I had to have this!

Linguine with Clams and Roasted Tomatoes

A few weeks ago I found a recipe in The New York Times for linguine with littleneck clams and roasted tomatoes...the picture alone was enough to make me drool, but after reading the recipe, I knew I had to have this.  But what to do?  If I served a bowl of pasta with clams in their shells, Chris would go running from the room, and chances were good that Ben would turn his nose up at it too.  

A week or so later came a day to cook from pantry stores, and with this dish still stuck firmly in my brain, I went with it.  I had a can of minced clams in their liquor and a bottle of clam juice, so I figured that I would substitute those for the whole clams and see what happened.  Chris was none the wiser, his only complaint being that the tomatoes weren't cooked into a "sauce" (the boy not being a tomato fan).  Ben knew exactly what I was doing, but enjoyed the dish anyway (but why not with whole clams?).  I made a few other changes from the original recipe to accommodate what I had on hand, including using some mojo de ajó  I had in the fridge instead of the olive oil and sliced garlic (remembered after I had taken the picture, alas).  I will definitely make this garlicky, luxurious tasting dish again, but next time I will add a second can of clams and skip the bottled clam juice.

Linguine with Clams and Roasted Tomatoes

1 lb. cherry or tomatoes, halved

6 tbs. mojo de ajó 

1 pound dry linguine(I used a 13oz box of Dreamfields)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake, more to serve if desired
1 cup dry white wine
1 small can minced clams with liquor
1 small bottle clam juice

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the tomatoes and the mojo de ajó to coat in a baking dish large enough to accommodate them in a single layer; roast tomatoes for 20 minutes.  In a large pot of heavily salted boiling water, cook the pasta until it is 2 minutes from being done to taste. Drain.  Return the pasta pot to medium-high heat and add the roasted tomatoes, wine and clam juice. Bring to a boil and add the linguine and can of clams with liquor; reduce heat to medium and cook until the pasta is al dente and the clams have heated through (do not overcook or you will have tough clams and mushy pasta).  Divide mixture among serving bowls and serve, garnishing with chopped parsley if you have it on hand.

.Summer's end...

This bowl of cherry tomatoes has become a fixture on my kitchen windowsill.

This last weekend of summer has been brutally hot, with afternoon temperatures of 100+, so I have kept myself busy indoors, with much time spent in the kitchen.

The mozzarella doesn't show well against a white plate.

I have stocked up the fridge with a Key Lime Pie,  Mojo de Ajó, and a variety of salads for the weekend (and coming week), including longtime favorite Three Bean Salad and a Caprese Salad using my homegrown basil and drizzled with the Balsamic reduction  that I have recently become so fond of.  I also added slivers of red onion to this one since I had a bit left from another salad and it seemed a shame not to use it.

As pretty and practical as it is, I have given up trying to grow veggies in my beds...we have too many rabbits and deer and I just don't have it in me for the heartbreak (at least they are no longer eating my roses :).  This leaves me growing in pots on the deck...this year I have basil (as always), cherry tomatoes, and jalapeños.  It was time for another jalepeño harvest, so I pickled more, hopefully we will end up with enough this year to get us through the winter.

It also seemed a good time to start putting away pesto for the winter, putting away 1/2 cup portions in small freezer containers, just covered with a slick of olive oil.  By next weekend I'll be able to harvest more basil for future use...I can't even imagine paying $2 anymore for the tiny little grocery package when I am cutting it by the armful.  I also mixed up some Pesto Cream Cheese for Christopher and I to share over the next week.

Now about the cherry tomatoes...our friends Doug and Sharon Trimmer own Trimmer Hardware here in Hamilton, and every year Doug starts hundreds of tomato plants himself to sell in the spring (they are his babies :).  I sent Ben this spring to get me two plants, figuring he would get Romas, or some nice slicing variety, but he came home with FOUR cherry tomato plants.  The plants have done beautifully in their pots and we have enjoyed the little bites of sweetness all summer in our salads, as well as roasted with olive oil and garlic slivers (my mouth waters just thinking of it).  Well, what was a fairly small, but constant, supply over the summer, in this last week has exploded and I had several POUNDS of the tomatoes.

