Tuna Couscous Salad

The beginning of summer is always exciting! New veggies to eat, a grill to fire up, and for me new ways to try and save money. This week I wanted to try to cook with things I already have on hand. While clearing out the freezer and pantry for ingredients I saw a box of Israeli couscous and canned tuna. Immediately I knew I wanted to make a pasta salad. Searched the fridge for veggies to round out the salad and it was done! I challenge all you readers to see what you can do with what you have this month!

Tuna Couscous Salad
serves 6 for main course, 10 for side salads

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup uncooked Israeli couscous
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 3/4 Cups boiling water
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 peppers (red, yellow, or orange), diced
1/4 small red onion, minced
3 handfuls arugula, torn
2 cans water packed tuna, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 Cup olive oil based salad dressing (like Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar)
Salt and Pepper to taste

mmm golden and toasty!

In a medium sauce pan heat olive oil on medium heat. Add smashed garlic and dry couscous. Toast couscous until golden brown. Keep a good eye on this, stirring constantly because it will happen fast. When toasted fish out the garlic clove and discard.  Slowly add the boiling water and stir together bringing to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook until water is absorbed.

This screams warm weather to me!

While the couscous cooks dice up your veggies and mix together in a bowl big enough to serve the salad in. My husband LOVES when I do this because it means less dishes to do later, and in our house I cook; he cleans! If you do not like the bite of raw onions and would like to mellow them down a bit soak the diced onion in a small bowl of water or a water/vinegar mixture for 10-20 minutes.

Not going to lie, I stole a bite or two after I snapped this one!

When couscous is done mix together with the diced veggies and add arugula. The hot couscous will cause the arugula to wilt down a bit, depending on your love of the peppery green you may want to add more. Add chickpeas and tuna. Mix in the juice from half a lemon, adding the zest if you want more lemon flavor. Season with salt and pepper and then add salad dressing to taste.

Yes, we had bread with pasta...but the veggies balance it out, right?

This can be served warm or kept in the fridge and served cold.  Easily made vegetarian without the tuna, but plenty of fresh veggies and protein for a main dish. This is going to my go-to for party dishes!

Roasted Stuffed Mushrooms

This is an easy and quick meal that makes plenty for leftovers! Hearty, healthy and flavorful you will be making this one again!  Using ingredients we normally have on hand makes this even easier. I first saw this printed in Everyday Food, my changes are below.

White Bean Stuffed Portobellos

Serves 2 (with leftovers for 2)

Ingredients

4 large portobello caps (stems removed)

1 tsp lemon zest

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can cannellini beans, drained

2 tsp fresh thyme 

1 Cup bread crumbs

1/2 Cup feta cheese crumbles

1 bag baby spinach

Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl combine 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp lemon juice, brush over each side of the mushroom caps, season with salt and pepper, place stem side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Flip and drain any juices from sheet pan. Reserve two mushrooms for tomorrow's lunch.

In a saucepan heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat, saute garlic for 1 minute. Add beans, thyme, lemon zest and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. 

Top each mushroom half with a handful of spinach leaves, then 1/4 cup of bean mixture, layer of feta cheese and top with breadcrumbs. Drizzle mushrooms with remaining olive oil. Return baking sheet to oven and roast until breadcrumbs are golden, 5-10 minutes. Serve with a spinach salad and garlic chiabatta toast. 

For your leftover lunch, warm bean mixture and mushrooms. Top a spinach salad with sliced mushrooms and feta. Top a couple slices of toast with the warmed bean mixture.

Shrimp Corn Chowder

Is the winter's storms getting you down? Need something warm to cuddle up with while you celebrate not having to work? I have just the winter dinner for you to try! Its easy to make (always good when you want to couch it on your day off) and inexpensive! While I would usually freeze soups that yield this amount, this one doesn't freeze well, so make sure you are in the mood for several corn chowder lunches!

Shrimp Corn Chowder
makes 8 servings


Ingredients
1/2 sweet yellow onion, small dice
1 large or two small Idaho potatoes, 1 inch dice
2 cans no-salt-added creamed corn
1 Cup milk (do not use skim, but any other percentage will work)
2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp fresh or 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley
4-5 raw shrimp per serving 


Place onions and potatoes in a pan and just cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove lid and salt, cooking about 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Add both cans of creamed corn and heat through. Add the milk and butter and heat again, do not let this boil. Once the chowder is hot through taste and adjust your seasoning. 


Because there are only two people in my house hold I will not add the shrimp to the whole batch of chowder, I will cook it in individual servings. Peel the shrimp and rough chop them into 1/2 inch pieces. While chowder is hot and ready to serve stir in the amount needed for servings and let cook about 3 minutes, til opaque and pink. Garnish with parsley. 

You always want large pieces of lettuce for a Caesar salad

I served this up tonight with a big Caesar salad. My quick trick for croutons is to use up any crackers or left over bread you have hanging around. I used a focaccia cracker broken into smaller pieces. If you want to make your own croutons toast cubes of day old bread sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper, and garlic. I have not attempted my own dressing, maybe later this year!

Weekly Budget Update!

This weekend I spent $64 at Stop & Shop. We are recovering from the holidays which means fresh food - loads of fruits and veggies!  I also spent $8 on fresh pasta from a little Italian deli, so excited to eat it! Under budget with $8 to spare!




Major Purchases: Chicken breasts, fresh basil, and bundles of fresh fruit!

Good Deals: Pineapples were on sale this week for $2 each! Also got some individual serving guacamole snack packs to keep on hand. Not a huge savings, but they don't turn brown and mushy as quickly!

Meal Planning:
Egg Nog French Toast with Fruit Salad
Fusilli with Pink Vodka Sauce and Grilled Chicken
Pork Tenderloin, Potatoes, Veg
Mushroom Fritatta with Mixed Green Salad
Individual Pizzas with Soup

This menu should get us back on track and recovered from the holidays! The leftover will also serve as great lunches for my husband and me.

Date Night Friday!

Well, date night did not go exactly as planned this week. I bought all the ingredients to make Ina's Grown Up Mac and Cheese, a nice flank steak from Whole Foods, and arugula for a salad. Unfortunately the roux for the mac and cheese didn't come together as planned and it was ruined. Thinking quickly I decided to use the leftover cheese and make a big salad topped with steak.

I had the butcher at Whole Foods cut me a night piece of flank steak, about 3/4Lb. Rubbed with olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flake, and Worcestershire sauce. Tossed arugula, red peppers, Craisins, and walnuts with homemade honey mustard dressing. Thinly sliced the steak and arranged on top. This was so filling I almost didn't miss the mac and cheese!

Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing
Ingredients:
 2 Tbsp each Honey, Dijon Mustard, Apple Cider Vinegar
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

Whisk together everything except oil. Once combined continue whisking while slowly adding the oilve oil in a stream. Season to taste.

This dressing has been a huge crowd pleaser and is not full of sugar and who knows what from the bottled kind!