Linguine with Clam Sauce
This classic is one of my favorite pasta recipes. I like to keep it pretty simple. Clams, half and half, garlic, parsley and linguine. Sometimes I add a little white wine or sherry to the sauce.
I have been craving it for a few days and decided to make it for dinner yesterday. As an added bonus, it is a dish that can be prepared in no time at all.
I like the pasta to absorb flavor from the clam sauce so I cook the pasta barely to al dente. Then I add it to the clam sauce and let them cook together a few minutes. The sauce almost disappears, but the flavor of the pasta is wonderful!!
I use frozen clam meat (thawed), instead of canned clams, when I have them. I get them at my local Asian grocery store. If I do use canned clams, I drain the liquid and save it to use later in clam chowder. I just pop the liquid in the freezer.
Linguine with Clam Sauce
1 T. oil or butter
2 cloves garlic, minced- you can add more garlic
2 cans, 10 oz. each, whole clams, drained*
½ c. white wine or dry sherry, optional
1 c. finely chopped parsley
1 c. half and half or milk
1 T. lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 lb. linguine
Heat oil in skillet and sauté garlic until tender. Add clams, wine or sherry, if using, and parsley and cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Add half and half, lemon juice, salt and pepper and simmer 5 more minutes. Sauce should start to reduce a little. Meanwhile prepare linguine al dente. Drain pasta and transfer to the skillet. Toss with the sauce and simmer together a few minutes. Pasta will absorb some of the liquid. Adjust seasonings. Transfer to serving bowl. Makes 6 servings.
* Rather than using canned clams, I have been using frozen, cooked clams that I get at the Asian grocery store. A one-pound bag gives me a lot of clam meat for the sauce. Thaw and drain before using in this recipe.
For linguine with a red clam sauce just substitute 1-2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce for the milk and lemon juice. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Homemade Plum Jam
This is one of the easiest jams you can make. You don’t need pectin and it cooks pretty quickly into sweet, thick jammy goodness. I prefer a softer set, so I stopped cooking mine a little sooner than you might prefer. I like a jam that spreads easily, even after it has been opened and stored in the fridge. I love this jam.
I did a test with just a couple of plums. The flavor was great, but some of the pieces of the peel seemed too big. I could see them in the finished jam. To insure the skins got chopped up, I cooked my jam for awhile then used an immersion blender to smooth it out. This is just a cosmetic preference. You can just cook down chopped up plums and they will be fine.
So here is the recipe. I got it from the NCHFP website. The only changes I made was to up the processing time to 10 minutes, so I didn’t have to sterilize the jars. I also let the jam sit in the canner a few extra minutes to prevent siphoning.
Plum Jam
2 quarts chopped, pitted tart plums (about 4 pounds) – any plums will work
6 cups sugar
1½ cup water
¼ cup lemon juice
Combine all ingredients; bring slowly to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly to, or almost to, the jellying point (which is 8°F above the boiling point of water, or 220°F at sea level). Stir constantly to prevent sticking or burning.
Pour hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow jars to remain in canner 5 minutes before removing. Set jars on cooling rack or towel in a draft free place while they cool down. Check seals once jars are cool. Yield: About 8 half-pint jars.
Aunt Josie’s Clam Chowder
It is clambake season around here and it seemed like a great time to share this recipe. Aunt Josie’s clam chowder is a favorite of mine. I have loved it from the first time I had it. It is pretty easy to make and full of flavor. We have it at every family clambake.
You have the option of adding some stock or water at one point. I sometimes have seafood stock in the freezer, but a bottle of clam juice would work great, too.
So here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Aunt Josie’s Clam Chowder
2 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2-3 small potatoes, cubed
1 c. water or stock
2 (10 oz.) cans clams, undrained*
1 T. butter
2 T. flour
2 c. milk – I use half and half
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onions and celery in butter until tender, but not browned. Add potatoes and water or stock and cook, covered until potatoes are tender. Stir in clams and set aside. In another saucepan, combine butter and flour over low heat and stir in milk, stirring to make a white sauce. Cook mixture until it thickens and starts to bubble. Add it to the clam mixture and adjust seasonings. Bring to a gentle simmer. I added some parsley right before serving. Serves 4.
* You can also add clam meat and a little extra stock. I often buy frozen clam meat.
This post is dedicated, with love, to Aunt Josie.
