Every once in a while I feel very nostalgic and I crave something from my childhood.  Mom's Tuna Casserole is just such a dish. 

If you are a purist and don't like recipes which use cream of whatever soup, look away now. As for myself, I feel they have their time & place, and Mom's Tuna Casserole is just such a time & place!

  

It wasn't fancy eating. My mother wasn't a fancy cook.  Her food was simple and it was delicious.  End of. 

My mother always topped her casseroles with something crunchy, buttered cracker crumbs, or bread crumbs or potato chips.  In our family we loved potato chips, or crisps as they are called over here in the UK.

 

When we had potato chips in our house that was a real treat to us.  They were reserved for special occasions, such as when Hockey Night (Saturday nights) was on the telly, or for parties.  

My mother would give us each  a small bowl of them and I can tell you we savoured every bite!

  

We all loved potato chips so much that she used to keep them hidden away, behind my father's dresser in their bedroom. 

When we got older we sussed out exactly where they were, and we used to take turns sneaking in and stealing a couple.  

We were always careful to make sure we didn't take too many so that their loss didn't get noticed.

 

However with three children doing that, and probably my father too, eventually it would be noticed and  my father was the one who always copped the blame. 

Probably because he was always on a diet, and he was semi-guilty as charged.  We children kept pretty schtum about our participation in the same heist of potato chips. 

We had more to lose  . . . like our allowance. ☺

 

I still adore potato chips, so much so that I don't dare have them in the house very often as I find myself picking at them all the time.  

I am not totally sure what their allure is . . . but it probably has something to do with the naughtiness of their fat and calorie count combined with that wonderful crunch.

 

I just adore food that crunches.  Don't you?  The crunch of potato chips on this very nostalgic casserole is its crowning glory. I just use plain lightly salted. 

 Salt and vinegar would also be nice but then so would cheese and onion.  Pick your own poison on that score!  Just remember they are meant to enhance the casserole, not overcome it.

 

Mom never used cheese in hers.  It was plain soup and milk.  Through the years I have added cheese because we like it.  

Not a lot, just enough to add a little special something.  I use a mix of Parmesan and strong cheddar.  You don't need a lot of either one to add a flavour impact.

 

You can use any old tuna you like for this, but I like white albacore tuna.  Its not quite as fishy I don't think as the other kind . . .  

Its like the Filet Mignon of the tuna world, and  (in my opinion) well worth the extra cost in both flavour and texture.

 

We don't get the flat egg noodles over here, so I have used bow-tie pasta (Farfalle) because I quite like it, and it's flat and it's attractive.  

I also like to use frozen baby peas (mom would have used tinned).  I like frozen baby peas and cannot abide tinned peas. NOT. At.  All.  In any case I really enjoyed this lovely trip back in time today and I hope you will too. 

   

   

 

I always like to have a salad on the side with a casserole such as this.  Today for nostalgia's sake I chose to drizzle it with good old fashioned Salad Cream.  Bon Appetit!

 

We really are having the most beautiful weather here in the UK. This is the type of summer we all dream of but only very rarely get.  It's just lovely.  Its grilling weather, the type of weather you want to be enjoying out of doors.  We get so much rain over here, that when the sun shines, we really do make hay!

   

Or at least cook and eat Al Fresco if we can.  Oh, I do love a good BBQ, don't you?  

  

I took full advantage of our new BBQ grill and temperatures in the 30's yesterday to grill our chicken out of doors.  I love our new BBQ.  Its the nicest BBQ Grill we have ever had, and I can't say enough about it!  But first the chicken! 

 

This lovely dish was adapted from two that I found in a cookery book I have by Clodagh McKenna entitled Homemade.  I love this book. Its a book I picked up a few years ago in a garden centre for next to nothing.

 

There was a recipe in the book for a Moroccan roasted chicken. The flavours sounded lovely and I thought they would adapt very well to grilled chicken pieces.  I was right.  ☺  I love it when that happens.

 

First I created a very simple spice paste/marinade. I put some boneless chicken thighs into a zip lock baggie and added the paste and rubbed it in really well and then popped the bag into the refrigerator to marinate for about an hour or so. I am sure you could leave it overnight if you wanted to.  I wouldn't do it for less than an hour if you want the flavour to penetrate the chicken well. 

 

While the chicken was marinating I made the couscous salad. It also has Moroccan flavours  . . .  I love Moroccan flavours  . . .  cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic . . . lemon . . . olive oil . . . so delicious.

