By Kathy A. Schaeffer

Often when a food budget needs to be cut or becomes a concern, the family food preparer will turn to things such as canned tuna for meals. One good thing to remember is that any recipe that uses canned tuna will taste great with canned chicken or turkey as well, so the recipes are versatile.

Another thing to keep in mind is that many casseroles that use ground beef, turkey, pork, etc. may use ingredients that will go well with tuna instead of the meat. Here are three recipes that use tuna and have been proven to often turn into family favorites. An added bonus is that they are so easy on the wallet.

(1) BASIC AND SIMPLE TUNA CASSEROLE

2 cans tuna
1 bag of egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 to 2 tablespoons finely minced onion
1 soup can filled with milk

Cook and drain noodles. Drain and flake the cans of tuna. Mix both cans of tuna after it has been flaked, the cooked noodles, both cans of soup, onion, milk, and cheese and place the mixture into a casserole dish that has been buttered or sprayed with non-stick spray. In the meantime, melt some butter to mix with fresh bread crumbs and sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the tuna mixture. Bake the casserole at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes.

(2) TUNA NOODLES WITH SOUR CREAM

1 bag of egg noodles
2 cans of tuna, drained and flaked
12 ounces sour cream
3/4 cup milk
Small can mushrooms, drained
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoons pepper
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons melted butter
Paprika

Combine cooked noodles, drained and flaked tuna, sour cream, mushrooms, milk, salt, and pepper in a casserole. Add parmesan cheese to the melted butter and put the butter and cheese mixture over tuna and noodles. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and paprika on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes.

Alternative options for this casserole is to use 16 ounces of sour cream if it is a flavor you want more of, use a larger can of mushrooms, or use shredded cheddar cheese instead of the parmesan. Mix it with the butter or allow it to melt with the butter.

(3) TUNA MELT SURPRISE PACKAGE

2 cans tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 loaf of fresh bread, Italian works well
1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese (or Jack, etc. whatever you prefer)

Make the tuna salad by mixing the drained and flaked tuna, onion, celery, chopped eggs, and mayonnaise or salad dressing. Cut the top off of the loaf of bread and dig the center out but keep an inch all around. Keep the bread you dig out aside for another meal, i.e. bread crumbs for meatloaf or casserole topping, etc. Fill the bread shell with the tuna salad and put the shredded cheese on top of the tuna salad. (As another option, just stir it right into the tuna salad while you are making it.) But the top of the bread back on and wrap the entire loaf in aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for at least 30 minutes, and 45 minutes if you want the crust a bit more crunchy and crispy.

If you do not want to hollow out a loaf of fresh bread, this recipe also works well by putting the tuna salad into a regular hamburger, hot dog, or other kind of roll. Put a slice of your favorite cheese on top (a slice of Swiss is great) and wrap in foil. For these smaller rolls, do not keep it baking for longer than 30 minutes. Often 20 minutes is enough to melt the cheese, so how long to bake them is personal choice for how crispy you wish the bread to be toasted.

Until this past weekend, I thought that lunch and dinner were the best times for seafood. A fabulous breakfast in New Orleans changed my mind in a hurry.

My husband and I ate at Brennan's, an absolute treasure at 417 Royal Street in New Orleans' French Quarter. "Elegance" and "charm" are understatements; this is truly one of the most lovely and comfortable restaurants I've ever been in, anywhere it the world.

We started with appetizers, and I was amazed at the flavors in their oyster soup. The mix of herbs--including parsley and scallions--kept the soup refreshing and light, but just hearty enough. I never thought I'd enjoy oysters at breakfast in any form, but if you have some left from dinner the night before, consider this as dazzling way to use up (and completely disguise) leftovers. Honestly, if I hadn't known that it was an oyster soup, I'd have confused it with a very fresh approach to warm vichysoisse. It's ideal for brunch, if your party guests spent the night.

