My, What Big Mussels You Have

A couple of weeks ago, after our friend and gourmand R cooked us the most incredible littleneck clams we'd ever eaten, I decided that I'd have to recreate his recipe myself. This is the most wonderful way to eat mussels and clams alike, in my humble opinion.

Even better, it's criminally easy.

I made a few changes to the recipe as R prepared it, substituting mussles for the clams (the grocery had just sold out), and substituting farmer's-market-fresh swiss chard for R's escarole. I served it with fresh bread to soak up every glorious drop of the broth and some simply sauteed (and local) asparagus spears, dressed in lemon.

The flavor combinations here are exquisite: briny seafood; onion, garlic, and bell pepper; chorizo sausage; bitter greens; and beer. I don't know what else to say other than MAKE THIS IMMEDIATELY. Invite your friends over and argue and laugh over steaming bowls of this stuff.

Special thanks to (as Our Hero puts it) my "BFF forever," for brightening my month with her visit and providing excellent kitchen help to boot. Of course, thanks to R as well (without whom, none of this would have been possible).

The Best Damn Mussels You've Ever Had
1 lb. mussels, scrubbed and debearded (discard any with broken shells and any that do not close when shells are gently tapped)
Tiniest t. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 large sweet onion, halved again through its pole and cut into crescent-slices
1 sweet bell pepper (any color but green), cut into long 1/2-inch strips and then halved crosswise
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
3 links chorizo sausage, quartered lengthwise and chopped
3-4 cups cooking greens, washed and roughly chopped
12 oz. (one bottle) good beer (R and I used Anchor Steam Ale)
Black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven with a cover over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper and saute until just beginning to soften, 3 minutes. Stir in crushed red pepper. Add chorizo and stir, 2-3 minutes. Pour in beer and bring to a boil. Season to taste with black pepper. Add greens and cover until just wilted. Stir and then add mussels. Cover and steam until mussels open, about 5-8 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.

Something New

Speaking of old favorites (as I've been writing about oft-repeated meals in the Understood-Hero household), I had the pleasure today to prepare a dinner that I am sure will become a regular feature on our supper table. This was particularly enjoyable, as I am recovering from a banana-bread catastrophe (the dreaded sticking in the pan). The bread still tasted delicious, but wasn't in any shape to be shared with friends as planned.

It was a nice weekend, all in all. Time to catch up with a number of our great Mytown friends, and I'm treasuring the ease of our visits all the more now that I know come August we'll be moving. Even though we are moving to SmallMountainTown in 3 1/2 months, we still must move from our current apartment. Our new landlord was nice enough to agree to rent to us for three months, for a slightly higher fee. It's really nice of him. Still, we move in two weeks only to move 12 weeks later. So it goes, as a wise man once said.

The meal I made tonight was after a bit of an indulgent weekend - lots of edible "treats." This very healthy meal was a welcome, light change. The textures are lovely. The fish recipe's from Everyday Food, but I've changed a few things . . . The cucumber salad recipe is my own.

Sole with Bulgur Pilaf
1 cup whole bulgur wheat
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
2 T. butter, cut into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and ground pepper
6-8 fillets skinless sole (or flounder)
Lemon wedges, to serve

Combine bulgur with 1 1/2 cups hot water. Soak for at least 30 minutes, preferably for 1 hour. Add a bit of salt, if you like. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine soaked bulgur, 1/2 cup additional water, red onion, and garlic in a large baking dish. Sprinkle butter over the mixture (see picture). Season with salt and pepper.

Season each fillet with salt and pepper, roll up and place on top of bulgur. Season again with salt and pepper. Bake until bulgur is tender and fish is opaque, about 25-30 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Basic Cucumber Salad
1 kirby cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
Handful fresh dill, chopped
Dash ground cumin
1 T. white wine or rice vinegar
Salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup yogurt cheese (strained yogurt) or light sour cream (regular yogurt could be used, but results will be wetter and less a creamy texture)

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate and let flavors meld for at least 30 minutes (if not one hour) before serving.

Table for One

One of my most favorite food items is the fat little sea scallop. Sweet and mild, but still flavorful and delicious - perfect just as they are - scallops are a treat in our house. Scallops are also pretty expensive . . . Or they can be expensive. I picked up a bit less than a third of a pound for lil' ol' me and paid just over three dollars!

But the rub . . . the rub is that the little-over three-dollar pricetag increases greatly when Our Hero's appetite is factored into the equation. Maybe one day scallops can be a more frequent meal, for now it's an affordable treat for me when Our Hero's out of town. Like yesterday night.

All alone in the apartment, I drowned my sorrows (okay, not really) in a plate of scallops, a phone call to A, a glass of wine, and classic Robert Redford. (Sidenote: If only senators actually looked like him . . . I can imagine what it'd do to C-SPAN's ratings.)