 

Middle Eastern food also often has fruit in it, dried fruit, so I added sultanas and you could certainly add chopped dried apricots as well, and maybe a few pine nuts for crunch.  There are chickpeas in the salad also . . . plus parsley, red onions and a punchy lemon/olive oil dressing.  I love chickpeas (garbanzo beans) but they don't always like me!  'Nuff said! 

 

This salad would also be great in vegetarian style sandwiches or wraps mixed with goats cheese, and would be positively lovely served on a bed of rocket greens.  I did not have any yesterday. 

 

The chicken was grilled on the new BBQ over a medium high heat and was done perfectly in about 20 minutes. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and they were beautiful, with slightly crisped edges, along with succulent, well flavoured and tender meat. Altogether this was quite, quite delicious!

 

  

 

The Grill/BBQ we are using is the Space Grill 1800 3-Burner Gas Grill.  The stainless steel Space Grill is a revolutionary idea for modern families with a unique fold-away design which is perfect for garden patio grilling or even the high rise balcony. It fits in perfectly every where, and is as truly versatile as it is beautiful!  You can either mount it on an existing load bearing wall, or you can buy a specifically designed stand to mount it on.  

 

It arrived almost completely assembled.  In fact, it took Todd longer to break down our old BBQ for disposal, than it did for him to assemble the Space grill. Because we don't own our own home, but are in a rental property, we opted to have the separate stand, rather than using a wall mount. Todd found putting the stand together very easy to do.  Once the stand/or wall are ready, mounting the grill on it is a very simple process.

This revolutionary, Australian designed, Chef Grade Stainless Steel grill folds out in about 10 seconds. There is no need for super human strength. Even I have found it quite easy. A simple pivot system changes space into a grill. It is really that easy! 

  

 

I can't stress enough how simple it is to install, with the lid doubling as a splash back it is perfect for those small spaces. Simply light the (independently ignited) burners and start cooking. It has two sides,  with a stainless steel  grill and a cast iron griddle plate that  is flat on one side and ridged on the other. What more could anyone ask for?

• Folds away in seconds
• Sleek modern design
• Stainless Steel for rust resistance
• Massive cooking surface (640mm x 480mm)
• Patented auto fold-down drip tray
• 3 separate individual-ignition burners
• Perfect for apartments to mansions
• Lid doubles as a splash-back
• Fast to install
• Multiple cooking plates
• Reversible cast iron flat / grill main plate
• Includes stainless flame grill plate
• No more ugly BBQ's on the deck

  

Jose and Ariana came over to help us get it up and running. (Todd has a hernia and I didn't want him lifting anything heavy!)  It really was very simple to assemble and get ready for use.  As Spaniards, they are no strangers to the art of BBQ/Grilling, and they fell right in love with it.  I predict after baby comes they might be buying one for their own home!  Its sleek and attractive, folds away conveniently after use and comes with a fabulous cover to keep it safe from the elements.  I can also attest to the fact that it cleans up like a dream!  The parts come off very easily for wiping clean, and that patented drip tray also removes very easily for wiping out and cleaning.  No fuss, no muss!  (And you know how much I like that concept!) We are ever so pleased with it!  If you would like to know more about it, or perhaps even to purchase one for your own use, do check out the Space Grill Site.

 

I really hope this lovely weather continues as I am keen to use this BBQ/Grill as much as I can this summer.  Our old BBQ really didn't perform near as well and was a real faff to get lit and use. Not so this nifty piece of kit.  We are having all the Missionaries over on Monday for a BBQ to celebrate the combination 1st and 4th of July holidays and I can't wait to show it to them!  In the meantime, I am sure we will be using it a few times before them.  With this gorgeous weather and its ease of use, there is really NO excuse not to!  Bon Appetit! 

 

In an attempt to lower my carb intake and eat healthier I found myself throwing together this simple and easy casserole the other day.  It was quick easy, and I managed to get in two of my five a day in one fell swoop! 

 

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cubed and tossed together with halved cherry tomatoes and courgette fingers (Zucchini to you North Americans.)  I like to season them with a mix of seasoning salt, black pepper and garlic powders, but you could use fresh garlic as well. 

 

You could also use whole chicken breasts as well  if you didn't want to cut them up and just scatter the vegetables around them in the baking dish. However, doing so will take a bit longer to bake!

 

Over top goes a delicious mix/sauce of mayonnaise, sour cream, some of the seasoning and Parmesan cheese  . . .  I dollop it all over and then spread it out.  works a charm.