I like a light breakfast, so it felt daring to follow that soup with Brennan's "Eggs a la Nouvelle Orleans." This delightful entree includes poached eggs served on a bed of hot crabmeat, accented by a cream-and-brandy sauce. It was rich and filling, but not overwhelming. And, the crabmeat had a more delicate flavor than I was expecting; if I hadn't known that it was seafood, I might have been baffled by it. The poached eggs balanced the crabmeat perfectly, and the combination was both mellow and pleasing. Whether you're using Brennan's recipe or your own, experiment with this combination for intriguing results.

My husband ordered Brennan's crabmeat omelet, and it was fabulous without being too filling. There was something startling and absolutely perfect about the texture. The eggs seemed to lighten the texture of the crabmeat and--with a fresh hollandaise sauce--the crabmeat seemed almost sweet and fluffy as well.

So, the winning combination for a seafood breakfast is eggs + seafood + a good sauce. With that basic formula, the variations are infinite... and infinitely delicious, too!

For more recipe ideas, I recommend Brennan's cookbook, which is the only cookbook I brought home from New Orleans. (I already own too many cookbooks, so I'm very picky about adding new ones.) The title is, "Breakfast at Brennan's... and dinner, too" and it's filled with other utterly amazing-sounding seafood recipes, as well. If you're looking for "N'Awlins" style cooking--not too heavy and not too spicy--this cookbook also includes recipes for shrimp, crawfish, flounder, pompano, redfish, salmon, sole, and trout, as well as meat, poultry, side dishes, desserts and more.

Enterprise Fish Company, Santa Barbara, CA
Last night my family and I went out to dinner. My brother was in town from Hawaii, and it was also his birthday, so he was the one to choose the restaurant. His choice was a seafood restaurant in Santa Barbara called the Enterprise Fish Company. This establishment has been in Santa Barbara for a long time and offers a consistently good meal.
After perusing the extensive menu that offered everything from crab cakes and calamari to salads and swordfish, we made our decisions. As a starter we all split an order of Spicy Fried Calamari. This was cooked perfectly, which is extremely important with calamari. The spice was added with fresh jalapeno slices, giving it a natural spicy taste. Two of us tried the clam chowder; one of us got the New England and one of us got the Manhattan. Both were excellent, with lots of clam. The New England chowder also had some corn which gave a nice sweetness to many bites.
Without feeling rushed, we were served our main dishes. Two of us got Alaskan King Crab Legs. Four or five legs are plenty to fill up even a big eater, and extracting the meat is pretty fun, too. We also ordered the fresh Local Halibut, which was delicious. Our last dinner was some sort of whitefish. It had a delicate texture and light taste, perfect with a dry white wine.
I definitely would recommend this restaurant to anyone. Great atmosphere and delicious food is consistent and prices are fine.

by Deb Powers

The evidence is mounting almost daily. Fish and seafood contain vital nutrients that we're just not getting anywhere else. The most important of these are essential omega 3 fatty acids, the building blocks of new cells. Over the past few years, research has uncovered links between deficiencies in omega 3 fatty acids and diabetes, heart disease, depression, bipolar disorder, psoriasis, stroke, obesity, eating disorders, ADHD, schizophrenia, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease, macular degeneration, colon cancer, breast cancer, asthma and prostate cancer. That's a whopping list of most of the health conditions and diseases besetting the modern Western world - and increasingly, our Eastern counterparts.

How can one little compound have such a profound effect on so many systems?
While all the research is prefaced with the ubiquitous more research is needed, scientists think they have an answer to that question. Essential fatty acids are what our bodies use to create cell walls when building new cells. That includes the neural pathways used by our brains to transmit messages about the world around us, and trigger the release of hormones, endorphins and other natural chemicals that help regulate moods, appetite and activity. Cells built of omega 3 fatty acids (which are found in fish, shellfish and some nuts and seeds) are strong, flexible, resilient and provide excellent transmission. If omega 3 isn't available, then the body will substitute omega 6 (from vegetable oils, cereal and grain and meat) fatty acids instead. The cells formed with omega 6 fatty acids are shaped differently, and have a different level of electrical conductivity. While they work, there are significant differences in the WAY they work. It's not the omega 6 acids are BAD for us - it's just that they're being forced into doing jobs that they weren't meant to do.

