Tuna Casserole Anyone- Move Over Rachel Ray

Last night was The Cat Stevens Concert at The Vector. My beloved generously gave up his ticket to our friend Lana. About 5pm I thought I have better make him a tasty dinner.

Using pantry and fridge items I knocked up this very tasty Tuna and Rice dish all in just over 30 minutes.
Tuna, Mushrooms in a creamy sauce mixed with rice and covered with a cheesy crunchy  topping.
Oh yes

Rachel does it in under 30 minutes but my dish needed at least 25 minutes in the oven, but the prep was only about 12 minutes.

So
Heat the oven to 180C
1 cup rice( long grain)
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 onion finely chopped
5 mushrooms sliced
1 tbs flour
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Sprinkle oregano
Pinch chili flakes
Chicken stock about 1 cup
50 mls cream
1 can tuna ( (i always use Tuna in Olive oil
Grated cheese
Potato Chips

Put the rice into a pot of boiling salted water
Cook for about 8 minutes
Drain and leave till needed

Meanwhile, while the rice is cooking
In a frying pan
Add butter
Onions saute till soft
Add mushrooms cook about 4 minutes
Add flour, oregano S & P and chili flakes 
Stir and cook for a minutes or two.
Add chicken stock stir till thickened
Simmer about 3 minutes
Add good dash of cream

Add can tuna
Add cooked drained rice
Into casserole dish

Crumble potato chips over the top
Cover with grated cheese

Into oven about 25 minutes till all bubbly with a crisp top

Yum

By the way Yussuf (aka Cat) was sensational. good trade dinner for a ticket.

Corn Muffins - Dealing with Wheat and Dairy Free

Thought I would make some corn muffins. I wanted to trial them for Thursday to accompany the Soup Lunch for the Juice Staff.
They look and taste just fine. I used spelt flour and rice milk. Don't forget we are talking wheat free not gluten free.
Added some chili and sauteed onion. I think I will add some frozen corn, a larger onion and some coriander, when I make them on Thursday, for a bit of extra flavour.
They would be great with some feta crumbled in I reckon... but there ya go.

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup spelt flour
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup rice bran oil
1 small onion finely chopped
1 red chili finely chopped
1 cup vanilla rice milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.

Take a tablespoon of the oil and gently saute the onions and chili, till just soft
In a large bowl, mix together corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add egg, oil onion, chili and milk;
Stir gently to combine.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, (18 minutes did it for me)
or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
So far so good

Warm and inviting, an excellent crumb, light and very good.

A blob of melted butter, dripping off it would be very nice!

Rich Fabulous Lasagne

I am fond of making lasagne and I saw Lidia make her version, on her programme "Lidia's Italian Table". Food TV.
This sauce is the slow cooking, tomato, meat ragout. The first time this kind of beautiful sauce passed my lips was in 1968 in Paris staying with our new best friends Roy and Jeanne Nunn. We met them in Venice whilst camping at the Lido. We were very impressed with them... in particular for all of the canned food they had in their car. A direct quote from my Letter to Sandy dated October 1968
"We met some Americans who kindly put us up in Paris.
We lived like Kings with them there, also or with them camping as he works at the US Embassy and they can shop at the PX… need I say more. America cans everything, and they had it all in the boot of their car. Chili Con Carne. Cobs of Corn vacuum packed Well!!"

When they did kindly put us up in Paris, Jeanne (of Italian descent) cooked her Grandma's (I think it was) Ragout. It cooked for hours and was amazing. married to the lovely Wendy.

So Lidia's sauce is up there with it. By the way the dish got a big thumbs up from the grandchildren, on the Thursday night Dinner.

Below Roy and Jeanne with Dale in Rome, we traveled down from Venice with them and spent our time in Rome, on the Camping Ground at the beach. Managed to fit in a bit of sightseeing.

 So onto the lasagne.


First the sauce
2 large onion peeled and sliced
Olive oil
500 gms beef mince (you can use a mix of pork and mince)
2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch Red Chili flakes
2 bay leaves
Good sprinkle oregano
White wine
2 cans good tomatoes

1 pottle tomato paste (140 gms)

Soften onions in olive oil
Season S & P
Remove, set aside add beef mince and brown
Season
Put onions back in
Add garlic stir through
Add herbs and chili flakes
Good slosh of white wine to deglaze

Pop tomatoes through food mill or pulse them in food processor
Into pot
Add tomato paste
Check seasoning and adjust if necessary
Leave to simmer at least 1 1/2 hours even up to 2 hours
If it gets too thick add a little water.

