Pasta with Red Clam Sauce

After a few days break while my husband took over cooking duties in order for me to recover from the flu, I was back in the cooking saddle tonight.  Fortunately, this dish seems really fancy, but comes together very quickly.  The key is finding good clams.  My local fishmonger just got a shipment of fresh clams in today, plus I always trust his stuff, but if you are shopping for clams, look for shells that are closed tight (or that close tightly if you tap on them gently).  If you have any clams with broken shells or shells that won't close, discard those.  Store your clams in the refrigerator in an open bag to allow the clams to breathe and don't store them for more than a few hours before cooking them.  When you are ready to cook your clams, place them in a large bowl, fill the bowl with cool water, swirl and drain.  Repeat this procedure a few times to help remove any sand that might be on your clams.  It's not pleasant to have sand in your nice, tasty clam sauce.  Clams are simple, delicious, elegant and cook in less than 5 minutes, perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Pasta with Red Clam Sauce by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

2 Tbls. olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 lbs. clams, rinsed and sorted according to above directions

1 1/2 c. white wine

1 28oz. can chopped tomatoes, with juices

1 c. chicken stock

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

black pepper, to taste

pasta noodles of your choice

Directions:

1.  In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion until the onion is translucent and starting to brown.

2.  Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and cook for an additional minute until garlic is fragrant.  

3.  Add the white wine and scrape up any bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.  Bring the wine to a boil.  Add the clams and cover the pot.  Steam the clams with the lid closed for 5 minutes.

4.  After 5 minutes, remove the clams to a bowl using a slotted spoon.  Discard any unopened clams.

5.  To the wine and onion mixture, add the chopped tomatoes, stock, oregano, basil and the pepper.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat.  Boil gently, uncovered for 20 minutes to reduce the sauce a little.

6.  Cook your pasta according to package directions.  When cooked, drain and add noodles back to the pot they were boiled in.

7.  Add a few ladles of sauce to the linguine and to the other half of the sauce add back in the clams.  Cook the clams in the sauce for a few minutes to warm back through.

8.  To plate:  Serve a portion of pasta into a bowl, then top with clam sauce.  Serve with a crusty bread to mop up the juices as well as an empty bowl to place shells into.

Pastitsio (it's all Greek to me!)

I was very excited this week to receive another stamp on my culinary passport by making a Greek dish called Pastitsio.  Greek food and I seem to have a love/hate relationship.  It is not Greek food's fault, it's mine.  First, there was the incident sixteen years ago where I happened to get the flu a few hours after eating Greek food.  I'm sure it was totally coincidental, but it was so strongly linked in my mind for so long, that I have only been able to stomach the THOUGHT of Greek food for the past six years or so.  Then, there was moussaka incident...

Six years ago, when I was a relatively new cook and a brand-new stay-at-home mom (a few weeks before my first was born), I decided to be a very domestic wife and make my husband moussaka.  The recipe I had called for ground lamb and, being new to the area and a new cook, I didn't know if ground lamb was even something that one could purchase.  I bought 3 lbs. of lamb chops from my local supermarket and proceeded for the next two hours to feed them through an ancient, hand cranked, meat grinder that had once belonged to my husband's grandmother.  The moussaka was fabulous, but it took me about 5 hours to make from start to finish, another bad experience associated with Greek food.

Imagine my delight (and what can only be described as frustration?) last week, when I noticed that my local butcher carries ground lamb in his freezer section!  I had to pick up a few pounds as a tribute to my past-self grinding that meat by hand so many years ago.  Kalofagas had made a delicious looking Pastitsio a few weeks ago, and I had to try my hand at it, especially since he is judging, Tony Tahhan's Taste of the Mediterranean: Greek Pastitsio event.  Now Peter, I know you may be reading this and shaking your head at my interpretation of this recipe, but you have converted me to the beauty of Greek cuisine single-handedly, and for that, I thank you.

All of the recipes for Pastitsio I was finding used ground beef, but I really wanted to incorporate the ground lamb that I found.  What I ended up creating was elegant and delicious and yet so homey and filling.  I served it with a crisp white wine.  I did indeed enjoy my evening in Greece.

