Quick Tuna and Tomato Sauce

I threw this sauce together one night this week when my pre-planned dinner fell thru due to a lack of kale in the garden. I picked some to go in a big pot of soup  and realized that there was not near as much left as I previously thought, so the creamed kale and eggs plan had to be back-burnered for the time being. A quick inventory of my cupboard revealed these ingredients, and in less than 15 minutes, we were eating this tasty meal. I didn't even take any pictures (gasp!) during the cooking,  not really expecting it to be as tasty as it was. Luckily the leftovers that I packed for lunch willingly posed for a picture J  It is well worth sharing, and much healthier (and cheaper!) than take out. This fed 4 of us for dinner, and there was enough left for 2 lunches. Frugal, healthy and tasty, give it a try!

Quick Tuna and Tomato Sauce

1 cup thinly sliced onions

2 tbsp butter

1 796ml can diced tomatoes (look for BPA free cans, like Eden)

1 184g can flaked tuna (ethically caught)

2 tsp dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

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“noodles” of choice ( We had ours over spiraled zucchini noodles, the boys had their favourite gluten free pasta.)

Heat butter in a large cast iron pan over medium high heat. When it starts to bubble, add the onions and sauté until they start to soften, and almost start to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Add the basil, tuna and tomatoes, stir to combine. Bring to a boil and let simmer until your noodles of choice are ready.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with your “noodles”.   Top with grated cheese if desired.

Sweet and Sour Sloppy Slaw

I made this recipe from one of my Real Simple magazines a few weeks ago, and while it was good, it was needing some tweaking for our tastes.  We don’t eat wheat, so the buns had to go, and we found it really salty. So, I tweaked a bunch and this is what I came up with.  It morphed into a salad of sorts, and received great reviews from my teenage test kitchen.

If your ground beef is thawed, it can be on the table in about a half an hour. I recommend making the coleslaw part first so the flavours can combine while the beef cooks.  I added the Arame, a sea vegetable, for a nutrient boost. It can be left out if you are feeding less than adventurous eaters! (I have been adding sea vegetables to everything lately, they up the trace minerals and nutrients of any recipe without altering the taste.

Sweet And Sour Sloppy Slaw

Cole slaw:

4 cups shredded cabbage

3 carrots, grated

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Juice of one lime

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp sesame seeds

Ground beef:

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 lg onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup pre-soaked Arame, drained

1 inch knob of ginger, grated

1 lb grass fed ground beef

2 tbsp Bragg's Soy Seasoning

½ can of small can of tomato paste

2 tbsp coconut sugar

½ cup water

For Coleslaw:

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well. Set aside at room temp to marinate while you make the ground beef part;

Ground beef:

Sauté onion in coconut oil for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat in a large cast iron pan. Add the ground beef, using wooden spoon to break it up as you stir. When it is almost cooked thru, 6-8 minutes or so, add the rest of the ingredients, stirring to combine. Let cook until the ground beef is completely cooked and the liquid is mostly absorbed, another 4-5 minutes.

Serve the hot beef on top of the coleslaw.

Bruschetta Egg Skillet with Spinach and Fresh Basil

I made this for my oldest son one night for a quick dinner, when he said he had no time to eat before driving school. I literally had it on his plate within 7 minutes flat. I remade it for my hubby for brunch on one of our days off together, and remembered to take  pictures so I could post it. The Bruschetta topping is a recipe that I used in the first cooking class that I taught at Goodness Me. I shared this idea with the class, because the Bruschetta topping is so versatile, it pays to make extra.

Bruschetta Egg Skillet with Spinach and Fresh Basil

3 cups roughly chopped organic baby spinach

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp butter

6 eggs

½ tsp Herbamare or sea salt of choice

½ cup Bruschetta mixture (recipe below)

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp Chopped fresh basil (or sub other fresh herbs of choice, garlic chives would be awesome!)

Beat eggs in a medium mixing bowl, add Herbamare and stir to combine. Set aside

Preheat broiler to high, and move  rack to the upper half of the oven.

Heat oil and butter in a medium to large cast iron (or other oven safe) pan over medium high heat. Sauté spinach until wilty, 1-2 minutes. Add beaten eggs, and let cook undisturbed for a few minutes. Using a wooden spatula, tip the pan slightly and pull the cooked egg back from the edge of the pan, letting the uncooked egg run underneath. Repeat around the pan a few times, until the eggs are almost set on top, this should take just a few minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Spoon the Bruschetta mix evenly around the pan on top of the almost cooked eggs, top with grated cheese, and place under broiler until the edges of the egg are starting to brown nicely, and the cheese is just starting to bubble. Keep an eye on it at all times, you don't want it to burn!!

Remove from broiler (remember the handle will be hot!!!) and cut into 4 wedges in the pan. Remove each wedge to a plate and top with chopped herbs. Serve hot and enjoy!

