Pasta with Clam Sauce

Submitted by Monica

Ingredients

3 6½ oz. cans chopped clams 6½ oz. can whole clams
3-4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp dry Italian seasoning
2 tbsp fresh oregano 2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh parsley (flat leaf or Italian) 1 box pasta
Olive Oil salt & Pepper
Dry White Wine (Sauvignon blanc works well) Romano cheese

Directions

  1. On medium heat, in a large skillet, add olive oil & minced garlic. Cook until slightly browned , add Italian seasoning & toast for 2 minutes.
  2. Add 4 cans of clams (with juice), add salt & pepper to taste.
  3. Bring to a boil, add one full can of wine (or, if you don’t want to use wine, add the juice of 1 lemon), turn down heat to a simmer.
  4. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until only about ¾ to 1 c. of liquid is left (about 30-40 minutes)
  5. Cook pasta according to directions on the pkg. in salted water (the water should have at least 1 full tsp of salt – NO OIL).
  6. When the pasta is al dente, add pasta to the pan with clam sauce to finish cooking.
  7. Add pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce (you’ll need anywhere from ½ to 1½ c.).
  8. Add fresh herbs & cheese, fold together. Serve with hot crusty bread & more cheese.

Fettuccine Alfredo To Kill For

Submitted by smalltownsongs
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 box Barilla brand fettuccine ½ stick butter
1 qt heavy cream 8 oz. Parmesan cheese
6 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano 1 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper olive oil

Directions

  1. In a big pot fill ¾ of the way with cold water. Dash some salt in there, & about a tbsp or so of Olive Oil. Bring that to a boil, & throw in your box of pasta. If it’s Barilla brand it will be about 11½ – 12 minutes to boil until done. Be sure to stir it every so often. Drain it, put it aside.
  2. In a good sized saucepan, throw in the garlic, basil, oregano, salt, & pepper with the butter. On low-medium heat, simmer until butter melts. Once the butter melts, sauté herbs for about 3-5 minutes (stirring constantly), any longer than that & the mixture will burn.
  3. Turn the heat up to medium level & splash a little heavy cream in there & get a good stir going. I’d say, maybe ½ c.. Keep that up every 5 minutes until you have about a ½ container left. Now you’ve got about ½ container of cream left, some unused cheese, & the herb mixture. Open the container of cheese. With a kitchen knife, stab at the cheese in the container & break the bigger clumps of cheese down.
  4. Put about a quarter of the cheese into the pot. Stir well, pour in ½ c. of the remaining cream, & repeat until you have no more cheese or cream left. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat & stir every 3-5 minutes for about 15 minutes The cream will eventually expand & “puff” up the whole thing, so don’t panic. When that happens, turn the heat to low, & get ready to serve. If it doesn’t happen, no worries, after your 15 minutes is up (after adding the last of the cream & cheese) just turn the heat down to low & prepare to serve.
  5. Put some pasta on the plate, dump some sauce on all over it, garnish with a basil leaf.

Steak with Feta Cheese Sauce

Submitted by unDOGMAtic
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

1 New York strip steak 2″ thick (or 1lb steak) 2 oz. heavy whipping cream 35% fat
1/8 lb. feta cheese, crumbled non salty 2 garlic flower stalks, finely chopped
4 large basil leaves, chopped finely 1 plum tomato, diced
1 green onion, finely chopped salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Let steak sit at room temperature while sauce is prepared.
  2. In a sauce pan or small fry pan, simmer cream over low heat with garlic flowers & basil until half volume is achieved. Stir in onion, simmer 30 seconds, add cheese, simmer 2 minutes while stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate.
  3. Turn heat down to just before off, add tomato, salt & pepper, & stir every 2 minutes until served.
  4. Grill steak to desired doneness (4 minutes per side over charcoal for rare).
  5. Pour sauce over steak & your favorite vegetables.

Chef’s Note: Grilled half red peppers works nicely with steak.

Whitefish Manzana

Submitted by Benji the Hunted
Serves 6

Ingredients

4 whitefish fillets, about 2 lb. (tilapia, grouper, etc.) 1 jar unsweetened applesauce
parmesan cheese fresh basil
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs extra virgin olive oil
flour 3 eggs
splash of milk or heavy cream

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Make an egg wash with the eggs & cream, whisk well with a pinch of salt. Rinse & pat dry the fillets.
  3. Dredge the fillets in the flour, dip in the eggs, & bread them.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat, just before smoking, & sauté the breaded fillets quickly (2 at a time should fit in the pan). Brown the fillet on one side, then the other for just a second, then place on a baking sheet (second side down). No need to oil the pan, there should be plenty of residual oil left on the fish.
  5. Once all the fillets are in the pan, place the fresh basil leaves on top of the fillets lengthwise. 2-3 per fillet depending on size.
  6. With a small spoon, cover most of the fillets with the applesauce, leaving about ¼” edge. Then cover the applesauce with the parmesan cheese. The more the better if you love cheese.
  7. Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven. You’ll know it’s done when it’s good & flaky – check it with a fork.

Chef’s Note: Hint on the dredge: use one hand for the flour & the other for the eggs – a dry hand, wet hand kind of thing. Mix up the two & your fingers quickly quadruple in size. I find sautéed spinach & garlic mashed potatoes complement the dish well.

Tomato & Basil Chicken Breasts

Submitted by Ruth
Serves 2

Ingredients

2 small chicken breasts, trimmed of fat 3-4 semi dried tomatoes
small bunch of basil small bunch of oregano

Directions

  1. Place semi dried tomatoes, basil, & oregano in blender (or mortar& pestle if you don’t have a blender) & blend/crush until a smooth paste. If too thick add a small amount of water, or white wine, to thin.
  2. Place chicken breasts in a non metal bowl, or plate & cover with tomato/basil mix. Allow to marinate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is better.
  3. Heat grill, or BBQ, & grill breasts over medium heat until cooked.
  4. Cooking can be done in a frying pan, but the marinade tends to burn. Can also be done in the oven on a baking dish with a rack. If done in the oven cook for approximately 35-40 minutes at 350°F.