So how do we fix this?
First, don't get the impression that omega 6 fatty acids are BAD. Our bodies need both kinds. The problem is that our diets tend to favor omega 6 over omega 3 by an overwhelming 20:1 ratio. With 20 times the omega 6 available to our bodies, they naturally choose it to build new cells rather than the more optimal omega 3. The logical solution is to reduce our intake of omega 6 and increase our intake of omega 3. Again, the experts vary on suggested ratio, of omega 6:omega 3 but it ranges from 5:1 to 1:1.

How much omega 3 should we be getting?
Despite the mounting evidence of the importance of omega 3 in our diets, there's no 'official' recommendation for daily intake. Researchers and scientists are divided on what an 'adequate' intake is, with suggestions from 1/2 gram of omega 3 EFA daily to 2.6 grams of omega 3 daily.

Okay - so what should I be eating?
The very best sources of omega 3 EFAs are fish - particularly cold water fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel and anchovies. The concentration on those high omega 3 sources, however, has masked the fact that other fish and shellfish also contribute valuable levels of omega 3 to your diet. A 3.5 ounce serving of scallops, for instance, contributes .2 grams of omega 3 EFA to your daily diet. Saute them in soy or canola oil, and you increase that by another .1 of a gram.

But fish is so expensive!
Take another look. Depending on the season, I've found that:
Calico scallops are less expensive than ground beef.
Medium Shrimp cost less than chicken breast.
Canned tuna is less expensive than most any meat.
Salmon costs less than steak.

Substituting seafood for red meat in three meals a week is not only healthier, it can save you money.

Okay - How about some recipes?
I thought you'd never ask! These three are particular favorites because they're so easy to prepare. Preparation time for each is less than 15 minutes.

Aiolio e olio Anchovy Pasta
1 2 oz can anchovies in oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbs olive oil
1 lb capellini (angel hair pasta)

1. Start water boiling for pasta.
2. Drain anchovy oil into flat frying pan.
3. Add olive oil.
4. Saute garlic in oil over low heat till it starts to brown.
5. Prepare capellini according to package directions.
6. Add anchovies and gently stir till fish 'dissolve'.
7. Drain capellini and pour into large bowl.
8. Pour anchovy/garlic oil over pasta and toss till well-coated.

Serves 4. Serve with fresh fruit or a spinach salad.

Quick Sauteed Scallops and Mushrooms
1 pound bay scallops
1/4 pound sliced mushrooms (or for a very pretty variation, use fresh button mushrooms)
1 tbs vegetable oil (or coat pan with spray olive or vegetable oil)
1 tbs minced garlic
Shredded parmesan cheese
Seasoned breadcrumbs

1. Saute mushrooms and minced garlic in oil till mushrooms are shiny.
2. Add scallops and saute, stirring frequently. Bay scallops cook quickly so keep a careful watch. They're done when they're opaque and white.
3. Sprinkle each serving with a pinch of parmesan cheese and top with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs.

Serves 4. Serve with steamed green beans or broccoli and brown rice pilaf.

Shrimp Pasta Salad
1/2 pound salad shrimp, boiled
1 pound small pasta shells or rotini
4 oz frozen peas
4 oz shredded carrots
Vinaigrette or Italian dressing to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Just before draining, add frozen peas and shredded carrots. Let cook for 1 minute, then drain.
3. Stir in cooked shrimp.
4. Mix in salad dressing to taste.

In recent years, every time I look in the mirror, my reflection looks a little more like my mother. Now, this would be a good thing (my mother has always been an attractive woman) except that she's 30 years older than me. I'm not ready to look that much like her...yet.

Sure, there are days when I put a finger on either side of my jaw and lift up, to see what a facelift might look like. Would I do something that extreme to look younger? I've thought about it.

Then I learned about DMAE, one of the "magic ingredients" that can prevent the appearance of aging, according to Yale Medical School's Dr. N. V. Perricone. (DMAE is the easy way of saying, "dimethylaminoethanol.")

Since this discovery, Perricone and others have been putting DMAE in face creams with dramatic results.

But, it's not just DMAE outside your body that is making news, but the anti-aging effects of DMAE inside, too.

