Linguine with Red Clam Sauce

1 6 oz can of clams (next time I may throw a second can in)
2 tbsp EVOO
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 28 oz can of plum tomatoes, undrained
salt and black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp oregano
1/2 lb whole wheat linguine
1/2 tbsp butter
**freshly grated asiago cheese and freshly chopped parsley to top pasta

Bring a pot of salted water to boil for cooking the pasta.  Drain the clams, reserving the liquid.  Heat the EVOO in a large skillet.  Add garlic and saute until tender.  Place tomatoes n a large bowl and using a fork, squeeze the pulp from the tomatoes and mash the tomatoes slightly.  Add to the skillet and simmer on medium high heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.  Add salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes.  Stir well.  Add clams and enough of the clam liquid to make the sauce slightly pink.  Continue to cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.  Stir often.  Remove from heat.  Cook pasta to al dente, drain, and toss with the butter.  Toss pasta with clam sauce.  Top each serving with cheese and parsley.  Serve with a salad for a dinner for 2.

Comments? Feedback?

I know people have looked at various recipes on here-anyone try any?  Anyone try any and like what they made?  Anyone try any and hate what they made?

Chicken Pesto Pita Flatbreads

Eric:  If I ever get to go to Italy, I bet I wouldn't find something as good as this :)
I think he just wants me to keep feeding him....

4 wheat pitas (see Wheat Pita Dough recipe)
1/2 c basil pesto sauce (I used Betrolli's-it comes in an 8 oz jar-pesto sauce from scratch will have to be another day haha)
2 c cooked chicken, shredded
1 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
1/3 c  ricotta cheese
1/4 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
5 oz spinach, coarsely torn
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tbsp EVOO

Preheat oven to 450 F.  In large pan heat EVOO on medium heat.  Add garlic and let cook for 2 minutes.  Slowly add in spinach, stirring until all wilted down.  Remove from heat, set aside.  Place pitas on cookie sheet lined with foil (lightly spray foil with non stick spray).  Spread pesto sauce evenly onto each pita.  Top with shredded chicken, tomatoes, and mozzarella.  Dollop ricotta cheese onto each pita.  Place wilted garlic spinach onto each and top each with shredded parmesan cheese.  Bake 6-8 minutes until cheeses start to melt.  Be careful not to burn!!

Wheat Pita Dough

2 1/2 c warm water (110 F)
1 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 tbsp honey
2 c wheat flour
3 c white all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp veg oil or vegetable oil non stick spray
extra white flour as needed

Dissolve yeast in small bowl in warm water.  Add honey and let sit 10-15 minutes until slightly frothy.  Combine flours and salt in a large metal bowl.  Make a depression in the center of the flours and slowly add yeast water.  Stir with a wooden spoon until elastic and sticky.  Place on a well floured surface and with floured hands knead 10-15 minutes until no longer sticky.  Coat a large bowl with either 1 tsp of vegetable oil or with non stick spray.  Allow to sit covered for 3 hrs-will come close to doubling in size.  Separate into 10-12 balls.  Preheat oven to 500 F and place rack at lowest setting.  Roll each ball on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin until 5-6 inches in diameter  and about 1/4 inch thickness.  Bake 2 per cookie sheet at a time for 4 minutes until starts to puff and then flip and bake for another 2 minutes.  Remove, cool on a cooling rack while the next 2 cook.  May be stored in a plastic zip lock bag for up to a week in a bread box or refrigerator.  Also can be stored in a freezer bag in the freezer for a month.

Cajun Chicken Pasta Bake

1/2 to 3/4 16 oz package of rotini or ziti noodles
1/2 lb of Andouille sausage, removed from casing
1/2 to 3/4 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
2 tsps of Cajun seasoning
1 tsp of sage
2-4 tbsp of finely chopped onions (depending on your taste)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 bell pepper (any color) chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jar of Alfredo sauce (I used Ragu Light Parmesan Alfredo)
3/4 c of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c of cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 to 1/2 c of half and half


Preheat 350. Cook pasta to al dente. In large skillet, combine sausage, chicken, Cajun seasoning, and sage. Break up sausage as you would when cooking ground beef. Cook meat until chicken is no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the juices in pan. Saute onion, pepper, celery, garlic until tender in same pan-adding EVOO sparingly if needed. Remove from heat, drain grease, and add meat mixture, Alfredo sauce and cheddar cheese. Mix well. Add cooked pasta-mix well. Lightly grease an 8x8 pan or a 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Pour half and half over top-using more for a creamier texture. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 35 mins. Place under a high broiler until top starts to brown.

