Quick Clam Linguine

06/04/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

This is one of our favorite, quick week night meals. You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. It is especially good when you have oregano, parsley and basil available from the garden but dried herbs will do in a pinch! We first posted this about a year ago. We decided to post it again with new photos. I hope you agree, the photos are improving!

Ingredients

6-8 servings

36-48 ounces canned clams, drained, juice reserved

2 cups dry white wine

1 large white onion

8 cloves of garlic

juice of 1/2 of a lemon – about 2 Tablespoons

1 teaspoon dried oregano – or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 cup fresh basil chiffonade*

1/2 cup good quality, peppery olive oil

fresh ground black pepper

kosher salt

optional – 3-4 per serving fresh, clean steamer clams in shell

fresh grated parmesan for serving

additional minced parsley for garnish

linguine, prepared according to directions

Drain the clams in a colander with a bowl beneath it to catch the clam broth. Set both aside.

Dice the onion and mince the garlic cloves, and set aside.

Chop the parsley, oregano and basil, and set aside.

Warm the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottom sauté pan. (It is a lot of oil, but it is the base for the sauce.) Add the onion and garlic and sauté gently about 5 minutes. Add in the oregano and the red pepper flakes. Sauté another 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Add the white wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce about 5 minutes. Add the reserved clam broth and the lemon juice. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Stir in the basil, oregano and chopped parsley. If you are adding fresh clams, place them in the pan now. Yes – there are some mussels in the picture. Dave keeps thinking he does not like mussels. I cooked a few as a “test”. He still thinks he does not like them! Is there anybody else out there that likes clams but not mussels?

Start your pasta water. Once pasta water comes to a boil, add the reserved clams into the sauté pan. Reduce the heat to very low. Do not simmer the sauce after you have added the canned clams, you want to just warm them. (Overcooking will make them tough and chewy.) I am sure you know to NOT eat any clams or mussels that did not open up, right?

Adjust the sauce for seasoning. You may need a little more salt or pepper. To serve, place a portion of fresh hot linguine on a plate or bowl. Top with the sauce and garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and the steamed clams, if using. Serve with a tossed salad and crusty baguette bread top sop up the broth.

Grilled Halibut with Pico De Gallo and Avocado Salad

04/14/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

Dave and I spent a few hours at the Pantry at Delancey on Sunday afternoon, “sharpening” our knife skills. The class was taught by Chef Mataio Gillis from Ciao Thyme. After Chef Gillis inspected, sharpened and honed everyone’s knife, we reviewed types of knives and their function, proper knife care and body mechanics. My intentions for signing up for the class, were not entirely honorable. I wanted Dave to be more comfortable with slicing and dicing, so I do not end up doing all the “prep” work when we cook together. Even though I am pretty efficient with a knife, I definitely learned some new tricks! We practiced brunoise, fine brunoise, small, medium, and large dice, julienne, allumette and batonnet cuts on potatoes, carrots and celery. As for Dave, he is now in charge of all mirepoix prep and knife care!

The Pico De Gallo was the result of 15 students chopping tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and cilantro. As with all classes at The Pantry, we ended with a meal of Pico De Gallo, chips, guacamole and a cold beer! Since I had a beautiful filet of fresh Alaskan halibut on hand for dinner, I decided to take my portion home and serve it with the fish! I served an avocado and radish salad with a cumin – lime vinaigrette alongside the halibut. Just like the class and the beautiful spring day, the meal was fabulous!

