Paleo Tuna/Sardine Casserole

I did not grow up eating tuna casserole, but I loved tuna melts and creamed tuna on toast. I have not thought about either of those things in a long time, but they must be in there somewhere because I felt compelled to make this casserole dish. I think the idea of a creamy pasta-y dish of sorts sounded appealing as we turn back to snow and rain. And, it totally hit the spot! It was good - in a creamed tuna on toast kinda way. And with tasty ingredients that I want to eat (as opposed to a can of cream of mushroom soup!)

I used this post for inspiration, but used spaghetti squash rather than zucchini noodles (which is way less fussy because you do not need to squeeze out excess water), and added pickles and butter, and a little parmesan and almond flour for a crunchy top. I mean, what is not to like here? Also, I used sardines because they are more sustainably fished than tuna, and are lower on the food chain so you get less of the weird chemicals hanging out in our oceans. Using the squash did mean things looked more monochromatic, but that seems in keeping with the more bland origins of this dish!

For this recipe, you need an already cooked spaghetti squash: cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the center seeds. Brush a tsp of olive oil on each squash half, and place open side down on a rimmed baking tray. Add 1/4 c or so of water to the pan, and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. The squash is done when you can easily pierce a fork into the "meat" of the squash. Use a fork to scrape and pull the "noodles" from each half - they will come easily.

Sardine Casserole - 2 large servings or 4 small ones:

• 1 medium cooked spaghetti squash - you will not use it all
• 1/2 med red onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1-2 celery stalks (I did not have any, but that would be good here)
• 3 T butter
• 1 T coconut flour
• 1/4 c coconut milk/cream/almond milk, etc
• salt/papper/chili flakes to taste
  
• 8 oz sardines (2 tins) or tuna
• 2 jalapenos, finely chopped
• 2 pickle spears, finely chopped (or olives)
• 1/3 c Mayo (homemade)
• 1 T prepared mustard
• salt and pepper
• 1 T almond flour (opt)
  
• 1-2 T parmesan cheese (opt)
  
• fresh parsley to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a pie pan or cast iron skillet.

2. Prep "noodles": melt 1 T of the butter in a large skillet and add onion (and celery if using). Saute until soft, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add coconut flour and remaining 2 T butter and stir to make a thicker onion roux mixture. Add coconut milk/cream/milk to thin the roux and stir some more. Mix the onion/milk/flour mixture with spaghetti squash "noodles" (I used just over half of my cooked squash), salt, pepper and chili flakes so that squash is coated in the roux and seasoning.

3. Make "tuna" salad: Combine sardines or tuna, jalapenos, pickle/olives, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl until well mixed. 

4. Add tuna salad to noodle mix, and combine well. Pour the entire mixture into the pie plate/cast iron skillet. Top with parmesan cheese if using. (You will add almond flour at the end.) Bake for 15-20 minutes until everything is hot and the top is starting to brown. Sprinkle almond flour on the top, and then broil the casserole for another few minutes to brown the top. Once crispy, remove from broiler, top with fresh parsley and serve.

Simple Bolognese "Paleo Pasta"

Well. The cold persists. That is all I really have to say about that. And in the words of my co-worker Jenna, "This weather just makes me want to go home and eat mashed potatoes." This isn't quite that, but is kind of comfort food-ish. I actually did eat some of this sauce on leftover mashed cauliflower this week though, and it was really good. Not so traditional, but good.

This is my go-to pasta sauce for spaghetti squash or zucchini "noodles" - it is really pretty with some (no longer) frozen garden tomatoes, and is pretty easy. I grew up eating pasta with sauce from a jar - and later homemade sauce without meat. Those were fine - tomatoes are good. But I LOVE bolognese sauce. Really. It's its own classification of pasta sauce I think. I've made a few different versions of it over the past few years, but this is probably the most simple because it uses Italian sausage rather than a bacon/beef combo, and it doesn't use any dairy or other liquids. If you have some dry wine around, or a bit of chicken broth - throw some in - but it's tasty just the way it is.

Simple Bolognese Sauce
1 lb Italian sausage
1 small onion, diced small
1 celery stalk, diced small
1 medium carrot, diced small
2-3 oz tomato paste
2 c (or so) frozen/canned tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

1. Brown sausage in a large heavy skillet or pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery to the pot to saute in any excess sausage fat. Add extra fat if needed and cook together until sausage is cooked and crumbly, onions are translucent, and carrots are starting to soften.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices/herbs. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for awhile - an hour (ideally), but at least 30 minutes.
3. While sauce simmers, cook your spaghetti squash, or julienne your zucchini! Both are great. I just eat my zucchini noodles raw, and I use an old school mandoline slicer. If you are making spaghetti squash, just cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the pulp and seeds. Roast cut side up in a pan for 45 minutes at 375. Remove from oven and separate/remove "strands" with a fork.