Summer Switch Up

I have a confession to make. This New Englander has never been to a clambake. It's sad, really. I mean what's not to love about clams, sausage and all the trimmings cooked up and served right on the beach - one of my favorite places?

I was really jonesing for all of the components of a clambake, but I didn't want to cook up everything individually just to serve myself. I was in the grocery store one afternoon, not knowing what to make for dinner, and I passed the seafood counter, eyeing the stuffed clams. That's when it hit me -- I have sausage in the freezer! I know you're wondering, where is she going with this? Random recipe ideas just hit me like that and I run with them. And I run far sometimes. Enter a deconstructed clambake in hash form. Oh yes. Why didn't I think of this sooner?

Clambake Hash
Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:
3 frozen stuffed clams
1 link pre-cooked sausage, cut into chunks (I used leftover spicy Lamb sausage)
2 Cippolini onions, peeled
Olive oil
1 Yukon gold potato, cut into chunks
Sweet corn


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with foil.

Drizzle the onions with olive oil and roast along side the clams and sausage for 15-20 minutes, or until all items are cooked through.

Meanwhile, place the potato into a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender.

Place all ingredients into a fry pan and saute until the potato and stuffed clams have crisped up.

It Isn't Rocket Science

I am a big proponent of keeping things simple, not just in life but in food, too. That's the approach I've been taking with weeknight meals, care of my rude awakening into adulthood. Pair together what you have on hand and put something homey on the table - no matter how tired you are!

We were all set to have stuffed clams, but then I remembered we had this lovely eggplant just hanging around the vegetable drawer. Match made in desperation heaven.

Clam-Stuffed Eggplant
Yield: 2 big servings

Ingredients:
12 Cherrystone clams
1 med-size eggplant
1/2 c breadcrumbs (I used a mixture of Italian-seasoned and Panko)
1 egg
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
S&P
1/2 T garlic powder
1-2 T lemon juice
1/2 T Paprika
Olive oil
Parsley, for garnish


Directions:
Look over your clams and discard any that are open and don't close when tapped. Scrub the shells to remove any outer grit and sand. Soak the clams in a large bowl of water. Add a 1/2 T flour to the water, which will make the clams purge any sand they have trapped in their shells. Steam the clams in a steamer pot or large pan just until they open, about 2-3 or 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of clam you use. Make sure you don't overcook the clams as they will be cooked further in the oven. Remove clams from pot and let cool, discarding any clams that don't open.

While the clams cool, preheat the oven to 350°F and move on to prepping the eggplant. Wash the outside of the eggplant and slice vertically down the middle. Score the flesh of the eggplant, making sure you don't go all the way through the skin. Scoop out the innards and chop them into 1/2 in. cubes. By this time the clams should have cooled. Remove them from their shells and chop finely.

Add all of the ingredients, except for the parsley, into a large mixing bowl and combine. Add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet or more egg or lemon juice if it's too dry.* Fill the eggplant shells with the mixture and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil to promote browning.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until eggplant is tender. If eggplant browns too quickly, tent with foil about half way through. Remove foil tent and broil for the last 3-5 minutes to crisp everything up. Let stand 5-10 minutes to let the dish set. Garnish with parsley and serve with fresh lemon wedges.

*As you will find with my recipes, they are mostly a result of trial, error and winging it. Mix with your hands, go with your gut - wise words from my Momma. 

Not Your Childhood Tuna Sandwich

One of my strengths in the kitchen is making good use of leftovers. I guess I tend to allow myself more creative freedom in my redo than I do with my first go-round. It's always a satisfying feeling knowing that you can make something out of seemingly nothing, like in the case of this tuna sandwich.  

During the week, I find it important to pack breakfast and lunches for us to take work. Something yummy and homemade, perhaps with a cute note tucked inside the bag to make sure there is at least something to smile about! But what happens when you don't have leftovers or cold cuts in your fridge and you really don't have the time during the busy day to step out for lunch? Then it's pb&j to the rescue! Or ingenuity and a can or two of tuna that you forgot you had hiding away in your pantry :)

I was all set to make some awesome pb&j's one morning, my specialty, but then I remembered that illusive tuna just waiting to be put to good use. My Momma always taught me that you need something creamy and crunchy to make a good tuna fish sandwich, the standard for most being mayo and celery. Not in my kitchen! For one, I don't have celery in my fridge at the moment, and two, I've got some fruit that needs to be consumed.

Tuna Fish, redo

Yield: 2-3 sandwiches, depending on size

Ingredients:

2 (5 oz) cans tuna fish (I tend to buy the ones packed in water or broth)

Something creamy, enough to bind the ingredients (~1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt + 3 T of mayo + 1 T Dijon mustard)

Something crunchy, enough to act as filler and flavor (1 small bunch grapes + 10 whole cranberries + 1 carrot, all chopped fine)

A splash of red or rice wine vinegar

Arugula

Bread of choice

Directions:

Mash everything together, through vinegar, in a bowl. Cut open your bread and top with arugula and tuna fish. Done.

What I love about this recipe is that you can used whatever you have on hand for the "something crunchy." The sweetness of the grapes balances the overall saltiness of the dish and makes it less fishy tasting, while the cranberries and arugula add a true punch of flavor from their bitterness and tartness. I've also paired apples with the cranberries in this recipe, which works just as well.