A was saying she wasn't sure how to cook scallops, so I'll offer a brief guide. They are quite simple. Make sure you pat them dry with paper towels before cooking them. This ensures you'll get a nice brown sear. Heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and add scallops. They only need to cook about 2-3 minutes per side. It's important not to overcook them - scallops lose their delicate charm when they're chewy. And that's it. Done.

In this case, I set the cooked scallops to the side and added about a third of a chopped red onion to the pan. I then deglazed the pan with a bit of water, which released all of the crusty bits in the bottom of my pan (you'll get more crusty bits if you forsake nonstick, but either will work fine). I sauteed the onion for a short while, added about a cup or so of broccoli cut into small florets. I let that cook a few minutes, and added a handful of halved grape tomatoes. Once these softened, I removed the pan from the heat and squeezed a half of a lemon onto the veggies. I topped the mixture with a couple of tablespoons of crumbled feta. I must say, I enjoyed it immensely.

Backlog

After seeing our new apartment again today, all I can think of is where I will put all my kitchen stuff? The apartment we're moving to is eons nicer in a much better neighborhood, but doesn't have as much kitchen storage. I'm thinking of ways to remedy this - hang pans on the walls? Shelving? The great thing about this place is that the kitchen is completely open to the dining area, so I may just take over the entire space, to maximize storage needs. It's so light and bright! (Wheels turning.)

Big news is that this place will have a dishwasher, which will lighten the burden on Our Hero significantly.

I made this for dinner early last week, I think. I have several other pictures waiting around to be posted, but this recipe is the most memorable, so makes the cut! I encourage you to make these - they are very simple, healthy, and freezeable for later use. The pesto is especially tasty and would be great with other kinds of meats and fish. The recipe's from Cooking Light.

Wasabi Salmon Burgers with Edamame-Cilantro Pesto
1/2 cup soft tofu (about 4 oz.)
1 (7-oz.) can red sockeye salmon, drained, skin discarded (bones will mash right into the burgers)
1 (6-oz.) can skinless, boneless pink salmon in water, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh chive
2 t. dijon mustard
1/2 t. wasabi paste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg white
1/2 cup panko
1 t. canola oil or cooking spray
Whole-wheat buns, lettuce leaves, and red onion slices to serve
1/2 cup edamame-cilantro pesto (recipe follows)

Place tofu on several layers of paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes. Put in a large bowl with salmon; mash. Add next four ingredients (through egg white); mix well. Divide and shape into 4 1/2-inch patties. Dredge in panko.

Heat oil or cooking spray in skillet or on griddle over medium-high. Cook 3 minutes per side. Assemble with desired toppings, including a couple tablespoons of pesto. Enjoy!

Edamame-Cilantro Pesto
2 cups cilantro leaves
1 cup frozen blanched shelled edamame, cooked
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 t. canola oil
1 t. green curry paste
1 t. fish sauce
1/2 t. salt
1 clove garlic, peeled.

Blitz all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

If You Can't Beet 'Em

Beets and I, we are just getting acquainted. Our first meeting (outside of a can or a pickle at family reunions) was a bit bumpy. As a rule, I try a new-to-me food at least once a month.

Let me just get this out in the open, and excuse my French: beets are a bitch. I roasted them (possibly not long enough, but they were reasonably tender), and getting the blankety-blank (better Ma?) skins off took me more than twice the time it took me to prepare the rest of my meal. I read tips: "rub the skins off with paper towels." I swear I used half a roll. Dear me, it was rough. From all the hot pink schmears all over my kitchen and hands, it appeared that I had murdered a My Little Pony. Or maybe Barbie. Does Barbie's blood run pink? Out, out, damned spot!

However, when all was said and done, the dinner rounded out well: broiled salmon with a spinach salad with feta, toasted walnuts, sweet onion, and roasted beets topped with a dijon vinaigrette. It was easy to assemble, once I had attended to the beets, and it looked so gosh darn pretty on the plate. Maybe you'll have better luck with the beets.

Roasted Beets
4-8 small beets (figure 2-3 per person)
Olive oil or cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place beets, stalks trimmed to one inch, on foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with a little olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Roast, turning halfway through 45 minutes-1 hour, until very tender. Let cool until you can work with them. Rub skins off with layers of paper towels. Gloves might help make this easier. Quarter.

