Linguini with Grilled Corn, Portuguese Sausage, and Clams

 

After two days spent in Fall River, MA (one business, one pleasure, and if you've never been to the Lizzy Border Museum I highly recommend it), we stopped in New Bedford for an early dinner.  This pasta is based on the dish I had that day, and it's like summer in a bowl.  Linguini with fresh tomatoes, grilled corn, spicy Portuguese sausage, and clams, in a garlicky lemon broth.  If you don't have time to grill the clams, you can use high-quality canned--just drain and rinse them well, it will still be delicious  :)

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serves 2

(WHAT YOU WILL NEED)

10 littleneck clams, scrubbed 

1 small shallot, chopped fine

1 link portuguese sausage (linguica or chourico) - I use chourico for it's spice.  Slice lengthwise for grilling

1/2 pound linguini

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

2 ears corn, grilled and kernals cut off the cob

fresh basil, chiffonade

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1/2 lemon

chicken broth

white wine

1 tablespoon butter

olive oil

2 small pinches smoked paprika

optional:  grilled bread

Grill the clams, corn, and sausage (I use a charcoal grill).

When done, I take the clams inside and chop them, cut the corn off the cob, and slice the sausage across into half-moons.  

If you're a whole belly clam lover, go ahead and leave them like this and add them to your bowl in the shell, before you pour the sauce over them

Cook pasta.  While it's cooking, make the sauce:

Drizzle olive oil in the pan and add butter, heat over medium/med-high heat.  Saute shallot until soft and a little brown, then add garlic and soften.  Do not let it burn.  Add sausage, chopped clams, and tomatoes.  Splash some chicken broth and white wine into the pan and swirl all, letting it bubble nicely so the flavors come together--add pinches of salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Add cooked pasta to the pan.  Mix all and place in a bowl, squeeze fresh lemon over the top and sprinkle with basil.

Chicken Satays with Thai Peanut Sauce

Memorial Day weekend is upon us.  If you're having guests over, fire up the grill.  This way, the food is done and you can set it out for people to eat as they please.  So super easy.  That frees you up for the fun stuff like lawn games, catching up with friends, and frosty drinks in the cooler.  Yippee, summer's here!!

 WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Each chicken breast makes 3 satays, and I usually plan on 2-3 per person, so buy as many chicken breasts as you will need to feed your friends

your favorite store-bought thai peanut sauce (mine is in the international aisle at the grocery store)

salt/pepper/lemon pepper/garlic powder

1 lemon, sliced in half

dry roasted, salted peanuts

olive oil

12-inch wooden skewers

NOTE:  Serve with chilled vegetables and some hummus or tzatziki, to take the heat off the peanut sauce.  I like radishes, carrots, red bell pepper, and cucumber but use your favorites

This is my favorite peanut sauce, spiiicccyyyy...

Soak skewers in water for a few minutes so they don't catch on fire on the grill

Slice chicken breasts lengthwise into threes and insert the skewers.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the spices.  

Grill chicken until done and remove to platter.

Also grill the lemon, cut side down, and squeeze onto the skewers while the chicken is still hot so the juice soaks in.

Chop a handful of peanuts.  Place sauce in a bowl and sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top.

Serve with fresh vegetables on the side

White Lasagna

This is so nice for a Spring luncheon.  Asparagus, mushrooms, and shredded chicken covered in a light parmesan cream sauce has your mother's name written all over it this Sunday.  Paired with a fresh arugula salad and some bubbly prosecco, you have the beginnings of a wonderful Mothers Day.  OR, you can just make it for yourself and enjoy a relaxing weekend at home.  Heaven :)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1/3 cup flour

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup whole milk

8 ounce canned mushrooms, drained*

3 small (or 2 large) boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked & shredded

8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 pound fresh asparagus, cut into thirds

8 ounces lasagna noodles, cooked (or pasta sheets found in the refrig section, such as Rana)

1/4 cup butter

2 - 14.5 ounce cans chicken broth

1 cup parmesan cheese (the green can is fine for this) 

salt/pepper

* I know you're saying "Christine, do I need to use canned mushrooms?"  YES--fresh mushrooms are like little sponges and I made the mistake of using them the first time I made this.  They soaked up all the sauce and all I was left with was naked, dry lasagna. Yuck.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour, stirring for a few minutes to cook the floury taste away.  Add garlic, chicken broth, and milk.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook and stir on medium/low heat until bubbly.  Next, stir in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and mushrooms.  

