Cooking with Candi

Veggie Soup with Rotisserie Chicken – Perfect Winter Soup

Posted on January 19, 2015 | 1 comment

Re-blog Monday and soup-season is full on and this one is a meal in itself. For those of you who missed it it’s a delicious nutritious soup to make during these winter months. Perfect for dinner using a rotisserie chicken that you can buy from your favorite supermarket. A lot of good healthy ingredients here. If you don’t have the pesto you can also pick that up in the supermarket. Yum and so very good for you. Cooks up like a combo stew/soup or stoup. Enjoy!

Cooking with Candi

This is a soup, and a little like a stew, and I think Rachael Ray calls it a stoup, because it’s a little bit stew and a little bit soup. I combined a lot of different recipes for this one, and used a lot of ingredients from the pantry as well. I served with a toasted baguette with goat cheese. A perfect ending to a very cold winter’s day. And did I say filling? it is a meal in itself. There are like a million ingredients, but it really did make this soup wonderful. I enjoyed the prep, it’s very therapeutic. Also I find it is very very important to read through a whole recipe before starting to cook, because you don’t want any surprises 1/2 way through and I always set out all of my ingredients before I start cooking, don’t want to be running around looking for an…

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Riley’s Recipe–Milk and Cookies

Posted on January 18, 2015 | 6 comments

My 7 year old grandson Riley texted me the other night that he had a recipe for me to post on CWC. Not much could make me happier than to see him involved in one of my pet projects. He sent me the pictures and the recipes and I’d like to share it with all of you. I love that he got involved enough to send me his special “recipe” and his photos. I am so proud of him I am going to share it with all of you. If your kids feel creative enough to share their recipes with you and get involved in the kitchen even a little bit it can be such a wonderful experience for the whole family.
This one’s for you Riley with much love.

This is what he sent me.

Ingredients and Directions:

Milk (any kind of milk you like )and Chocolate Chip Cookies (any kind you like or have on hand) Pour milk into the bowl, add the cookies and as Riley said, Crunch up the cookies and eat ! Oh and he did add that you can add Oreos and if you really want to get extravagant and decadent M&M’s !

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Red Chili with Turkey or Beef

Posted on January 17, 2015 | Leave a comment

Superbowl time and the food that always comes to mind is chili. I have already posted my white bean chili, which I love but this is a more common version. Chili is not an exact science and you can feel free to make substitutions where you like. Obviously the toppings are optional and at your own discretion. Chili is just so easy to make. It sits on the stove or your slow cooker and when you’re ready to eat it, it’s all done. I like chips or taco shells with this. I love fresh jalapeno on the side chopped up, guacamole, refried beans, etc. If you don’t want beef, make it with turkey instead. I usually make it with turkey but this time out I made it with ground beef because I couldn’t get the turkey. We just landed in Aspen and the small market by the airport only had ground beef so it will have to do. I usually make this one day ahead for a special event. This allows the flavors to all meld together and then I just reheat–couldn’t be easier.

A little trick I learned a while back was to add a little Masa flour. It is usually available in the section with Mexican foods. I stumbled upon it quite by accident, and sneak it in with this recipe. I use about 1/8 a cup of Masa flour to about 1/2 cup very hot water. I add it during the first 1/2 hour and see how it thickens up. I probably use about 2/3 of the flour in the end, and it adds a corn flavor and thickens up the chili. (Directions are below.)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey–If I am using ground turkey I prefer ground dark meat if you can find it. It’s much more flavorful . You can use white meat turkey but try for 85/15. That’s 85% white meat with 15% fat. I just find the O% fat to be very dry. Of course these are all personal choices.

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (12 – 14 oz) tomato sauce, and then about 1 – 2 cans of water

1 can (Ro-tel) diced tomatoes and chilies

1 can (15 oz.)red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1/8 cup masa harina (corn flour) found in the Mexican food section of the supermarket (Mix flour with about 1/2 cup very hot water. It will be quite thick. Drop in by spoonfuls and mix well to incorporate. I probably used 2/3 of the flour mixture. This is optional but ever since I discovered it, I’ve been using it.)

1 can yellow corn (optional, but I always like to add it in. I use a small 8 oz. can)

1 small can (4 oz.) poblano green chilis, cut up or diced (also in Mexican aisle)

1 teaspoon ground oregano (I use Mexican oregano. Use it if you can get it. If not, regular is fine.)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I like the heat. This is optional. You can also take down to 1/4 teaspoon.)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (then you will taste for additional salt. I added 1/4 teaspoon more at the end.)

