Linguini with Clams - Only the Lonely!

Ingredients

Fresh clams (about a pound)

A container of fresh chopped clams with the juice

Diced 1/2 yellow or white onion (I used white onion) you are welcome to use shallot

1 minced clove of garlic

Three tablespoons of olive oil. Use only two for sautéing, the last tbspoon is when mixing sauce and pasta

¼ cup or more of white wine

¼ teaspoon of paprika
Pepper flakes (to taste)
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
¼ cup of chopped Italian parsley (optional) 
 Procedure
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan
Add the diced the onions, the garlic, paprika and sauté all ingredients until onions are translucent and or soft; Mmmmm enjoy the aroma!!
Add chopped clams, clam juice and wine simmer in a low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, add salt & pepper, adjust flavors!
Add the fresh clams, cover the pan.
It would just a matter of minutes until all the fresh clams are opened
Discard the un-opened clams!
Make the linguini pasta according to package instructions while the sauce is in the making
Once the pasta is done, the sauce should also be done and all the clams should be opened

Drain the pasta but keep a little less that ¼ cup of pasta water

Place the pasta on a serving dish, add the sauce, add chopped Italian parsley and pepper flakes for flavoring and the remaining tbspoon of olive oil.

Many other recipes would call for butter, I try to stay away from it, so I use OO,

Pour some Pinot Grigio on wine glass and enjoy the pasta!

Eat Well, Eat Happy

Nena...

Stove top cooked Platanos - Mom's style

Ingredients:
2 ripe plantains
1 tablespoons of butter (or more)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon natural vanilla (optional)
1 tablespoon of white sugar
¼ cup of fat milk
Basil leaves for garnish
About 1/2 cup of feta cheese

Directions:
To peel the plantains:
Cut off ends and discard, with a paring knife, make 3 shallow slits lengthwise along the seams of the skin and peel away. Cut both plantains in half. Make a shallow cut lengthwise in all four pieces.
Heat butter in a large skillet and place over medium low heat (plantains have high sugar content and will burn if the heat is too high), add the milk
Cook plantains in low heat, put a lid on, turning the pieces once until golden, then turn over with a spatula
Plantains should cook for about 20 to 45 minutes
Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar and let cook a few more seconds
Sprinkle with the feta cheese and garnish it with basil
Serve immediately!
I love eating this with a tall glass of milk!!
Enjoy,
Eat Well, Eat Happy

Spicy Butternut Squash

I know, and I am aware that this is not the only “Spicy Butternut” recipe among bloggers, master chefs or in the web; however, I can proudly say that this was an inspiration, I made it, I ate it, I loved it, and I am sharing it!

Ingredients:
About 6 cups of butternut squash
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 Tablespoons of canola oil
2 Sliced shallots
2 Chopped cloves of garlic
Juice of one lemon 
½ Teaspoon of paprika
½ Teaspoon of ginger and turmeric
1 Teaspoon of granulated brown sugar
¼ Teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ Teaspoon of cayenne Pepper
An itsy bitsy piece of habanera pepper (optional)
1/2 Cup of feta cheese for garnish (optional)

Procedure:
On a sauté pan
Heat butter and oil
Add the shallots and garlic, and sauté until shallots are soft
Add the spices and rest of the ingredients
Adjust flavor according to your taste!
Add the butternut squash, fold in and mix with the ingredients (Enjoy the aroma)
Lower the heat and put a lid on the pan
Some stoves are very efficient; however, stir ingredients if necessary for a more even cooking
Simmer for about ½ hour to 45 minutes
The squash should be soft but not mushy to the bite.
Sprinkle the feta cheese..

Eat well, Eat Happy
Nena

“Did you know that the Butternut squash has both, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties?”

ND Lump Crabcakes

I have made crabcakes before, however, I wanted to make this batch a special one and decided to search for ideas, I browsed the web but little did I know that I had what I needed right in my pantry.. This crabcakes became a successful birthday lunch.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoon of mayonnaise
About 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
¼ Teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
¼ Teaspoon of Tabasco
2 ½ “Old Bay” for crabcakes
¼ And a little more teaspoon of Ancho Chili powder
½ Teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
½ Cup crushed Ritz crackers
2 Tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

3 Tablespoon of finely cut red pepper (brunoise style cut)

1 Pound jumbo lump crabmeat (drained)

½ pound of backfin meat

Procedure:

In a separate bowl, mix the egg and crabmeat, by using your hands, gently fold both ingredients until the egg is well incorporated in to the crabmeat

In another bowl combine the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco, Old Bay, Ancho Chili, lemon juice, salt and pepper

Gently combine the crabmeat into the bowl with the other ingredients

Add the chopped parsley and red pepper

Wet your hands and shape mixture into patties
Coat them with the crushed crackers

Put the crabcakes on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover the paddies with Aluminum foil and refrigerate an hour minimum before cooking

There are different methods of cooking these delicious crabcakes, I personally like to broil them, this time I choose to sauté (not pan fried) the crabcakes

Heat a combination of 1 Tbs. of butter and 1 tbs. of Oil on a nonstick skillet, place the patties on the pan and cook each side for 3 minutes or until brow. (Should you need to saute the next batch, wipe off the skillet and add fresh butter and oil if is necessary)

Eat Well, Eat Happy

Nena

 Easy Dinner Recipes You Can Try Without Spending Too Much Time in the Kitchen!

Cooking dinner can be a constant worry for some people, and it can also be major cause of stress!  The majority of modern working individuals are constantly multi-tasking.   Always being on the go is now the norm.  Further, you can see a lot of successful career-oriented individuals who have to juggle a demanding career along with the kids’ school activities, spending quality time with the family, and they’re also stuck with the responsibility of preparing dinner!  Good thing that you don’t have to be a gourmet chef in order to prepare a decent meal. There are many easy dinner recipes that are readily available on the internet.

