"Sicilian" Tuna Sauce

I don't know how authentic this is, hence the air quotes. It's derived from the recipe for, "Sicilian Tuna Steaks" in the Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook. There are some similarities to a puttanesca sauce but it's less salty. I usually serve it with a medium pasta such as gemelli, but it should work with almost any shape.

"Sicilian" Tuna Sauce

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 14-oz can tomato sauce
• 2 5-oz cans tuna, drained
• 1 14-oz cans sliced olives, drained
• 1 tsp dried marjoram

1. Heat the oil until shimmering, then sauté the garlic until golden and fragrant (1-2 minutes).
2. Add the tomatoes, tuna, olives, and marjoram. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened. Toss with the pasta and serve.

Makes ~4 servings.

Adapations

One of the things I like about cooking is that nothing is ever set in stone until it's on the plate. You can take a recipe and change ingredients or techniques and make it something completely different, or just change it a little bit to make it your own. If it doesn't work... well, there's always next time.

Black Bean and Tomato Soup

This recipe started with one I found in Food & Wine magazine. I ditched the tortillas, but added tomatoes and garlic. I also substituted dried cilantro for fresh. It is good on its own or over rice.

Black Bean and Tomato Soup

• 1 tb oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped coarsely
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp)
• 2 14-oz cans black beans (undrained)
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried chopped cilantro

Heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until translucent and soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the cumin and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.

Add the beans and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Makes 3 servings.

Lost in Translation

It's funny how recipes change over time. They get modified for personal tastes, ingredients get substituted, and steps get simplified. Sometimes mistakes get made, and it works surprisingly well.

The case in point is the garlic black bean and tomato soup I'm having for lunch this week. Originally, it was supposed to have two cloves of garlic. My wife misheard me (as I was telling her the recipe) and wrote down, "two tablespoons of garlic." It's not as overwhelming as you might think, but it's still pretty garlicky.

Pasta é Fagoli

You basic pasta with beans. I adapted the recipe from Eat This... It'll Make You Feel Better (by Dom DeLuise). It's one of my usual make-ahead-for-lunch recipes. When I reheat it, I usually add a little more water because the pasta has absorbed most of it.

Pasta é Fagoli

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14-oz can vegetable broth
• 1 14-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 14-oz can cannelli beans
• 8 oz small dried pasta (elbow, ditalini, or similar)

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil on low-to-medium until shimmering. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until it is fragrant and slightly browned.

Add the broth, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cannelli beans.

Cook the pasta as directed on the box and drain. Mix with the tomato/bean sauce and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.

Beginnings

I've been thinking about doing a blog for a while. I don't have a writing bug or anything, but I do have opinions, ideas, and recipes that I want to share. So here they are.

I chose the name for the blog because it fit with the fits with what I want to talk about. I'm a blue-collar guy who likes to cook. However, after I put 10-plus hours on the shop floor, I don't want to spend another two in the kitchen making dinner. I also want healthier and cheaper options than takeout, delivery, or frozen meals.

I realize there will often be a tension between saving time, saving money, and eating healthily. I don't live your life so I'm not going to judge you for using canned chicken broth or frozen chopped onions. (I do it all the time.) I'll try to keep my recipes flexible enough to use ingredients you buy at the store, but I'll also tell you how to make your own if you want.

So, enough of the introduction. Let's get cooking!