Pretzel Topped Tuna Casserole

It’s week three of vintage month and it’s about time I made a casserole. Tuna Casserole has alway been a weird dish, I mean hot tuna? You could not have made me eat this when I was younger, but the first time I tried tuna casserole I was shocked at how good it was! For a dish that has been reduced to pre-made mixes in the grocery store, tuna casserole can impress when made from scratch. It’s surprisingly easy to make! I used pretzels to top mine because I always have to be a little different. Go ahead and make this easy to prepare meal, it’s sort of healthy!

• 2 cans of premium Tuna
• 1/2 cup of Frozen Peas
• 2 cups of Egg Noodles
• 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Small Yellow Onion diced
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons Flour
• 8 Large Pretzels coarsely crushed
• 1/4 cup Parmesan finely grated
• Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. In a large sauce pan heat the olive oil and onion over medium high heat. Stirring on occasion until slightly colored. Add the flour and stir. Cook until the flour coating on the onion turns slightly brown. Some will have stuck to the bottom of the pan that’s okay. 
3. Deglaze the pan by adding the milk and chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil.
4. While you’re waiting for the mixture to come to a boil start making the topping. Crush the pretzels with your fingers into a small bowl. Stir in the grated parmesan.
5. Once the mixture has come to a boil add the tuna, peas, noodles, salt and pepper.
6. Cook for about 7 minutes or until the noodles become soft.
7. Scoop the noodles and stuff into the baking vessel of your choice. I chose to use ramekins cause it adds a bit of classy, and this way you don’t end up eating the whole pan by yourself. Top with the pretzel parm mix and bake until the cheese has melted. I garnished mine with some pea shoots!
8. Enjoy!

Photos by Katy Weaver

Pot Roast

It’s week two of vintage month on Cooking with B.S.! And we’re featuring the most the oldest recipe ever, cooked meat. There is something appealing about simplicity. Maybe it’s having fewer dishes to clean up after the meal is cooked or perhaps it’s when you don’t muddle the meat with every spice under the sun its true flavor comes out. Or perhaps these vintage recipes remind us of a simpler time, a better time, a time before quinoa.

• 1 lbs. Beef Roast
• 2 Carrots
• 5 Celery Stalks
• 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion
• 3 Potatoes
• Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375°
2. Coarsely chop all the vegetables except the potatoes. 
3. Place the roast in a pan or in a “pot” and add a dash of salt and pepper. Place the chopped vegetables around the roast.  Add another dash of salt and pepper to everything in the pot. Put the lid on the pot and place the pot in the oven. 
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir all the vegetables around and turn the roast over. Cook for another 15 minutes.
5. Coarsely cut up the potatoes and add to the pot. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
6. Slice and serve. 

Photos by Katy Weaver

Classic Potato Salad

No this potato salad doesn’t have anything weird or crazy in it. No I didn’t use some insane method of cooking these regular ol’ potatoes. This is straightforward potato salad, though it does identify as egg salad on a few documents. 

I know last week I said this blog doesn’t pander to the Pinterest people and that I wanted to move the culinary arts forward. The best way to move forward is to look to the past. That’s why all month long on Cooking with B.S. we’re bringing you classic-vintage recipes! 

Yes I know potato salad isn’t exactly a culinary tentpole, but it’s an American classic! Just try having a family picnic without potato salad. It doesn’t work! Uncle Frank just spends the whole day asking, “Where’s the potato salad?” Then Aunt Sally chimes in, “Frank you shouldn’t be eating that anyway. Cause of the cholesterol.” Next thing you know their martial banter turns into a full blown food fight and your quinoa-kale salad is on the ground. Where it belongs! The dog won’t even eat it. All while you’re quietly drinking a beer in the corner and telling yourself that you’re definitely doing your own thing for Thanksgiving.

So yeah. Don’t let that happen and just make this potato salad. 

