Toona Noona Casserole

Just like Mom used to make! Well actually not really, but this recipe did remind me of my mom's Tuna Noodle (aka Toona Noona) Casserole that I love! I remember eating it when I was a kid, particularly on days when my dad was out of town, traveling for work. Her recipe includes macaroni noodles, mushroom barley soup, and cheese. This recipe doesn't have any of those. It's more of a grown up take on the food. But Mom's is good! Maybe I'll try that next!

But for today it was Tuna Noodle Casserole from someone named Christy's Blog (you can find her website on my blog roll).

I swapped out the pasta for whole grain pasta, used soy butter instead of real butter, and used onion soup mix instead of leek soup mix, but otherwise it's the same. And I must say it is mmmm good and not too fishy for those who aren't tuna fans. Here ya go!


Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked whole wheat linguine
1 cup frozen broccoli florets
1 package (about 1 oz) onion soup mix
1 1/2 cup milk
Dash of pepper
1 can (5 oz) white albacore tuna, drained
2 tbsp chopped, drained roasted red bell peppers
1 tbsp butter/margarine, melted
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook and drain linguine as directed on package, adding broccoli for the last 2 minutes of cook time.
In a 1-quart saucepan, mix soup and milk. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Add linguine, broccoli, tuna, and roasted peppers to soup mixture.
Stir gently, mixing all ingredients together well.
Spoon into baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix butter and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over linguine mixture.
Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes (I did about 23 min) or until top is golden brown.


Success! Depending on how you serve, I estimated about 6 portions and in WW that would be 4 pts/serving.

I bet adding cheese would make this in even yummier, but as someone who often gets an upset stomach from cheese I like that this casserole is without!

Super 7-Layer Dip

Wow, two posts in one day!

This recipe isn't so new so doesn't really go with my New Year's resolution, but it's still a recipe. This is actually the 4th Superbowl that I've made this same 7-layer Dip. I originally made it off of this recipe found on the can of Taco Bell brand refried beans, but over the years I've altered it a little. This became my go-to Superbowl recipe because it didn't actually involve any cooking since it's a cold recipe. The old me would always stick with cold recipes when it came to bringing things to parties (i.e. dips like this, fruit salad, etc.). But this has been a hit at every Superbowl party I've ever gone to so why stop making it now, plus this year I have baked goods to accompany it!

all the ingredients in preparation

Ingredients:
1 16-oz can of refried beans (I used Old El Paso brand Vegetarian Fat Free)
1 cup sour cream (I used Friendship brand light sour cream)
Taco seasoning
1 cup guacamole (in past years I've made my own, but this year I went with Whole Foods brand. It's so good!)
1 cup salsa - any kind you like! (I went with Trader Joe's brand, fresh over processed)
1/2 cup chopped onions (I actually didn't use onions this time, even though they are pictured above, because the fresh salsa has onions in it already)
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (above is Trader Joe's brand light cheese)

Other ingredients that you could substitute or add are chopped black olives (like the original suggests), tomatoes, jalapenos, and really just about anything you like!

Directions:
In 8x8 inch (or about that) pan layer all ingredients in the order listed. I just sprinkled the taco seasoning over the sour cream, before the guacamole, but you could also mix it in first. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 3 hrs.

Serve with any variation of chips, crackers, or veggies.

I forgot to take a picture of the finished product before I covered it and put it in the fridge, but you can't really see much anyway since the top is just cheese and lettuce. I definitely recommend this for your next party or what not; it's delicious and not that unhealthy considering I used light or fat free ingredients. Not quite sure how to measure serving size on this one, just dip in and enjoy!

My 1st Foray Into Baking

I don't really like to bake. For one, I end up eating the ingredients during the baking process; and for two, I'm way more likely to eat an entire batch of cookies in one day than 4-servings of risotto or what not. Plus, baking usually involves more fat and calories. But it was bound to happen sooner or later and sooner came yesterday. With Superbowl Sunday being today I decided I would make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.

The baking process was actually way easier than expected, though I ended up with flour all over the kitchen the final product was worth it! Mmmmmm...

All the ingredients laid out in preparation.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
4 egg whites
2 tbsp skim milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients (oil, brown sugar, white sugar, egg whites, skim milk, vanilla, salt). Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture resembles caramel sauce and the sugars have dissolved.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients (oats, flour, baking soda, chocolate chips). Stir until just combined. Add to liquid mixture. Transfer to a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan.

Bake 15-20 minutes until golden (*I baked it for 22.5 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool until firm. Cut into 24 squares and store tightly covered for up to 5 days.

The directions confused me a little because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to mix all the ingredients together before transferring to the pan (which I did a little) or not. I'm thinking maybe I wasn't supposed to because then when I poured it into the pan the flour mixture would be more at the bottom, covered by the liquid mixture. When I did it, it was a mix and the final product turned out a little crumbly. Below is the final product to take to a Superbowl party. Though crumbly, I must say they are mighty delicious! But I think anything oatmeal-chocolate chip is gonna be good. And for WW it's 4 pts per square.