Grated shredded cheddar or jack cheese for serving

diced red onion and diced fresh jalapeno for serving

Tortilla chips, guacamole, sour cream and salsa for serving

*cilantro for topping (I love cilantro so I chop it up and leave it out for individual garnish.)

Directions:

Place the ground beef or turkey in a large stock pot (Le Creuset) and put in the garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned. Drain off any excess fat. Add in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, and reduce heat to low. I use the 15 oz. can of tomato sauce as a measuring cup and add 1 -2 cups of water (this time out I used 1 1/2 cans of water.) Let simmer for an hour or so, covered, occasionally stirring, and adding water, if necessary.

Place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork. Add masa mixture to the chili and stir together and taste for seasonings. Add more water if needed. Add the beans, corn, and chilis. I usually add salt at this point. Simmer for another 1/2 hour or so covered. It can simmer for a long while, if you so desire. Or, turn off heat, and just heat up 1/2 hour before serving. You should check for thickness. During the last 1/2 hour, I added a bit more water .

Serve with assorted toppings I’ve listed. Cheese, jalapenos, chips, guacamole, salsa, chopped red onions, sour cream and cilantro.

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Posted in chili, meat

Tagged Chili for a crowd, Red chili, Simple Chili, superbowl chili

Kitchen Sink Soup with Hamburger

Posted on January 15, 2015 | 4 comments

I had about a pound of hamburger (ground chuck) which was 80/20(lean) and I had a bunch of awesome veggies so why not? You’ll need some Beef Stock, some tomato paste, some garlic and a few other ingredients and you get this warming wonderful soup for the cold days ahead. I also made awesome little parmesan crisps to serve with soup. It’s hearty enough to eat as a meal and very enjoyable. I love soup as a meal and when it contains protein and vegetables it’s a truly hearty enjoyable meal.

I used orange, red and yellow peppers but green peppers are perfectly fine. I really did use what I had in the house so you should try to do the same. Red Potatoes were perfect because they are thin-skinned and hold their texture and shape well.

Parmesan Crisps are just delicious and pure perfection and all you need is some Parmesan Cheese and I used Silpat but you can use parchment paper which is important in the execution of this recipe. So either Silpat or Parchment.

Ingredients: for Soup

1 – 1 1/2 lbs. of ground chuck, I used the 80/20 mixture because I needed a little of the fat. 90/10 gives you very little fat and since I wasn’t using any other fats I figured it would have better flavor. You can always pour off after browning meat if there is too much fat.

1 small-medium yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes , 28 oz.

4 cups Beef Stock, and you may need to add more liquid but you can use water

1 whole yellow pepper, seeded and diced

1 whole red pepper, seeded and diced

1 whole orange pepper, seeded and diced . Again I used what was in my house you can use any color peppers you like. Green is perfectly suitable and will give it a nice flavor

3 whole carrots, peeled and I sliced on the diagonal

4 whole red potatoes, depending on their size you may only use 3. I used 4 smallish ones. Cut into chunks

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Kosher Salt to taste, I used app. 1 teaspoon at the beginning and added as needed

Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste as well, I started out with app. 1/2 teaspoon and added more as needed

1/2 teaspoon ground oregano

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, more to individual taste

Directions:

In a large Dutch Oven kind of pot ( Le Creuset once again) over medium-high heat, brown up the meat along with the onion, celery, and garlic. When meat is finished cooking and vegetables are soft, drain off as much as the fat as you can. I honestly had almost none. If you do which will depend on the fat content of your meat you will discard the fat . I used 80/20 if you use 90/10 you’ll have even less fat and the meat is a bit dryer. I prefer 80/20 and I had no fat.

Return the pot to the heat and add all of the other ingredients. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, then cover the pot and simmer the soup for a while, you’ll want potatoes to be tender to the fork but not mushy.

I made it in the afternoon, let it simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. I then refrigerated it till the night we were eating it.

Soup was rather thick, and I wanted it a little bit soupier so I added a mixture of extra beef broth and hot water and I heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking, adding more salt if you need it.

Serve with Parmesan Crisps or sprinkle ground Parmesan into soup.

Parmesan Crisps:

these are as easy as 1 2 3. One ingredient. Wow!! you will just need a rimmed baking tray and I used silpat sheets but parchment paper will work just fine.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

add 1 heaping teaspoon of grated parmesan onto a silicone or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Pat down a little bit and space at least 1/2 ” apart. ( see picture)

Bake for 3-5 minutes till golden and crisp.