• 6 Eggs hard boiled
• 6 Potatoes peeled and cubed
• 10 Olives minced
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup Classic Yellow Mustard
• 1/4 cup Relish
• 1 heaping tablespoon Horseradish
• Dill optional (I used a sprig of dill as garnish) 

1. Hard boil your eggs for 15 minutes, once cooked cool in the fridge while you prepare the rest.
2. Place the peeled and cubed potatoes in a pot of boiling water with a bit of salt. Cook just long enough until the potatoes break apart with a fork. 
3. In a small mixing bowl combine the mayo, mustard, olives, relish and horseradish.
4. One your eggs have cooled a bit. Shell them and cut in half. Stir the yolks in to the mayo-mustard mixture. Mince the egg whites and place in a large mixing bowl. 
5. Drain the potatoes, place in the large mixing bowl with the egg whites. Stir in all the other ingredients. Let cool and serve. Or you can just eat it out of the bowl with a large mixing spoon. Not that I have ever done that…

These eggcellent Photos by Katy Weaver!!

Classy Joes (Sloppy Joes)

If you’re a regular visitor of this blog you know that I tend to make recipes that are a little more on the creative side. This has never been and never will be a Pinterest baking blog filled with quinoa and Oreo filled recipes. Instead of appealing to the masses I would rather move the culinary arts forward and present my reimagining of a school cafeteria staple, the Classy Joe. Sure the Classy Joe seems like a twisted pipe dream of a hairy lunch lady with aspirations of getting a Michelin Star.

Fun fact! When fried purple potatoes turn brown!

Gettin’ saucy!

• Challah Bread cubed 2×2 in
• 1/2 lbs Tri Tip Steak
• 1/2 cup Onion minced
• 1/2 cup Green Bell Pepper minced
• 1 Egg
• 1/3 cup Milk

Sauce

• 1/2 cup Ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Mustard Seed ground
• 2 tablespoons Worcester Sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. 
2. Be sure all the prep work gets done, like cutting the bread and mincing the vegetables, to ensure the dish gets created properly.
3. Make a egg and milk bath in a shallow small bowl. 
4. Cook the steak over medium high heat, one minute on the first side then one minute on the other side. Or just cook the steak to your liking.
5. Coat the bread cubes in the egg bath then sort of press the vegetables into the moist cube. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until goldenish brown (the cubes will be green thanks to the bell peppers.
6. Once you have a few cubes cooked then you plate how you wish. I made a column with my meat and bread topped with a slice of black radish and green onion. I also served it with some purple fingerling potato fries, that sort of turned brown after I fried them. 

As always Photos by Katy Weaver!

Espresso Hazelnut Crème Brûlée

I don’t mean to brag, but this is the best Crème Brûlée ever, so suck it France! Crème Brûlée is one of the most elegant desserts you can make. Maybe it’s the simplicity of its ingredients or the crunch of the burnt sugar that gives way to the creaminess inside. Or it could be that infusing flavors into this classic dessert is like painting on a blank canvas. That, or it might just be that the French know their way around desserts, but that seems unlikely.

Quick shoutout to Oregon hazelnuts!! What what!! That is all. Carry on.

Yields four 5oz. servings

• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 6 Egg Yolks
• 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar 
• Plus extra for the topping
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Instant Espresso 
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/3 cup Hazelnuts coarsely blended

1. Preheat the oven to 300° and move the baking rack to the second lowest. 
2. Boil about 7 cups of water. 
3. Heat 1 cup of the cream, sugar, salt, and instant espresso in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir constantly to avoid burning. You don’t want to burn the cream, that comes later.
4. In a mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks with the vanilla extract until the texture becomes consistent.  
5. Pour the cream mixture into the yolks. Be sure to do this slowly and temper the egg yolks to avoid coagulating the proteins in the yolks. 
6. Line a deep baking dish with a dish towel. Place the empty ramekins in the dish, make sure they’re not touching.  
7. Strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer and pour into the ramekins. Place into the oven. Pour the boiling water into the large dish. Try to avoid getting water into the desserts. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let cool. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours to set.
9. Once you’re ready to serve, evenly pour about a tablespoon of sugar on each one. Using a torch, burn the sugar just until it’s bubbly. Sprinkle the hazelnuts onto the bubbling sugar. Enjoy with a spoon!  

before burning

getting burnt

Yes, Katy Weaver took all these wonderful photos!

finished product!

