Tuna Pasta Bake

Well hello lovely blog readers!  I'm ever so sorry it has been a while since I posted a new recipe!  What can I say, I've been incredibly busy with uni and work and trying to have a life :)  I've still been cooking and such, but not really any new recipes until tonight! 

I've had this little baby tucked away in the back of my recipe book, in the 'to try' pile, and finally tonight, I did!  It was very easy, and I felt like it was *almost* made from scratch so probably better for you?  But I think the cheese might ruin that theory haha!

INGREDIENTS

230g dry pasta shells (I used a mixture of different ones)

1 small red capsicum (not in season & too expensive right now, so I didn't put this in)

1 can (305g) condensed cream of mushroom soup

2 tsp dried parsley flakes (or fresh if you have it!)

1 cup milk

pinch of chilli powder (optional)

1 can (170g) tuna in springwater, drained and flaked

1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained

1 cup grated cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 onion, finely chopped

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 220 deg C (and butter an ovenproof casserole dish - I forgot to do this...  it didn't stick though, so it's ok)
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat
• Add pasta, stir and cook until it's about 2 minutes before being done
• Drain pasta and set aside
• In the same pan, whisk mushroom soup and milk together
• Bring to a simmer over a low heat
• Stir in tuna, corn, onion, capsicum, parsley, chilli powder, and half of the cheese
• Add the cooked pasta and stir
• Season with salt and pepper
• Spread the mixture in the casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese
• Bake for about 30 mins, or until the top is golden brown

I have an admission to make.  I *may* have burnt the top.  Kind of.  Well cooked.  It was very brown.  BUT still delicious!!  I don't normally like mushrooms, either as a vege or a flavour, but it worked, and it wasn't over powering.  The cheese and milk helped water down the flavour, and of course, pasta was nom nom nom as always.

Definitely will make it again!!!

Recipe Inspiration: http://www.ivillage.com/tuna-and-pasta-bake/3-r-63970#ixzz1oCUrJvwy

Tuna Rosti

Currently, I am stuck at home.  I have been ill, and am not strong enough to work, but I AM strong enough to explore the food world.  Something I struggle with every day is thinking of something to cook for one, for lunch.  You see, I'm not a sandwich person.  Never really have been.  Sandwiches to me are SO boring.  If I'm at home, I won't make a sandwich.  Sandwiches are what you take out for lunch, and even then, it's a stretch for me to do that.  I'm not a big fan of ham, relish and salad (can't think of anything worse to be honest), and if I ever do have sandwiches, it's shredded rotisserie chicken and mayonnaise (and maybe a lettuce leaf if I'm bothered).  

I do like toasted sandwiches though.  When I was working, I'd have cheese and chicken sandwiches, which I'd toast in the grill in the staff room (I was so grateful for that thing!  All staff rooms should have a toasted sandwich maker!) and I'd add BBQ sauce to it (yes, I kept a bottle of BBQ sauce in the fridge at my work haha!).  But I'm getting side tracked.  This post isn't about sandwiches.  It's about lunch dilemmas, which I seem to always have.

I saw this recipe for tuna rosti on television and it said "Perfect for lunches!" which 100% caught my attention.  I like tuna (within reason, I'm not a major fish fan) and I ADORE potato.  Hash browns are one of my favourite things.  So this sounded like a good recipe to try, and it didn't look like it made too much, and the lady on the TV even said "leftovers are delicious cold" too!  WIN!

So here is my variation on the recipe, because I didn't have some of what the original recipe said, and I don't like lemon zest (so I ignored that bit haha).

Makes about 4 rostis!

INGREDIENTS

1 medium potato, peeled and grated (to yield 1 cup)

1 egg, beaten

1 little can (95g) of tuna - any flavour - I used "tomato & basil" for this one

pinch of salt and pepper

METHOD

• Squeeze out as much of the excess liquid from the grated potato (to stop it being too sloppy) using a clean tea towel or paper towel, or just your hands, and place in a mixing bowl.
• Mix in the beaten egg, salt and pepper (to taste) and any dried herbs you might want.  I added extra dried basil, and a bit of oregano.
• Mix in the can of tuna carefully, removing any excess liquid beforehand (because sometimes the tuna can be a bit watery, which you want to avoid).
• Heat a little oil in a frying pan.
• Divide the tuna mixture into 4 and spoon into the pan.
• Cook on medium-low heat for 5 mins each side, or until potato is cooked and golden.

The original recipe says to garnish with a lemon wedge, but I served mine with a bit of mild tomato salsa and sour cream which was delicious.  Tomato relish would also go nicely, or any sauce you have in the fridge!

So this recipe is a success for me, because it's easy, and using stuff we've often got in our pantry, and it's perfect lunch for one, and the leftovers were gladly taken by my dad today!

Recipe Inspiration: http://www.foodinaminute.co.nz/Recipes/Tuna-Rosti