Minty Rice with Tuna, Cashews and Raisins

PJ says I have to record this recipe. I wasn’t going to because I made it up as I went, but he was a man in love with his food, so I am complying with his request. It was an uncharacteristic hit with the kids. I mean I gave the rice GREEN SPOTS and they still ate it enthusiastically. When we were trying to come up with a name for it, JL suggested Green Rice, but when I asked her if she would have eaten it if I had called it Green Rice, she shook her head, no.

Minty Rice with Tuna, Cashews and Raisins

2 cups cooked rice (any kind)

1/4 cup mint chutney

1 6 oz can tuna

1/2 cup raisins (golden are nice, regular ones work too)

1/2 cup cashews (slivered almonds would work too)

Make your rice and while it is still steaming hot, mix all ingredients and serve immediately.

Mexican Lasagna? Italian Quesadillas?

Not sure what to call this, so I am giving it two names and will see which one the kids can remember! I found the idea on a recipe list, but it was so scant in instruction that I am not crediting it to the person who posted it because I revised it significantly.

Like lasagna, this is a layered dish with a starchy flat thing, a tomato based sauce and cheese. But it consists of Mexican ingredients, including tortillas (or polenta if you want to be more Italian).

Whatever it is, it’s goo–oood.

Mexican Lasagna? Italian Quesadillas?

9-10 corn tortillas (a tube of sliced polenta would work too)

1 cup shredded mixed cheeses

1 10 oz can cream of celery soup

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon dried cilantro or similar amount chopped fresh cilantro

15 oz jar salsa

leftover veggies, pureed

1/2 cup olives, chopped (optional)

any of the following:

• 2 6-oz cans of tuna
• similar amount refried beans
• similar amount of chicken substitute
• similar amount of textured vegetable protein, sauteed with the onions and garlic

Sauté onions, garlic and cilantro in oil. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together except tortillas. (Sneaking those pureed leftover vegetables in, is a stroke of genius which was passed onto me through a series of moms ending with my friend Malkie, who also gave me the idea for polenta.)

In a glass lasagna pan, start layering with sauce, then tortillas, then sauce, cheese, tortillas. End with cheese.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 35 minutes, covering with foil for the first 20 minutes to protect the cheese from overbrowning.

Serve with sour cream and Spanish Rice (out of a box, of course)

Cheesy Spaghetti Bake

This is the second entry in my Guaranteed Hits category. This one causes my children to eat too much, the witnessing of which is a rare moment of maternal bliss.

Oddly enough, they don’t much like spaghetti or lasagna, but they love this fusion of the two. I found this in a web search and expanded on it to improve the quality, even when using store-bought sauce.

It is technically a frittata but my kids couldn’t remember that name, so I made it into a bake. Because I am the mom.

Cheesy Spaghetti Bake

serves 4 (plus leftovers for lunch the next day)

1/2 pound spaghetti, angel hair is nice

2 Tbsp butter flavored margarine

Garlic salt to taste

6 eggs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning mix

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms or olives as desired

3 Tbsp butter flavored margarine

1 cup canned spaghetti sauce

1 cup grated cheese: mozzerella or colby jack

1/2 cup paneer or feta (optional)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese.

Cook the spaghetti, then drain and coat the noodles with the 2 Tbsp butter and garlic salt to taste. Set aside and allow to cool.

Preheat broiler or set oven on highest setting.

You can skip this step if you need to keep it simple or have a well-flavored spaghetti sauce: Sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms in a frying or sauce pan, then add sauce and olives. Allow to simmer while getting the spaghetti bake ready.

Beat 6 eggs in a large bowl then mix in the 1/4 cup Parmesan. Drop the cooled noodles into the egg mixture and coat thoroughly. While stirring, season with Italian seasonings.

In an oven-proof skillet or baking pan that can tolerate stove-top heat (I use a cast iron skillet), sizzle 3 Tbsp butter on high heat. Spread half of the egg-coated pasta on the bottom of the pan and shake the pan to keep the pasta from sticking. Quickly reduce heat to medium.

Spread the spaghetti sauce over the noodles, leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle remaining cheeses over the sauce then top with the rest of the noodles. Allow to set over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

Place the whole pan in the hot-hot oven for about 1 minute with the top aimed toward the heat source, as closely as possible. Don’t go any longer or it will get too crisp.

Allow to cool for about five minutes and then cut in pie wedges to serve.

Tuna Alfredo on Noodles or Baked Potatoes

Well, after a couple of years of teaching myself to cook a limited variety of Indian vegetarian foods, I am caving to my childrens’ Americanized palates. Not to say that I have given up: I still try to cook a dhal a few times a month, and they still love chapatis (Indian flat bread) and anything Indian that is deep fried such as samosas (as long as I leave out the hot peppers).

At this point, I can only hope that keeping the fragrances of Indian spices alive in our home, and that PJ’s and my enjoyment of Indian food will keep the kids connected until they mature and become more adventurous eaters.

Then maybe Indian food will even have a nostalgic resonance for them which would be no small feat considering the fact that I am not an Indian Ma.

Meanwhile. I am developing a few guaranteed hits that I can whip up quickly between school and bedtime. In fact I am even creating a category for the guaranteed hits. It’s called Guaranteed Hits. (So creative!) This is one is one of a handful I have developed so far. I got the skeletal recipe off a rather generic company site and then made it my own.

Tuna Alfredo

serves 4 (plus leftovers for lunch the next day)

32 oz Alfredo sauce (bought or homemade, I bought)

1 small onion finely chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

any of/or a creative mix of the following:

• 1/2 bell pepper chopped
• 1 cup frozen broccoli florets
• 1 cup frozen or canned peas and carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped olives
• 1/2 cup mushrooms

6 oz can of tuna

Sauté the onions and garlic and mushrooms in a deep pan, then add the sauce, vegetables and tuna and heat up on the stove or in the microwave, stirring often.

Serve over baked potatoes or noodles.