Garlicky Clams and Mussels

Clams and Mussels went on sale at Henrys, and knowing how much Darrin LOVES clams and mussles, I thought I'd grab some and make a yummy dish out of them! **Quick Rant --- I asked the seafood guy to give me 2 lbs of Clams (since they were big) and 1 lb of mussels (I cut the recipe in half). When I got home, I realized that over HALF of the mussels I was given were already open meaning that they were unusable. I could only use 19 out of my 40 mussels. I was NOT a happy camper. Note to self - from now on, when wanting mussels, go to a real fish monger where I can pick and choose the items I want. OK...rant over. **

Anywho - here's the pasta recipe that I used. It was DELICIOUS! I was licking up the bowl!

Garlicky Clams and Mussels Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 2 pounds baby clams (littleneck if available), scrubbed
• 1 stick of butter, cut into tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, in all
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pounds fresh angel hair pasta
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

Directions

Bring a pot of salted water up to a boil. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and the garlic cloves. When the garlic starts to turn golden discard the cloves, about 2 minutes. Add the mussels and clams to the oil. Cover the pan and saute the seafood for about 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, or until the shells open. Remove the pan from the heat and discard any shells that did not open. Pour the seafood into a bowl and set aside. Place the saute pan back on the heat and melt the butter with the minced garlic, over medium-low heat, about 2 minutes. Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Sauteed mussels and clams with their liquid back into the pan. Saute for 1 minute. Remove the pasta from the water and drain. Place the pasta directly into the saute pan. Remove from the heat and toss the pasta with the mussels and clams. Season with salt and pepper. Mound the pasta in the center of an over-sized pasta bowl. Garnish with the grated cheese and chopped parsley

Clam Chowder

I love soup. Darrin doesn't. Except Clam Chowder. He LOVES Clam Chowder. So I decided to make clam chowder for dinner so we all could enjoy a nice big bowl of yummy soup on a cold fall day. I was reading him different titles and when I read this one, his ever-cheese-loving Dutch ears perked up. Marilyn's Cheesy Clam Chowder. Now, according to some Food Network judges - seafood and cheese are a BIG no no. But I'm not married to a Food Network judge. I'm married to a Dutchman who loves his cheese. And his clam chowder. So I decided to put away what the TV told me and jump head first into the forbidden culinary concoction.

Lo and behold ....it was pretty good!!!! :) :) You really couldn't taste the cheese, it just help make the soup thick and silky. Even the kids liked it! :) The only bad part is that it's not the cheapest meal. The jars od Clam juice were $2 each (total of $4) and the canned clams were $3 each (total of $9). So right there is $13. Not to mention the half and half and cheese....it can just get a little pricey. But it was still good and it made a good amount. I even froze some! :) Here's the recipe. Enjoy!


Ingredients
6 slices bacon
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 (8 ounce) cans clams
2 (8 ounce) jars clam juice
4 cups milk
1 cup cubed potatoes
1 (8 ounce) package white Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions
1.In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon, drain on paper towels, and crumble. Reserve. Drain clams, reserve juice.

2.Cook and stir carrot, celery, and onion in bacon fat until onion is transparent.

3.Stir in flour, cornstarch, potatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly. Add reserved clam liquor to clam juice to measure 3 1/2 cups; stir juice and milk into the vegetable mixture. Heat just to boiling, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens.

4.Add clams, and cheese; stir until cheese is melted and potatoes are done. Sprinkle with reserved bacon, and garnish with chopped parsley.

Rachael Ray's Spicy Thai Shrimp with Coconut Rice

Rachael Ray's "Thai it, You'll like it" Spicy Thai Shrimp with Coconut Rice

Click to watch the video on how to make it! You can also use chicken instead of shrimp.

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/thai-it-youll-it-spicy-thai-shrimp-coconut-rice/

Ingredients
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup long grain white rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (or chicken if you prefer)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 fresh red chili, seeded and thinly sliced or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce or 2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups (a couple of handfuls) basil, torn
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Yields: 4 servings

Preparation
Toast coconut in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden brown. Reserve 1/2 cup for garnish.

To the remaining coconut in the saucepan, add the chicken stock, rice and salt, and bring it to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, place a lid on top and cook for 15 minutes. Let the mixture stand for five minutes off the heat then fluff with a fork.

While the rice is cooking, preheat a large, nonstick skillet over high heat with the canola oil.

When the pan is hot, add the shrimp, red bell peppers, chili (or red pepper flakes) and garlic, stirring frequently for about 3-4 minutes.

Add the fish sauce (or soy sauce), basil and toss to combine. Serve the shrimp and some of the sauce over the coconut rice and squeeze some lime juice over everything. Garnish with the reserved toasted coconut and the lime zest.