Baked Stuffed Clams

serves 4-6

• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 pound of chopped clams (2 cups)
• 2 Tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine
• 1/2 teaspoons of sweet paprika
• 1 Tablespoon of chopped jalapeno-drained pickled jalapeno or cherry peppers can be substituted
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/3 cup of ground dried chorizo
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of granulated garlic powder
• 2–5 dashes of Gypsy Juice or Parrot hot sauce
• 1 medium onion minced
• 2 Tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 cup of plain bread crumbs, preferably homemade
• 1 lemon
• 6–8 small ramekins, scallop or large sea clam shells lightly greased
•  Preheat oven to 400° F.

1. Heat 10 inch or larger saute pan and melt butter
2. Saute onion and chorizo and jalapeno together for 4-5 minutes on medium heat and set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl combine bread crumbs, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, parsley, hot sauce, wine and clams and mix thoroughly. Add contents of saute pan to the bowl and mix. Add desired amount of clam stuffing to scallop shells or ramekins and place on baking sheet. Bake for 15–18 minutes. Serve with Gypsy Juice hot sauce and fresh lemon.

Rustic Bread

 

 

Easy no knead recipe
Makes one loaf

3 ¾ cups of bread flour
2 teaspoons of salt
1 1/4 oz envelope of rapid rise yeast – Fleischmann’s
1¾ cups of warm water
small dutch oven, cast iron sauce pan with lid or baking crock with lid

In a deep bowl mix flour, yeast, salt and water. Batter should be slightly wet and sticky
Lightly oil one side of plastic wrap and cover bread
Let rise in a warm place 4-6 hours or overnight. Dough will double in size
Lightly flour bottom of pan
Pre-heat oven to 450° and place pan and lid in oven while preheating

Place raised dough in pan, make cuts cross lines with sharp knife on top
Cover, bake for 30 minutes
Remove lid and bake additional 20 minutes
Remove from oven and allow bread to cool in pan

Slice to desired thickness. Enjoy for sandwiches or toast
Keep in a plastic bag. Will keep in refrigerator for one week

Chopped Watercress Salad

Serves 4-6

This salad is colorful as well as crunchy

2-3 bunches of watercress washed and spun dry
1 small red onion chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese- preferably Valdeon or Jasper Hill Bailey Hazen blue
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1 head of Belgium endive sliced julienne
1 small red pepper seeded, remove rib and cut into small pieces

You will need a large salad bowl

Prepare watercress by cutting off lower thick stems, keep small leaves and chop into bite size pieces and place in bowl
add endive, red pepper and onion
top with nuts and cheese, set aside

Rice vinaigrette

whisk the following ingredients in a small bowl set aside

3 tablespoons of Marukan seasoned rice vinegar
pinch of sea salt
pinch white pepper
2 tablespoons of a fruity extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of walnut or hazelnut oil

To maintain the delicate nature of watercress it is essential not to dress salad until serving time

Chicken Meatballs

Makes 6-8

Watching calories? Chicken is a great substitute for ground beef and much fewer calories

1 lb of ground chicken
2 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley
4  large eggs beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons of granulated garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 large onion finely chopped about 1 cup
¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano

Mix all ingredients, form meatballs to desired size. Have your favorite red sauce made and heated. Add meatballs gently to hot red sauce, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Turn carefully, cook another 10 minutes covered. Serve with your favorite pasta.

 

Tips

Recipe can be made with all ground turkey or 1/3 of each of ground pork, chicken and beef

Wild Blueberry Nut Bread

Lisa Lamme’ from the Gypsy Kitchen

Makes 2 small loafs or 12 muffins
Light and flaky with a crunchy top. Bread is fabulous toasted

2 cups wild blueberries- frozen maybe used
½ cup of cold cubed unsalted butter
¾ cup of cake or pastry flour plus 2 tablespoons
1½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup of chopped walnuts -optional
¾ cup organic sugar
½ teaspoon of salt
Zest of two lemons
¾ teaspoon of fresh grated nutmeg
¾ cup of milk or cream
2 teaspoons of  real vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons baking powder
Oil to lightly grease tins

Preheat oven to 400°
Oil tins
Toss blueberries in 2 tablespoons of cake flour in a bowl
Mix eggs, zest, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, salt and sugar in a bowl
Mix remaining flours together, add butter into dry ingredients and mix until you get a fine grain
Add baking powder to flour mixture
Add liquids to flour and mix 8-10 times
Add in berries and nuts mix 3-4times

Fill tins or loaf pans three quarters full
Bake 40-45 minutes for bread, 30-35 minutes for muffins. Test with a knife for dryness.

Remove from oven, un-mold from pans before cooling. Serve warm

Lemon Thyme Risotto

Serves 4-6

Flavor flavor flavor. One could just eat this and be happy! Perfect side for Mediterranean dishes

I love thyme and lemon and use them often.

