New England Clam Chowder

I love, I mean LOVE, New England clam chowder. A few weeks ago my very pregnant friend from MA mentioned she was craving it. She doesn't really like to cook and they don't do clam chowder in Ireland, so I thought I'd try my hand at making some and take it over to her. I hadn't had it in ages myself, so I thought this was a win win for both of us! After I started making it I panicked a little bit, wondering if this mid-Atlantic girl could pull off making this soup for a true New England connoisseur of the clam chowder. Fortunately, it turned out better than I expected!

There are a million recipes out there for this soup, calling for things like dill or celery. You can pick one really depending on your taste, but from what I could remember dill and celery aren't really authentic. After searching around quite a bit I ended up using a recipe from a Boston tourist site and can be found here. It's a simple soup to make with basic ingredients. Fresh clams are very expensive here, so I ended up just using tinned ones and it was still delicious. I made this the night before and it tasted even better the next day.

I tweaked the recipe a tiny bit, so here's my version using the tinned clams:

Approx. 1 cup tinned clams*, drain and save the juice
2 pieces of streaky bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 dried bay leaf
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups waxy potatoes, peeled and diced
3 tbsp flour
1 cup 2% or semi-skimmed milk
1 cup single cream
Salt to taste
Dash of cayenne

Heat up a sauce pan and fry the bacon until crispy. Add the onion, thyme, bay leaf, and butter. Once the butter melts, add the flour and stir until blended**. Once the onions are translucent, add in the reserved clam juice, diced potatoes, and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are soft, 8-10 minutes. Once the potatoes are soft add in the cream and clams. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne, tasting until you get it just right to your liking.

That's it! Super easy! I just heated it through the next day and it was even more delicious than right after I made it. This made enough for the two of us to have a hearty lunch with some nice bread.

*Use more or less clams depending on how clammy you like it!
**Yeah, I messed up here. I forgot to put in the flour. So to thicken the soup I added cornstarch before adding the cream and clams. I just added a little bit at a time, eyeballing it until it was a nice thickness.

Ham and Spaghetti Supreme

When my sister threw a bridal shower for me, everyone brought a recipe. I LOVE this idea for bridal showers because I love trying out new recipes. That shower was a year and a half ago and I'm sad to say this is the first time I've tried this recipe from my cousin. I have an excuse. It calls for a can of mushrooms and I couldn't find canned mushrooms here. I know, that's no excuse. I was pretty proud of myself for coming up with an easy, fresher alternative. So, this is my modified version of the recipe and it was DELICIOUS! It's a great way to use up leftover ham. We had it with steamed green beans.

I apologize for the quality of the picture at the bottom. I had completely forgotten to take a picture and Wes reminded me just as he was about to tuck into his plate.

Ham and Spaghetti Supreme

2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (I used low fat)
3/4 c milk
2 c cooked ham, cubed
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar
150 g button mushrooms, sliced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
Salt, to taste (my ham was very salty, so I omitted this)
1/2 lb dry spaghetti
1/2 c seasoned dry bread crumbs

Start boiling the water to cook the spaghetti. While making the creamy mixture, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.

Melt butter over medium heat, then add onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until mushrooms are starting to brown a little, about 10 minutes. Add soup, milk, ham, 1 c of cheese, and pepper. Mix well. Cook over medium heat until cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Taste to see if you need to add some salt. Add the spaghetti to the ham mixture, tossing to mix.

Spread evenly in a 9x13 in baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs and remaining cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees F (180 degrees C) until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Makes 5-6 servings.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili

Sorry for the lack of posts on my food blog. I haven't been too creative lately!

This recipe is adapted from my 2004 Cooking Light cookbook. I was looking for a chili recipe and this recipe was a contribution from a runner in Baltimore. It had Old Bay seasoning in it so I was intrigued! I'm always looking for new ways to use my Old Bay, other than on chips and in my shrimp salad! I had to adapt the recipe because it called for V-8 which isn't available here. I added the lentils at the last minute because I knew they would make it much more hearty and my meat-loving husband would appreciate that! If the chili is too spicy, add a bit of sugar to help calm down the heat.

Vegetarian Chili

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 c courgette, chopped
4 c chopped tomatoes
11 oz tomato sauce with herbs
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
2 tsp chili powder
3/4 c red lentils
Salt to taste

In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion, saute for 2 minutes stirring continuously. Add the peppers and courgette, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, Old Bay and chili powder. Mix thoroughly, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low. Add the lentils, stir, and cook for another 20 minutes.

Serves 4-6 (I'm using the leftovers to make a tamale bake)

Enjoy!

The easiest meatloaf recipe ever!

I love meatloaf. I love meatloaf so much that I told the meatloaf that I loved it while it was cooking. Then I felt guilty and had to tell my husband that I love him too. Fortunately he shares my love of meatloaf. He never had it before he met me and he proclaimed, 'it's like a giant meatball'. Yes, yes, it is.

The kicker is that I only like my mom's meatloaf. I don't ever order it in restaurants because it could have green peppers baked inside or ketchup smeared on top. These are two things that can instantly ruin a meatloaf for me. That's okay though, because meatloaf is simple to make. My mom has two recipes, one that requires chopping and eyeballing. Maybe one day I'll make that one. Instead I make the super simple recipe that requires ripping open packets and opening a can. Now, I have no idea where she got this recipe. She certainly didn't make it up, but we've been making it for years. If I were REALLY good I'd serve this with scalloped potatoes. Alas...I cop out and make it with mashed potatoes.