For the Avocado and Radish Salad with Cumin and Lime Vinaigrette

For the dressing

1/3 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice

2/3 cup very light olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon honey or agave

salt and pepper to taste

For the salad

mixed lettuce of your choice – I used butter lettuce and watercress, torn into bite size pieces

about 1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro per serving

1/2 large dice avocado per serving

2-3 thinly sliced radishes, per serving

for the garnish – finely diced radish and lime zest

Toss the lettuce and radishes together. Add the dressing and toss again. Gently fold in the avocado. Garnish with the lime zest and diced radish

I don’t have permission to share the Pico De Gallo recipe we made in class. Just make your favorite! Also, when grilling a flaky fish like halibut, it is extremely important that your grill is very hot and very well oiled! It takes just a few minutes on each side for perfectly cooked fish.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Eggplant, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

03/26/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

One of my favorite resources for quick, weeknight meals is Saveur Magazine’s weekly email of Simple Weeknight Meals. Sourced from previously published recipes, they often call for ingredients that you probably have on hand. Today’s recipe, inspired by traditional pasta alla norma, is a great example. I made a couple of modifications to suit our taste. You could easily omit the sausage to make a hearty, vegetarian pasta dish.

pasta alla norma Laura, inspired by Saveur Magazine, Oct. 10, 2013, Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage

For the pasta

1 medium eggplant, cut into ¾″ cubes

5 tbsp. olive oil

12 cremeni mushrooms, sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage, we like Isernio’s Italian Chicken Sausage

1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, undrained and crushed by hand

16 fresh basil leaves, torn by hand

8 oz. rigatoni

2 – 4 oz. Pecorino Romano or parmesan, grated

Heat oven to 500°. (Yes that is correct.) Put eggplant and mushrooms into baking dish and drizzle with 2 tbsp. oil. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 325′.

Roasting the eggplant and mushrooms at this high temperature brings out a wonderful rich, smoky flavor.

Heat remaining oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chile flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic softens, about 3 minutes. Add sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up into small pieces until browned, 16–18 minutes

Add tomatoes and half the basil, season with salt, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to tomato sauce. Stir in reserved eggplant and mushrooms and toss to combine. Stir in remaining basil and season with salt.

Transfer the mixture to the baking dish you roasted the eggplant and mushrooms in. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 325′ for about 15 minutes. Serve with a tossed green salad and a big bold Chianti.

Spring has Sprung! Lamb Chops and Roasted Asparagus

03/25/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

You know we’ve passed through that dark, seemingly endless tunnel of winter, into the lighter days of spring when those lovely green spikes begin “stalking” you! Yes, I am talking about ASPARAGUS! There are no in-betweeners when it comes to asparagus – you either hate it (Dave) or cannot get enough of it (me). And so it begins, lamb chops and asparagus, halibut and asparagus, asparagus and shrimp stir fry, asparagus quiche,…. and Dave repeatedly asking “asparagus AGAIN”? Ah, the cycle of life.

Laura’s Lemony Galicky Lamb Chops with Roasted Asparagus

2-3 chops per person

For the marinade

Juice of 2 large lemons

finely chopped lemon peel, from one lemon, for garnish

1/3 cup peppery olive oil

1/4 cup of chopped fresh oregano, plus a little extra for garnish

4-6 cloves of garlic

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients well. Pour over chops, cover and marinate at least two hours, or overnight. (I usually use a zip lock bag….but that is not very photogenic.)

While the grill is heating, prepare the asparagus. Trim the ends and peel the lower tougher part, if needed. Place in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. I either place the pan on the grill, next to the chops or cook in my small toaster oven. Either way – it will take about the same time as the chops to cook – 10 minutes. Season asparagus and chops just prior to serving and garnish with the finely minced lemon peel and oregano.

We served our meal with a quick couscous side dish. I also like quinoa or Greek style roasted potatoes with this recipe. Enjoy!

Udon Noodle Hot Pot* with Beef and Shrimp

02/01/2014 by Laura 2 Comments

Inspired by all the Chinese New Year recipes this past week, I really wanted something hot and spicy with lots of noodles. I pulled an older cook book off the shelf, Lemongrass and Lime, by Mark Read, 2001. The Beef Hot Pot recipe is the inspiration for our big bowl of hot steamy noodles with lots of veggies, beef and shrimp. I used the new Thai Ginger Broth from Swanson’s. I was a little leery when I saw it and actually bought beef stock too, just in case it was not what I hoped it would be. I have to say – it’s a winner and will become a pantry staple at our house.

