Spaghetti Two Ways

I am nesting right now and, like I said in my last post, I am revisiting comforting recipes from my childhood. I'm also really enjoying easy recipes that pack some real taste. These are two very different, very simple, spaghetti recipes that pair well with a simple green salad with maybe some nuts and green onions thrown in. I am partial to Dorie Greenspan's house vinaigrette from Everyday Dorie. Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Salmon and Tomato Sauce

1/4 c olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 - 28 oz can plum tomatoes
1/3 c tomato paste
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 oz dried spaghetti noodles
1 - 7 3/4 oz tin salmon (or tuna), drained and flaked
capers, optional

Saute garlic in oil over medium low heat with parsley and basil until golden. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes, breaking tomatoes with a spoon. Add flaked salmon or tuna.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and mix into sauce. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

Hands-Off Spaghetti and Meatballs

* This is an America's Test Kitchen recipe found in multiple places. Seriously, it's good!

12 oz dried spaghetti noodles, broken in half
1 - 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
2 c water
1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 c panko breadcrumbs
1/3 c basil pesto
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
grated parmesan

Heat oven to 475F. Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with vegetable or olive oil spray. Spread dried pasta in the dish, pour sauce and water over pasta and gently toss with tongs to coat.
Combine beef, panko, pesto, salt, and pepper, ideally with your hands. Roll into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. (I use the Pampered Chef small or medium scoop depending if I want slightly larger or slightly smaller meatballs.) Place meatballs on top of pasta, cover dish tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir. Return uncovered dish to oven and bake until pasta is tender nd sauce is thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
Toss to coat pasta and meatballs with sauce. You can add some hot water here if you want to thin the sauce a bit. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve with grated parm.

Tuna Bumsteads

I hadn't had these for at least three decades. Until Saturday night! After some considerable searching, I found my Aunt Marie's recipe in an old cookbook I put together in my 20s. (As an aside, that means you're likely to see more golden oldies on here in the next few weeks.) I've made a few substitutions so what's below is my version of the recipe. They were well received by all, and leftovers were sent for school lunches. They even taste good cold!

Aunt Marie's Tuna Bumsteads (Reboot)

1 c grated old cheddar cheese
2 cans tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 c light mayo
1 small onion, diced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
8-12 stuffed green olives, chopped (or more - these are the magic ingredient)
1/2 red pepper, diced
salt and pepper as desired

8 mini brioche buns* (or other buns of choice - hotdog buns would also work)

Mix ingredients together. Spread onto one side of bun and cover. Wrap in foil and heat in oven at 350F for 20 or so minutes, until centre is warm and cheese is melted.

* I get the Costco ones.

Hungry for More - Salted Maple Granola and French Onion Soup

I liked the Chrissy Teigen/John Legend Super Bowl ad. I mean, it wasn't Groundhog Day, but it was pretty good. What is even better, though, is Chrissy Teigen's cookbook - Cravings: Hungry for More. We reviewed it last year in my cookbook book club (Four Cooks One Book) and we all liked it. A LOT. More than we expected to be honest. Here are two of my faves from the book. We make these recipes all the time. Enjoy them, but also go buy the book! The photos are beautiful and the recipes work well. Lots of variety.

Salted Maple Granola

3 c old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c unsweetened finely shredded coconut
1/2 c chopped pecans
1/2 c slivered almonds
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c melted coconut oil (recipe suggests vegetable oil as an alternative, but coconut is much nicer)
1/2 c maple syrup
1/3 c packed light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 c dried cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a very large bowl, combine oats, coconut, pecans, almonds, and sunflower seeds. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add to oat mixture and toss.

Spread onto baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it does not burn. Remove from oven, cool completely, and add cherries.

French Onion Soup

3 tbsp olive oil
7 tbsp butter
10 c thinly sliced onions (use your favourite or a variety of types)
5 thyme sprigs
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp flour
1¼ c dry red wine
6 c beef broth*
1½ tbs soy sauce
kosher salt
4 large croissants, cut into 1½ inch cubes**
¾ lb gruyere or swiss cheese, grated

In a very large, heavy pot, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme and cook until onions begin to soften, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add garlic, and cook, stirring often, until are golden. CT suggests this will take about 20 minutes, but depending on the stove, temperature, and pot, this can vary. You want to stir and wait until all the onions are a golden brown.

Add flour and stir for 2-3 minutes ensuring all onions are coated. Add win and increase heat to medium. Cook until wine has evaporated. Discard thyme and add broth, soy sauce, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce, and simmer until thickened, about 45 minutes. Add salt if you think it needs it.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F. Arrange croissant pieces on a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 9 minutes. Remove from oven.

Set oven to broil. Arrange soup crocks on a baking sheet. Put 1/4 c grated cheese in the bottom of each crock. Ladle soup over, almost to top. Place a few croissant pieces on top, followed by another 1/4 c grated cheese. Broil until bubbling and lightly browned.

A-MA-ZING!

* As I have mentioned before, I use the Better than Bouillon paste to make my stocks and always keep the chicken, beef, and vegetable in the fridge. I think it's now at Costco in large jars.
** Don't scrimp here. The croissants are really what elevates this soup to the stratosphere. I get mine at Ma Maison.