‘Fish’ Category

  1. My First Tuna Casserole (Or Food Waste Free Tuna Casserole)

    April 13, 2011 by Tarrant Figlio

    It seems unreal that I made my first Tuna Casserole tonight — but I think that is the case. I remember my ex making them. I know my older sister made them. My mother would NEVER make one. I don’t think I ever did before tonight.

    Extreme Coupon Denise (man, every time I think that I want an action figure of Denise with her coupon-ing gear) has brought home tuna (and we had tuna in the house from some “Tarrant is in the mood for tuna salad (once) so let’s buy the cheaper option of 8 cans of solid white tuna.” Tarrant thoughts from before the launch of Extreme Coupon Denise (so that tuna is not Denise’s doing at all). The Denise tuna was free or better than free or whatever. I don’t get it. If you want to understand it–there is a whole series over here about extreme couponing. We also have a lot of pasta for the same reason.

    So I have been threatening tuna casserole for a few weeks. Mama doesn’t eat tuna casserole. Denise doesn’t eat tuna casserole Tarrant doesn’t eat tuna casserole. My children don’t even like the WORD casserole.

    I put it on the menu for the week thinking Friday, but realized today was better. Tomorrow is trash day and so I don’t get shamed for food waste–I decided I could hide all sorts of odds and ends in a casserole. Right? Right!

    I then set about making it knowing really nothing of the making of tuna casserole other than remembered snippets of this and that. So here is what went into my tuna casserole.

    First-I cooked 1/2 a bag of egg noodles in the microwave pasta boat thing I mocked at Christmas. Yeah, it is handy.

    While that was cooking I grabbed odds and ends out of the fridge:

    1/2 ear corn on the cob
    leftover pico de gallo (about 3/4 cup)
    7 mushrooms
    3/4 red bell pepper
    1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
    1 container minus 1 spoon of Santa Fe Philadelphia Cooking Creme
    4 boiled fingerling yukon potatoes
    end of a package of shredded cheddar (probably 2/3 cup)

    I chopped the mushrooms, bell pepper and potatoes. I cut the corn off the cob. I mixed all of that together except the shredded cheese. I drained the now cooked pasta and two of the cans of tuna. Mixed with vegetables/Philadelphia Cooking Creme blend. Then tossed the shredded cheddar on top. Baked at 350 until cheese melted/heated through.

    Mama asked for seconds. I liked it. Denise said it was ok. Seems like a win. I forgot to serve the dilled green beans with it though darn it.

    Category Casseroles, Fish | Tags: | 7 Comments

  2. Shrimp Newburg in Popovers

    March 23, 2011 by Tarrant Figlio

    My mother makes fabulous Seafood Newburg. I remember the first time I ran across it was when my sister had a party of some sort when living in Cape St. Clair. I can picture the crockpot on the table still. I have no idea what the party was for…perhaps my niece’s birthday? A housewarming? No idea.

    I had an allergy to some seafood as a child–most notably crab which would turn me a strange shade of purple–mostly my chin. This wasn’t necessarily a problem growing up in my house–my father wouldn’t touch seafood. It was a problem growing up in Maryland. Hello. Maryland Blue Crabs. (which I still dream of from time to time)

    I would venture a cup of cream of crab soup with sherry at The Oxbow from time to time. I had more than my share of Maryland Steamed Crabs every so often. So what if I wheezed and turned purple? (ah the indestructibility of youth)

    This recipe is certainly NOT my mother’s recipe and it has shrimp which never seemed to trouble my allergies. It also has something I adore…popovers. In my mind the Treaty of Paris restaurant is notable for one thing: popovers. I could have eaten baskets and baskets of them. I still probably could.

    All that said–this recipe won’t help you much if you want to make a good shrimp Newburg. It calls for you to have made the popovers. Of course, you can find a popover recipe. It calls for canned Newburg sauce which is surely an atrocity, if it is even still available. It calls for canned shrimp. So, it is a quick recipe but not one that is going to make you realize the wonder that is Shrimp Newburg. It definitely won’t be my mother’s recipe.

     

    Category Fish, Recipes, retro food | Tags: | No Comments

  3. Cheesy Fishburger

    November 3, 2010 by Tarrant Figlio

    I have a 1976 Farm Journal cookbook by Nell B. Nichols Called “Homemade Snacks-How to eat better when you eat on the run”

    I flipped through it idly today dreaming of yummy homemade snacks that were healthy. Potted Cheese-mmm a 2-week recipe–you add the next week’s ingredients to the remnants of the first week’s potted cheese. Have they seen Denise and me with ready made cheese spreads? Right. Not healthy. Moderation is key here.

    It being 1976, I suppose the definition of healthy was a bit different from today–but this one took the cake for me. (and probably IS one of my favorite “snacks” but since I don’t cook fish at home–I must sneak through a local drive-thru to get it.) Just in case you want a “healthy” snack made at home–here you go:

    By the way–the particular nutrient in this sandwich according to the book–calcium, not fat. hmmm.

    Cheesy Fishburger

    1 portion frozen breaded fish
    vegetable oil
    1 slice process American Cheese
    1 hamburger bun, split

    Golden Tartar Sauce

    Cook fish in hot oil until golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn and top with cheese slice cut to fit fish. Continue cooking until golden brown on other side about 2 minutes. Place in split hamburger bun and top generously with Golden Tartar Sauce. Makes 1 serving.

    Speaking of tartar sauce, I do always make my own at home–not buy prepared but I can’t imagine ever using this much pickle relish-maybe a 1/4 cup. Add as you see fit. I also recommend draining a bit so it isn’t too watery.

    Golden Tartar Sauce

    “Use at least one tablespoon of sauce per sandwich”
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
    1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard
    1 tsp grated onion

    Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate. Sauce will keep a week or two. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

    Category Fish, retro food, Sandwiches, Sauces | Tags: | No Comments

  4. Deviled Crab

    June 10, 2008 by Tarrant Figlio

    Ok, this recipe is not how I make deviled crab at all. However, some of you might like it this way…

    2 hard boiled eggs
    1 raw egg
    2 TBS melted butter
    1/2 c hot water
    crab meat
    1/2 c bread crumbs
    1/4 teasp dry mustard
    2 TBS vinegar
    salt and cayenne pepper to taste

    Mix yolk of raw egg with yolks of boiled eggs. Add dry mustard, vinegar, melted butter, pepper and salt. Chop whites of hard boiled eggs, add crab meat and bread crumbs. Mix with dressing. Add beaten egg white and water. Place in shells or casserole. Cover with bread crumbs and dot with butter. Bake at 450. Mrs. E. C. Marshall- From the Alachua Hospital Auxiliary Cookbook, 1969.

    Category Fish, Recipes, retro food | Tags: ,, | 5 Comments

Older Entries