Tuna Rice Bake
This humble recipe has been part of our dinner time repertoire for a while now. It’s nourishing, economical and can easily be prepared ahead of time which makes preparing dinners with two young children a great deal easier!
Isabella and Louie would consume most of their omega-3 fatty acids via salmon and tuna (Isabella both and Louie…mostly tuna), through this recipe and another favourite - Family Tuna + Pesto Pasta. As well as omega-3 fatty acids, this meal offers a rich source of fibre and protein.
What I find most useful about this recipe is that it’s a great one at the end of the week when the fridge and pantry are predominantly empty as you only need a few staples to create a wholesome and simple meal. You can serve it with extra vegetables or a green salad if you so wish. It also reheats to make delicious leftovers the next day!
Tuna Rice Bake – serves 4-6
2 cups uncooked brown rice
2 Tbspn butter
1 Tbspn olive oil
1 brown onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 heaped Tbspn gluten-free flour* (I use either white rice flour, brown rice flour or tapioca flour)
1 ½ cups whole milk
2 eggs beaten
1 cup grated cheese of your choice (Edam, Tasty, Cheddar)
½ cup grated Parmesan (or use 1 ½ cups of the above cheese)
2 Tbspn chopped parsley
2x 185 g cans tuna in olive oil (drained)
2 carrots, grated
1 cup frozen peas
Optional extras - pesto, gluten-free or regular breadcrumbs
*Can use regular flour if not requiring a gluten-free dish.
Cook brown rice in a rice cooker or pot, according to directions. Leave to cool slightly or you can use completely cold, leftover rice from the previous day.
Preheat the oven to 180'C.
Melt butter and olive oil in a deep pan. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for around 5 minutes until onion is soft. Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and gradually add the milk. Stirring constantly return the pan to the heat and keep stirring until the sauce thickens and begins to boil.
Remove from the heat and add the beaten eggs and half the grated cheese. Mix well and then add in the parsley, flaked tuna, grated carrot and peas. Mix gently together.
Pour into a greased oven-proof dish and sprinkle over remaining cheese. If using optional extras of pesto or breadcrumbs, spread over the pesto and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs before adding the remaining cheese.
Bake for around 20 minutes until golden. Can be served hot or cold.
Enjoy!