For the Hot Pot* with Beef and Shrimp

1 pound top sirloin steak, sliced thin in strips

1/2 pound of large prawns, cooked, peeled, deveined and tails removed

6 bunches baby bok choy, sliced

2 red Fresno chills, sliced – seeds and veins removed (you could use jalapenos if you want it hotter)

2 large shallots, sliced thin

3 stalks celery, sliced including the leaves

3/4 pound Shitake mushrooms, sliced

1/2 pound snow peas, ends removed and sliced diagonally

1 big handful of mung bean sprouts

3-4 Tablespoons fish sauce, depending on your desired taste

2 Tablespoons oyster sauce

3-4 packages of fresh Udon Noodles, or any other noodle you like: Soba, Rice Stick; cooked, rinsed and set aside

1 quart of stock, beef or Thai Ginger Broth

1 bunch of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped – for garnish

6-8 green onions, sliced on the diagonal, for garnish

Prep the steak, shrimp and veggies as listed. To make slicing the steak easier, pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Once all your ingredients are prepped, bring the broth to a boil in a large pan or wok, that you have a lid for.

Add the shallots and chilies, fish stock and oyster sauce, simmer for about 5 minutes, add the celery, mushroom and snow peas, cover and simmer about 4 minutes. Make sure the broth is simmering, add the noodles. Simmer about 3 minutes, covered. Add the steak, stir to combine simmer about 3 minutes. Add the bok choy and bean sprouts. Cover and simmer about 3 more minutes. Lastly, add the shrimp, cover simmer 2-3 more minutes until the shrimp are hot.

Serve in big soup bowls, garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced green onions. I really liked this cooking method. No stir frying in hot oil! You could vary the ingredients to suit your taste – vegetables, tofu….the possible combinations are endless.

*Hot pot, less commonly steamboat, refers to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. Vegetables, fish and meat should be fresh. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. In many areas, hot pot meals are often eaten in the winter. Wikipedia.

South Beach Diet Thai Style Turkey Meatball Lettuce Wraps

01/17/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

I have made these 3 times so far….each time getting a little better! I am finally happy with this version. I first saw the recipe when it was delivered to my mailbox from Kaylyn’s Kitchen, http://www.kalynskitchen.com/. Kaylyn has fabulous low-carb, South Beach Diet recipes. I have changed up the recipe to suit our taste, and to increase the fiber by adding flax meal. I also prefer to bake them, rather than fry them, as they are very soft. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have!

For the Meatballs

2 pounds lean ground turkey

1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, finely minced

2 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger root

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon of soy sauce

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup ground flax meal

Combine all the ingredients above in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. If time permits, chill for 20-30 minutes.

Scoop the meatballs into 1 inch balls. Place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Bake 20 minutes at 350′, making sure internal temperature of meatballs is 160′.

For the Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup of Fish Sauce

1/3 cup of rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons of sesame oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons of soy sauce

Mix all together, set aside until ready to use.

For the Lettuce Wraps and Garnishes

1-2 heads of Butter Lettuce, washed and leaves separated

1 cucumber, seeded and sliced

1 bunch of green onions, sliced

1 bunch of mint, chopped

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

To Serve

Place one to two meatballs in a leaf of lettuce. Garnish with cucumber, mint, cilantro, and onion. Add a couple spoonful’s of dipping sauce. Roll up like a burrito. Enjoy!

Curried Flank Steak with Mushrooms and Low-Carb “Mock” Mashed Potatoes

01/10/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

I am a big fan of cutting carbs to lose a few pounds. I have looked at the “Mock” mashed potato recipes every time I have dieted, and thought “eeeewwww”. I finally got around to giving them a try and I am thrilled to admit I was wrong about them. This is an absolutely delicious, low carb way to satisfy that, all too frequent, diet craving for something rich and creamy and comforting! We served them along side one of our all time favorites: Curried Flank Steak with Mushrooms and roasted Brussels sprouts.

