The Perfect Combo

Yesterday was a very busy day.  I was out for doctors' appointments and errands all day long.  I was only going to be home from about 3:15 to 4:00 and then not back again until about 5:30.   R. wasn't going to be home until about 6:15 and we had a H.S. concert to attend at 7:00 p.m.

Before leaving in the morning I realized I wasn't going to have time to prepare the meal that I previously had planned for the evening.  I spent a few minutes reading e-mails and glanced at my Google Reader and noticed a blog which was of interest which was entitled "Family Meals from the Pantry."  The featured meal of the entry was Salmon Mornay.  After reading through the recipe I realized I had all of the ingredients in the refrigerator (including the cooked rice, leftover corn, already chopped fresh parsley, already chopped red peppers, grated cheese) or in the pantry.

So between 3:15 and 4:00 I unpacked my shopping from the car, walked the dog, whipped up the mornay sauce, sauteed the peppers and onion, mixed up the entire casserole, set the oven to come on and shut off automatically.  I assembled a lettuce, apple, walnut, and Craisin salad and put it in the refrigerator (without dressing).  Then I was off running again.

Here is the recipe:

Salmon Mornay

TO MAKE THE SAUCE

2 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons plain (all purpose) flour

salt and pepper to taste

1½ cup milk

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan over heat and add the flour, salt and pepper. Mix together into a paste. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the milk, stirring while you do it. Keep stirring to prevent lumps forming. Place the pan back on the heat and when you have a nice smooth sauce, add the cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and take off the heat.

In a large bowl, add...

1½ cups of cooked brown rice

1 finely chopped onion

2 finely diced stalks of celery

½ bell pepper, chopped and already cooked in a little olive oil

1 cup corn

1 can (16oz) salmon

a few sprigs of finely chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all this together then add the cheese sauce and mix in. Pour into a greased baking 9” x 9” pan and smooth down the top, sprinkle over about ½ cup cheese and bake in a moderate 350F oven about 20 -  25 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.