mom's tuna casserole

my mom sent me a copy of her tuna casserole recipe and i really wanted to veganize it because it was one of my favorite meals growing up! i loved everything about it - creamy sauce, the slight crunch of peppers and celery, pimentos (mmmmmm!) & cheese, a crispy top, and the tuna goodness. it was a glorious combination and i would always ask for seconds! our first attempt at this dish was a successful one - when i tasted our version i was flooded with memories of being wee & family dinners together. there was a good bit to veganize (it called for cream of chicken soup, lots 'o cheese, tuna, etc.) and i was so happy it turned out to be so delicious (dan really enjoyed it, too)! next time i'll try adding in a little more nutritional yeast and some ground cashews for more cheesy flavor; but as this dish stands now - it's so gooooood! i'm one happyfaced girl, fo 'sho!

ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat pasta (we used rotini)
1 cup rice milk
1 cup water
4 celery ribs, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
1 yellow onion (divided), finely diced
1/4 cup pimentos
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup vegenaise
1/2 cup TVP
1 cup water
1/2 vegetable broth cube
1/4 sheet nori, crumbled
1 slice whole wheat bread (or about 3/4 cup bread crumbs)

what you'll need:
small sauce pan
medium sauce pan + lid
large pot
casserole dish (we used an 8" baking dish)
whisk
food processor (optional if you want to make your own bread crumbs)

what'cha gotta do:
combine 1 cup water + 1/2 vegetable broth cube in the medium sauce pan and bring it to a boil. add in TVP & crumbled nori. stir, cover, & set aside for 8-10 minutes (letting the TVP reconstitute).

cook the pasta for just 5 minutes, drain, and set aside (you just want to cook it for a bit since it's going to bake for a while later, too).

in the small sauce pan heat up 2 tsp olive oil on medium-high. add in diced onion and cook for 3 minutes. add in celery & green onions, cooking for 4 more minutes. add in rice milk, water, & nutritional yeast, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 3 minutes - stirring a few times. add in onion & garlic powder, pepper, poultry seasoning, & sea salt. combine well and whisk in the 2 tbsp flour. reduce heat to low and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until it's nice and thick. remove the gravy from heat and set aside.

toss the partially cooked pasta back into the large pot and add in the pimentos, "gravy", reconstituted tvp ("tuna"), and vegenaise. combine well and then pour everything into the casserole dish. pulse bread in the food processor until you've got fine crumbs and top the casserole with them.

bake for 30 minutes on 350. remove from heat, allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving (this allows for cooling & thickening) - and enjoy!