oil to the pan. Add onion, mushrooms, broccoli and coloured pepper to the pan. Sauté on medium high for about a minute and reduce the heat to medium low. Sauté for another four minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Add the potato and spinach and cook until the spinach softens. Turn the stove off and remove the pan from the burner.

Add the sautéed vegetables to the bowl with the eggs. Combine well. Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin wells. Place a cheese slice over the mixture and then top each one with half a cherry tomato.  If you want it cheesy, add more cheese to each muffin well. 

Bake for 25 minutes until the quiche is cooked. Cooking time will vary based on your oven and whether you use regular heat or convection heat. I used convection heat and 25 minutes for baking worked well. Makes 6 size quiches.