1 lb of arborio rice

¾ cup of dry vermouth

3-4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1 ½ cups onion minced

1 ½ tablespoons garlic minced (reserve ¼ teaspoon)

Juice  and zest of 2 lemons

2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves off stem

2-3 bay leafs

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ stick unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

1 ½ tablespoons grated aged Piave or aged Parmesan cheese

Takes aprox 45 minutes to hour

In 12 inch saute pan heat olive oil and butter and cook rice till translucent

Sauté onions and garlic

Add in small amounts of vermouth & chicken stock and continue simmering.

Add bay leafs , thyme. pepper, salt

Continue adding small amounts of vermouth & chicken stock each time rice needs fluid. Stir in remainder of garlic, lemon juice, and cover on low for 2-3 minutes till lemon juice is absorbed

Remove bay leafs

Top with parsley, cheese, zest and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve!

Crème of Parsnip Soup

Serves 4-6

Parsnips are one of my favorite vegetables. Their appearance is similar to a white carrot with a lot of flavor. This creamy soup is the perfect start to any meal.

1 lb of parsnips peeled & cut
1 cup of onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1  large potato peeled and cut
¼ teaspoon of white pepper
½ teaspoon of  sea-salt

1/2 stick of unsalted butter
4 cups chicken stock or 2 herb ox chicken cubes to 4 cups water or substitute vegetable broth

2 bay leafs

1 cup of heavy cream

Suggested Garnishes (optional)

drizzle of white truffle oil in each serving

garlic croutons

fresh snipped chives

fresh grated nutmeg

directions

2 quart covered soup pot

Sauté onion, garlic in butter till translucent
Add parsnips, bay leaf, pepper, potato, salt, chicken stock

Cook on medium- low heat covered until till parsnips are fork tender (25-30 minutes)
Remove bay leafs

Puree soup with a hand held immersion blender
Add cream and return to low heat for 8-10 minutes

Serve piping hot in bowls and  garnish with your choice of truffle oil, chives , croutons or nutmeg

Grilled Artichoke Hearts

Serves 6-8

If you love artichokes here is a side you will want to feature often and  a bit  exotic

Beautiful plated with grilled chicken breasts, shrimp, lamb or beef kabobs

 

 

2 14 oz cans of whole artichoke hearts drained and squeezed dry

place hearts  on skewers in 2 inch deep  rectangle tray

 

Marinade

In a bowl whisk the following:

4-5 garlic  cloves thru a press

1 tablespoon of prepared Dijon mustard

Juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1  medium finely minced shallot

1/2 tsp of sea salt

¼ tsp of fresh ground pepper

 

Garnish ( optional)

1 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley

extra lemon wedges

drizzle of your best olive oil

 

 

cover skewers in marinade and coat evenly

Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight. Turn skewers occasionally

 

Grilll 4-7 minutes. You may serve on skewers or artichokes may also be remove and plated.

Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil before serving. Serve with additional lemon wedges

Tuscan White Bean Salad

Serves 6-8

 

A very tasty and nutritious side salad. Cooking the beans with seasonings added to the broth  improves  flavor  of this dish. See tip below for using canned beans.

Best consumed within three days

Prepare beans

1 lb of dried cannelloni beans (white kidney beans)

6 cups water

2 herb ox chicken bouillon cubes or vegetarian cubes

2 teaspoons of kosher salt

3 bay leafs

5 garlic cloves thru press

In a large pot

Bring water, boullion, bay leaf to a boil

Add beans and garlic and cover

Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 1 hour.

Turn off heat

Keep covered 30 minutes

Drain and cool beans

Remove bay leafs

Add beans to a medium size serving bowl

Dressing

whisk the following in a small bowl

3 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley chopped

juice of 3 lemons

2 teaspoons of fresh garlic thru a press

2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leafs remove off the stems

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon of fresh ground white pepper

2 tablespoons of red onion minced fine

cover beans and toss in dressing

chill and rest for 1 hour

Maybe served at room temperature or chilled

Tip:

4 cans of 15.5 oz each of cooked cannelloni that have been rinsed and drained may be substituted if you don’t have cooking time. Add dressing and chill for 2 hours for best results.  Note: Canned beans will be much softer in texture than ones you cook yourself.

Lemon Garlic Hummus

Makes about  4 cups

2 cans 15.5 oz chick peas rinsed and drained (discard any dark discolored ones)

2 teaspoons  sea-salt
¼- 1/2 cup of water (I use distilled)

4  large cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons of tahini paste
Juice of 2 large lemons
½ cup -¾ cup of  extra virgin olive oil

In a large food processor add tahini, garlic, salt and half of lemon juice, half of olive oil  and blend till paste

Add in half of chick peas,water  and puree

Add  remaining lemon juice,chick peas,oil and puree till creamy. Add a small amount of water and puree if  you desire a thinner hummus.

Serve with toasted pita chips or warm pita bread

Last in refrigerator  in covered container  for one week