Allow to cool for a few minutes.

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Posted in soup

Tagged hamburger soup, kitchen sink soup with hamburger, vegetables and meat soup

Slow Cooked Brisket–Super Easy

Posted on January 12, 2015 | 1 comment

I am always on the look-out for a brisket recipe and it seems like everyone is always asking me for a good brisket recipe. This past New Years my friends and I were making dinner and wanted something we could do quickly that wouldn’t require a lot of prepping etc. My friend Susan gave me this recipe for a slow cooker brisket and I actually put it in the slow cooker Tuesday night before New Years. We came home from dinner and I cut up the onions , seared the brisket and got it all together in about 1/2 hour and put it in the slow cooker by midnight! When I woke up in the morning the house smelled amazing and the brisket had cooked for a full 8 hours! I then took the whole insert with cover and refrigerated it till later that day when I would remove any and all congealed fat that had naturally gathered in the pot. I highly recommend doing it ahead of time so that you can remove any unwanted fat from the brisket. You can even do it a week ahead and freeze the brisket, or a few days ahead whichever works best for you. The recipe is from the website Kitchn and Susan had already made it so I knew it would be good. So easy and so good.

This is such a wonderful recipe I highly recommend for the Jewish Holidays or any time you’re in the mood for good comfort food.

I also recommend an electric knife as it is the best tool for slicing a brisket thinly and getting the most out of the meat. I love my electric knife and it is great for cutting all roasts. Ingredients are simple and you probably have most of them in the house already.

*If you are freezing it, you can slice up and then put it in the freezer. Take out of freezer and re-heat the way I did.

* a 4 lb. Brisket with side dishes should serve 6 people

www.kitchn.com original title Slow-Cooked Brisket and Onion

Ingredients:

3 1/2 to 4 lb. Brisket

1 tablespoon olive oil

app. 2 large onions, sliced into half moons (not too thinly)

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

6 cloves garlic , minced

2 cups beef broth

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce ( reduced sodium is fine here)

Directions:

Heat a deep sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat with the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onions and cook on medium-low to medium heat, stirring frequently for app. 20 minutes or until the onions have caramelized lightly. This means that the onions will lightly brown up and completely wilt.

Remove brisket from its packaging and pat it dry, season the meat with salt and pepper generously. While the onions cook if you have another large skillet or sauté pan heat it up over medium-high heat and turn on your vent or fan. Sear the brisket until a golden brown crust appears on both sides of the meat. Remove and place in a slow-cooker insert fatty side up. I would spray the insert with cooking spray first. If you don’t want to dirty 2 pans wait till the onions are cooked and then just add brisket to that pot to sear.

Sprinkle the minced garlic over the meat. Pile the sautéed onions on top and around the meat. Mix the broth, Worcestershire Sauce and soy sauce and pour into the slow-cooker insert.

Cover and cook in the slow cooker on LOW for 6-8 hours or until the brisket is very tender. I did 8 hours because it depends on the size and shape of your brisket. This brisket was about 4 lbs. and pretty thick in spots.

Now the thing about cooking ahead was that I could refrigerate it right in the insert . The next day I removed from refrigerator mid afternoon and scraped off the congealed fat.

To reheat: First I slice the brisket if I haven’t already done so. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Transfer the brisket and all the juices to a baking dish and cover tightly with a lid or two layers of aluminum foil. Warm in the oven for at least an hour till brisket is completely warmed through. Of course the timing will depend greatly on the size and shape of the brisket; once it’s sliced it will re-heat faster which is why I always do so.

If you don’t have a slow cooker and don’t want to buy one you can cook in the oven instead. You’ll need a dutch oven ( Le Creuset type) with a lid. Or a baking dish covered very tightly with foil. Follow instructions as above but cook in the oven at 325 degrees for about 4 hours for a 4 lb. brisket. You may need to cook longer depending on the size and shape of your brisket.

Cooking Time varies for how you prefer your brisket. If you want a more formal presentation you’ll probably stay within the 8 hours . If you like it shredded and more like pulled beef you may want to increase cooking time by another hour. We sliced it after 8 hours and then re-heated it and it was perfect! Sorry I didn’t take more pictures.