Pastitsio by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

1 quart of 1% milk, divided

1/2 lb. butter (2 sticks), cut into 8 pieces each

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 Tbls. tapioca starch (may be called tapioca flour, cornstarch may be substituted)

10 eggs

1/4 c. olive oil

2 lbs. ground lamb

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbls. tomato paste

3 Roma tomatoes, chopped

2 Bay leaves

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. rosemary

1 Tbls. fresh basil, minced

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. oregano

16 oz. penne rigate noodles

1 lb. grated Romano cheese

1 Tbls. chopped parsely, to finish

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  Cook pasta until al dente, drain and set aside.

3.  Meanwhile, heat 3 1/2 cups milk and the butter over medium heat until almost boiling.  Mix together the other 1/2 cup milk with the flour and tapioca starch and slowly add to the hot milk mixture.  Whisk constantly until mixture resembles thickened pudding.  It should take about 5 minutes.  Set this mixture aside to cool while you make the meat sauce.

4.  Over medium-high heat, heat a separate large pot.  Add the olive oil and saute the onions until they are starting to soften.  Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant.  Add the ground lamb and cook, breaking up large chunks with a spoon, until browned.  Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, rosemary, basil, nutmeg, coriander, cloves, and oregano to the pan along with the tomatoes and tomato paste.  Simmer for a few minutes until the meat is cooked through.

5.  Drain the meat and remove the bay leaves.  Set the meat mixture aside.

6.  By now, your milk mixture will be slightly cooled.  In a large bowl, crack all 10 eggs and whisk to break up the yolks.  Take a ladle-full of the hot milk mixture and SLOWLY pour into the eggs WHILE whisking the eggs vigorously.  Repeat with a second and third ladle-full, whisking the eggs continuously as you SLOWLY pour in the hot milk.  Now, take the egg mixture and slowly pour the whole thing into the rest of the hot milk mixture.  This is your bechamel sauce.

7.  You are now ready to start assembling your Pastitsio!

8.  Butter a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and place on top of a cookie pan.  Layer 1/2 of the cooked pasta on the bottom of the dish.  Cover this with 1/2 of the meat mixture.  Next, sprinkle 1/3 of the shredded Romano cheese on top.  Repeat these steps one more time by layering the rest of the noodles, the rest of the meat mixture and another 1/3 of the grated cheese.

9.  Pour 3/4 of the bechamel sauce on top of your Pastitsio.  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the remaining cheese. 

10.  Bake the Pastitsio for 5 minutes and remove from the oven.  Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.  Add the remaining bechamel sauce and the rest of the grated cheese to the top of the Pastitsio.  Place the Pastitsio in the oven and bake for an additional 45 minutes.

11.  Let the Pastitsio cool for about 5-10 minutes before slicing into squares.  Sprinkle chopped parsley over each serving.

 

Mac, Cheese, and the Laundromat

Cats are finicky creatures.  Have you ever done something stupid like save a few dollars buying a different brand of cat litter, only to end up having your cat pee all over your bed?  Yeah, that was me cursing my stupidity as I recently bundled myself and my comforter down to the Laundromat.  I brought my new Christmas present along with me, a copy of Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook, and a notepad in order to make my grocery list.  During the wash cycle, I was busy setting the week's menu and making my list, and when I popped the comforter in the dryer, I knew I had just enough time to make it to the grocery store and back before it was done.  Did I end up saving money with the new cat litter?  Unfortunately, I think by the time the laundry was done, I finished $10.00 in the hole.  Why must I learn the hard way?  The good news is that now our cat is finally using the litter box again, and I made a yummy macaroni and cheese with tomatoes inspired by my trip to the laundromat.  Nice kitty...

Macaroni and Cheese inspired by Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook

Ingredients:

Salt

Vegetable oil

1 lb. elbow macaroni

1 qt. 1% milk

8 Tbls. (one stick--that's right baby) unsalted butter, divided into 8 pieces

1/2 c. all purpose flour

6 c. grated cheese (I mixed 2 c. mozzarella, 2 c. medium cheddar, and 2 c. Swiss)

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

four small Roma tomatoes, sliced

1 1/2 c. white bread crumbs

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees

2.  Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, drizzle in a little vegetable oil, and add your macaroni.  Cook until al dente (about 6 minutes).  Drain and set aside.

3.  Meanwhile, heat the milk in a saucepan but do not boil it.  Melt 8 Tbls. butter in a large pot and add the flour.  Cook over low heat for 2 minutes stirring continuously with a whisk.  While whisking, add the hot milk a little at a time, whisking well between each addition.

