hungry poodle

A single serving of tuna noodle casserole.

It has been a brutally cold and dismal winter in the American Midwest. I have survived by taking daily doses of Vitamin D in the morning, followed by equally medicinal doses of wine at night. It’s worked, but just barely. I don’t remember another time when I have felt so “blah” for so long.

My mood has affected my cooking, which brings me to the recipe at hand. When my friend Kaye came over this morning to do the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle (we finished it in three hours), she expressed her surprise that I had resorted to so pedestrian a dish.

I told her that if you grew up Catholic in the 1950’s and 60’s you’d recognize this Friday night dinner staple. And when I recently came upon the recipe, I suddenly craved the familiar taste from my childhood (which was spent in California, where winters were never this cold!)

Tuna noodle casserole became popular after the Campbell Soup folks introduced their revolutionary Cream of Mushroom Soup in 1934. (Imagine if the Internet had been around when Cream of Mushroom Soup first appeared. I envision all kinds of condensed soup/recipe blogs.)

My mom made her tuna noodle casserole in a round tube pan and then unmolded it onto a large platter and served it with peas in the middle hole. I’m certain she got the idea from Lady’s Home Journal, the housewife’s entertaining bible back then. And yes, my mom proudly served this to guests!

Here is a Weight Watcher-friendly version that will take you back (without setting you back too many calories).

Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 T. unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
1 cup 2% milk
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
6 oz. (uncooked) egg noodles (buy a 12-oz. package and use half)
1 1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 T. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t. dried thyme
2 (6-oz.) cans tuna packed in water, drained
1 (2-oz.) jar diced pimentos, drained
1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Boil noodles in a medium saucepan and drain in a colander. In the same pan, melt the butter and saute onion until soft. Whisk in milk and soup and cook about 3 minutes. Add the cooked noodles, peas, lemon juice, salt, pepper, thyme, tuna and pimento and pour into a 2-quart casserole that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves: 4
WW Points per serving: 8

(I found the serving size to be large, so you can make this into 6 servings and save a couple of points.)

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I am not a salmon lover. In fact, rare are the times when I have prepared salmon and liked it.  What I usually say after eating it is something like, “And to think that for the same amount of money I could have bought beef filets!”

But I persist. I am convinced that there are recipes out there that will convert me. Last night this one made the cut. It’s very, very simple, which makes the whole salmon buying/cooking/eating experience that much less onerous. And it tasted, dare I say it, good!

If you like salmon AND teriyaki, this is your lucky day!

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 (1 1/2 to 2 lb.) salmon filet

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place rack in the upper third of the oven.

In a small saucepan bring soy sauce and maple syrup to a gentle boil and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes, until reduced to about 1/3 cup.

Place salmon skin-side down on a foil-lined pan. Reserve about 1 1/2 T. of the soy sauce mixture in a small bowl for when you serve. Brush the salmon generously with the remaining glaze and let it sit for a few minutes. Brush with the glaze again.

Place in the hot oven and roast for 10 minutes. Then turn on the broiler, brush the salmon with the glaze again and place under the broiler (4 to 5 inches from heat) for about 3 to 5 minutes, until just cooked through. Watch it carefully, as the sweet glaze can burn easily.

Cut the salmon into serving pieces and drizzle with the reserved glaze. (I served it with baby broccoli and brown rice with a few chopped roasted nuts tossed in.)

Serves 4 to 6

1 1/2 lbs. serves 4; each serving is 7 WW points

2 lbs. serves 6; each serving is 6 WW points

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