It was Almost Gluten Free...

Tuna Trout Baked Mac & Cheese

This could have very easily been gluten free.  If I had the want/ need to have gluten free pasta, it would have been.  But mostly, in my case I made it with Potato flour, because the only type of wheat flour I have is semolina- and I'm saving that to make ravioli out of some pork loin next week.

I was going to make Trout and Salmon Baked Mac & Cheese, but the left overs of the Caped Salmon proved so tasty, that there wasn't any. No Matter,I have cans of tuna in the cupboard.


I cooked pretty much all of this in a cast iron frying pan.  How you choose to cook it I leave up to you.


Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees
add 3 tbs. unsalted butter to pan, on medium low heat, once melted add 3 cloves chopped-not crushed this time- garlic. 
add 3 tbs. potato flour-This if you can't find it at the grocery store can be replaced with potato dandruff (nstant Potato mix)

mix in and lower heat

I got milk. yay!

add 3 cups of milk to pan, pour in slowly keep stirring
1 yellow onion chopped
and 1 tbs. mustard powder- ah, seems I had run out, so used a tbs. of mustard.  That'll add some zing.
keep stirring.

in a separate bowl whisk an egg.
Now take 1 cup of the concoction from the pan and really slowly, little drips at a  time add to the whisked egg.  This is called tempering.  In this case patience is a virtue.  TAKE YOUR TIME!  or have bowl scrambled egg...

Once the egg has been tempered, slowly stir it into the pan of milk and stuff.
Now you can add your cheeses.  you need roughly 12 oz. of shredded cheese.  I have sliced,  I'm-ah gonna use that instead, with the 2 oz. I have of a mixed Italian cheese bag.

So My cheese mix is:
Italian cheese mix
Swiss
Pepper Jack
Cheddar
and Smoked Gouda

I lay it in layers in the milk stuff on lowish heat( warm enough to melt the cheese, not hot enough to simmer).

Start boiling your pasta of choice.
Usually when you make mac and cheese you use 1/2 a pound of pasta, but  seeing as I am adding fish and veggies I cut that in half.

In another pan, cook your fish.  or if it's already cooked, don't.  Instead cook your veggies.  If you aren't going to add veggies, again ignore... or perhaps you already have cooked veggies?  In that case get them out.

Slowly fold the cooked pasta in to the cheese sauce stuff.
Now fold in the fish
And the veggies...  In my case I used a small package of shredded frozen Spinach, and half a bag of Winter mix veg (broccoli and cauliflower- why is that winter mix?)

Take out some more cheese and  put it on top of everything.  Now stick in the oven  for 30-45 minutes.

Emptying-The-Fridge-Tapenade

I ran out of Kalamata olives, it's really quite vexing.
Now what am I going to put on my toast?*

I love Olives.  I dream about them fairly often.

I don't really do jam, or peanut butter, or any of the other nut butters- allergies. But toast with olive tapenade, and chopped onions, and sliced tomato with maybe a bit of Mozz.... That is the breakfast of champions.

I have green olives in the fridge.  Two types, lemon stuffed and jalapeño stuffed.  It'll be zesty.

You will need a food processor, or blender

between the two jars I have roughly a cup of olives.  put them in blender
add 3-4 oil marinated sun dried tomato slices
5 cloves roasted garlic
3 quarters of marinated artichoke hearts
2 chopped caper berries
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
sprinkle of following:
Basil
Rosemary
Oregano
Chili powder
Salt
Pepper


Blend.  It'll be chunky.  Refrigerate, then put on toast, crackers, toss with pasta, or rice, Cous cous.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

*Something else to put on toast.

This is really good on French Toast, waffles, pancakes and biscuits.

1 cup butter (salted or un salted, whipped or not, up to you.)
1 cup honey
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. clove powder (optional)
Put in blender
blend till smooth

Use within a week... does not freeze well.