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Posted in meat, One Pot Cooking, slow cooker

Tagged brisket, brisket in slow cooker, easy brisket, jewish cooking, jewish food, jewish holiday food, kitchn recipe, Rosh Hashana, slow cooker brisket

Caesar Salad Dressing

Posted on January 9, 2015 | Leave a comment

Caesar Salad Dressing

I have already posted this and I am re-posting it because it sort of got lost under my other salad dressing. ( mustard Vinaigrette) so here it is all on its own with a picture all its own. it is a delicious dressing, easy to make with the mini processor. I put all ingredients into the food processor and chop and blend! so easy and so delicious! and only 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Perfection! I really do make this salad dressing all the time. Always stock anchovies, Worcestershire sauce , eggs, olive oil, lemons and Dijon mustard! Grab some fresh romaine and a protein and you have a perfect meal for lunch or dinner. This is also Joel’s favorite!

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I go heaping here but I like strong Dijon flavor)

your particular liking)

freshly ground black pepper

4 – 5 anchovies ( i like it salty and use 5 )

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

grated parmesan cheese ( fresh is always best) or shaved parmesan

Directions:

First I put 2 cloves of garlic in mini food processor or regular food processor. and chop them, then I add anchovies to the processor, and mix together. Then add lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and egg yolk. I mix all together, and then slowly add the olive oil in, mix together, and taste for salt, because the anchovies and mustard give it lot of salt and kick, you can always add more salt, but you can’t take it away. Add freshly ground pepper after everything else is incorporated. I don’t add any additional salt, I think it’s salty enough. It’s delicious.

Pour dressing on Romaine right before serving, incorporate well, mixing from the bottom a few times till lettuce is covered. You can add croutons if you like, they sell awesome ones these days in the market. Or make your own from stale bread!

Usually use 2 heads of Romaine for this. I’ve stretched it to 3 , but it’s really best on 2. You can double the dressing, and use 4 heads, I know they usually sell 3 heads of romaine to a bag.

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Posted in salad dressing

Tagged Caesar Salad, Easy Caesar Salad Dressing

Chicken in One Pot with Garlic, Tomatoes and Potatoes

Posted on January 8, 2015 | 4 comments

chicken nestled in the baking pan with vegetables

cut up potatoes, tomatoes, fresh thyme and pieces of smashed garlic.

finished product–crispy chicken with delicious veggies

You all know by now how very much I love one pot meals. I am talking about everything goes in one pan into the oven and cooks. Not slow cooked just regular meals in one pan!!!!! So simple to prepare , you’ll look like you really know what you’re doing and so delicious to eat. This one got a ringing endorsement from Joel and he’s as fussy as they come. This one should be perfect for whole family and should serve 4 . This is what I did.

*you’ll need a large baking dish, I used a ceramic one as shown. Pyrex works well here as well.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes ( I used about 4 for just the 2 of us ) peeled and cut into about 8 pieces each potato, you’ll want potatoes to be uniform in size so they all cook the same amount of time

6 cloves of garlic smashed ( take the whole garlic clove and whack it with the back of the knife and then remove skin)

1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes

2 Tablespoons olive oil

app. 12 sprigs of fresh thyme

app. 1 – 2 teaspoons of kosher salt for potatoes and chicken

app. 1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

*1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper–we love the heat but if you don’t just omit

1 whole chicken cut up in 8’s or 10’s , I ask butcher to remove the backbone and cut into 8’s or 10’s. App. 3-4 lbs. total

Directions:

Preheat the oven with the oven rack in the middle to 425 degrees.

Spray the baking dish with a cooking spray (Pam) I mean you want the baking dish to clean up easy right?

Peel the potatoes and cut up into bite size pieces. Add to the sprayed baking dish . Smash and peel the garlic. Rinse the tomatoes and add as well along with the thyme.

Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and app. 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and the crushed red pepper. Toss it all together with your clean bare hands and spread into a single layer.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the chicken with app. 3/4 teaspoon and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. I am pretty liberal with the salt here because I feel chicken can be rather bland. Use at your own discretion and what works best for you and your family. Place the chicken amongst the vegetables , see my pictures for how I did it. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. App. 50-60 minutes.

*A little note on the chicken. I checked my chicken after 50 minutes and it was done so I removed to a plate and covered with aluminum foil to keep warm . I placed potatoes back in oven for another 10 mins. or so till they were done. Delicious! the tomatoes burst and were perfect served alongside the chicken and potatoes.

*to check doneness of chicken–a meat thermometer inserted into the breast at middle part should read 160 degrees.