And that leads me to salmon. Apparently, it's rich in DMAE plus the powerful anti-oxidant co-enzyme Q-10, and omega-3 fatty acids, too.

So, I'm staring at Perricone's article about a "Face-Lift in Your Fridge." The doctor recommends eating three servings of salmon daily for three days, "to see a drop in weight and visible results in your skin right away." He claims that the minimum is two servings of salmon daily, if you want a firmer jawline and reduced puffiness. (And what woman over age 35 wouldn't want that?)

If Perricone is right, DMAE and other anti-inflammatory ingredients in salmon work the magic. Sugar is bad; fish is good. Hmm... interesting theory, but I wonder if it can make these impending jowls vanish.

What do other doctors say? While the studies with DMAE creams have been dramatic, no one can prove that dietary DMAE will change your appearance in three days or even three years. And, Perricone's routine recommendation of ten servings of salmon per week seem a little extreme.

But, I keep looking in the mirror and seeing a few too many reminders of my mother. And the fact is, I really like seafood. Maybe I should try eating more... just in case, y'know?

And, if ten weekly servings of salmon sounds too much, many of the same anti-oxidants are in other fish, especially trout, herring, snapper, and bass.

I could easily eat two servings of each, weekly. If I rotate them, I can have a different fish for dinner each night, and then leftovers for lunch every second day. It's an easy ten servings for someone like me, who enjoys fish anyway.

And, if it also turns out to be the fountain of youth, well... why not? I may even tell my mother about it, and then she can look a little more like me!

I'm sorry to have to inform the majority of the people in the United States that they have no idea what real boiled shrimp are supposed to taste like. In several recent trips I've had the opportunity to try shrimp that were served in restaurants and casino buffets in a couple of different areas of the country and sad to say the result was pretty dismal, even though these were billed as Louisiana Style or Cajun boiled shrimp. Not even close. The fact is that most of the shrimp served around the country are too bland to grace the table of anyone in Louisiana. Now I know that those of you who have had occasion to visit Louisiana have tried some of the shrimp in our restaurants. If you were lucky, and you have friends to guide you to the right places, you probably did ok, but if you sampled the usual hotel stuff I gotta tell you that food is cooked to meet bland Midwestern tastebuds.
If you want to try some good shrimp here's what you do. Buy about five pounds of shrimp. Beg, borrow, steal, or order online a box of shrimp boil in bag form or a bottle of the liquid stuff. To make things easier just get the liquid boil. Now, this is really important: The bottle will say that 4 ounces of the crab boil will do 5 pounds of shrimp. Don't believe it. Use 8 ounces for 5 pounds.
Get a pot and add about three quarts of water, the eight ounces of crab boil, and two large tablespoons of cayenne pepper. You can also throw in about a half bottle of lemon juice. Bring the thing to a rolling boil and throw the shrimp in. As soon as you throw the shrimp the water will stop boiling. Keep the heat on for about another two minutes and then shut it off. Shrimp cook very quickly. Now pour in about 1/4 container of salt, mix it up a little and let the shrimp soak. DO NOT ADD THE SALT BEFORE YOU THROW THE SHRIMP IN. The salt raises the boiling point and your shrimp will be tough to peel if you do.
The most important thing to learn about boiled seafood is that the seafood, be it shrimp, crabs, or crawfish, does not absorb the seasoning until it begins to cool. You will need to let the shrimp cool for 25 or 30 minutes, but start sampling after about 15 minutes. When they're seasoned good and spicy, you can take them out. If you do this right, you'll have some idea of what real shrimp are supposed to taste like.

