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.

Flopping Flounder

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You’re not imagining it; I’m partial to seafood these days.  Since the acquisition of my fish cooking skills during ‘Technique de la Hanz’, I just can’t stop.  The thought of cooking chicken has always caused an urge to snooze, there’s a limit to how many times you can pretend turkey tastes differently than chicken, and beef?  Beef lost its attraction after living steps from the Bern’s Bar.  So fish it is.

And if you thought spending a lifetime within eye shot of water would create a connoisseur of some sort, you’d be wrong.  Beyond salmon, tuna, and grouper…  I’m clueless.  If you can imagine someone spinning me in circles, blindfolded, and telling me to point – that would be a fairly accurate description of tonight’s seafood department experience.  And, that would be the only possible explanation for how I ended up with flounder.
Due to my lack of grill, I brushed the filet with olive oil, sprinkled it with Northwoods Seasoning, and broiled it for 5-7 minutes on each side.  I served it atop seasoned and sauteed baby bellas, asparagus, green beans, squash, and zucchini.  The veggie medley equaled “woah!” and distracted me from my new found dislike – flounder.