Super Easy Meatloaf

2 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/2 c dry bread crumbs
1 packet dry Lipton Onion Soup mix
1/2 can condensed Cream of Mushroom soup* (reserve other half for sauce)

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Mix all of the ingredients together well and form into a loaf in a 2-qt baking dish. Bake for 1 1/4 hour. For the sauce, in a small saucepan heat up the remainder of the soup, 1/4 c water, and some of the fat drained from the meatloaf.

*Don't like mushrooms? Use cream of celery or cream of potato soup instead.

Enjoy!

Sausage and lentils casserole

This recipe came from Weight Watcher's Cook. I tried to find the book online, but can't find it anywhere. My housemate in England was attending WW meetings and brought this home. After we made a few things I asked her to pick one up for me too. Perhaps it's only available to people who attend meetings. The recipes in this book can be a bit hit or miss, but this one was definitely a hit! I love lentils, so I've been eyeing this recipe up for awhile. We both loved it and I will definitely be making it again. The cookbook describes it as a comfort food and I would definitely agree as it's very hearty and filling. The recipe makes 4 generous servings. If you're following WW, this recipe is 6 points. You can also make it vegetarian by using veggie sausages and stock. Then it would only be 5 points. 

I used the Marks and Spencer reduced fat sausages, but any mild sausage would work well in this recipe. I couldn't find dry Puy lentils, so I used brown which took about 45 minutes to soften. I didn't have mixed herbs, so I used herbs de provence and sprinkled in a bit of parsley.

Sausage and Lentil Casserole

Low fat cooking spray
8 low fat sausages (400g/14oz total weight)
4 shallots, sliced (or one small onion)
2 garlic cloves, sliced
150ml (5 fl oz) red wine
110g (4oz) Puy lentils
400ml (14 fl oz) beef stock
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
450g (1 lb) potatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Lightly coat a large lidded pan with low fat cooking spray and heat until sizzling. Add the sausages and cook for 4-5 minutes until browned all over. Add the shallots and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
2. Add the wine and let it bubble for a minute before adding the lentils, stock and herbs. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft and the sausages cooked through.
3. Meanwhile boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until soft. Drain the potatoes and mash them.
4. Serve the mash potatoes with the casserole.

Enjoy!

Ham Pot Pie

There is only one way to describe ham pot pie: comfort food. This was my very first attempt making this family favorite and I'm pretty darn proud of myself! Up to this point, I would only eat it when I was at home and my mom could make it because it seemed so daunting. I mean, you have to make dough and roll things out. Mom would always be concerned if it was 'too stodgy' or 'the broth was too thin' or 'there's too much ham'. Yikes! My sister, dad, and I would just roll our eyes and pile up our plates. It always tasted good to us!

Now that the ham pot pie isn't quite as convenient to us and because I had a craving for it, I announced to the husband that I was going to attempt to make ham pot pie for dinner. Since being introduced to pot pie on his first trip to the US it is a new favorite of his, so he was all for it.

There are really only two steps to making ham pot pie: making the ham broth and making the pot pie dough. Oh, I should also point out that you can make this with chicken, beef, or any other kind of meat. Even squirrel if that's your thing. My mom always made ham, so that's what I prefer. Whatever type of meat you choose, you need to make the broth. I used a 1 kg piece of unsmoked, cured ham. Why 1kg, unsmoked, and cured? Because that's what the had in the store. Another time I made ham broth I used smoked ham. Honestly, I think it all tastes the same and I don't recall a particularly smoky taste. I still can't figure out ham in this country. So, I put the ham in a large pot, covered it with water, brought it to a slow boil, then turned it down to simmer. While the ham was boiling I peeled two large potatoes, cut them into 1/4 in slices, and left them in cold water until I was ready for them. I boiled the ham for a little over an hour, pulled out the meat, and cut it in chunks before throwing it back in the broth. After that was done, I made the dough.

The recipe for the dough comes from this cookbook:

The Granddaughter's Inglenook Cookbook was first published by the Church of the Brethren in 1901 and was updated through the years. This version was published in 1976 and includes recipes for things like American Chop Suey, Perfection Salad,  Eggs a la Goldenrod, and Baked Carrot Ring. Interesting... My grandmother gave each of her granddaughters a copy of the cookbook and as far as I know, no one has ever made a thing out of it other than pot pie.

The recipe for pot pie is as follows:

2 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp shortening

3/4 c water

Mix as for pie dough but roll out somewhat thicker. Cut in squares or strips.

That's it. Oh, and if you don't have a rolling pin, a bottle of beer works as a pretty good substitute.

Once you have your broth with your chunks of ham in it, you bring the broth up to a boil and start dropping in your dough squares and potatoes. Mom always did one slice of potato per each slice of dough, so that's what I did too. I let that cook for about 30 minutes and that was it! Done!

It turned out pretty good and I will most definitely make it again, but I did learn a few things:

1. Make sure you take the plastic sleeve-thing off the ham. Yes, I took it out of the packaging, but there was this weird plastic thing around it that I found floating in the broth. Oops.

2. Know your potatoes. The red rooster potatoes that we have here break apart really easily. They're great for mashed or roast potatoes, but don't stand up to long periods of boiling. I put the potatoes in at the same time as the dough, which was too long for them to cook and they broke down. If I use those  potatoes again I will wait about 15 minutes before I put the potatoes in, which means they'll only cook for about 15 minutes.

3. I prefer the taste of Crisco over Frytex. Wes didn't notice a difference in the taste of the pot pie, but that's because he's an amateur. If I had never had it made with Crisco, it would have been fine, but 35 years of taste-testing this dish means I can taste the difference in my shortening. Unfortunately, we can't get plain Crisco here so I'll be importing some.

I guess that's how it works with these handed-down family recipes. You keep working at them until you get them perfect for you and your family. Fortunately, my mom has been making it perfect for years, so I can keep getting tips and tastes from her every time I go home!