You will also need
Lasagne sheets
300 gms ricotta
1 egg
Parmesan
Mozzarrella
This Mozzarella works really well. Good product

I haven't put the quantities of the Parmesan and Mozzarella
Just have plenty on hand

Plus you need to make a Bechamel sauce
2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1 cup milk (warm)
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and pepper
Nutmeg (freshly grated)
Parmesan Cheese

Melt butter and stir in flour

Cook out for a few minutes
Season S & P
Add warmed milk and bay leaf
Stir till thickened
Add grated nutmeg to taste
Remove bay leaf and add a good handful of grated Parmesan

Meanwhile beat egg and add to ricotta


NOW, after all that
To assemble
Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of your dish
Place lasagne sheets to cover
Then plenty sauce and sprinkle grated Parmesan
Lasagne
Ricotta Mix and more Parmesan

Lasagne
Slices of Mozzarella

A drizzle of the sauce
More Parmesan

Lasagne
Final layer of sauce

Then top with Bechamel sauce

If you want to freeze this... cook at 180C covered with foil for about 25 minutes
Cool and Freeze
To finish, thawed is best and then it will need about another 20 minutes covered
And about 15 minutes, uncovered to bubble the top.
It is best to let it rest at least 30 minutes, before serving, it is easier to portion and once again
Piping hot food is not the best way to get flavour.

If you want to cook straight away
40 minutes covered in foil
20 minutes uncovered
Either way a winner.

Carrot Cakes and a New Look at the Girdle Scone

I popped on a recipe for Girdle Scones a few posts ago... click here to get original recipe.
Yesterday, another rainy rotten day, was soup day and I didn't want to just make toast.

Lets go Girdle Scones, quick and easy, no oven necessary.
The recipe I have, requires yogurt or sour cream and milk.
No sour cream or yogurt, but I did have some double cream and if you squeeze some lemon juice into cream It makes sour cream Yes?

Well what a find...How simple is this?

1 cup plain flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 salt
1/2 cup cream with a squeeze of lemon juice


Sift flour, Baking powder and salt
Mix cream
Add to flour
Mix with a knife
Then start kneading lightly with your hands.
Roll out into a circle on a floured bench

Onto a girdle... or in these days a non stick heavy based pan

Cook about 4 minutes 1 side
turn and then cook another 4 minutes

Onto a rack to cool
When I cracked it open, I was so delighted with the texture of the scone

So flaky
I gave away the soup idea and stuffed my helping with Ham and Swiss cheese

Obviously, not good if you want Lo-Cal
BUT sensational.

It's Thursday and all the Grandchildren come here for dinner.
Its a fun time for us all.


I pick them up from their respective schools, each one, somewhere different
and I am always wanting to make something new for them
So I saw these little cakes being baked on Everyday Baking a Martha Stewart programme
Once again very simple

 Carrot Cup Cakes (Makes 12)

Pre-heat oven to 190C 375F
Prepare 12 muffin tin with paper cases

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg grated


170 gms butter melted butter
1 cup brown sugar packed


1 egg
2 tablespoon yogurt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla


1 1/2 cups grated carrots

Whisk Dry ingredients together

In another bowl
Add melted butter and brown sugar
Whisk
Add egg
Add yogurt and vanilla
Whisk till combined
Add carrots, Stir
Add flour.
Mix well

Divide between paper cases
Tap on bench to evenly disperse
Into oven 25-20 minutes
Half way through cooking
Rotate tins to cook evenly
They are ready when a toothpick comes out clean
Cool then Ice

I made this Icing and by accident got a great little recipe
I bought Lite  ream Cheese I don't know why but as it turns out
The Lite Cream Cheese gives it more of a condensed milk flavour and it works.

1 packet 150 gms Lite Cream Cheese softened
50 gms butter softened
Zest 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
Lemon juice enough to moisten

Whip the butter and cream cheese together
When smooth add sifted icing sugar and lemon zest
Add lemon juice to taste and to get the texture you like.

There was quite a lot left over, so I have frozen it, I will be interested to see how it turns out.
I'll make more next week and try the icing then

Here is the original Frosting recipe
If you want to go by the book and have the heavily frosted cakes here ya go
55 gms butter room temperature
225 gms cream cheese room temperature
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Whisk all ingredients together
2 tablespoons frosting on each cake

Letters From Abroad - Whoop Whoop 3 Channels

Mr. and  Mrs. P Schultz                                  Mrs. G Wrightson
72 Derwent St                                                186 London RD
Island Bay                                                      Twickenham
Wellington NZ                                                Middlesex UK

Sat Nov 11th 1967

The Weather here is like a normal NZ winter

Dear Sandy and Pete

In answer to your letter, which we collected from the bank today.
First Tim does live in East Sheen. I laughed when I heard it. I immediately thought of Tony Hancock and East Cheam.