I just put some baby spinach in serving bowls, topped with the beets, some toasted walnuts, half-moons of sweet onion, and a little feta. I drizzled a homemade honey-dijon on top (dijon mustard, olive oil, honey, white wine vinegar). While I assembled the salad I broiled salmon for about 7-8 minutes. Ready to eat!

best meal in months

my parents had planned to come for a visit this weekend, but decided to forgo the possibly treacherous drive due to forecasted snow squalls, which i totally understood. a while back, my brother and his friend totalled a car driving through that mess on their way here for a visit. however, i was a bit blue. i missed them! i wanted to see them! a welcome distraction, then, this:

thanks to a generous benefactress (thank you, benefactress!), our hero and i enjoyed a wonderful "splurge" of a meal last night. i made some fresh sea scallops in a wonderful sauce served over baby arugula with a side of roasted cauliflower. we enjoyed this with a lovely bottle of rosé and a freshly baked whole-wheat baguette. who needs dessert with a dinner like that? it was an excellent way to spend a saturday night.

Greek-Style Scallops
From The New American Plate Cookbook

4 t. olive oil, divided
1 lb. sea scallops
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms (3 oz. - i used oyster, which are wonderfully mild)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, loosely packed
1 t. chopped fresh oregano
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup feta cheese (i used the delectable israeli feta, made from sheep's milk)
2 T. pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup white wine (optional)

In a skillet, heat 2 t. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes, until opaque throughout and tender in the center. Put in a bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, add remaining 2 t. of olive oil. Add the onion and saute, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and saute, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, parsely, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. (here's where i added white wine.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the scallops with their liquid and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Top with the feta cheese and pine nuts. Serve immediately.

cooking light's clam chowder

i enjoy a good chowder when it's cold and windy, so i whipped this one up last weekend. i would definitely recommend making it ahead of time, letting it cool in your fridge, and then reheating - the flavors develop nicely that way.

i had brought leftover chowder to work for lunch this week, which made me very excited. unfortunately, as i was taking the tupperware from my office to our mini-fridge, i dropped the container. the tupperware actually broke (who knew this was possible?), and i was left to cry over spilt chowder. luckily, i come in to the office earlier than everyone else, so there was no audience for this performance. consider all tears shed a testament to how delicious this healthy chowder is!

Plum Island Sound Clam Chowder
From Cooking Light

4 (6 1/2-oz.) cans chopped clams
2 (8-oz.) bottles clam juice
5 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (i used uncured bacon)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 t. butter
2 cups cubed red potato
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 1/4 cups evaporated fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 1/2 T. dry sherry (i used sherry vinegar because i had it lying around)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Drain clams in a colander over a bowl, reserving juice. Add bottled juice to reserved juice to equal 3 1/2 cups. Set aside.

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving only 2 t. of bacon fat in pan (remove the rest). Return bacon to the pan, increse heat to medium-high. Add onion, celery, and butter; saute 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add clam juice mixture, potato, and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf), bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in clams, evaporated milk, 1% milk, and sherry. Cook 5 minutes or until heated, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley.

cooking ahead

something i absolutely cherish is my freezer - and not just because we were without it for a bit. there's little more satisfying on a particularly stressful evening than defrosting a meal you prepared yourself and sitting down to a home-cooked meal with little-to-no effort.

my friends (especially you, duffpower) may remember when the freezer obsession began last year. okay. it got out of control. this year will be different, i promise. soups are always wonderful to freeze, and frozen homemade burritos were a big hit for lunches last year. prepared pasta sauces (butternut squash, pestos, roasted tomato) are also oft-frozen items. the wonderful magazine Everyday Food (the most beautiful food photography i've seen) always has a "Freeze It" recipe, and last month's issue had several. the recipe i chose was wonderful, though i think i'd substitute panko for the saltine cracker crumbs next time.

Everyday Food's Lemon-Horseradish Fish Cakes
3 T. olive oil
2 lbs. tilapia fillets
salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup light (or better, reduced-fat) mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 T. bottled white horseradish (i just used the wasabi i had)
1 1/2 cups coarse saltine cracker crumbs (crushed in a plastic bag with a rolling pin)
tartar sauce, for serving (optional - i made my own low-fat version)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a baking sheet lined with foil with 1/2 t. oil. Place fillets on sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely; pat dry with paper towels. With a fork, flake fish into small pieces.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, mayo, parsley, lemon juice, and horseradish. Fold in fish and 1/2 cup cracker crumbs; season with salt and pepper. Place remaining 1 cup crumbs on a plate. Form 16 cakes using about 1/4 cup fish mixture for each. Gently dredge each cake in crumbs, pressing to help adhere. (To freeze - i froze half - place uncooked cakes on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Wrap each in plastic and put in freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in fridge before cooking.)

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 T. oil. Place 8 cakes in skillet; cook until golden brown, 4-6 minutes per side.

i served these with sauteed greens and our favorite baked sweet potato "fries". to make these, just preheat oven to 425 degrees, cut 2-3 sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch steak fries. brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. roast 45-60 minutes, turning occasionally until crispy all over.