I have been craving Tomato Pie anyway, so I used two pounds of quartered cherry tomatoes in place of the regular tomatoes and was not disappointed in the least.  The resulting pie was not nearly as wet, and the tomato flavor was more concentrated (and sweet), so I think this shall be repeated.  If you have not tried Tomato Pie before, now is the time.  We have found it to be particularly nice for breakfast with some fresh fruit, especially summer cantaloupe.

Doesn't that make your mouth water?

An easy appetizer (or entree)...

Creamy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

I found large packages of huge mushrooms on sale and picked them up knowing that I wanted to stuff them.  That, however, was the end of the planning process, and when it came time to actually make my stuffed mushrooms, I didn't know with what I would stuff them.  A search through the fridge uncovered a roll of turkey sausage, some cream cheese, and a bell pepper, so off I went :)  This exceedingly simple recipe used few ingredients and turned out fantastic.  Christopher especially liked these since they used two of his favorite things, mushroom and sausage.  These would make a fantastic appetizer, but I served them with a green salad and called it dinner.  Enjoy.

Creamy sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

2 large pakgs, of large white or cimini mushrooms

1 lb. ground sausage of choice (I used "hot" turkey breakfast sausage)

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 large yellow or red bell pepper, finely diced

1 8 oz. pkg. reduced fat cream cheese

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 359 degrees.  Wipe the mushrooms with a damp towel to clean and pull out the stems, leaving a hollow; place on a baking sheet or dish large enough to accommodate them all and set aside.  Brown the sausage, breaking into small bits.  Remove the sausage to a mixing bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving the drippings in the pan.  If you have used pork sausage and there is more fat left than needed to saute the onion and bell pepper, spoon some of it out; conversely, if you have used a chicken or turkey sausage, you may need to add a touch of olive oil.  Saute the veggies until crisp tender and place into the mixing bowl with the sausage.  

Add the cream cheese and stir until well combined and the cheese is melty.  Add the egg and combine again.  Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps, heaping as necessary to use it all.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling has set and the tops are nice and browned.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.

All nice and toasty from the oven.

Add a salad and call it dinner.

A different twist on an old standby...

Bell Pepper Puttanesca with turkey Italian sausage
and whole grain penne

Now to keep up with the bell pepper theme of the last post.  On another recent occasion of bell pepper bargains, I decided to make one of my pantry favorites, substituting the fresh red bell peppers for the canned, diced tomatoes I would normally use.  I love puttanesca, not only for its ease of preparation, but for the savory, spicy, and salty flavors that suit me so well.  This recipe makes a lot, so it's perfect for freezing half for a later, hectic, day.

Red Pepper Puttanesca

2oz. can anchovy fillets, in oil

6 red bell peppers, seeded and diced fairly small

6 cloves garlic, minced (2 tbs.)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 finger pinch of coarse salt and a generous grinding of black pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed red papper flakes

6oz. can tomato paste

1 1/2 to 2 cups dry white wine

1/2 of a 2oz. jar of capers, drained

1 heaping cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise

The anchovies break up quite easily.

In a fairly large nonstick pan, warm the olive oil with the anchovies and their oil over medium heat until they break apart (this doesn't take long if you assist with a wooded spoon).  Add the garlic and bell peepers and continue to saute until tender.  Season with the salt, pepper and pepper flakes, stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes, or until the paste just starts to darken.  Add the white wine to achieve the desired consistency and bring to a boil before adding the capers and olives; heat through and taste for seasonings before serving.  Enjoy.

Bell pepper bounty...

$1.50 a package!  Really!!

I know you've all heard it before, but here it goes again...bell peppers are one of my favorite veggies, especially the red ones (and avocados, and summer tomatoes, and summer corn :).  Well, lucky me, I keep finding these packages of  six huge bell peppers at Kroger for only $1.50!!  Just like 'day old' bread, it bothers me not in the least to buy "day old" peppers, especially when the red, orange and yellow ones are usually $1.50 EACH. 