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Posted in chicken, One Pot Cooking

Tagged Chicken, chicken in one pot, chicken with garlic potatoes and tomatoes, one pot cooking, roasted garlic chicken

Pasta and Vodka

Posted on January 5, 2015 | Leave a comment

Pasta is probably my favorite go to meal, and I mean Vodka? really? Add a little cream and a can of tomatoes and you’ve got a spectacular meal. You’ll also need a little fresh basil and parmesan to finish it off. It’s an easy meal and if you have the cream and cheese in the house you’re good to go. I always stock the tomatoes and I happened to have the cream in the house and there is always a bottle of Vodka in the freezer right? Fresh Basil is a wonderful layer but if you don’t have it you’ll still be fine. This pasta cooked up in no time and it was heavenly. Perfect for Meatless Monday dinner.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta ( rigatoni type of noodle is perfect)

3 cloves garlic, minced

*1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper– I love the heat but use at your own discretion

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon olive oil

app. 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of kosher salt for sauce (taste for salt) you’ll also need about 2 teaspoons to cook the pasta in

1/3 cup Vodka

1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, I prefer San Marzano type so look for that

1/2 cup heavy cream

a few fresh basil leaves, cut up into smaller pieces

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to directions on pot , I always throw in about 2 teaspoons of salt to it. When pasta is ready , just drain. I made the sauce while the pasta was cooking.

Place a large skillet type pan on the stove (see pics) Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers ( app. 1 minute) add the garlic and red pepper (if you’re using it). Cook garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring until soft and fragrant but not browned, this should be less than a minute. Add the vodka and cook down the vodka until it is nearly evaporated. Add the tomatoes and remaining 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt (start here and add to your own taste) bring to a boil (breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as they cook down) A little trick I use is to use a potato masher and push down on the tomatoes while they’re cooking, just be careful and do it slowly because you wouldn’t want to get burned by some hot tomato sauce. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the cream , basil and grated Parmesan and bring to a boil , then reduce and let flavors marinate for about another 1/2 hour on a very low heat. I continue breaking up the tomato bits. Add the cooked pasta to pot and stir to coat the pasta!!!! Serve it up!!!!! A-mazing meat-less meal.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged Comfort Food, Pasta, pasta with vodka sauce, vodka sauce

Goodbye 2014 and Hello 2015

Posted on January 1, 2015 | 2 comments

Butternut Squash Soup

trekking through the Andes in 2014–a personal highlight

Baked Salami

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

cooking for my family over xmas 2014–happy place

kitchen in Colorado –happy place

writing my blog–happy place

Another year down and I hope you all had a good 2014 and are looking forward to an even better 2015. In terms of my blog it was a very good year. More subscribers, higher stats than I have ever had before! keep on reading and tell your friends to subscribe. I make no money from this blog but enjoy it immensely and am so very happy that you are all out there in the blogosphere reading and interacting with me. I always post my Top Ten Posts for the year so here I go. From the looks of things most of you have viewed these top ten. If you get a chance drop me a line and tell me which of the new recipes you tried were your favorites for the year. My personal favorite this year was my white clams and spaghetti. I always like when I go out of the box and it turns into a “go to ” recipe for me . Well here is my top ten list that you chose not me, these are taken from blog stats. (and they don’t lie)

1. Baked Salami ( Oldie but Goodie) — this one always makes the #1 spot

2. Creamy Butternut Squash Soup ( no cream)

3.Vinaigrette with Maple Syrup–the new salad dressing you’ve been looking for

4. Chicken Cubes with Rosemary, Lemon and Garlic

5. Marshmallow Sweet Potatoes (gotta have ’em)

6. Mushroom Barley — side dish . One of the all time favorites

7. Kick Ass Meatloaf

8. Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

9. Quinoa Salad with Red Wine Dressing

10. Peach Farfel for Passover ( Crowd Favorite) and it obviously is

Looking forward to cooking new recipes with all of you in 2015. For New Years this year I made a super easy delicious brisket in the slow cooker and will be posting that recipe asap. My friend Susan made a most delicious salad which I will be posting asap.

Again , thanks for all the support and have a Happy , Healthy, Peaceful 2015 from my kitchen to yours.

And Keep Cooking with Candi.

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Posted in Top Ten 2014

Tagged 2014 top ten, top ten recipes for the year

Clams and Spaghetti–White Sauce

Posted on December 29, 2014 | Leave a comment

Riley skiing on Ajax Mountain . First time on Ajax!!!!! he’s only 7.

