Think you can’t improve a classic? Well, it turns out you can especially if it wasn’t so great to start.

Take tuna noodle casserole––an unfortunate and unhealthy staple in every busy family’s dinner rotation which could really use a twist. Here’s a recipe that does just that. It eliminates that trademark goopy-ness and adds fresh veggies. The recipe calls for quite a bit of cheese, in my opinion, but I say if you’re not pouring cream-based soup on this, who cares?

Be sure to mix this well before spreading in the baking dish, otherwise the casserole ends up layered with a thick noodle crust, trust me.

This is something you could make in advance, simply waiting to sprinkle the bread crumbs on top until right before baking. So, start a new casserole tradition, and feel free to submit recipes for others. I’ll whip them up and we’ll see how they compare.

Tuna noodle casserole
Ingredients:
6 ounces no-yolk noodles
2 tsp. butter or margarine, divided
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ small white onion, chopped
1 ½ C. fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 Tbsp. flour
1 ½ C. milk
1 C. cheese, shredded (your choice)
12 ounces water-canned tuna, drained and separated
½ C. dried bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9- by 12-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
Combine flour and milk and set aside. In a large container, sauté half of the butter with bell pepper, onion and mushrooms until cooked. Add milk mixture to veggies until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Then add tuna and noodles. Spread into baking dish and top with bread crumbs and remaining melted butter mixed together. Sprinkle a little shredded cheese on top. Bake until crunchy on top (about 20 minutes or so).

Posted by · June 24, 2006 3:01 AM · Comments (0)

We’re going out with a yummy (albeit powerful) bang.

These days, they say “power foods” are in. This means spinach, beans and fish. But this also means chocolate. Yes, sinfully rich, delicious dark chocolate is what health gurus in this country deem a power food and something we should eat more often. Done, right?

But just in case you get tired of popping dark chocolate in your mouth in its basic state (which is directly from the candy wrapper), try baking with a more pure, finer dark chocolate. This is the type experts are recommending when they suggest eating chocolate.

Try this recipe for ginger chocolate chip cookies, adapted from Martha herself.

They do take a little more time (you will have to grate fresh ginger root, which looks a little stringy when mixed in the dough) than your everyday average chocolate chip cookie, but it’s well worth it.

Be careful not to over bake these, the cookies taste best when they are warm and chewy. You’ll feel the power, trust me.

Chocolate chunk gingerbread cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/3 C. flour
1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ¼ tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
½ C. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. peeled, grated fresh ginger
½ C. brown sugar
¼ C. molasses
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ C. sugar
12 ounces dark chocolate chips or small chunks

Directions:
Sift dry ingredients (except brown sugar) and set aside. Slowly beat butter and grated fresh ginger for several minutes. Add brown sugar and molasses, one at a time until mixed. Add dry ingredients and then stir in the chocolate chunks. Tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours.
When ready to bake, form dough into two- to three-inch balls and roll in sugar.
Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. (Tip: Rather than spray or grease your cookies sheets, line them with parchment paper or waxed paper. Clean up is faster and easier, too.) Bake until surface slightly cracks; cookies will appear quiet soft in middle.

Posted by · June 14, 2006 2:46 AM · Comments (0)