Tailgate Treats – New Day Cleveland
Here is my latest appearance on New Day Cleveland. Had a fun time. The staff there is so nice to work with. Special thanks to Natalie.
https://fox8.com/on-air/new-day-cleveland/take-your-tailgate-spread-to-the-next-level/
Mom’s Cornbread
I have made a lot of versions of cornbread in my life, but this one might just be my favorite. Perhaps because it is my Mother’s recipe.
Her secret? She put a layer of shredded cheese between layers of batter. She also added cream style corn to some of the batter.
You end up with a cornbread that is full of flavor. It is also very tender and crumbly, but not dry. I bake mine in a cake pan, but there is no reason you could not bake this recipe in cast iron, if you prefer.
Mom’s Cornbread
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
2 T. sugar, optional
4 t. baking powder
¾ t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. half and half
¼ c. oil- or melted butter or bacon fat
4 oz. pepper Jack cheese, shredded
1 c. cream style corn
Grease a 9-inch square pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl, and set aside. In small bowl, combine eggs, half and half and oil and beat until smooth. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Don’t over-mix. Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the batter in the pan. Combine remaining batter with the cream style corn. Pour this mixture over the cheese in the pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Serves 8-9.
Caramelized Onion Toasts
I love onions. Like them in most everything I make. I especially love them when they have been slow cooked and caramelized to bring out their natural sweetness. The onions, once cooked, can be used in sandwiches, with cheese and crackers as an appetizer or used as a topper on breads. I place some on rye bread squares and topped that with squares of Swiss cheese. Toasted until cheese was melted and onions were heated through. Yummy!!
These are a great appetizer because you can make then ahead and reheat when ready to serve. You can serve them on bread, crackers, with tortilla chips or on tortillas. I sometimes serve the onions with slices of smoked sausages, too.
I sometimes make a double batch and freeze some for later.
Caramelized Onions
2 lbs. Onions, chopped
3 T. oil
1 t. salt
2 T. brown sugar
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
Dash red hot pepper sauce
Paprika
Sauté onions in oil with salt over low heat for 25-30 minutes. Onions should begin to caramelize and brown without burning. Add remaining ingredients and cook slowly another 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings, if needed and serve warm with crusty bread, crackers or smoked meats. Keeps in fridge for a couple of weeks or can be frozen.
Ginger Curry Pork Bites
These pork appetizers are sure to please any carnivore at your next party. Cubes of pork are marinated for a day or two, before being sauteed. They are full of flavor and easy to make. You can bake or broil them, if you prefer.
I used cornstarch, soy sauce and sherry to start my marinade. Then I added ginger, garlic and curry powder. You can play around with different spices. Garam Masala would work well, too.
I decided to make a peanut sauce to dip them in.
You can serve them as is, or on small skewers. People always seem to love food on sticks. They can also be cooked ahead of time, then just reheated when ready to serve.
Ginger Curry Pork Bites
1-2 lbs. pork, cubed into 1-inch pieces – I used western ribs
½ c. cornstarch
¼ c. soy sauce
¼ c. dry sherry
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1-2 T. curry powder
2 T. oil
Combine pork cubes with cornstarch, soy sauce, sherry, ginger, garlic and curry powder. Mix well and refrigerate overnight or up to two days. Heat oil in skillet and sauté pork until just cooked through. Serve with peanut sauce on skewers.
Peanut Dipping Sauce
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. milk or coconut milk
1/3 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1-2 cloves garlic
1 t. fresh grated ginger
1 t. soy sauce
Dash hot red pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Winter Squash Dip
If you want a different appetizer for this fall- why not make a dip from squash? You might not thing about using winter squash as an appetizer, but this dip could just change your mind. The natural sweetness of the squash works well the other ingredients. You can use any number of squash for this recipe, or pumpkin. A couple of acorn squash or a good sized butternut squash both work, too. You’ll want 3-4 cups of cooked squash. You can even use frozen squash.
Serve the dip warm, with crusty bread, crackers and smoked meats. I like to serve it in a crock pot.
Winter Squash Dip
3-4 c. cooked winter squash
1 c. sour cream or Greek yogurt
½ c. diced sweet onion
¼ c. mayonnaise
2 T. honey
1 T. chopped fresh parsley or 1 t. dried
2 t. oregano
1 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. dried minced garlic
½ t. paprika
dash hot pepper sauce
salt to taste
Crusty breads and smoked sausage
Bake squash, cut side down in a shallow baking dish with ½ -inch of water in pan. Bake at 350-degree for 45 minutes, or until squash is tender. Cool enough to handle and spoon out pulp. Mash until smooth. Add all ingredients, except bread and meat and stir until blended. Heat before serving. Serve with breads and sausage (heated). Makes about 4 cups.
