Tuna Pan Bagnat

So you have a can of tuna…..you need lunch, or a light supper….. Tuna Pan Bagnat.

Tuna Pan Bagnat

Pan Bagnat (pan ban-Yah) wet or bathed bread, is a specialty of the Provence region of France. Traditionally a round wheat bread is stuffed with the classic Salad Nicoise ingredients…. tuna, anchovies, tomatoes, eggs, olives, red onions, capers, garlic and olive oil.

Tuna Pan Bagnat

Crusty bread, in this case my fav ciabatta, soaks up a yummy vinaigrette made from anchovies, garlic, dijon, balsamic, and olive oil. Use the best olive oil you can, especially when making a vinaigrette.

Tuna Pan Bagnat

For extra crunch, I tossed thinly sliced english cucumber slices into the vinaigrette and let them soak up the flavor while I prepared the rest of the sandwich.

Tuna Pan Bagnat is easy to make, portable, and can be made ahead. In fact, the longer it sets the better it gets. Perfect for a picnic, or make one on a french baguette, and you can have lunch for several days…..if it lasts that long.

Tuna Pan Bagnat

Admittedly, I am not a huge sandwich fan, Tim on the other hand is. I have no particular reason, but a sandwich is not always my first choice. Perhaps I have been swayed, this truly was delicious!

In keeping with tradition, I pressed the sandwich, meaning after I wrapped it,first in parchment paper, then tin foil, I placed two cast iron skillets on top and let it sit. Pressing makes sure all the flavors “bathe” the bread.

Tuna Pan Bagnat

We pressed our Tuna Pan Bagnat for just a few hours. I can only imagine how good it would be left over night. So, take a trip to the Provence Region of France with Tuna Pan Bagnet…..Bon Appetit!

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Tuna Pan Bagnat

  • Author: From the New York Times (original recipe here, I tweaked a few things)
  • Yield: 2 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 anchovy fillets, minced
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 ciabatta buns, halved (I toasted mine lightly)
  • 1/2 english cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium-size, ripe tomato, sliced
  • 1/2 small red onion, sliced
  • 15 ounce can tuna packed in oil, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon caper, drained
  • 8 large basil leaves
  • 2 hard-cooked egg, peeled and thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the anchovies, garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking constantly.
  2. Slice cucumber thinly then add to vinaigrette and toss well.
  3. In a small bowl gently mix the tuna, olives, and capers, trying not to break up the tuna too much.
  4. Spread half the cucumbers on bottom of bread. Top with tomato and onion slices, then with tuna mixture, basil, olives and egg slices. Top egg with remaining cucumbers. Cover with second bread half and firmly press sandwich together.
  5. Wrap sandwich tightly in foil, waxed paper or plastic wrap, then place in a plastic bag. Put sandwich under a weight such as a cast-iron frying pan. Weight sandwich for 7 to 10 minutes, then flip and weight it for another 7 to 10 minutes. Unwrap and serve immediately, or keep it wrapped for up to 8 hours before serving.

 

Pierogi Lasagna

Pierogi Lasagna is the best of two worlds, pasta and potatoes.

Pierogi Lasagna

The Polish are the originators of the pierogi. I love them, they can be eaten warm, cold, baked, fried or boiled.  They taste great on the second day, grilled on a frying pan with some butter. And pasta with mashed potatoes …..LOVE!

I have never made homemade pierogis, I traditionally buy them Mrs. T’s Pierogies makes an amazing assortment and are available in the freezer section of the grocery store.

Pierogi Lasagna

I tweaked a recipe from Mr. Food. Pierogi Lasagna. Mr. Food does super simple dishes, so I had to embellish a bit.

When I use the frozen pierogis I like to cook them in bacon, with onions and cabbage. So…….light bulb moment……why not add bacon, and cabbage to the recipe from Mr. Food?

The recipe is really simple! I used no boil noodles, I can never seem to boil lasagna noodles with any success……go figure.

Pierogi Lasagna

I did make my own mashed potatoes and added roasted garlic. Roasted garlic adds a mellow garlic flavor. Roasting garlic is super easy, just cut the top off of a garlic bulb, place it on a piece of tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Close the foil around the garlic, and place in a 400* oven for about 45 minutes. Allow to cool, then squeeze the bulb to release the roasted, buttery, mild flavored garlic.

Fry up the bacon until crisp, reserving the fat. Set the cooked bacon aside. In the bacon fat cook the onions, and cabbage until just starting to brown. Set aside.

Pierogi Lasagna

To assemble place a layer of noodles in the bottom of a 13 X 9 inch baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cover with 1/3 of the mashed potatoes, 1/4 of the cabbage, and 1/3 of the bacon. repeat the layers, ending with noodles and the remaining 1/4 cabbage/onion mixture.

Sprinkle with cheese and cover with foil. Bake at 350* for 35-45 minutes or until the noodles are cooked and the mixture is bubbly and hot. Allow to set for about 10 minutes, slice and serve.

Pierogi Lasagna is a hearty nod to a Polish favorite!

Pierogi Lasagna

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Pierogi Lasagna

  • Author: Adapted from Mr. Food
  • Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 no boil lasagna noodles
  • 1 pound bacon, diced and cooked crisp
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large onions, onions, finely sliced
  • 1/2 head cabbage shredded
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 6 cups warm garlic mashed potatoes, store-bought or homemade

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp, set side., reserving 2 tablespoons bacon grease.
  3. Add onions, and cabbage to bacon grease and saute 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
  4. Place 3 noodles on bottom of prepared baking dish. Spread 1/3 of cabbage mixture mixture over noodles, then top with 1/3 of garlic mashed potatoes. Repeat layers until a total of 4 layers of noodles and 3 layers of potato mixture have been placed (with a layer of noodles on top). Top with remaining sauteed cabbage and onions.
  5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until heated through.

 

Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl

It’s the weekend…..oh hum……a rainy weekend at that……..lets cook!! Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl is good today, and tomorrow, and the day after that!

Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl

I adapted this recipe from Southern Living, it looked so good I had to try it. Plus, noodle bowls are all the rage and we just stay current!!

Good warm, room temp, or cold, this is really an awesome dish. You can eat it today…..and by the way, I couldn’t quit eating it, so I had to put it away…..no self control!

Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl

I did put some in a container for work on Monday. Now, contrary to popular belief, I think our school lunches are awesome, but they are geared for kids, so I pack a lunch sometimes.

This is one of those times. I love, love, love asian food. This noodle bowl is the perfect blend of all of my favorite things.

Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl

Rice noodles are fool proof, just cover them with boiling water and let them set……what could be easier?

The sauce is a mixture of soy, rice wine vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and sweet chili sauce. It is slightly spicy and the sesame oil with it’s rich amber color and distinctive nutty flavor, gives the noodle bowl that Asian flavor I love so much. The black sesame seeds give it a hint of color, but if you cannot find them toasted sesame seeds will work just as well.

Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl

All the veggies give a crispy freshness to the bowl, and make it a pretty bowl and make its pretty healthy. Vegetarian if you will……

Need a dish today and lunch tomorrow? Try Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl …….and sing the Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl praises !

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Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce
  • 14 ounce package rice noodles
  • 1 15-ounce can cut baby corn, rinsed and drained
  • 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
  • 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas. sliced
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
  • Black sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

  1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.
  2. Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl.
  3. Pour vinegar mixture over hot cooked noodles. Toss to combine. Add vegetables, toss to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Serve hot or cold.