I like to cut the side into strips and dice the tops and bottoms.  Now I'm ready to cook from the prepped peppers for a week.  And if I'm not going to use them all within the week they are ready for the freezer to be used this winter when I am unlikely to find these bargains.

I had really been in the mood for a repeat of the chilies rellanos I had created using midget sweet peppers (kinda like midget bells), so I thought I'd make it again, this time using the bottom thirds of some of these beauties.  This could easily be a more traditional looking "stuffed pepper" by using four whole bells and baking a bit longer.

 Ready and waiting.

Oh, look at these just out of the oven :)

Just looking at this photo makes me want these all over again.

You can find the recipe here if you too are jonesing for some

chorizo goodness.

A new kid favorite...

Red Chili Enchilada Meat Loaf

I recently picked up a copy of Better Homes and Gardens Ultimate Mexican, and must say that I am ready to try just about every recipe in here.  The first up on a busy night was the Red Chili Enchilada meat Loaf (pg. 125) and this was a definite kid pleaser.  Chris had seconds, went looking for thirds, and was disappointed to find it all gone.  If you are looking for an easy dish the kids will love, be sure to give this one a try, just don't try to feed too many with it, because they'll be asking for more.

Red Chili Enchilada Meat Loaf

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup salsa
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tbs.)
2 tbs. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 pkg. corn muffin mix
2 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
additional salsa to serve

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl combine the first seven ingredients.  Shape into a ball and place in a 9 inch pie pan lightly covered in cooking spray; flatten into a 6 inch circle.*  Prepare the muffin mix according to package directions and spread over the meat in the plate.  Bake for 50 minutes or until a temperature of 160 degrees.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese; cover loosely and let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Serve with additional salsa and any other Mexican inspired sides you desire.

*This was how directed in the recipe.  by time the meatloaf reached 160 degrees, the cornbread was browner than I would have liked.  In the future I will spread the meat out flatter, leaving less of a gap between it and the edge of the plate.

So simple, so delicious...

 Burger on wheat kaiser roll with avocado, smoked mozzarella and balsamic reduction.

The onion rings are also drizzled with the reduction.

One of the delicious things we had when we ate at Robert Irvine's restaurant was the balsamic reduction we had with the bread and drizzled over the fried green tomatoes.  We were having burgers one night last week and I asked Ben what gourmet direction he wanted to take them using the nice piece of smoked mozzarella I had on hand.  Without hesitation he said he wanted them drizzled with a balsamic reduction, some balsamic reduction it was (so fortunate too, that I has an unopened bottle of balsamic vinegar in the pantry).  I simmered the bottle (in a nonreactive pan, of course) until it was reduced by about 3/4, with a nice syrupy consistency.  This did take a while and you have to be careful not to inhale the fumes directly, but it was simple and only required that I check it occasionally to make sure that it did not burn.  What was left I put into a plastic condiment bottle and stored back in the pantry to use later. I would highly recommend giving this a try, even if it means going out and buying a (moderately priced) bottle just for this purpose.

Same burger (mine), with the addition of tomato.

Vacation dining...

Low Country Boil

When we vacation, we typically rent a villa rather than stay in a hotel.  Not only are we able to feel more "at home" where ever we may be, but we are also able to prepare most of our own meals ourselves.  This is not only a money saving gesture, for quite honestly, our own meals are usually as good (or better) than we would have if we dined out.  One dish we always make whnenwe travel south is the Low Country Boil pictured above (click here for the recipe).  A new addition to the southern repertoire will be the Key lime Pie of the previous post.  

Now don't get me wrong...we do enjoy eating out, we are just more selective about our dining dollars than we were in our reckless youth ("reckless" here meaning "before we could cook so well").  On one of our early trips to Hilton Head, we did like most other tourists and ate at the Crazy Crab in Harbor Town, a mediocre tourist trap in the truest sense (if anyone feels that it has improved in the last few years, please let me know.)