Warm Cheesy Crab Dip

***I took a picture but it was after people had already starting digging in and it did this appetizer zero justice hence the no photo post***

2 6oz cans of crab meat, drained, flaked
2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sour cream
1 to 1 1/2 (total) cups of the following shredded cheeses (in whatever combo you prefer): mozzarella, asiago, parmesan-more or less depending on your personal preference
1 tsp basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp McCormick Perfect Pinch Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper
1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine all ingredients and place in either an 8 x 8 pan or 1 1/2 quart baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes. 

Serve with whatever you like-here is what I have used: Triscuits (Parmesan or Roasted Tomato), Nonni Italian Toast, Garlic & Herb Pretzel crackers, or I buy 2 Italian long loaves and slice bread in 1/4" slices, place on a pan, drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with basil and garlic and bake in oven at 250 for 15-20 minutes.

Sloppy Joe Pizza

FYI:  More of a fork and knife pizza then a pick up a slice and eat pizza.  Very heavy!


1 3/4 to 2 c all purpose flour
1 envelope Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 c very warm water
1 tbsp EVOO
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1 14oz can of petite diced tomatoes
3/4 to 1 c marinara sauce
1 c bacon, chopped **optional (I just had some so I threw it in)
1/2 c parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded

Combine 1 c flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.  Add very warm water and oil; mix well until well blended about 1 minute.  Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky.  Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.  Cover and let rest.
Preheat oven to 450.  In large pan, cook grounded beef, onion, garlic and carrots until beef is browned.  Drain fat, stir in chili powder, cook one minute.  Add tomatoes and bring to boiling.  Reduce heat to simmer and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Grease a 12 inch pizza pan and roll dough out to fit pan, folding dough over slightly along edges to make a crust.  Prick dough all over with a fork and bake for 8 minutes.  Reduce heat on oven to 375 after pulling pizza dough out.  Top pizza with marinara sauce (use more or less depending on personal taste).  Top with meat mixture.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and bake for 8 minutes.  Place under broiler on high for 1 minute or until cheese starts to brown.

Chicken Vegetable Saute

2 c broccoli florets
3 medium carrots, cut into strips lengthwise
1 tbsp EVOO
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 medium red onion, cut into thin strips
1/2 c reduced sodium chicken broth
1 15 oz can of Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp of McCormick Mediterranean seasoning
1 tbsp finely shredded lemon peel
2 cloves of garlic
salt, pepper

Fill a 3 quart pot 2/3 full of water and 1 tsp of salt.  Bring to a boil and add broccoli and carrots.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Drain vegetables and place in cold water to stop the cooking.  Heat the EVOO in a very large skillet over medium high heat.  Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Mediterranean seasoning.  Cook chickenover medium high heat until browned and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally to brown evenly.  Remove from skillet and set aide.  Reduce heat to medium low and add onion and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Increase heat to medium high heat.  Add beans, broth, lemon peel, vegetables and chicken.  Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes until heated through.  Serve with brown rice for a meal for 4.

Loaded Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

3 medium potatoes or 4 small potatoes
3/4 c milk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c cream cheese
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp chives
1/2 c chopped cooked bacon
optional: 2 tbsp bacon bleu cheese compound butter (I made this last week for chicken and had some left over- see Bacon Bleu Cheese Chicken)

Preheat oven to 425.  Thoroughly clean baked potatoes and prick all over with a fork.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40-60 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.  Once cooked, chop into chunks.  Place the potatoes in a large bowl (skins and all).  Add milk.  On medium speed, use hand mixer to blend together.  Add butter, sour cream, and cream cheese (and compound butter if desired) and blend.  Add seasonings, cheese and bacon.  Mix with a spoon.  Spoon into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 15 minutes.

Garlic Lemon Salmon

1/2 lb to 1 lb salmon fillet
3-5 thin slices of lemon
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

Place salmon fillet in a container and pour lemon juice on the fillet.  Season fillet with dill weed, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.  Allow to marintate for 30 mins to 1 hr.  Preheat oven to 425.  Spray a piece of aluminum foil with non stick spray.  Place fillet on the aluminum foil.  Place slices of lemon on fillet and place a second sheet of foil on top and pinch edges together.  Place foil package on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until salmon flakes.

