FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Comforty Goodness

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My mom’s infamously easy tuna noodle casserole was, hands down, a top five most frequently requested meal of my childhood – lucky her!  I carried the recipe in my ‘first time living alone’ box of tricks when I left for college.  And I continued to whip it up until gluten-free ruled my life.  The recipe was nixed from memory upon reading the ingredients of every cream of mushroom soup can I could find.

Although I rarely eat gluten-free at restaurants since finding out I’m not officially intolerant, I steer clear of bringing glutenous groceries home.  In my opinion, gluten in the average American diet is beyond excessive and not as necessary as your handy dandy food pyramid makes it seem.
Off my soap box, back to the meal…

Every few trips to the market, I head to the gluten-free aisle to grab a bag of brown rice pasta. Most of the items on that aisle, though gluten-free, tend to be super processed and hokey, so I grab what I need and go.  This time…  I noticed a gluten-free cream of mushroom soup and my most memorable cozy, comfort meal came to mind.

Mom’s Recipe – Altered (2 servings)
2-1/2 oz. of Albacore Tuna in Water, Drained if Canned
1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
Boil noodles per package instructions.  Mix noodles, soup, and tuna together and pour into an oven safe bowl (I used a pie plate).  Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.

Super Food Smoothie

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I’ve seen wheatgrass advertised from time to time over the years, but never gave it a second thought.  Why?  Simply put, in my experience, the taste was wretched.

But when I saw the lone pallet of grass at Greenwise last week, I felt the need to own it.  And since the impulsive need to own, well, anything is far from uncommon for me, I decided to think about it.  After all, it was a twenty dollar piece of sod.

I used the same methodology as I do with clothes, shoes, make-up, appliances, gadgets, electronics, everything.  If I go home and never give it a second thought, then I must not have wanted said thing all that badly.  However, if I found it was all I could think about and it made an appearance or two in my day dreams and night dreams alike – there must be a need.

I’m somewhat sad to say that wheatgrass crossed my mind that many times in one week that I allowed myself to bring the pallet home.  To justify my purchase, it’s going to be a “green” smoothie kind of week.  And to justify the taste, I’ll keep in mind that one ounce of wheatgrass contains the same amount of nutrients as 2-1/2 pounds of green veggies.  That…  Is a lot of veggies.

Super Food Smoothie:
1/2 Cup Wild Blueberries
1 Sambazon Acai Package
1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar
1 Gala Apple
2″x2″ Square of Wheatgrass
1/2 Cup Water
8 Ice Cubes

Hunky Halibut

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I bought this fish for no other purpose than I like halibut (I know stuff like this now).  I figured I could dust it with seasoning, broil it, and call it dinner; however, there’s a theoretical limit to how many times I can post about broiled fish.  And likewise, there’s a not so theoretical limit to how many times I can eat the “same” fish.

Due to my broiling assumption, I did not recipe hunt for alternatives nor did I purchase any ingredients out of the norm at the market.  Dilemma?  A bit of a dilemma…

Light bulbs and sirens went off simultaneously as I remembered the ridiculous amounts of wine I had recently purchased to stock my wine fridge.  Going only off of ingredients I thought might taste OK, I started mixing.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the smallest saucepan you own.  Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic and 2 stalks of chopped green onions to the melted butter and stir over medium heat for a few minutes.  Add 1 cup of white wine (I used Souv Blanc), salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil.  Add fish fillet and poach, turning mid-way, for 6-8 minutes or until fish is cooked all the way through.  Spoon a small amount of the broth over the fish and disregard the rest.

For the record, poaching is the new broiling in this kitchen!

Colorful Coverage

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Pictured above is my staple go-to dinner.  And while it happens to be super simple, it also happens to have a purpose – greens for metabolism protection, reds for cancer prevention, and both for heart-disease prevention.  Who knew a ten minute meal could have your color bases covered?

Typically, I wilt spinach leaves with heated red sauce and throw in some gluten free pasta, but tonight I was reminded of my frozen food debacle and decided I wanted to “cream” my own greens.  So much better than frozen!  It might even cook faster than the five to seven nuking minutes required by the previously mentioned frozen fare.

Melt 1/4 to 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a pan.  Throw in a couple handfuls of baby spinach leaves until they are fully wilted.  Sprinkle with a tablespoon or so of sharp white cheese, stir, and voila!