Split Pea Soup with Fish & Mint Meringues

If you’re a fan of this blog then you know that unusual combinations are sort of a running theme and this post is no different. The idea for fish meringues sprouted in my mind after a trip to the local Asian grocery store. It seemed too weird to be terrible. The fish meringues are like little pillows swimming atop a sea of green. The two work together to create a surprising perfect early spring dish. 

I don’t have anything funny to say about this post. But I do have a warning: if you decide to eat more than two servings of this split pea soup in one day, prepare for some green poops. Just accept it and own it. Maybe you can eat a bunch of this soup on March 16th then everything about you can be festive for St. Patricks day!

Split Pea Soup

• 1 lbs. (16 oz) Split Peas
• Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 1/2 large Onion diced 
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 teaspoon Coriander
•  Salt & Pepper to taste
• Spinach

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a medium to large sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the coriander, salt and pepper. Continue sauteing until the onions are golden brown. 
2. Add the peas. Saute the peas with the onions for a few minutes. 
3. Add the stock, milk and water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally.
4. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
5. Add half of the spinach to a food processor. Pour the soup into the food processor. Add the rest of the spinach and blend together for a minute.  
6. Serve in a bowl with the meringues and extra virgin olive oil.

Fish & Mint Meringues

• 3 Egg Whites
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon Fish Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Mint Leaves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 325°
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until they get really foamy and bubbly, I’m sure there’s some French term for this.
3. Add the sugar and cream of tartar. Continue beating the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the fish sauce, mint, and cayenne. 
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out the meringue with a teaspoon and make dollops of meringue on the sheet. They don’t have to be fancy, they’re going to be crumbled up anyway.
5. Bake at 325° for 12 minutes. After the 12 minutes, turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven for another 10 minutes.  Take the meringues out of the oven and let them cool until the outer shell is hard. 
6. Once the meringues are cooled crumble them up and serve on top of the split pea soup.

All these peautiful picture taken by Katy Weaver

Meatloaf Pie

We’re back! And what’s the sexiest dish to make for our return? Let’s say it together, Meatloaf Pie! Our short little hiatus was nice; I was able to recharge my creative batteries and I even learned the true meaning of Presidents Day. Anyway, what’s better than meat? (I’m not asking you, vegans). That’s right, meat wrapped in dough! Let’s dig in.

Makes two pies or one pie and a bunch of meatballs

Pie Crust

• 2 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 cup Shortening
• 1/4 cup cold Butter
• 1/3 cup ice cold Water
• 1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

1. In a large mixing bowl sift the flour, salt and powdered sugar together.
2. Mix in the butter and shortening with a pastry blender or fork. I used a fork because my pastry blender is missing. I’m offering a $10,000 reward for anyone who finds it. Still cheaper than Williams-Sonoma.
3. Once the fats are in small cubes add the water and vinegar. 
4. Form into a small ball. Place in a bowl and set in freezer while you make the meat filling.

Meatloaf Filling

• 1 lbs Ground Pork
• 1 lbs Ground Beef
• 1 lbs Ground Turkey
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 medium Onion minced or grated
• 2 Cloves of Garlic minced
• 1/3 cup Ketchup or Catsup 
• 1/4 cup Brown Mustard
• 1 cup Panko 
• 1/2 cup Carrot minced or grated
• 1/3 cup Zucchini minced or grated
• 1/2 cup Parsley minced
• Dash of Fish Sauce
• Dash of Balsamic Vinegar
• Dash of Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Beef Better than Bouillon
• 1 extra Egg whisked

1. Find a huge mixing bowl. Preheat the oven to 375°
2. Mix all ingredients (except the extra egg) in the mixing bowl with your hands. Clean your hands off on a white couch or a wedding dress.
3. Grab the dough from the freezer. Roll out the pie dough and place in the pie pan. Crimp the edges of the pie.
4. Fill the pie pan with the meat loaf filling. 
5. Make some pie dough lattice to top the pie. Wash the top of the pie with the egg wash.
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
7. Drain excess juices (there might be a bit). Let cool and slice into the pie, and serve with Port and Fig Sauce and green onions. 

