Tuna-Noodle Casserole

3 cups medium noodles (4 oz) or 1 cup elbow macaroni (3.5 oz) - I always use a box of pasta, 12 to 16 oz
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour - I double the flour, salt, and milk when I use a full box of pasta
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
1 9- or 9.25-oz can tuna, drained and broken into chunks, or two 6-oz cans skinless, boneless salmon, drained
1 cup cheddar cheese cubes (4 oz)
1/4 cup chopped roasted red sweet pepper or pimiento
1 cup frozen vegetables, thawed

1. Cook noddles according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.  Meanwhile, combine bread crumbs and 1 Tbsp melted butter; set aside.
2. For sauce, in a medium saucepan cook celery and onion in 1/4 cup hot butter until tender.
3. (See note above about doubling sauce.)  Stir in flour, salt, dry mustard, and black pepper.  Add milk all at once; cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly.
3. Combine cooked noodles, sauce, tuna, vegetables, cheese cubes, and roasted pepper.  Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart casserole (or larger if using full box of pasta).  Sprinkle with crumb mixture.  Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Try #??
I've made this many times, this is just the first time I'm recording it on this blog.  Four ounces of pasta is a ridiculously small amount, in my mind, so I always use a full package (12 to 16 oz) of pasta.  If I do that, I double the flour, salt, and milk (but not the butter) to make more sauce.  Broccoli is a good addition to this casserole.

Ham and Broccoli Breakfast Bake

4 whole wheat English muffins, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups leftover ham, diced
8 oz. block extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper

1. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, toss together the cut English muffin pieces with the broccoli florets, diced ham and about 3/4 cup of the shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese. Once tossed, pour into the baking dish.
3. In the same mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, paprika and crushed red pepper.  Add in a few dashes of salt and pepper as well.
4. Pour the egg mixture over top of the ingredients in the baking dish.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
5. In the morning, sprinkle the remaining shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese over top of the casserole. Bake, covered, at 375 for 45 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the casserole puffs up and slightly browns on top.

Source: www.mops.org/ham-and-broccoli-breakfast-bake

Ham and Split Pea Soup

1 piece (about 2 1/2 pounds) smoked, bone-in picnic ham (or any leftover ham bone)
4 bay leaves
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) split peas, rinsed and picked through
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped medium
2 medium carrots, chopped medium
2 medium stalks celery, chopped medium
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tsp)
Pinch sugar
3 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
Ground black pepper
Minced red onion (optional)
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

1. Place ham, bay leaves, and 3 quarts water in large stockpot or Dutch oven.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is tender and pulls away from bone, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Remove ham meat and bone from pot and set aside.
2. Add split peas and thyme to stock.  Bring back to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, until peas are tender but not dissolved, about 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, when ham is cool enough to handle, shred meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.  Discard rind and bone.
3. While split peas are simmering, heat oil in large skillet over high heat until shimmering.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute, stirring frequently, until most of liquid evaporates and vegetables begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add butter, garlic, and sugar.  Cook vegetables, stirring frequently, until deeply browned, 30 to 35 minutes; set aside.
4. Add sauteed vegetables, potatoes, and shredded ham to pot with split peas.  Simmer until potatoes are tender and peas dissolve and thicken soup to consistency of light cream, about 20 minutes more.  Season with pepper to taste.  (The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days.  Warm soup over low heat until hot.)
5. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with red onion, if using, and serve, passing balsamic vinegar separately.

Source: "Here in America's Test Kitchen" 2002 Cookbook

Try #1 - January 15, 2014
I made this for small group, and doubled the recipe.  Even so, we still had a ton of leftovers!  I really liked this version of split pea soup.  Taking the time to do the different steps (simmering the stock ahead of time, sauteing the vegetables separately in oil AND butter) really brought out the flavor.  I've made split pea soup many times, usually just throwing everything in one pot all at the same time.  This was definitely better; however, it was more time-consuming.  My kids liked it, which is a bonus.  I didn't serve it with the balsamic vinegar, although we did have a side salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing which worked nicely with the soup.  Home run!

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

1 cup (7 oz) yellow split peas
1 cup (7 oz) red split lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups water
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/3 cup (1.5 oz) golden raisins
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
One small handful cilantro, chopped
Cooked brown rice or farro, for serving (optional)

1. Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.
2. In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.
3. Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency if you like by adding more water, a bit at a time, if you like. Or simmer longer for a thicker consistency.
4. Ladle soup over 1/2 cup of warm farro or brown rice. Sprinkle each bowl generously with cilantro and the remaining green onions.

Serves 6.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 35 min

Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/coconut-red-lentil-soup-recipe.html

Try #1 - March 2014
This was really good!  Even the kids liked it.  I didn't even use fresh ginger, green onions, or cilantro, and there was still plenty of flavor.  

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

2 cups (14 oz) split red lentils, picked over and rinsed well
1 tablespoon turmeric
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fine grain sea salt
1 large onion (~ 2 cups), diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of three lemons, or to taste
1 large bunch of spinach leaves, chopped
Cooked (warm) brown rice, to serve
Plain Greek yogurt, to serve

1. Put the lentils in a pot with 7 cups water, the turmeric, 1 tablespoon of the butter, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are soft and falling apart - twenty minutes or so. Puree with a hand blender. Add more water until the soup is the consistency you like, then taste and add more salt if needed. Keep the soup warm/hot.
2. While the lentils are cooking, prepare the onion. In a skillet over low heat cook the onion in 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter along with the cumin and mustard seeds, stirring occasionally. When the onions have softened, roughly 10 or 15 minutes, add the cilantro and cook for a few seconds before removing from the heat. Add the onion mixture to the soup, then add the juice of the lemons, one lemon at a time - until the soup has a nice bit of tang. Also, add more salt to taste at this point if needed.
3. Just before serving, add the last of the butter to the skillet, when hot add the spinach and a good pinch of salt. Stir well, and cook just long enough for the spinach to collapse.
4. Serve by placing a scoop of rice in each bowl, then soup, spinach, and a dollop of yogurt.
Serves 6.

Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/red-lentil-soup-with-lemon-recipe.html

Mediterranean-Style Pot Roast

1 2- to 3-pound boneless beef check pot roast
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic, undrained
1/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dried herbes de Provence, crushed
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled feta cheese

1. Trim fat from meat.  In large skillet, brown meat on all sides in hot oil.  Drain off fat.  Set aside.
2. Place onions in slow cooker.  Add meat.  In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, olives, Worcestershire sauce, herbes de Provence, and pepper.  Pour over mixture in slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours, or on high-heat for 4 to 5 hours.
4. Remove meat from slow cooker.  Cut meat into 6 serving-size pieces.  Arrange meat on a serving platter.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to serving platter, reserving juices.  Spoon enough of the juices over meat and vegetables to moisten.  Sprinkle with feta cheese.  Serves 6.

Source: ??

Try #1 - January 5, 2013
I've had this recipe in my folder for over 5 years... and not tried it until now.  I have no idea where it came from, except I'm pretty sure I copied it down at Brady and Erin's old apartment.  First try was a good one - I cooked it on low for 8 or 9 hours, and the meat was so tender that it just fell apart.  Which is success, in my opinion.  I omitted the olives because I don't like olives, but I can see how that would have added to the dish.  I think it could have used some salt - maybe the olives would have provided some of the saltiness.  Overall a good dish.  I served it over mashed potatoes.