Picture Riley took of me preparing salad.

The three of us skiing on Aspen Mountain in Gondola.

Turoff Family Skiing on Snowmass. Xmas Vacation.

This was the first time I ever made clams in the house. I have cooked them on the grill but never in a pot on the stove. I guess I was always a little nervous about it and for no apparent reason . I was looking through Jessica Seinfeld’s “The Can’t Cookbook” even though I totally can cook and saw this recipe and she made it look so simple I figured it was the right time to get over my “stage fright”. I made it for my Daughter and her family and two of our Best Friends in the world who really qualify as Family. Our Son in Law Brian is a world-famous eater and a true pleasure to cook for so I decided to break my cardinal rule of never ever cooking something new for guests since these guests were really all family anyway. I wanted to hear their opinions but was still a little nervous. I served alongside a beautiful Tenderloin Roast which was my backup anyway. It all turned out so well and I was more than pleased and delighted that I went out of the box . I still contend that it’s never a good idea to try out new recipes for dinner guests but everyone here was family and after all what is family for if not to try out your recipes? Of course it goes without saying that Joel won’t eat clams so once again it’s his loss and our gain. He did love the Tenderloin Roast and ate a little of the pasta. Give this one a try it is truly delicious . I bought my clams at Whole Foods and I did clean them but they really were super clean and yummy. I bought them a day ahead and kept them in the fridge. If possible I would probably purchase the day of but Joel told me there was nothing to worry over and so I didn’t. Enjoy!

http://www.doitdelicious.com this is Jessica Seinfeld’s site or you can just buy the book “The Can’t Cookbook”.

Ingredients:

2 dozen littleneck clams

3 cloves garlic

app. 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon blanc. I actually used what I had open which was a Pinot Grigio

1 box spaghetti, you can use any kind of spaghetti you like. I actually had bucatini style in the house so that’s what I used

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

*if you’d like a little heat and you should know your audience because mine didn’t so I put on table for those who wanted to add heat. If you are adding add app. 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Kosher Salt , to taste. I have to say I added almost no extra salt at all.

You’ll need a large deep pot to cook clams in. I used my Le Creuset Pot.

Directions:

I placed my clams in a colander and I put the colander in a larger bowl in the sink and I filled the bowl with cold water. I let the clams soak for a few minutes, then rubbed with my fingers to dislodge any dirt; then drained the clams. Throw away any clams that remain open or were smashed. ( my clams were pretty clean) I purchased them clean from Whole Foods. Any Fish Store will clean them for you, but always run them through this process to remove any residual sand, etc.

Smash the garlic and chop it . Chop the Parsley. Measure the Wine. Place all your ingredients near to the stove.

Cook Pasta according to directions on box.

Place a large pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Pour in 2 Tbsp. of Olive Oil until it heats up and shimmers ( a few minutes) Add chopped garlic to the pot, and cook , stirring , for at least a minute, until you can actually smell the garlic breaking down. Don’t Burn!!!! Now add the wine and the clams and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and you’ll want a fairly high flame, probably medium-high . Cook clams until they open, I probably cooked for about 10 – 12 minutes. Looked so beautiful! Add the parsley and the red pepper now if you’re using. Throw away any unopened clams, they are no good.

Once pasta is al dente and drained I transferred to a large serving bowl and added 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil to pasta, top with clams. Sprinkle if you’d like a tiny bit of coarse salt now if you feel it needs it. I did not need to add any additional salt or pepper. Adjust to your taste.

Amazing!!!! and did I mention Super Easy!!!!!

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Posted in clams, seafood

Tagged clams; clams and spaghetti; pasta and clams; white clam sauce;

Cooking with Candi

Veggie Soup with Rotisserie Chicken – Perfect Winter Soup

Riley’s Recipe–Milk and Cookies

Ingredients and Directions:

Red Chili with Turkey or Beef

Ingredients:

Directions:

Kitchen Sink Soup with Hamburger

Ingredients: for Soup

Directions:

Parmesan Crisps:

Slow Cooked Brisket–Super Easy

Ingredients:

Directions:

Caesar Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

Directions:

Chicken in One Pot with Garlic, Tomatoes and Potatoes

Ingredients:

Directions:

Pasta and Vodka

Ingredients:

Directions:

Goodbye 2014 and Hello 2015

Clams and Spaghetti–White Sauce

Ingredients:

Directions:

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