Bruschetta Topping

1 410g can diced tomatoes, drained well

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small clove of garlic, minced

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)

¾ tsp salt

Grind of fresh black pepper

Splash of balsamic vinegar

Topping Directions:

Drain tomatoes well, add other ingredients and stir well to combine.  Let stand for ½ hr for flavours to meld. If using dried basil, let stand closer to an hour for the basil to rehydrate.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms With Spinach And Goat Cheese

Portobello mushrooms done on the grill are very tasty. Add a tangy peppery marinade and combine them with a quick sauté of greens and a nice creamy goat cheese and they become a perfect light meal or side dish that comes together in a flash.  Grilling the mushrooms on the BBQ adds a nice smokiness that balances the flavour of the goat cheese perfectly.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms With Spinach And Goat Cheese

2 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed and brushed clean

1 small log of goat cheese (ours was Chevrai with fine herbs, you will only use about half of it)

Marinade:

3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

3 Tbsp Organic Olive oil

1 tsp coarsely cracked fresh ground black pepper

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh thyme, woody stems removed, roughly chopped (or ½ tsp dried)

Vegetable Saute:

1 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter)

1 onion, sliced in ½ inch slices

3 cups baby spinach

Salt to taste.

Preheat your BBQ or indoor grill to medium high.

Cut 4  round slices from your log of goat cheese, about ½ inch thick, and set aside

Melt the coconut oil in a medium sized cast iron pan over medium high heat and sauté the onion slices  until they just start to color a bit. Turn heat to low, and stir occasionally.

Baste mushrooms with the marinade and BBQ or grill for approx 3-4 minutes per side, basting once more per side as they grill. Reserve a bit of the marinade to drizzle on your mushrooms after they are plated.

When mushrooms are flipped to their second side, turn the heat back up on your onions to medium high and add the spinach. Season lightly with salt and sauté until the spinach is just wilted, 2-3 minutes.

Place the BBQ’d mushrooms on your plates. Top with your sautéed spinach and onions.  Place 2 rounds of goat cheese per mushroom on top of the spinach, and drizzle the remaining marinade on top of the cheese. Serve while hot!

Grain Free Quinoa Salmon Cakes

These are a great meal when you forget to take something out of the freezer to thaw, or you are trying to stretch the food budget a wee bit until pay day. They go together quickly if you have some quinoa set aside, and bake in just enough time to set the table and toss a salad to serve on the side.  Be sure to choose a wild caught salmon with no extra added ingredients.

Grain Free Quinoa Salmon Cakes

2 cans wild caught salmon, drained

1 cup pre-cooked organic quinoa

2 eggs, preferably pastured

½ cup Best Baa Raw Sheep’s Milk Feta Cheese, crumbled (or feta of choice)

2 cups organic baby spinach, (chop after measuring)

2 Tbsp chopped fresh organic basil (or 2 tsp dried)

1/3 cup organic sun dried tomatoes, finely diced (drained if in oil, soaked in hot water and drained if dry)

1/8 tsp organic cayenne

½ tsp Herbamare or sea salt of choice

Preheat oven to 375F

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until very well combined. Using hands shape into patties, and place on a greased baking pan.(Mine made 10 patties, about 1 inch thick and 3 inches across)

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked thru. Serve warm or chilled.

Ready to go in the oven to bake!

Veggie Egg Muffins

A speedy and  adaptable protein to serve with breakfast, lunch or dinner! Change the veggies and cheese to what you have on hand, adding some crumbled bacon or chicken would be good too. Sautéing the veggies first releases some of the moisture, and ups the flavour factor!

Veggie Egg Muffins

½ cup red onion, diced

2 mushrooms, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp butter, plus more for greasing muffin tins

 1 ½ cups spinach, chopped

6 eggs

Pinch of red pepper flakes

½ tsp salt

1 scant cup of grated cheese

Grease 6 muffin tins generously with butter and preheat oven to 375F

Sauté the onion, garlic and mushrooms until they are starting to just lose their moisture and brown up a bit, about 3-4 minutes. Divide the mixture between the 6 greased muffin tins and set aside.

Chop the spinach and add some to each muffin tin, again  set aside.

Beat eggs, salt and hot pepper flakes well with an immersion blender or whisk (immersion blender works well at adding lots of volume to the eggs) Divide egg mixture evenly in the 6 muffin tins, and top with the grated cheese.

Bake for approx. 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until  set in the middle, puffy and starting to turn a nice golden brown colour.

They will be nice and fluffy when you first take them out of the oven, but will fall slightly as they cool. Can be served hot, at room temp or chilled. Great for lunch boxes!

Sloppy Joes

This is one of my boys favourite suppers.  And it goes together easily, ready in about ½ an hour tops, which makes it a great weeknight meal. The boys usually have it on buns, but being as Jim and I are not eating wheat anymore, I served ours on lettuce leaves.  You may think this would make them extra “sloppy”, but they were not at all. We usually use romaine lettuce leaves, and they held up nicely! I have substituted both ground chicken and ground turkey for this recipe with great success as well.

Sloppy Joes

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium green pepper, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lb grass fed ground beef

½ cup crushed tomatoes ( I like the Eden brand in the glass jars)

½ can organic tomato paste (probably about ¼ cup?)

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

In a large skillet, sauté the onion, green pepper, celery and garlic in the coconut oil over medium high heat, until starting to brown and soften. Make sure to stir often!  Add ground beef, and continue sautéing until cooked thru, about 10 minutes or so.  If your beef is fatty, you can drain it now if desired.

Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer till thickened, about 10-15 minutes.

Serve on buns, or lettuce leaves with mustard if desired.

(you can disguise a lot of veggies in here, feel free to add any other finely diced like zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, whatever you have in the fridge…they will never know!)