A variation on a classic...

At the end of a long day that was also at the end of an even longer week, all I really wanted for dinner was something easy, filling and quick that wouldn't take too much energy to prepare. And since we had a fridge full of food and I knew we shouldn't call our local Thai place, I went for a classic - tuna noodle casserole. Now granted, fish out of a can isn't the best kind of fish for James to be having, but I knew this would come together quickly, and the fish would add a bit of protein for after chemo.

I also like to toss in as much veggies as possible, too. So I sauteed onion, celery, & carrots in some vegan spread then threw in some broccoli in the end. I added a couple tablespoons of organic unbleached flour then some soy milk to create a roux. To this I added grated tofurella - a vegan version of mozzarella cheese. I mixed in some pasta and some peas & poured it all in a casserole dish, then crumbled up some organic crackers over the top and let it bake for 20 minutes. Viola! A hearty filling meal in nearly no time with very little effort.

The verdict: it was just as quick and easy as I thought it could be. Plus it was gooey with a crunchy top, and warm & filling - the perfect comfort food. I'll keep this one in rotation for those "need it fast and need it NOW" times. I might make one change, though. By the the time I got done with the veggies and the noodles, this hardly needed the tuna at all. I could easily leave it out and it'd still taste fine, plus then it'd be entirely vegan.