In 9x13 baking pan, place a layer of cooked noodles.  On top of them, add asparagus, shredded chicken, mozzarella, and 1/3 of the sauce.  Add remaining noodles and the rest of the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the other 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

Crockpot Ham & Navy Bean Soup

Make this soup before the heat of summer arrives down south, and it's still cool up north.  Don't worry if you don't have a leftover ham bone--use a ham hock or diced ham steak from your grocery store, it will still be delicious.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

leftover ham bone from the freezer, thawed

16 ounces dried Navy or Great Northern beans (no need to soak)

64 ounces (8 cups) chicken broth

2 or 3 large carrots, chopped in bite-size pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped in bite-size pieces

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1/3 bay leaf

salt/pepper/garlic powder (maybe a 1/4 tsp of each)

1  14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

optional:  small diced yellow onion (I don't always add this because sometimes it can make the soup a little sweet)

crockpot

Place ham bone in the crockpot, then the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on low for approx 6 hours.  Vegetables should be tender and ham should be falling off the bone.  If not, let it cook a half hour longer.

Remove the bone (or ham hock) and take all the ham off, chopping into bite-size pieces.  Place ham back into soup and stir, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 1/2 hour more.

Margherita Pizza

                             

Margherita Pizza is light and easy and perfect for week nights.  You can make it when you get home from work in 10 minutes and pop it in the oven for maybe 14.  Homemade pizza with fresh ingredients in half an hour—better make two! 

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(WHAT YOU WILL NEED)

I'll tell you how to make 1 pizza and then you can make as many as you'd like. I like to finish them on top of a gas grill--the crust gets charred and extra crunchy and the direct heat makes the cheese extra melty :)

1 packaged pizza crust (I use Boboli thin crust)
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced 

high-quality marinara sauce 
fresh baby arugula
1 handful fresh basil, torn
course salt/cracked pepper/garlic powder
olive oil
optional:  balsamic glaze

optional:  thinly sliced Roma tomato
optional:  propane grill

Preheat oven temperature according to directions on pizza crust package.
Heat grill if using

Drizzle olive oil lightly over crust and rub around with your hand to cover entire surface. Smooth some marinara with a spoon, thinly over the top of the crust.  Sprinkle all with garlic powder.  Add mozzarella to top of pizza--not too close to the edge or it will drip off.
Note:  if you liked the way the tomatoes looked at the store and you bought one, slice it thinly and place on top of the pizza.

Bake according to crust directions.  Take out of oven and IF USING GRILL (and I suggest you do), place on the grill now for approx. 3-4 minutes (watch it, or it will burn) to char the bottom. 
When done,  immediately sprinkle basil over the pizza and drop 1 or 2 handfuls of arugula over the top while hot so that the lettuce wilts a little.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cut into eighths, and eat eat eat

Optional:  If you're feeling crazy (and I know you, you are!), it's really good when you drizzle just a little balsamic glaze over the top.  I do this by the piece so it doesn't melt away.

(first published Aug 2017)

Roasted Garlic & Crostini

 

Such a great pre-dinner starter.  I time it so that it's still in the oven when my guests arrive and done about 10 minutes later.  This way your house smells amazing when they get there and you're taking it out of the oven just as everyone's got their drinks. Plus it cooks itself which frees you up for dinner preparation.  It's all in the planning :)

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(WHAT YOU WILL NEED)

1 baguette

2 heads garlic

fresh thyme

olive oil

sea salt/cracked pepper

aluminum foil

About an hour before you want to eat it:  place garlic heads on large piece of foil. Cut the tops off, drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper, place a few thyme sprigs on top, and wrap in foil, making a packet.  Roast in 350 degree oven for one hour.  Remove from oven but do not unwrap.

Slice baguette into rounds, drizzle with olive oil, place in 350 degree oven for 5-8 min.  Remove from oven.

Unwrap garlic...

squeeze a few cloves onto a piece of bread.  Salt and pepper as needed.

Aperol Spritz

The Summer weather will stick around for a few more weeks, but the feeling won't.  Labor Day is the last weekend of carefree Summer before the hectic days of Fall begin.  Before long, the grill gets covered and the crockpot comes out, and your bubbly prosecco drinks turn into bourbon manhattans.  Hold on to the season a little bit longer with a long weekend of aperol spritzes.  They do contain prosecco, which explains why it's impossible not to smile while drinking them.  And that smile is all the thanks I need :)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

aperol

prosecco or brut champagne

club soda

orange slices

Fill a wine glass with ice, then add aperol one-third of the way up the glass, then prosecco, and top with a splash of club soda.  Stir to mix.  Squeeze your orange slice a little and add it to the glass.  Then drink...smile...drink...smile some more...