Port and Fig Sauce

• 7 Dried Figs quartered
• 1/2 medium Onion sliced
• 3/4 cup Port Wine
• plus extra
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt

1. Heat all the ingredients in a skillet over high heat until all the liquid boils out. Stirring occasionally.
2. Place the cooked figs, onion, and juices in a blender. Turn the blender on high. It’s gonna be chunky. Add more port to mixture to make it a smooth consistency.
3. Use to top the pie or as a dipping sauce.

Meatloaf Pie Pics by Katy Weaver

Sesame Seed Sticky Buns

We’re taking a lil break! I’m starting up a few new projects including a Podcast! And Katy is going to be in SE Asia for a month, so we’re taking a lil break and will be back in March with some more amazing recipes!! So this post is going to have to hold you over for a while.

• 2 packages of Active Dry Yeast
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 1 1/4 cup Buttermilk
• 2 Eggs
• 5 1/2 cups Flour
• 1/4 cup Butter softened
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 2 teaspoons Salt

Fillin’

• 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds 
• 1/2 cup Butter melted
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon ground

1. In a large mixing bowl add the yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Place in a warmish environment for about 10 minutes. I recommend using the microwave, but don’t turn it on! It’ll kill all those farting bacteria and you’ll end up with sticky flats instead of sticky buns!
2. Combine the yeast mixture with the buttermilk, eggs, 2 1/2 cups of flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Once all the ingredients are well incorporated start adding the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until the dough becomes tacky. 
3. Knead the dough out on a clean(ish) surface that’s lightly covered in flour until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. 
4. Oh did you preheat your oven to 375°? Cause you should probably do that now.
5. Divide the dough into 2 separate balls. Roll out each ball into a 12×7 inch rectangle.
6. In a small mixing bowl mix together all the fillin’ ingredients.
7.  Spread the fillin’ evenly across one of the dough sheets. Place the other sheet across the other. Crimp the edges and cut it into 12 strips.
8. Coat a casserole pan with butter. Add a handful of brown sugar to the bottom of the pan and evenly spread it. 
9. Roll up each dough strip into, well rolls. Evenly space them in the pan. Cover and let them double in size. Go watch an episode of Arrested Development or something.
10. Oh man! That GOB! Okay now you can start baking the buns. About 30 minutes should do it. 
11. Once the buns have finished baking IMMEDIATELY dump them out of the pan upside down onto a baking sheet with parchment paper on it. Let them cool a bit and start stuffing them in your face!

These pictures that will stick with you are taken by Katy Weaver!

Miso Crusted Pork Chops

Fun fact of the day: encrusting anything in miso makes it taste 100 times better. There’s no question that adding it to a pork chop would make it that much more delicious. Not to mention the fact that it makes a perfect centerpiece for a dinner dish. Served amongst baked eggplant and asparagus with apple ginger chutney it makes any dinner the best dinner of your life.

There’s something funny about posting to this blog every week. It’s easy to get caught up in it and just accept it and not take account for anything else. For example I now expect everything I eat to be as delicious as all the food I make. I also expect it to look as beautiful as Katy’s photos make it look. Naturally that’s sort of an unrealistic expectation. But why should it be?

