Canned Clam Pasta

Clam pasta

We eat a lot of clams. Not only are they tasty; they are a great source of heme iron. Heme iron is iron from animal sources. It is more readily assimilated by the body.  Since we are always trying to increase our iron stores, we try to have clams once a week. This is our favorite clam dish. Needless to say I change it around a lot. This is the winter version of the dish with canned tomatoes and dried herbs; in the summer I use peeled tomatoes and fresh herbs for a truly outstanding dish. Feel free to add more garlic and change out the spices. I like this sauce with a lot of broth.  If you don't want your pasta swimming is sauce, squish the whole tomatoes and add half of the tomato juice. The important thing is not to over cook the clams, five minutes out to do it. Sometimes I add a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. This should feed four people; it feeds the three of us.

Clam Pasta

1 Tbsp Oil Olive
2 Tbsp Butter
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/4 Small Onion, Diced
28 oz (794 g) Whole Tomatoes in Juice
2 6.5 oz (184 g) Cans of Clams, Divided
1/8 Tsp Oregano, Rosemary, and Thyme
1/4 Tsp Parsley and Basil
Dash of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
16 oz (454 g) Pasta, Cooked

Place olive oil and butter in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat. Add garlic, onions, salt, and pepper and saute just until garlic starts to brown.

I love the smell of cooking onions and garlic

Add the squished whole tomatoes and juice. Also add the juice from two cans of clams. Raise the heat to medium and add the dried spices and pepper flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer about 10 minutes.

Everything is in there except the clams

 Add clams and heat for 5 minutes.

Just cooking the clams until they are done

Serve over pasta.

The bottom line: will I make it again? Yes, I can't wait until summer tomatoes are available and I will be make this with fresh tomatoes and freshly cut herbs.....

Homemade Hamburger Helper

mmmmmm Hamburger Helper

 My daughter loves hamburger helper and I do too. I am not real happy with the hamburger helper from a box. I just don't believe in powdered cheese. Really- powdered cheese? That is worse than "cheese food." I think this is so much better than the boxed stuff. Basically it is browned hamburger, milk, water, spices, pasta, and cheese. It is the perfect weeknight one dish meal.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

1 lb (.45 kg) of Ground Beef
2 1/2 Cups (600 ml) of Milk
1 1/2 Cups (360 ml) of Hot Water
2 Cups (280 g) of Pasta
1 Tbsp of Cornstarch
1 Tbsp of Chili Powder

1 Tsp of Onion Powder
2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Tsp of Sugar
1/2 Tsp of Salt

1/2 Tsp of Fresh Cracked Pepper
3/4 Tsp of Paprika
1/4 Tsp of Cayenne Pepper
2 - 2 1/2 Cups (240-300 g) of Shredded Cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray and add the ground beef.

Lean ground beef

Brown until cooked through and no longer pink. Carefully pour off any fat.

Browned ground beef

Add the pasta, milk, water and spices and stir to combine.

I premeasure and mix the spices

Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to simmer.

Ready to simmer

Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Add the cheese and stir to combine.

Freshly grated cheese

 Serve immediately.

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes. We have this about once a month. I mix and match the past, cheeses, and spices. The only limit is your imagination. 

Beef Stronganoff

Beef Stronganoff over Egg Noodles

 I love beef stronganoff. So does Katie but she loves anything that has sour cream. I also make this hamburger instead of chuck roast. It's all good.  My secret to an awesome and creamy stronganoff is cream cheese. I use light cream cheese and sour cream and it is still amazing. I prefer fresh mushrooms (baby portabellas are my favorite) but canned mushrooms will work too. If you want a thicker sauce, add a 1 teaspoon of corn starch with the beef broth. For a special treat use steak as instead of chuck roast and full fat sour cream and cream cheese. 

2 lbs (.9 kg) Beef Chuck Roast, Cut into Chunks

Salt and Pepper, To Taste

4 Tbsp of Butter

2 Tbsp of Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion, Diced

8 oz (227 g) of Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced 

3 Garlic Cloves, Thinly Sliced

1 Can (10.5 oz/ 300 g) of Beef Broth

3/4 Tsp of Mustard

1 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce

2/3 Cup (160 g) of Sour Cream

3 oz. (85 g) of Cream Cheese
Salt and Pepper, To Taste
Egg Noodles (Or Rice), Cooked

Season beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter, oil and beef. Quickly brown the beef and remove.

Add the onions, mushrooms, garlic, and a little bit of salt and pepper and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add meat and pour in beef broth.


Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and stir in mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender.

Meanwhile cook the egg noodles. Five minutes before serving, stir in the sour cream and cream cheese. Heat briefly, taste, and add salt and pepper to taste.

The bottom line: would I make this again? Yes. I love beef stronganoff. 