One question you should ask yourself is how do we cook meals that are healthy and taste good without spending a lot of time in the kitchen? Here are a number of great ways to set up fast and simple meals that the entire family can enjoy.

Are you one of those people who doesn’t feel like cooking a delicious meal after a stressful day at work? Why not stop by your local supermarket or high-end grocery store?  You can find pre made meals that are delicious and hassle-free. Craving for some chicken salad, rotisserie chickens, or some pasta salad?  The grocery store should be able to prepare this for you.  You can also go check out their salad station or bar in case you are in the mood for some healthy greens.  There are also pre-made salads that can you can serve again as a side with a rotisserie chicken. For dessert, serve up some ice cream with sliced fruit on the side. With grocery stores, all you have to do is follow the aisles, purchase, and serve. Easy and hassle-free!

Setting up a family dinner can be as easy as one-two-three when you have the right gadgets in your kitchen.  They make the task of getting your dinner done in no time.  Here are several kitchen tools and appliances that may make your task a lot easier and hassle-free.

Who doesn’t own a crock pot? No question about it.  Every household should have a crock pot or two.  You can make use of this for your slow-cooker stews.  This is very convenient because all you have to do is store the stew then serve it as leftovers even days later.  If you feel like you are running out of fresh ideas, try checking out Food Networks’ Pork with Noodles, Texas Chili, and various slow-cooker Pork Stew.

This amazing kitchen tool may not perform as quickly as a Panini grill does, but preparing stir-fried dishes has its advantages.  What else?  Own a wok!  A stir-fried meal can be prepared ahead and even in bulk.  You can then store it and keep it for days! There are a few “rules” to using the wok. For example, cook your ingredients ahead of time and only use oils that can be heated to a high temperature (like peanut oil, corn oil, or soybean oil). Always cook your meat or poultry first, followed by the faster cooking vegetables and stir vigorously! All you need to make a nutrient-rich chicken and broccoli stir-fry is some chicken, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and broccoli. Once cooked together, these ingredients can be served of some jasmine rice or noodles.

Thank you to: blogcontentguild.com
Enjoy!
Eat well, Eat Happy!

Octopus Potato Salad



Octopus Potato Salad

Ingredients:
Fresh octopus about (1/2 a pound but not more than 1 pound)
Red potatoes (diced, boiled) (I boil the potatoes with sea salt and garlic)
Ancho Chili powder
Old bay season
Olive Oil or truffle OO flavor
Sea Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 chopped garlic clove
Green onions for garnish

Procedure:
Boil the potatoes al dente
Set them aside to rest
The octopus should be boiling at this point 
Note: if you parboil it becomes rubbery, and we want a soft texture and easy to the bite
Once the octopus becomes soft, set it aside to rest for about 20 minutes
Cut the octopus into bite size pieces
Add the octopus to the potatoes
and the ingredients below

Ingredients:
Salt and Pepper to taste
A pinch of Old Bay season for crab cakes (about 1/4 spoon)
A pinch of Ancho Chili power
Lemon Juice (about a tbs spoon)
Chopped garlic
EVOO or a drop of truffle OO flavor (Truffle flavored oils are strong in taste, use it moderately)
Let the salad rest for all flavors to blend together
Garnish it with green onions and one slice of lime
(I was going to use cilantro but didn’t have any)

Eat well, Eat Happy!!
Nena

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Dear friends:
For those who likes the good ole' Pizza! and more!, I am sharing with you this magnificent gourmet website from a recently known friend... Caterina Borg..
Enjoy her delicious recipes!

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Eat Well.. Eat Happy!
Nena

Saturday..Labor day weekend

So... that was my Saturday!
Nena

Pollog guisado... Wordless..picturefull!

Sharing a quick dinner done during my busy week!!

Enjoy,

Eat well, Eat happy!

Corn and Sweet Peas stuffed Tomatoes

One of the best phases of my life regarding food is while growing up in my native country of Venezuela and living with my grandmother. I have always admired her ability for cooking with very little ingredients, and always with the unspoken word of promise for a mouthwatering experience, needless to say that all her ingredients always! Always! Had to be fresh and handpicked by her at the local Farmer’s market.

I now think back of such fondly memories of my childhood and must say I miss her and her cooking.

I do remember her stuffed tomatoes. Quick, easy yet refreshing appetizer she would always make.

Here is the idea!

While my grandmother’s deliciously seasoned stuffed tomatoes were based in sweet peas and a little mayo, I decided to make a fresher and a bit healthier version, just perfect for DC’s summer evenings, by adding a twist of ingredients of my own which is corn, herbs, and substituting the mayo for lemon juice.

Ingredients
Two Farmer’s Market picked fresh tomatoes
8 ¾ canned sweet peas or “petit pois”
8 ¾ Fresh Cut whole Kernel Corn
Basil and Cilantro
Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice
Olive Oil

Procedure:
Core the tomatoes and set aside
In a small bowl combine the sweet peas and corn
Add about a spoon of cilantro and basil
On a small bowl combined the juice of one freshly squeezed lemon
1/4 spoon or less of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Wisk all ingredients
Add this vinaigrette to the sweet peas and proceed to stuff the tomatoes
Place the stuffed tomatoes in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes until all flavors are well blended.
Serve! and Enjoy

Eat Well! Eat Happy

In solitude!

Just because!

Back with a Seafood soup

I  am back, and I would like to thank everyone for the requests and interest in keep viewing my blog.

Enjoy!!
Eat well and eat happy!