Curried Flank Steak, inspired by The Seattle Classic Cookbook, Junior League of Seattle, 1983

For the Flank Steak

1 large flank steak, or flat iron steak (2 pounds or so)

6 tablespoons of soft butter

3 tablespoons of Dijon style mustard

1 tablespoon curry powder, I like Madras style

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

1/2 -3/4 cup dry sherry

1 cup sour cream

1 pound sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Make a paste of the soft butter, Dijon, curry powder, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Lay the flank steak in a large glass container. Spread each side with the paste, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sherry over the steak. cover with plastic wrap and marinate at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. turn the meat at least once. Let come to room temperature for 1 hour prior to preparing the steak.

Slice and sauté the mushrooms in the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add a little sherry if more liquid is needed. Set aside. Preheat the oven to broil. Broil the meat 5 – 6 minutes per side on an oven proof broiler pan, until medium rare. Remove the meat to a cutting board. Cover with foil to keep warm. Scrape the drippings from the broiler pan into the mushrooms. Sauté until the liquid has reduced a bit. Reduce the heat and add the sour cream. Slice the steak with a very sharp knife, diagonally against the grain. Serve three to four slices per serving. Top with the mushroom sauce and garnish with parsley.

“Mock” Mashed Potatoes, inspired by The South Beach Diet Super Charged Cookbook

For the Mock” Mashed Potatoes

1 large head cauliflower, broken into small florets

14 ounces chicken stock

2 tablespoon cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup grated cheese, I used low fat white and yellow cheddar

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

freshly ground salt and pepper

chives or green onions, sliced for garnish

Place the cauliflower in a stock pot pour in the chicken stock and cover with lid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes until tender. Drain liquid. Return pan to stove to ensure all liquid has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. (You may want to drain on paper towels to ensure all liquid is removed.) Mash the cauliflower with a hand mixer or immersion blender. Add the remaining ingredients and mash again. Adjust for seasoning. Keep warm over very low heat until ready to serve.

The Great Avocado Mystery and Lo-Carb Taco Salad

01/08/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

I decided to make a low carb Taco Salad for tonight’s dinner. Pretty straightforward: lettuce, seasoned lean ground beef, low fat cheese, black beans, lite sour cream (mixed with salsa for the dressing), olives, tomatoes, ~~avocado~~ (had to sub pre-made guacamole) and green onions. We have this salad frequently, alternating between gilled chicken breast and ground beef.

While gathering up ingredients at the store today, I became obsessed with this question:

WHERE ARE THE RIPE AVACADOS!

I live in the city with many grocery stores nearby, and I shop frequently. Every 2-3 days to be exact and sometimes everyday. The avocados at the store I visited 3 days ago could have easily been used for batting practice or pool. The avocados at the same store this afternoon were in the same condition. Now, if I had purchased an avocado on my previous visit (as I should have) it would now be pretty close to being perfectly ripe. So I am very curious…. What do they do with the ripe avocados! I could go to the same store everyday this week and I know for certain, I would not find a ripe one! Are you as perplexed about this as I am? You could argue the same is true for tomatoes, melons, pineapples and bananas, but it really isn’t. These items are always available in varying stages of ripeness. That is why I am so dismayed by this whole avocado thing! (I do have a resource in the form of a day old produce market, that always has ripe avocados. I just resent making an additional trip for one ripe avocado.) To make this even more complicated, I found the same thing to be true in Hawaii and California, the home of many of the avocados we consume! Any insight you can share, is really appreciated!

Székelyalmás (Pork with Apples and Cider Cream Sauce) with Farro

11/22/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

A friend recently asked how I come up with all the different things I end up cooking, which I thought was a great question! My personal email box is filled with blog posts from my favorite bloggers, daily recipe blasts from Saveur, Food and Wine, Bon Apetite, and Food Network TV, just to name a few. While most of these are deleted after a quick glance, there are those that stand out do to their uniqueness, or familiarity, or implied adventure into the unknown.