Cheesy Pumpkin Dip
This is a pretty way to serve dips this time of year. The dip bakes inside the pumpkin- and the pumpkin bakes, too. It is served hot. Fun for Halloween, Thanksgiving, watching football games or just movie night with the family.
It really is simple and could be filled with any number of combinations of cheesy goodness. I have included the recipe I used in the picture. I also included my recipe for Spinach and Artichoke Dip, to give you another option.
You could also add a hot cheese sauce and serve like fondue, with long forks and pieces of bread.
You get a pie pumpkin, about 2-3 lbs. Cut off the top to make a lid and scoop out the seeds, like you would if you were making a Jack-o-Lantern. Wipe off the outside and then just fill it up with the dip mixture. Put the lid back on, bake for an hour, and you are good to go. The fun part is scraping some of the cooked pumpkin in with the cheese dip. More detailed directions follow.
So here is the recipe for making the cheesy filled pumpkin. I think it is simple enough to serve anytime, not just on a holiday. Enjoy!!
“Pumpkin” Cheese Dip
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off top of pumpkin. Cut in at an angle, so top will fit like a lid and not fall in. Set top aside. Scoop out seeds and clean out any stringy bits*. Set pumpkin on a baking sheet. Combine cheese filling of your choice and place inside the pumpkin. Place the top of the pumpkin back on the pumpkin, and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour. Remove pumpkin and place on heat proof dish. I used a glass pie plate. Remove lid. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Smoky Cheese Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ c. sour cream
¼ c. mayo
¼ c. chopped parsley
½ t. each cumin and smoked paprika
Pinch of nutmeg
½ c. hulled pumpkin seeds
In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients, except the seeds. Place this mixture in the pumpkin when ready to bake. Don’t add the pumpkin seeds until right before serving. Stir them in a little, if you like.
Another nice choice…….
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
1 (12-14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. diced onion
¼ c. Italian dressing
Dash of hot sauce
In medium bowl, combine dip ingredients, stirring to combine. Place in pumpkin when ready to bake.
* You can rinse off the seeds, lightly salt them and toast them, if you like. Then serve with the pumpkin dip. If you aren’t interested in eating them- please put them outside for the birds to eat.
Appetizer Mini Meat Muffins
These muffins came about after a friend asked me if I could make a meat muffin. Something savory, rather than sweet. I had already made corn muffins that weren’t sweet, so it wasn’t a stretch to make other muffins that were also savory.
As I was playing around with the recipe I had some of my students try them in a recent cooking class. Everyone liked them. One woman suggested serving them with marinara sauce for dipping. I love that idea. I always wanted some sort of sauce to dip them in.
A nice bonus about these muffins is that they contain a fair amount of veggies. I declined to call them veggie muffins, though. I think calling them meat muffins or pizza muffins will get a few more people to try them. You can easily change up the seasonings, too. Maybe curry powder or even adding some fresh herbs. You can also use breakfast sausage. I used Italian sausage.
I did some looking around online and found several recipes that interested me. The recipe I ended up with is a combination of a couple of those recipes with some extras of my own. I hope you will give them a try. They freeze well, too. So you can make a batch, freeze them, and just take out at needed.
So here is the recipe.
Mini Meat Muffins – Pizza Version
3 eggs
¼ c. oil
1 c. milk
1 c. minced fresh broccoli, I pulsed in a food processor
½ c. grated carrot
½ c. minced green onion or shredded zucchini – either works
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. cooked, minced sausage- I used Italian sausage
¼ c. chopped pepperoni
1-2 T. pizza seasoning
1 T. tomato paste – I used 2 t. of tomato powder, but tomato paste is easier to find
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1½ c. flour: all purpose, spelt or whole wheat
extra cheese and pepperoni, if desired
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 48 mini muffin tins. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Stir in cheese, sausage, pepperoni, pizza seasoning and tomato paste. Stir in remaining ingredients and use a cookie scoop to put batter in the prepared pans. Fill them pretty full, as they don’t rise much. You can top with a little more cheese or pepperoni, if you like. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until muffins spring back when pressed lightly in the middle. Serve warm or cold. Makes about 48.