This is a dish that's seems to be growing more popular in and around New Orleans. I've noticed over the last couple of years that it has been added to the menu on several of the larger restaurants and in many of the smaller family seafood outlets in the area. Usually on the menu as an appetizer, I often have it as a meal. I must confess that my oldest daughter worked on perfecting this recipe for us at home so I can't take the credit.
There are many people who like to prepare this dish with their own home made bread and my hat is off to those people as I'm sure it adds a touch of uniqueness to their recipe. I however, am the lazy sort so I usually just buy French bread to prepare this dish. I will wait though, until the bakery in the local supermarket puts out hot French bread and then run home and start whipping this up. Whichever way you choose to do it, I'll provide the recipe for the topping and you can decide on your own which source of bread you want to use.
The filling requires:
1) 3 tablespoons of butter
2) a little olive oil (about 1 large spoonful)
3) 1/2 cup chopped onions
4) 1 tablespoon minced garlic
5) 2 pounds fresh peeled crawfish (This is a lot of crawfish. I like my crawfish bread packed with meat so you can cut back on this if you need to. I'd also like to point out that I make this dish in crawfish season using crawfish I've peeled from my own boil. If you buy the crawfish tails in the supermarket it's not quite as spicy but you can add 1/8 teaspoon of liquid crab boil to kick things up.)
6)2 tablespoons Creole seasoning. Use your favorite brand. I like Tony Chachere's.
7)1/4 pound swiss cheese
Throw the butter and olive oil in a pan and bring to a medium heat. Then toss in the onions and sauté them until they look clear.
Throw in the rest of the stuff except for the swiss cheese. While this is cooking down slice the French bread in half, turn to oven on to 350.
Lay a few slices of swiss cheese on top of the bread. When the stuff in the pan is good and hot and mixed well, spoon it out on top of the swiss cheese that you've got on the bread. Add a layer of swiss cheese on the top of this mixture and put it in the oven until the bread is nice and crisp.
Serve this as an appetizer for a bunch of people or as a main meal with a salad for 3 or 4 people. Don't fight over the last piece.

By Melissa Martinez

Winter seafood and all that it encompasses is just dandy. What seafood aficionado does not love winter oysters? But with the snow melting and spring in full bloom, it is time to move on to some more seasonal fare.

One of the most popular spring seafood choices is soft-shell crabs. These are small crabs that are usually about the size of the palm of your hand. Since the shells are soft, you can eat them along with the meat. A soft-shell crab sandwich or "crab burger" is considered a rite of passage for spring in some areas. Not only is the taste wonderful, but without messy shelling, there is less to clean up, more to eat! Soft shells can be found in the waters off the North Carolina coast all the way up to the famous Chesapeake Bay near Maryland (which is VERY famous for its crabs!).

If you are closer to the West coast, or just are not in the mood for crabs, a great spring choice is Pacific halibut. It is prized for its mild flavor, which makes it a great choice for any dish where you really want the fish to absorb the flavors of the spices you choose. It is harvested from Northern California to as far away as the Sea of Japan, though most is caught in cooler Alaskan waters. Even though the waters they are caught in are generally cold or frigid, it is still a summertime treat. The supply will dwindle come fall and especially winter. If you see any Pacific halibut during this time, it was likely frozen and stored, and is not fresh.

Mahi-Mahi is best when bought and consumed from early spring to late summer. The name of the fish is Hawaiian for "strong-strong", because they are known to be especially strong swimmers. Even though their name is Hawaiian, they can be found in waters around the globe that are either tropical or subtropical in nature. Though spring is the best time for this delicious fish, it can still be generally found year-round.

Lobster is highly recommended during this time. The meat is at its sweetest and most succulent during this time of year. Other hard-shelled seafood that makes the spring cut are mussels, clams and the last of the winter oysters. Of course, when you think of all these shellfish, it is hard no to think of paella! This traditional Spanish dish has all of these fish, rice, vegetables, chorizo sausage and saffron mixed together to create a spicy one-dish meal. Spring variations of paella are very popular at seafood and ethnic restaurants this time of year.

If you want more exotic fish that is not well-known on these shores, or simply want to try something different, spring will not disappoint! Tilefish and weakfish are two of the varieties that you may not have heard of. Spring is the best time to pick up these fish, which can be found at most seafood or specialty counters. For a fresh seafood twist, you can also try skate. Again, a seafood or specialty market will likely carry this. And since it's so rare, they may offer a tip or recipe or two to shopper to encourage them to buy the strange-sounding fish.
No matter which of these seafood choices you choose to buy, you are sure to be in for a treat! Since this season is the best time to get these particular seafood choices, you are sure to be eating them at the height of their freshness and taste! Enjoy while you can, for more choices will await you in summer and fall