My First Casserole

Several months ago, I came across a big sale on bulk foods and bought 2 cases of canned salmon. Thats 24 7.5oz cans. My thinking was, its healthy, its Alaskan (which makes it sustainable) and I'll explore new recipes. So, last night I made my first casserole. Anna didn't like it. She thought it was too weird. I like it a lot. And.. since its a casserole there's a lot of it. I guess its gonna be my breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next day or so!

This recipe is healthier than most traditional casseroles our moms have made. It doesn't contain a pound of cheese, or cream, or sour cream.. in fact, the heaviest ingredient is the jasmine rice. Its guilt free and I'm going back for seconds.

Salmon Casserole with Mango in an Orange Sauce
sauce:
2c orange juice (i used fresh squeezed!)
2T cornstarch *
2T soy sauce
1/4t ground ginger
2T lemon juice plus rind
2T lime juice plus rind
1t hot sauce
1/3c brown sugar

*cornstarch is used here as a thickening agent for the sauce. If you add it directly to the orange juice it will clump. Instead, whisk the cornstarch with 2T orange juice until it is incorporated (called a slurry) then whisk it into the orange juice in the pan.

plus:
2c jasmine rice
1 1/2 mangoes diced
1c whole grain cereal flakes
2 cans of salmon

in an 8x8 sprayed glass dish layer:
rice, salmon, mango, orange sauce, cereal, then pan-spray the cereal (helps it brown and crisp)

bake at 475 until cereal starts to brown (about 8min) then reduce heat to 350 and cook another 10min.
I liked it as it is. But Anna thought there was too much mango, and needed something extra. So, I added a dollop of fresh goat cheese and pico de gallo on top. So GOOD!!