This became our Pub with Tim Dobbie and his friends set in East Sheen

We have already been in touch with him and he got us tickets for the All Black Match.
In the stand, what’s more.
He’s in good health and in a good flat.
Better than his NZ ones.
I received a letter from Frances last week so I presume, you have heard of our news till then, as I answered her straight away. I am an excellent letter writer lately, I have written so many. Did Dave Holey get my letter before he left? I hope so. He should arrive here soon we are expecting to hear from him.
Glad to hear about Marilyn, Give her my love and tell her I want to hear from her sometime, I already know about Mr. Barr, Don Markwell told me.
We went to dinner at his house a couple of weeks ago. It is very nice.
A detached house, you don’t see many of these in England they are nearly all joined together. We had a lovely evening and he arranged an interview for me at Unilever Research Lab in Isleworth. I went and was offered a job in bucket chemistry (Product Development) on shampoo, that’s about all they do there. I accepted and start on Monday. Tell Grant and Colin, whoever is in charge, I will write and tell them when I am settled. Salary £700 a year. Not too bad for here, I was quite pleased.

Once again a young crowd and I am working with a young chemist Mike Whiteside. They have a pub in the building everyone goes there for lunch.
Below: Bit of a sing a long with my workmates at Unilever Isleworth

More about that later.
Dale too has a job, in an agency in Knightsbridge. (Harrods the Posh Store is close by).
His office overlooks Hyde Park. He doesn’t start till Monday week.
It is funny starting a job here you have to get National Insurance and the tax is shocking.
I hate to think what wage I will bring home.

We have a flat that we have been in for week now, in Twickenham.
Once again a detached house. Nice and big.

 Above: Dale outside of our flat with our mini hire car
We have what used to be the billiard room. One large lounge, bedroom same size, kitchen, (plus washing machine and drier, most uncommon here, everyone uses the Launderette) and our own bathroom and toilet.
Below: Guess who? in the Kitchen

 Bringing the food through to the dining room/lounge

 To the right was the bedroom

Isleworth is about 2 miles from here and the bus passes the gate.
We are 3/10 mile from the rail station and shops. Quite a good position. £9 a week.
Meat is a terrible price but canned foods are cheap.
Everyone lives out of cans even boiled new potatoes.
Mushrooms we eat a lot only 4/- a pound.
I have so much to tell you Sandy and so little room. We love London.
We are even accepting the fumes in the city. You come home from town filthy.

Today we went up to see the Lord Mayor’s parade, This is a big parade.

Train fares are expensive cost us 16/- in traveling. Today was expensive, my first trip on public transport. We went on a train, the tube and a double decker bus. How about that for one day? You see, we handed over our hire car on Thursday.
What a tragedy. From now on we walk. Can you imagine it.

TV is marvelous, I sit in front of it every night and swap channels.

 Above: The other end of the lounge, yours truly in the favourite place watching TV

With 3 channels you get a good night entertainment.
I have changed my drink from Whisky Sour to Rum Punches. We had them in Trinidad. You would love them, even Pete would. I could drink them all day and get rotten as well, they are rather potent.
We are working out how to mix them. When I have the recipe I’ll send it.
Glad to see you move to Auckland is working our fine.
Today we saw the All Blacks beat Wales on TV, we couldn’t get seats unfortunately.
A great match. To beat Wales is a big thing.
Tell Murray not to worry himself into a frazzle about the wedding. Tell him it’s nothing
You know!
How’s dozy Joan? Still with you? Hope she is behaving.

Above Poor Dozy Joan...second on the right, seeing us off.

We went to Hyde Park Corner the other Sunday. What a laugh, the speakers are hilarious, we must go up again soon.

 The Hilarious Speakers above, and below, yours truly in Hyde Park

Soho was disappointing. Not half as sordid as Acapulco or Panama.
Rick Christie is here and Eddie Bisdee, hope to see them soon. I’m afraid you can’t say much in aerogrammes but it is a bit expensive to send ordinary air mail to everyone. give my love to Nan and Grandy. Did they get my card. Hope to hear from you soon.

Love Gillian and Dale