This Transylvanian recipe, published by Saveur in February of 2012, was so delicious and different! I made it with pork chops, but I could see making it with a whole pork loin, and being a very elegant presentation. Though the recipe recommended white rice, I served the dish with farro. The nutty farro went perfectly with the sauce! http://www.saveur.com/gallery/Transylvanian-Recipes?page=6

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

4 pork loin chops – boneless, bone in – your choice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup flour

2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1/2 red Fresno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 1/2 cups hard apple cider (Buy a 750ml bottle, and serve the rest with the meal!)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. finely chopped marjoram

1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Instructions

Heat 2 tbsp. each oil and butter in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork on both sides with salt and pepper, and dredge half the pieces in flour; add to skillet, and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute.

Transfer to a plate, and set aside; repeat with 2 tbsp. oil, remaining butter, and remaining pork and flour; transfer all pork to plate.

Return skillet to heat, and add remaining oil; add apples, garlic, onion, and chile, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add cider, and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Add stock, cream, and mustard, and bring to a boil; return pork to skillet, and add marjoram. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until pork is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with parsley; serve with rice or *farro.

*If Farro is new to you, check out the great article here from NPR’s Kitchen Window!

http://www.npr.org/2013/10/02/227838385/farro-an-ancient-if-complicated-grain-worth-figuring-out

Ya Sure, You Betcha … Köttbullar … Swedish Meatballs

11/14/2013 by Laura 2 Comments

I guess these may technically be FINNISH Meatballs…. Since I am not Swedish, but 50% Finnish! Regardless, they are delicious. As usual, I looked at a bunch of recipes for ideas. Since I wanted to make enough for a few meals, I came up with what you see here. We had a delicious dinner, and 3 more meals worth went in the freezer! Hurray for leftovers!

For the Meatballs (This recipe made about 60 meatballs)

8 slices soft, white bread, crusts removed, broken into small pieces

1/2 cup milk or cream

Place the bread and milk in a bowl. Soak the bread until soft. Mix it up with a fork to make sure it is all softened.

24 ounces ground pork

40 ounces lean ground beef

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 medium yellow onion, grated (Yes, grated – if you have onion goggles, you will want to wear them!)

1 teaspoon ground allspice

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup of flour

2 quarts beef stock

1 16 ounce container of sour cream

Butter for frying

Combine soaked bread pieces, pork, beef, eggs, onion, allspice and salt and pepper in a big mixing bowl. Mix and mix and mix and then mix some more. You want the mixture to be light and fluffy. If too “wet” to hold together, add a half cup of Panko bread crumbs. (Yes, these are referred to Japanese bread crumbs. However, they are made with white bread that has had the crusts removed. This should not cause an international crisis, as I have seen in some comments on other recipes!)

Pre-heat the oven to 325′. Shape the meat mixture into 1-2 inch meatballs. Melt about a tablespoon of butter in a large sauté pan (or Dutch oven) on medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, in batches, careful not to crowd the pan. Move the meatballs to a baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside while you make the sauce.

Sous Chef Jasper is convinced a meatball will fall to the floor! Uh, make that total 59 meatballs!

Heat the sauté pan to medium heat. Add a little more butter to the sauté pan, if needed. Add the flour and make a roux. Add the beef stock slowly and continue to whisk, while bringing the sauce to a boil. The sauce should be thick and glossy. You will be adding sour cream in the next step, and will not be able to add additional thickeners. I actually needed to “tighten up” the sauce a bit so I added, 4 Tablespoons of…..Did you guess it? BISTO! I then let the sauce simmer about 5 more minutes. Reduce the heat to very, very low. Add the sour cream. Stir well. (I used my immersion blender at this stage, to make the sauce as smooth as possible.) Return the meatballs to the saucepan.

The best part….3 more meals!

Serve with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes and LINGONBERRIES! Enjoy…