I wanted to try a recipe for a tuna casserole that wasn't quite as heavy as the traditional casserole I grew up with. I really liked the idea for replacing the noodles with veggies, therefore making it a more complete meal with a single dish (although when I made this, we also cooked up a side of quinoa to add a grain and make the meal more filling even though it might have been a bit overkill). I used a mixture of broccoli and cauliflower for the frozen vegetables, but I think this would be really nice with some carrots or peas as well.
Modified Tuna Casserole
Yield: 10 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
36 oz. frozen vegetable blend, thawed
12 oz. drained tuna
12 oz. extra sharp white cheddar, shredded
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 onion, diced
3/4 cup Roasted Garlic-Lemon Aioli (*see recipe)
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp celery seed
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Lay frozen vegetables on the bottom of a 9" x 13" casserole dish.
- Combine cream cheese, onion, aioli, seasonings, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until smooth.
- Mix in the tuna until just combined with other ingredients, then spread evenly on top of the vegetables.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, serve immediately.
This stock is so good, and has a nicer, more complex flavor than the stuff you buy in the cartons at the store. Seriously, it's cheaper, has less sodium, and tastes better. Why wouldn't you make your own stock?
Beef Stock
Yield: 1 gallon
Prep time: 5 min.
Cook time: 9 1/2 hours
Total time: 9 hours 35 min.
1 gallons water
5 lbs beef bones (ask your local butcher if they will cut them lengthwise)
2 1/2 lbs carrots
1 whole bunches of celery
2 large onions
1/2 bunch thyme
8 oz. full-bodied red wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 whole bay leaf
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Roast the beef bones in a roasting pan evenly for about 1 hour.
- Spread the tomato paste over the bones with a spatula.
- Return the pan to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
- Remove as much of the bones and tomato from the pan as possible and place the pan over two burners on the stove.
- Over medium-high heat pour in the red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping all of the fond (stuck on bits) off the bottom and stirring to incorporate all of the pieces.
- Wash the onions, carrots, and celery, and cut the onions in half lengthwise.
- Take the bones (which should be cool enough to hold) and scrape out the marrow inside with a spoon, putting the marrow and empty bones into the bottom of a large stockpot that can hold just over one gallon.
- Add the vegetables to the stockpot as well as the spices and herbs.
- Cover with the water and bring to a boil.
- Once the liquid comes to a boil, turn down the heat to low and simmer for 8-12 hours stirring every hour or so.
- Strain the liquid after the cooking is complete, and package as you need (I like to put mine into 2 cup portions in sandwich sized plastic freezer bags, and then freeze them flat until I am ready to use some).
This spicy and smoky homemade ketchup is one of my favorites to replace store-bought ketchup and to add an extra kick.
Kechipotle
Prep time: 10 min.
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 70 min.
2 (28 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
2/3 Cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp Celery Salt (*see recipe)
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 whole clove
- Add all ingredients to large pot, stir to combine.
- Cook on medium-high heat, stirring regularly until reduced by half, about 1 hour.
- Remove from heat and use immersion blender to puree until smooth.
- Strain through a fine mesh colander to remove skins and seeds.
- Cool completely and adjust salt and heat with adobo sauce as necessary.
- Label and store in glass jar in refrigerator for up to three months, or in plastic zip top bags in freezer up to one year.
This is one of my favorite BBQ sauces because it's sweet, smoky, and spicy and goes great with beef, chicken, or pork.
Midnight BBQ Sauce
Yield: 32 oz.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
24 oz. dark stout beer (like Guinness)
4 Cups dark brown sugar, packed
2 Cups apple cider vinegar
1 Cup Ketchipotle (*see recipe)
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp adobo sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
- Heat olive oil over medium heat at the bottom of a medium sized pot.
- Add onions, and cook until golden and beginning to caramelize.
- Add all other ingredients, and turn up heat to high, bringing mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and blend all ingredients together with immersion blender.
- Label and store in glass jar in refrigerator for up to three months, or in plastic zip top bags in the freezer for up to one year.
This is a staple for my condiment shelf as it replaces mayonnaise but tastes like heaven. It's quick to make and lasts about a month (although we always eat it well before then!) It's the perfect addition to any sandwich, and can be changed with other flavors for more specific styles.
Roasted Garlic-Lemon Aioli
Yields: 2 Cups
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
1 1/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil
1 head garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp warm water
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp thyme
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cut off top of garlic head, drizzle exposed garlic with olive oil and sprinkle thyme on top.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until garlic is soft and fragrant.
- Let garlic cool for 10 minutes
- Remove skin from garlic and finely chop.
- Combine the roasted garlic, mustard, and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth.
- While the food processor is still running, beat in the egg yolks.
- Keep the machine running, and slowly, almost drop by drop, add 1/4 Cup of the olive oil.
- Add the lemon juice, zest, and water.
- Continue adding the remaining olive oil at a very slow drizzle.
This is my favorite recipe for pulled pork because it's a relatively simple slow cooker meal, but it's perfect for summertime BBQs and potlucks.
Pulled Pork
Prep time: 8 hours + 20 min.
Cook time: 9 hours
Total time: 17 hours 20 min.
4 lbs. pork shoulder
1/4 Cup Pig Rub (*see recipe)
2 yellow onions, diced
1/2 Cup Beef Stock (*see recipe)
2 lbs. bacon
16 oz. Midnight BBQ Sauce (*see recipe)
- Coat the pork shoulder with the Pig Rub on all sides, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
- Leave the pork in the fridge at least 8 hours, but preferably overnight to allow the rub to penetrate the meat.
- Place the diced onion at the bottom of a slow cooker followed by the beef stock.
- Unwrap the pork shoulder, pouring any juices that may have formed into the slow cooker.
- Wrap the bacon slices around the meaty side of the shoulder, and place bacon-side up in the slow cooker on top of the onions and stock.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove the meat and drain the slow cooker over a strainer, reserving 1/3 of the cooking juices.
- Shred the meats, onions, and juices together with the Midnight BBQ Sauce and return to the slow cooker
- Cook on high an additional one hour, stirring occasionally.
- Serve on toasted Kaiser Rolls (*see recipe) with Roasted Garlic-Lemon Aioli (*see recipe), piled high with Red Cabbage Slaw (*see recipe), and a side of Southern Baked Beans (*see recipe).
I'm a huge fan of making anything and everything from scratch since it usually tastes better and is most certainly going to be cheaper than purchasing the same item from the store! I like to dry my own ginger because I've found it has a more pungent flavor which typically works better for me in recipes that call for dried ginger.
Dried Ginger
Cook time: 2 hours
Prep time: 5 min.
Total time: 125 min.
1 large piece of fresh ginger
- Preheat oven to 150 degrees
- Peel the ginger using a vegetable peeler to expose the fleshy part
- Grate the ginger using a microplane tool or a fine-holed grater
- Place the grated ginger on a sheet pan in a thin layer and place in preheated oven
- Dry the ginger for approximately 2 hours or until all moisture has been removed, stirring the ginger every 20 minutes to prevent burning.
- Label and store in an airtight glass jar or spice container of your choosing for up to one year.
- Use a spice grinder for the dried and grated ginger in recipes that call for ground ginger (finely ground ginger will keep it's flavor for up to six months).