4.  Off of the heat, add the grated cheeses, 1 Tbls. salt, the pepper, and the nutmeg.  Stir gently, wait 2 minutes and stir gently again.   Add the hot, cooked macaroni and stir well.  Pour mixture into a 3 quart baking dish.

5.  Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top of the dish.  Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.

Vegetable Beef Soup

When I was in college, I used to attend a weekly soup supper put on by the Lutheran/Episcopal campus group.  It was a chance to get away from campus for a little while, commune with other like minded students, and enjoy a warm bowl of something wonderful.  When I read about Souper Sundays, a weekly soup round up hosted by Deb over at Kahakai Kitchen, I got the same feeling that those weekly soup suppers used to bring me.  This soup, although admittedly not one of my best, is my attempt to share a bowl of soup with those other lovely cooks.  I say it's not my best soup because although it tastes lovely and homey, the alphabet pasta keeps sucking up all of the liquid.  I added more stock to the leftovers and the next day it had been absorbed into the pasta again.  This makes it more of a pasta dish rather than a soup, but you'll still enjoy it.

Vegetable Beef Soup by Joie de vivre

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. stew meat

2 lbs. potatoes, chopped

1 tsp. salt

3 carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 15oz. cans "chili ready" chopped tomatoes

1 (1 lb.) can whole-kernel corn, drained

7 oz. package alphabet pasta

1 qt. chicken or beef stock

Directions:

1.  Place beef, potatoes, salt, carrots, celery, tomatoes and stock into the insert of a slow cooker. 

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7 1/2  hours or on high for 3 1/2 hours.

3.  Stir in pasta and corn and re-cover.  Cook on high for 30 minutes.

4.  Adjust the seasonings to taste. 

Pasta Puttanesca

Thursday, I was exhausted.  I've been watching the BBC show How clean is your house and have gotten a bee in my bonnet to clean the house.  Not that my house is anywhere, ANYWHERE close to the hovels that those people live in, but vigilance is key in the war on dirt so I've been cleaning.  Normal things like bathrooms, dusting, etc. but also above the top things like dusting my walls, scrubbing my baseboards and organizing my CD collection.  By Thursday, the decision of what to make for dinner was almost more than I could bear and I started fantasizing about The Olive Garden.  But what I really wanted wasn't necessarily Olive Garden, but some homey pasta.  I remembered I had a tin of anchovies in my pantry and also remembered eating a yummy dish called Pasta Puttanesca in Italy (which uses anchovies), which lead to thinking about foccacia and voila...now you know how my thought process works.

Pasta Puttanesca is translated from Italian into "whore's pasta".  No one really knows for sure how it got it's name, but the common belief is that brothels would offer a cheap dinner of pasta puttanesca to lure customers in.  Sounds good to me.  My favorite explanation from wikipedia is pasta puttanesca is basically pasta with tomato sauce which has been "tarted up".  However it got its name, it is a tasty, tasty dish that smells divine and is also easy.  I served it with an easy foccacia made in my bread machine to sop up all of the yummy sauce.  I was so enthusiastic about this dish and how it smelled and tasted, that when I was describing it to my pregnant sister, it sent her into craving mode and she made it the next day.  Enjoy!

Pasta Puttanesca by Joie de vivre

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tin of anchovies (2 oz)

3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 Tbs. capers

1 14.5 oz. can chopped tomatoes

2-14.5 oz. can tomato sauce

4 Tbs. olive tapenade or about 20 oil-cured black olives, chopped

1 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and contents of anchovy tin (oil and all).  Stir anchovies over heat until they dissolve into oil.  Add olive tapenade, red pepper flakes, capers, tomatoes and tomato sauce with a little bit of black pepper.  Bring sauce to a gentle boil and simmer for 8 - 10 minutes.

Thyme Focaccia adapted from Betty Crocker's Bread Machine Cookbook

Layer in order listed in your bread machine pan:

3/4 cup water

2 Tbs. olive or vegetable oil

2 cups bread or all purpose flour

1 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Set machine to dough setting (Should take about 1 1/2 hours).  Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a cookie sheet or pizza pan and pat dough into a 12 inch circle on pizza pan.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.  Make deep depressions in dough at 1 inch intervals all over dough with finger or the handle of a wooden spoon.  Drizzle with 3 Tbs. olive oil.  Sprinkle with fresh thyme (or rosemary as original recipe suggests) and some coarsely ground black pepper.  Bake 15 - 18 minutes or until edge is golden.  Cut into wedges and serve warm.