White Clam Sauce: Now With Mushrooms!

We've long been fans of linguine with clam sauce (both white and red).  It tastes rather sophisticated and comes together very quickly which earns it a place as a dinnertime standby.  This time I decided to find out what it might be like to add fresh mushrooms to the sauce, since I had a lot of them that needed someplace to go. I figured clams and mushrooms both like the same things - wine, garlic, pasta, butter.  And in case you're wondering how it was...

We may very well NEVER go back.

The mushrooms added considerable depth and earthiness to the dish.  Traditional? Maybe not, but it sure was awesome!

1 lb. linquine, cooked (reserve a cup or two of the pasta water)

8-12 oz. cremini mushrooms, halved if large and sliced

2 cans baby clams

1-2 tablespoons minced garlic (go for broke here)

1-2 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 to 1/3 cup white wine

juice of 1/2 lemon

In a large, deep skillet, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms and let sit undisturbed for a few minutes, until they release their liquid.  Add garlic and stir gently until mushrooms begin to soften.  Add the wine to the pan and reduce heat, simmering gently until most of it has cooked off.  Add clams with their juice, butter, salt, pepper and lemon juice.   Simmer until liquid has reduced by about half.  Add reserved pasta water until it's as saucy as you like it.  Toss with hot linquine and serve with grated Parmesan and crushed red peppers.  Go back for seconds.

Slow Cooker Peach Glazed Chicken

Another easy and delicious dinner.  This came together from things I had on hand, and turned out even better than I expected.  We decided right away that it's a keeper.

3-4 large boneless chicken breasts, boneless thighs or bone-in serving pieces

3/4 cup peach jam

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger (or ginger paste from a jar)

1-2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon five spice powder (optional)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed chile flakes (optional)

Place chicken pieces in a slow cooker (it's fine if they're still frozen).  Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Pour glaze mixture over chicken and cook for 4 to 6 hours on low. Serve over steamed rice and top with extra sauce.  

Note:  I turned the chicken pieces a couple of times during cooking to make sure both sides got well coated with the glaze, but I don't think that was entirely necessary.

Variation - Spicy Orange Chicken:  substitute orange marmalade for the peach jam and omit the ginger.  Add chile flakes and a bit more garlic.

Goat Cheese & Tomatoes on Rustic bread

 

Last summer I became addicted to these, I seriously ate them almost every day for lunch. So simple, but SO good.   I'm 32 weeks pregnant and on bed rest so right now simple is how things have been in the kitchen.  Although I can't get tomatoes nearly as good as the ones I was getting at the farmer's market over the summer this still makes a delicious, fast lunch.

Here's what you need:

Rustic bread (I used sourdough)

Tomatoes

Goat cheese

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Thyme

Garlic

Drizzle olive oil on bread and toast in skillet, rub garlic on toast and then spread with the goat cheese.  Top with tomatoes, salt, pepper and thyme. 

Perfect Crock Pot Roast

The epitome of "turn it on and walk away" cooking.  Does it get any easier?

Place a chuck roast (mine was about three pounds) into your slow cooker.  Top with a few cloves of minced garlic, one small sliced onion and a bay leaf.  Salt and pepper the roast well.  Add a cup of red wine and two cups of beef stock.  Cook on low until meat is falling apart  - about 8-12 hours. 

I recommend some gravy and a potato gratin to go with this.  Be sure to have bread or rolls on hand for the following day's open-faced sandwiches!

Arugula Lemon Pasta

Here's a nice meal we made last night with a big bag of arugula from our CSA share.  You could use spinach in its place, but the arugula gives it a nice peppery punch.  

Wash and roughly chop two bunches of arugula, removing any thick stems.  Mince three very large garlic cloves and zest and juice a lemon.  Boil one pound of long pasta in salted water until done.  Drain and set aside, reserving a cup or so of the cooking water.

Into the empty pasta pot, add a long pour of olive oil and a couple tablespoons of butter.  Place over medium-low heat and saute the garlic until it just begins to brown.  Add the arugula and stir, letting it cook down.  Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as the lemon zest and juice.  Once the arugula is cooked to your liking, add the pasta back to the pot along with a good handful of grated Parmesan.  Toss everything well and add some of the pasta water if it seems dry. 

Serve with extra grated Parmesan and chile flakes.

Goat Cheese Appetizer

Here's one thing I plan on making for our Christmas get together.  Super simple and it sounds really yummy to me....plus it's Christmas colors :)

 

 

Goat Cheese Log with Pistachios and Cranberries

1 8-ounce log goat cheese
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled
1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

sliced baguette or crackers for serving

In a small pan over medium-high heat, toast the pistachios until fragrant; about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool.

Combine the pistachios and cranberries in a plate and roll the goat cheese log in the mixture until completely coated. Place on a serving dish and sprinkle the remaining pistachio/cranberry mixture around the log. Allow to sit out at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving so the cheese will soften nicely and become more spreadable. Serves approximately 6-8.

Recipe Source: Real Simple

Mini Ham and Cheese Rolls

I'm thinking these might be good for Christmas.  Has anyone tried them?