Random Pantry Meals, Tuna Noodle Casserole Edition

There are a few foods that have the potential to be creepy and/or terrible under the wrong circumstances. Think chafing dishes or buffets. Tuna Noodle Casserole, Salisbury Steak, and Meatloaf are all really high on the list.

I had high hopes tonight for a cress pesto. When I went to look at the cress in the garden, though, I realized I'd be lucky to get a cup of leaves; let alone the almost 5 cups I needed. My yard is less than ideal from a food perspective. Kale grows really well. Everything else languishes and is sad and pathetic.

Since the pesto was a non-starter, I raided the pantry and came up with noodles, tuna, and panko. The fridge had half and half and pepper jack.

Tuna Noodle Casserole? It's actually really good. You can't really tell by the pictures, but we did actually use plates.

Maybe one of these days I'll feel particularly adventurous and I'll try Salisbury steak. I'm not going to hold my breath for that one, though.

Tuna Noodle Casserole
1 T butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 c crimini mushroom, chopped
2 T sherry
1 t soy sauce
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 T butter
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 c broth
1/2 c half and half
1 t paprika
1 can tuna, drained
3/4 c pepper jack, grated
2 c panko
1 T vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 375. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and heat until they start to sweat. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook 3-5 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce and sherry and cook 3 minutes more.
1. Push all the onion and mushroom mixture to once side of the skillet and add the remaining 2 T butter on the empty side of the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook until the flour becomes golden, stirring occasionally. Once the roux has become golden, whisk in the broth and allow to simmer. Pour in the half and half and then stir the entire pan to incorporate the mushroom mixture. Add the paprika and tuna and season to taste.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package, then drain. Add the pasta to the mushroom mixture and stir. Turn into a medium baking dish.
3. Stir the grated cheese, panko, and 1 t oil in a small bowl, then pour on top of the casserole.
4. Bake 25 minutes until the top is golden, then bask in the awesome.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

The weather is very June-like. Only more so. I saw a bit on the news last week. As of June 4, we'd already met the average rainfall quota for the entire month of June. Four days in, we had 2.14 inches of rain mucking about. Most of it is in my tomatoes, and they're angry and yellowing and generally bad tempered.

But today, between the very un-Seattle-like driving rain, there were sunbreaks. And so I'm declaring it Almost Nice. And when it's Almost Nice, I can cook Food That is Good for Almost Nice Weather. It's a separate section of the food world and things like Shrimp Fra Diavolo and Stir Frys (Fries?) live there.

But I don't have a wok, because I have no where to store it. I had a spot, then I got a food processor, and so Stir Fry is out and Shrimp Fra Diavolo it is.

Because it was Almost Nice, I also went for a run (which was crap, because I know you're super curious). This dish is doubly fantastic because it's incredibly satisfying without making me feel like I completely invalidated all my running.

Unfortunately, we were too impatient to wait and so there's no picture of this on a plate. Rest assured, though, that we did eat this off plates.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Serves 4
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 c shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c chopped fresh tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 c white wine
1 t oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz spaghettini
2 T parsley, chopped
1 t dried red pepper flakes

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook, turning once, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add garlic and both onions and cook until they're translucent.
3. Add the fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, wine, and oregano to the pan and stir to combine. Stir in the salt and pepper, and simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft and sauce has thickened. Mine took roughly 20 minutes.
4. Add the parsley, red pepper flakes, spaghettini, and the shrimp to the pan and stir to combine.

Orzo with Three Onions

You know why this meal is so awesome? Start to finish, it took me 15 minutes. Fifteen. Minutes. That's it.

And? And?

Totally good.

I went for a run tonight when I got home, and when I got back I got distracted by the dog.

She's cute and she likes to run around with squeaky toys. Also? Bat ears. It's funny. Also, I'm easily distracted. So, one minute turned into 45 minutes and suddenly I was starving. Three onions, you ask? Yellow onion, leeks, and chives, together in yumminess.

This was the answer to my hunger.

Quick. Easy. Cheesy. Delicious.

Orzo with Three Onions
Serves 4
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 c onion, diced
2 medium leeks, chopped
1/4 c chopped chives
1 head broccoli, chopped into roughly equal pieces
1/2 c peas (I used frozen)
3/4 c orzo
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 oz goat cheese

1. Boil a 3 qt pot of water with 1/2 t salt. When the water boils, add the broccoli, orzo, and 1/2 t salt.
   
2. Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan over medium high heat. Add the onions, leeks, and 1/2 t salt and saute for about five minutes until the onions and leeks are tender.
   
3. Add the red pepper flakes and peas and stir, cooking until peas are warmed through, about 3 minutes.
   
4. Once the peas are warmed through, stir in the goat cheese and chives, and 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
   
5. Drain the broccoli and orzo and combine with the onion mixture.
   
6. Serve; sprinkle with Parmesan if you like.

Spaghetti with Fennel and Bacon

Spring-like weather is here and all sorts of flowers are blooming (none of which I can name. Wait. That's not true. I can name daffodils. And dandelions. Those are flowers). Flowers aside, once the sun goes down, the temperatures do, too, so it's still safe to eat super hearty pasta. This one has fennel (that's the fennel on the left there). Crispy!

Sauteed until softened and just barely caramelized, the vegetables make the pasta decidedly hearty and awesome.

A giant handful of parsley brightens the pasta with happy little flecks of green.

This is a really delicious dish that does a nice job of being both hearty and just this side of spring-like. Plus, it has bacon in it. Did I mention the bacon? Looooove the bacon.

Spaghetti with Fennel and Bacon
Serves 4
1 strip bacon
1/4 c red onion
1/4 c carrot, chopped
1/4 c celery, chopped
1/2 c fennel, chopped
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 (15 oz) can chopped tomatoes
1/4 c red wine
2 T parsley, chopped
1 T fennel fronds, chopped
spaghetti

1. Heat a dry pan over medium high heat for about a minute. Add the bacon and cook until crisp and most of the fat has rendered. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the chopped vegetables, salt and pepper to the bacon fat in the pan and saute until the vegetables are tender and slightly browned, 10 minutes.
3. Use the wine to deglaze the pan and scrape all the yumminess off the bottom. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, then add the tomatoes.
4. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer about 30 minute to allow the flavor to meld.
5. Meahwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.
6. Serve with grated Parmesan and a glass of wine.
Because wine is good with pasta.