This trip we decided to try Chef Robert Irvine's eat!, just across the street from Shipyard Plantation where we were staying.  Ben and I are both fans of Chef Robert's antics on the Food Network, and even the little guy Christopher likes him from Worst Cooks in America.  In ten years of going to Hilton Head, our meal here was probably one of the best we have ever had on the island.  And yes, those are pictures of Chef Robert on the wall, and the waiters were all dressed in short sleeve black polos. showing off their "gun shows."  No one ever said the man had a small ego :)

Tried for photos, but the lighting was no good.

A basket of crusty bread was served alongside olive oil with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, quite a delicious start and Christopher was "forced" to finish the last piece.  We ordered the fried green tomatoes to share.  Ben does not normally care for this dish (that Chris and I love), but he found these to be quite delicious.  Supposedly the micro-sprouts that came with the tomatoes were very good too, but I wouldn't know since Chris swooped in so quickly and gobbled them up :)  Being a "real" restaurant, there was no children's menu, so Chris ordered the Carolina shrimp and house fries.  The fries (he reported) were good as fries go, but nothing special.  The coconut pecan crusted shrimp, however, he declared to be divine (and I can report that they were huge).  Ben ordered a pork and gnocchi dish he adored, while I ordered the blackened snapper.  I'd give just about anything to know how the red pepper and goat cheese coulis was made...yummy!!  To finish, we ordered the tabasco ice cream.  Ben and Chris said they got a hint of the tabasco; I didn't, but did find it to be a very delicious cinnamon ice cream.  Overall, a very pleasurable experience and we will be returning.

Another place i have to mention is the Palmetto Bay Sunrise Cafe where we had breakfast late one morning.  We will be sure to visit this busy little cafe again (and again).  It was homey, fast, cheap, and delicious...what more could one want in a breakfast place.  Chris had french toast, Ben had the shrimp hash, and I had a breakfast version of shrimp and grits, complete with red eye gravy and a fried egg on top...yum, yum, yum!!

Breakfast Shrimp and Grits

 Okay, looking at the photo now, I'll admit that this is not the prettiest dish ever, but it sure was good!

A southern delight...

Key Lime Pie

We love key Lime Pie and this is something that we ALWAYS get when we travel down south.  Just days before we left this year I read April's post at Mama Loves Food about this decadent treat.  "Could it really be so simple?" I asked myself.  Well, I decided that I would just have to find out.  On our first grocery trip to Publix I walked past the bakery special of the week, whole key lime Pies for a mere $6.99 each, and sought out the ingredients to make my own (and I ever so glad I did!).  This pie was one of the simplest desserts I have ever made, and undeniably, also one of the tastiest.  I started with the 3/4 cup of key lime juice, and after a taste added another 1/4 cup, resulting in a tarter pie than one will usually be served in a restaurant, but one perfect for us. Serve this pie chilled with a dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream and you won't be disappointed (and DO NOT use Cool Whip...the real stuff is just sooo much better and a cinch to make).  I'm not ashamed in the least to share that I had the last piece for breakfast before we headed home, perfect with coffee.

Key Lime Pie

3/4ths cup key lime juice (or as much as 1 cup if you prefer a more tart pie)

2 cans sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce cans)

2 eggs

1 graham cracker pie crust

Whipping the cream for the pie.

Combine key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and eggs in a bowl and whisk until the ingredients are well blended.  Pour into pie crust and bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.  Allow to cool, serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream. 

Heading south...

Last summer we went to Edisto Island, SC and had a wonderful time, but this year we head back to Hilton Head, as we have most years.  Something about the place just keeps drawing us back, and it's not Harbor Town or South Beach, as we have no plans to visit either this year.  We do plan on spending many hours on the beach at Shipyard Plantation and pedaling bikes around the many paths.  Also in the plans is dinner one night at chef Robert Irvine's eat! (but never again the overpriced, mediocre Crazy Crab).  Dinner in will most certainly include Low Country Boil, mandatory dining whilst visiting the low country for which it is named.  So, I'll be seein' y'all soon now, ya hear.