It’s a new year and that means new starts. Sure boxed mac and cheese is fine when you’re tired and don’t feel like cooking, but there’s no substitute for a perfectly cooked pork chop when you’re in the mood for it. In my personal opinion there’s been too much accepting the status quo in this country. What happened to the greatest country on Earth? I personally blame congress and the banking industry. But to get back on track, this is not a year to go with the flow. This is a year of getting better. Doing this blog every week reminds me that settling for anything less than the best isn’t an option.

Baked Eggplant and Asparagus

• 1 Eggplant chopped
• 1/2 pound Asparagus julienned
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
• 2 teaspoons Garlic Salt

1. Preheat your oven to 375°
2. In a large mixing bowl toss the Eggplant, Asparagus, Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds and Garlic Salt together.
3. Fill a small casserole pan with the vegetables and bake for 15 minutes. Stir halfway through baking.

Apple Ginger Chutney

• 1 Fuji Apple diced
• 1 tablespoon Ginger freshly grated 
• 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Yellow Onion diced
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1. Heat the Apple Cider Vinegar, Balsamic, Onion and Apple over high. Boil out most of the moisture. 
2. Add the Ginger and Brown Sugar. Stir and cover. Heat over medium-low heat for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Blend if a smoother chutney is desired. 

Miso Crusted Pork Chops

• 3 Pork Chops
• 2 packs of Yellow Miso Soup Mix
• Olive Oil

1. Heat just enough Olive Oil in a skillet to cover the pan over medium heat.
2. Pour the packets of Miso Soup into a shallow dish. Place the Pork Chops in the dish, cover both sides of each chop with the miso. Message the mix into the meat.
3. Place each pork chop in the skillet. Evenly cook on both sides. Don’t worry the miso will turn out a little black. Place the skillet in the oven to finish cooking if needed.
4. Serve with Apple Ginger Chutney, and Baked Eggplant and Asparagus. 

Go ahead and change things up for your meal tonight. Put a twist on an old favorite and make it something worth talking about instead of just filling the hole that is dinner.

Photos by the great and talented Katy Weaver

Turkey Chili

Sometimes simplicity is the key. It doesn’t always have to be grass fed bison fillets on organic chanterelle risotto. Sometimes a nice warm bowl of spicy turkey chili is just what you need to get warm after spending it in the frigid fog of a short and dark December day.

Sure some people aren’t impressed with turkey chili, but you know what? Those people wouldn’t turn down a bowl of this delicious creation if it was offered to them. Not enjoying homemade turkey chili would be like saying you don’t enjoy hanging out with your friend at IKEA. Sure she may take a little too long looking at bookshelves, and they all look the same to you, but the truth is you wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else at that moment. Just like you wouldn’t choose to be eating anything else while you’re shoveling this chili into your mouth. Now get off your high horse and make this turkey chili, or some horse chili now that you won’t be riding it.

• 1 pound Ground Turkey
• 1 yellow Onion diced
• 2 cloves of Garlic minced
• 1 clove Black Garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 
• 2 Jalapeños diced
• 2 tablespoons Paprika
• 1 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Curry Powder
• 1 tablespoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 cup +plus the rest of the package Chicken Stock
• 1 can of diced Tomatoes drained
• 1 cup Navy Beans
• 3 cups Water
• Optional:
• Sour Cream
• Chives minced

1. Soak the Navy Beans in 2 cups of chicken stock overnight. 
2. Saute the onion, and garlic in a dutch oven with the olive oil. Add the Jalapeños to the onions and garlic and continue cooking until slightly browned. 
3. Add all the spices. Continue cooking and stirring until the aroma of the spices waft into every corner of your place of residence. 
4. Stir in the ground turkey. As you’re stirring in the turkey be sure to sort of chop it up to avoid clumping of the meat. 
5. Rinse the beans. Add the beans to the pot, along with a cup of chicken stock, the diced tomatoes and 3 cups of water
6. Cover and simmer for a few hours, stirring occasionally. Take a trip to IKEA or something while the chili cooks, just enjoy your day you deserve it. 

And if you’re wondering who captured the flavor of this chili, it’s Katy Weaver!