New England Clam Chowder

The perfect bowl of clam chowder

 There is a great debate over which is better New England or Manhattan Clam Chowder. There is no such debate in our house. We all agree that New England Clam Chowder is superior. I think I made Manhattan Clam Chowder once. If I am going to make a tomato based seafood stew/soup it is going to be a bouillabaisse or cioppino. This is a clam chowder recipe that has been developed over years. I finally measured everything as I made it so that Katie could make it someday. I think it her favorite soup, at least for now. The secret is the seasonings. I know it looks like a lot of herbs and it is. But it is awesome and just right. Also the carrots add just a bit of sweetness to the soup. I think the perfect balance with the herbs. Every once in awhile, I add a bit of cayenne- just to spice up the soup. I don't like celery in my clam chowder but if you do go ahead and add some diced celery with the carrots.  

The herb mixture

New England Clam Chowder

3 Slices of Bacon, Finely Sliced
1/2 cup (75 g) of Onions, Diced

1/2 Cup (75 g) of Carrots, Diced

3 Small Potatoes (450 g), Peeled and Diced
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/8 Tsp Each of Dried Oregano, Parsley, Dill, Basil, and Rosemary

1/16 Tsp Each of Dried Marjoram, Tarragon and Thyme

1 Tbsp Flour
2 Cans (6.5 oz. 184 g each) of Clams, Chopped
1 Cup (240 ml) of  Clam Juice (You should have enough from the Canned Clams)
1 Cup (240 ml) of Milk

1/2 Cup (120 ml) of Half and Half
1/4 Tsp of White Pepper

In a heavy-bottomed dutch oven or large sauce pan, sauté bacon.

Bacon and butter is there anything better?

Once bacon is starting to brown and is releasing its grease, lower heat and add onion, carrots, potatoes, garlic and the herbs.

Everything chopped and ready to go

Heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

An amazing mixture

(Take a moment to savor the incredible mix of bacon, onion, garlic, and herbs). Do not allow to brown. Drain clams and set aside, reserving the juice. Slowly stir in the flour and clam juices. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Add the half and half and milk and simmer 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

A low slow simmer works best

Add white pepper and clams. Heat on low until clams are heated through approximately 5 minutes. Do not allow to boil, as this toughens the clams. 

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes, I love it. This is my favorite clam chowder. To quote my husband "it rocks." 

Cheese Garlic Grits

Cheese garlic grits

I love cheese garlic grits. I make them every year for Thanksgiving and whenever else I can work them into a meal. They are great reheated the next day. I love the combination of cheese garlic grits with cranberry relish. I actually just ate a plate of leftover grits and cranberry relish. Yum! I only use Bob Red Mill's grits. They make the best grits. 
I interchange the cheeses depending on my mood. Somethings I add extra cheese. Steven likes garlic cheese (well cheese food) in these grits but lately it has been hard to find. I have used sharp and medium cheddar cheese, colby cheese, and a mixture of Italian cheeses. I do grate cheese for these and I do not use preshredded cheese from a bag. I love string cheese in my grits (I have no idea why but I do) so I tear up pieces of string cheese and add them to the grits. String cheese certainly isn't necessary and is not traditional. Some people use milk instead of water to cook their grits. I don't think it adds that much except calories. I also have been know to mix and match the spices. My current favorite is Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning. I also have used cayenne pepper; ancho chili pepper, chipotle pepper; and curry in place of the Creole seasoning. I use fresh minced garlic but I know people who use garlic powder (just don't use garlic salt). 

Cheese Garlic Grits

6 Cups (1440 ml) of Water
2 Cups (360 g) of Grits
1/2 Cup (113 g) of Butter
10 oz. (227 to 255 g) of Cheddar Cheese, Grated
3 Sticks of Mozzarella String Cheese, Cut into Small Pieces (Optional)
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced 
1 Tsp of Creole Seasoning
Salt and Pepper, to Taste
Preheat oven to 350F/176 C/ Gas Mark 4. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add grits. Lower heat and cook slowly until thickened about 8 to 10 minutes. Add butter and stir to combine.

Mmmmmm butter

Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

Adding the rest of the ingredients

Stirring in all of the cheese yumminess

Pour into a 2.5  quart (2.4 L) casserole dish and bake for 35 minutes.

Ready for the oven

The botton line: will I make these again? Yes, I love them. I am so sad that I already finished off all of the leftover grits. 

Greek Chicken

Greek chicken

I went on a trip with my family and we ate at this amazing Greek restaurant. I loved the food. Everything had tons of lemon and oregano. It tasted to so fresh. I decided to try to replicate the tastes. We are having a very mild winter so the oregano (and most of our herbs) are still growing.
This dish took me a couple of tries to get it "right." I tried it first with boneless skinless chicken breasts and it just wasn't as good as using chicken pieces with the skin on. I use thighs in this recipe.
I also used different types of potatoes. My favorite turned out to be small red potatoes. I like lots of lemony taste so I used two lemons and their zest. If you aren't crazy about lemons- well you may not want to make this dish. I also used lots of pepper (but then I love pepper).

