Tuna orzo casserole

Try though I did, could not find a suitable picture for this. But then, it's just a doggone casserole, right? I really like the mouth feel of properly cooked orzo. I also always cook my orzo in broth. No particular reason, it's just me. I've found that a proportion of 2 parts broth to 1 part orzo works very well. Basically the orzo is done when the liquid has been absorbed. It's a little like making a risotto. Now, I grew up eating tuna noodle casserole made with elbows. I still like that too. I decided to use 2 cans of tuna (small ones), one that was in oil and one in water. Also, scallions are a nice addition for me. I added some peas just because I could. Cook 1 1/2 cups orzo in 3 cups chicken stock. Drain (there won't be much, if any, excess liquid) and set aside to cool slightly. Saute some onion and mushrooms in butter and oil. Season with salt and pepper and onion and garlic powders if you wish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a medium casserole. Chop 2 scallions, white and green parts please. Open 2- 5 oz. cans of tuna and drain (the kind of tuna is entirely up to you; I had some I got on the cheap). Grate 1 cup parmesan. Run 1 cup frozen peas under warm water to thaw. Put everything into the casserole and toss to combine. Cover and bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes. Serve in heated bowls.

Sauerkraut, sausage and potato casserole

I’ve been mulling over what to do with some Italian sausages (mild) that are in the freezer. Then it hit me – I want mustard, I want horseradish, I want sauerkraut. Normally I would prefer to make my own sauerkraut but I’m impatient just now and simply bought some at Safeway. Normally I would buy sauerkraut in the refrigerated section, either in a bag or a jar.

Turns out I used canned sauerkraut. Kuner’s brand. After tasting it, I decided to rinse it slightly. No reason to leave all the chemicals in. Even though rinsing removes some of the flavor, the addition of caraway and capers helped compensate for that.

So as to make this a one-dish meal, I added some potatoes. There is nothing astounding about my sausage/kraut/potato casserole. It’s just darned good! Peter suggested adding some cheese. I just couldn’t bring my head around to that. In the end, he was perfectly happy with the results. I did agree that he could add a bread crumb streusel, a combination of crumbs,

Sauerkraut with sausages and potatoes
1 14oz. can sauerkraut, drained and lightly rinsed
1 tsp caraway seeds, ground or smashed
8 oz. red potatoes
8 oz. Italian sausages (spicy or mild, your choice)
1 tspn caraway seeds, lightly smashed in a mortar and pestle
2 tbs prepared horseradish, or to taste
2 tbs capers
black pepper to taste
½ cup chicken stock
Streusel: unseasoned breadcrumbs moistened with melted butter, about ½ cup

Cut the potatoes into 2” pieces. Cut the sausages into 2” pieces.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and sausages. Simmer 8 minutes. Drain.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Lubricate a medium casserole with cooking spray. Mix the caraway, horseradish, capers and some pepper in a bowl. Put the sauerkraut into it and toss. Put the potatoes and sausage into the casserole. Top with the sauerkraut and add the chicken stock.

Bake until hot and the sausages are cooked through, about 1 hour. You can do this as much as a day ahead. When you’re ready to eat it, top it with the streusel and run it under the broiler for a few minutes to brown and crisp it.