Ethiopian Tuna Casserole
“Casserole.” Just seeing the word can conjure up uncomfortable childhood memories of gelatinous, salty tuna and noodles drowned in processed and canned soup. (“Soup” in this case being somewhat euphemistic. “Liquid cardboard” might be a more apropos description.)
But casseroles don’t have to be that way—like the Moroccan tagine, the word “casserole” refers to the covered container in which the dish is baked. Anything can be a casserole: tuna or salmon, vegetables or eggs, lamb or pork. The only limiting factor is your imagination!
Ethiopian Tuna Casserole
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare:
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
1 tomato, diced
1 tsp. berbere
1 can tuna (6.5 oz.)
2 T. tomato paste
½ tsp. sea salt
Homemade breadcrumbs (the next time you have good-quality, whole-grain leftover bread that’s going stale, whirr it in a food processor to make crumbs; you can freeze your fresh crumbs for several months and use as needed)
Sautée onion in a pat of butter over medium heat. When translucent, stir in bell pepper, peas, tomato and berbere. Transfer to glass baking dish and bake, covered, for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir in tuna, tomato paste and salt. Cover and return to oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven one final time and top with breadcrumbs, then bake uncovered for another 5 minutes to get the topping golden brown and crunchy. (You could also mix in grated Parmesan cheese with the breadcrumbs.)
Enjoy!
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This one looks like a winner. Think I’ll give it a try on a rainy evening.
Thanks