Bacon Bleu Chicken

I've been in a funk with cooking this week and I had left over bacon from something else and left over bleu cheese from the buffalo chicken cheese calzones so I came up with this :) And I know-this picture does this zero justice.  It seriously is absolutely delicious especially if you're a fan of bleu cheese and bacon :) Eric asked if I could not finish my piece so he could...mmmm.

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
6 pieces of bacon, cooked, chopped
4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 oz bleu cheese, crumbled
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray an 8x8 pan and set aside.  Combine butter, bacon, bleu cheese, and garlic in a small bowl.  Use a spatula to combine into a compound butter.  Cut a slit into each chicken breast, making a pocket.  Stuff each chicken breast with compound butter.  Place stuffed chicken into pan.  Top each with a few dabs of compound butter and season with salt and pepper.  There may be some compound butter left-may be frozen or refrigerated for later use OR you may want to add more to the cooked breasts.  Bake chicken for 30-35 minutes until fully cooked.  Serve with salad or steamed vegetables.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, seasoned with salt, pepper & poultry seasoning, cooked and chopped
1 c sliced carrots
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 potato, cubed
1/3 c onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp EVOO
5 tbsp butter
1/3 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 c celery seed
2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c light cream
2 (9 in) unbaked pie crust
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425.  In a pan, heat EVOO and add celery and carrots.  After cooking for a 5 minutes, add garlic and onion.  Cook till onion translucent.  Once cooked, put in large bowl and add cooked, chopped chicken.  In a small pot, boil potatoes for 5-10 minutes till just soft to touch.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.  Slowly add the flour mixture to melted butter.  Slowly whisk in cream and then chicken broth.  Bring to boil, sitrring constantly, and reduce to simmer, cook till thick.

Spray a 9 inch pie plate and place one of pie crusts on the bottom.  Poke with a fork.  Place chicken-veggie mixture and pour hot liquid mixture over.  Cover with second pie crust, sealing edges.  Make several slits or poke wth fork.  Brush with egg.  Place pie on a cookie sheet in case to catch any spill over. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cool for ten minutes.

Chili

We started off with a recipe from a former coworker of Eric's (Thanks Cipolla!! this recipe is the reason I started liking chili in the first place!) for his Italian Style Chili and I just modified it a little to our taste.

1 lb grounded beef
1 lb hot Italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 1/2 c carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp EVOO
1 28oz can of petite diced tomatoes, seasoned preferably
1 14.5 oz of petite diced tomatoes, seasoned preferably
2 small cans of tomato paste
1 15 oz can of kidney beans, drained and washed
1 c tomato juice (more if you'd like the consistency to be less thick)
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp basil
2 tsp parsley
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cayene pepper

In a large pan, cook ground beef and sausage, crumbling each as they cook.  Drain excess fat and add to large crock pot.  Turn crock pot to low heat.  In another large pan, cook celery, carrots, onion, garlic and peppers in the EVOO-cook till tender and onion is translucent.  Drain any excess oil and add to crock pot.  Add diced tomatoes, beans, paste, and tomato juice to crock pot.  Combine ingredients in crock pot well.  Add seasongs and combine well.  Cook on low heat for 4-5 hrs.  Serve with shredded cheese and crusty bread if desired.

Next time I think I'm going to add bite size chunks of potatoes.

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Calzones

Calzone Dough:
1 envelope Pizza Crust Yeast
1 1/2 c flour (more if needed)
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp veg oil
2/3 c very warm water (120-130 F)

Filling:
1 lb boneless, skineless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/2 c preferred buffalo sauce (more if you'd like it saucier)
2 oz bleu cheese crumbles
1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded

1 egg, beaten

Ranch, Bleu Cheese and extra buffalo sauce for dipping :)

Preheat oven 375. Combine 1 c flour, yeast packet, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Add very warm water and oil-mix until well blended. Gradually add remaining flour to make soft dough-should form ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (4 mins). Cover with saran wrap and let rest while preparing the filling.


In a large bowl, combine chicken and buffalo sauce.  Add three cheeses and combine.  Divide dough into four portions. Roll one portion into an 8 in circle on floured surface. Spread 1/4 of ricotta 1/4 of the chicken cheese mixture on bottom half of dough, leaving outer 1/2 inch free of filling. Fold over top half of dough. Press edges to form seal. Repeat with other 3. Make sholes on top of calzones with fork. Transfer to greased cookie sheet carefully and brush with (beaten) egg. Bake 15-20 mins until lightly browned. Serve with dressing and buffalo sauce.
 
Makes 4 calzones.