 

You can also use low fat mayo and sour cream if you wish to cut back a bit on the fat and calories.  A bit more cheese gets sprinkled on top prior to baking.

 

One thing I love about Parmesan cheese is that you don't need to use a lot to get some lovely flavours from it. It really stands out.  Also a bonus.

 

On the plus side as well, is the fact that it is very easy to cut the recipe in half for only two people.  I like recipes that I can reduce or increase according to however many people I am feeding.

 

Some liquid does accumulate in the dish on baking, but it is very easily drained off.  It may not be the most attractive pencil in the box, but it is certainly one of the simplest and the tastiest!

 

 

 

Can you ever have too many chicken recipes?  I think not! You can look forward to some grilling recipes soon!  On Monday I was the happy recipient of a new Gas BBQ, The Space Grill. I can't wait to get stuck in and using it. 

 

Jose and Ariana came over to help Todd to get it up and running.  It really wasn't that hard, but it was quite heavy, so the extra help was quite welcome.  At 80 and with a hernia, Todd was most appreciative.  I can't wait to tell you more about it.  It is a magnificent beast!  I am in love with it already!  Bon Appetit! 

 

Once the warmer months hit, I want to be out and about outdoors. I am all for ease in the kitchen and I really don't want to be chained to the stove if I can help it!  Who does!  

 

That's when my lazy streak takes over and I get inspired to do things that are quick and easy, with minimum of fuss and little or no cleaning up.  Actually . . .  truth be told I try to do that most of the time anyways.  

 

Quick, easy and fuss free doesn't necessarily equate to tasteless however as this recipe I am showing today will show you! 

 

I love tray bakes.  They are so simple to put together, and if you line your baking tray with foil, there is very little to clean up!  

 

A quick spritz of low fat cooking spray also ensures that nothing sticks, and keeps the fat down as well.  You get the effect of frying without the frying.

 

Today I have used a mix of vegetables, all cut into similar sized chunks . . .  carrots, potatoes, swede, parsnips, leeks and onions.  These get seasoned and tossed together with a tiny bit of oil and scattered over the baking tray.  

 

I like to scatter some sprigs of thyme over top also. You can use whatever vegetables you prefer.  Sweet potatoes, winter squash, aubergine, peppers, courgettes, slices of corn cobs, all work well. 

 

The vegetable world is really your oyster, but you do want to use things that will cook pretty much in a similar amount of time, or else you could add the ones that take the longest to cook first and then add others as you go along.

 

These get roasted at a high temperature for about 10 minutes, then you take them out, give them a stir and place sausage chipolatas on top before returning the baking tray to the oven.  

 

A chipolata is simply a thinner sausage, rather than the thick fat ones.  They cook faster. 

 

 

Once the vegetables have gotten golden brown, and the sausages are pretty much cooked through a mix of marmalade and a few other bits gets spooned over the sausages and they get roasted again, until the sausages are glazed and finger licking tasty good!

 

The glaze has an almost sweet and sour property to it, which I quite like with sausages, and if some of it reaches the vegetables, then so much the better!

 

Altogether this is really delicious.  All you need on the side is a salad to finish the deal!  Your family will love this. Children really enjoy the sticky sweet savoury element of this and it is a really delicious way to get them to eat some more veg, which can't be bad! 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a large baking tray with aluminium foil (or several smaller ones). Spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Toss the vegetables together with the oil, salt, pepper and garlic granules to taste.  Scatter out into a single layer  on the baking tray.  Sprinkle with the fresh thyme sprigs. Roast for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and stir.  

Lay the sausages on top. Return to the oven and roast for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and flip the sausages over.  

Whisk together the marmalade, soy sauce, mustard and vinegar.  Spoon a portion of this over each sausage.  Return to the oven for a further 10 to 15 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender and the sausages are cooked through and glazed.  Remove from the oven, divide between 4 plates and serve.

Note - If you don't want to heat up the kitchen, his could be done outdoors on the BBQ using a large roasting tin that you don't mind using on the grill. Just heat up the BBQ, and then turn down to medium low, pop the tray on, close the lid and proceed. I have not done this, but I can't see why it wouldn't work. You could also do individual portions in foil packets, with the vegetables on the bottom, topped by a few chipolatas and a spoonful of the marmalade glaze, seal and roast on the grill.

 

 

We have really been blessed with beautiful weather this May/June.  I am getting rather spoilt with it all.  This week coming up is supposed to be even hotter still.  I see a week of salads and grills coming! Bon appetit! 

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