The key to Greek chicken is fresh oregano

Greek Chicken

6-8 Chicken Pieces (I use Thighs)
4 Large Potatoes or 8 Small Potatoes, Peeled and Diced
A Couple of Sprigs of Fresh Oregano, Chopped
1/2 of a Medium Onion, Chopped
4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
Zest from One Lemon
Salt and Pepper, to Taste
1/4 Cup (60 ml) of Olive Oil
Juice of 2 Lemons

Preheat oven to 350F/176C/Gas Mark 4 (regular or convection). Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken in the pan and place the potatoes and onions around the chicken. salt and pepper the chicken and potatoes.

The great thing about this dish is it a one dish meal

Sprinkle the oregano and garlic over the chicken and potatoes. Pour the lemon juice and olive oil over the chicken and potatoes.

Ready for the oven

Bake in oven for 55-65 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F/ 74 (the best method is to cook to the proper temperature). If you use your convection oven, you should start checking for doneness around 45 minutes.

Yummy greek chicken!

The bottom line: Will I make this again? Yes. It is wonderful. Next time I may grate the potatoes so they are like hash browns.

Iron Rich Toffee Cereal Mix

Toffee Cereal Mix

I have HHT, which stands for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Never heard of it? It is a genetic disease that affects blood vessels and occurs in 1 in 5,000 people. Approximately 1.2 million people have hht worldwide which makes it uncommon but not rare. The most common sign of HHT is nosebleeds but it can and does strike other areas of the body. Want to know more? Go here or here.
I found out I had HHT when I was in my twenties. I had my pity party (it lasted several months) then decided that I am more than a disease. I am stronger than a disease and I can beat it. I decided to enjoy every minute of my life. Do I? For the most part I do. I love my family, my job, my friends, and my off time. I try to balance my love of food with exercise (not so crazy about the exercise). I take many moments to be awed by the people and the beauty around me. I chose to be positive. Having said that, I also make sure I am well-informed about the disease I have.
Every two years I go to an HHT conference. I find out where we are with finding a cure and what I need to be thinking about. I also go to be inspired by the tremendous, incredible, strong, resilient (there just aren't enough adjectives) people who struggle with the disease. I am continually awed. Also at some point in the conference I have a small pity party for myself and move on. I also have an "a-ha" moment.
This year's a-ha moment was iron deficiency. There were several great presentations on iron and iron deficiency. (People with HHT bleed and our iron stores run down). While I am not anemic, I am concerned that my iron stores are being depleted. So I did some research and came up with a game plan.
Here is my take on iron. There are two types of iron- heme iron (from animals) and non-heme iron (from plants). Most iron supplements are non-heme. Non-heme iron is not as readily absorbed which is why you take vitamin c with it (it needs an acidic environment in the stomach). Non-heme is also the iron with the majority of the side effects. Heme iron is found in beef, duck, fish, lamb, shrimp, and clams. Clams and oysters are the best sources for heme iron. I love love clams. I have already started making clams at least once a week. I will be posting those recipes later as I perfect them. Non-heme iron is found in fortified cereals, spinach (I love spinach), pumpkin seeds, molasses, beans, and raisins. It is harder to absorb and usually has more of the side effects (the big side effect being constipation).
I thought that it was would great to make an iron rich snack mix with some added fiber. The trick was to make it taste good so it would be a joy to eat. I decided to share it because I know I am not the only one who struggles with iron decency. For the cereal I used a mixed of corn, wheat, rice, and cinnamon chex and Cheerios.

Iron Rich Toffee Cereal Mix

8 Cups of Cereal
3 Cups (24 g) of Popped Popcorn
1 Cup (50 g) of Pretzels
1 Cup (130 g) of Pumpkin Seeds
1/4 Cup (55 g) of Butter
1/3 Cup (80 ml) Molasses
1/3 Cup (80 ml) Light Corn Syrup
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

Preheat oven to 250F/120C/ Gas Mark 0.5.  Combine the cereals, popcorn, pretzels, and seeds in a bowl or cookie sheet.

The cereal mixture ready for the toffee

In a saucepan combine butter, molasses, corn syrup, and salt over medium heat and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and add baking soda. Mixture will foam. Stir until completely combined.

After you add the baking soda, the mixture will foam

Pour over cereal mixture and stir until well coated. Spread onto baking sheets. Bake in oven  for  30 minutes turning every 10 minutes until mixture hardens. Cool and eat.

Cereal toffee

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes- my family loved it.