Linguine with Clam Sauce

Sounds fancy? It is! Sounds hard to make? - It's not!! This recipe is so easy you can make it in about the time it takes to boil the noodles! Expensive? NOT! Canned clams at $1.89 a can make this dish an affordable luxury!

1 lb. linguine (you can even cheat and use spaghetti if need be)
olive oiland butter to saute
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
white wine or beer to de-glaze the pan
2 cans (about the same size as a tuna can) minced clams (drain but save the clam juice!)
lemon juice - a good couple squeezes (couple tablespoons)
cream - a splash (if you have it - 1/2 & 1/2 or canned milk works in a pinch)
chopped parsley
salt & pepper to taste
grated parmesean cheese to top with

Start the water to boil noodles and cook to package directions (al dente). Put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and a couple pats of butter. Once the butter starts to melt add the onion (and a pinch of salt to bring out the juices). Then add the garlic and saute a little bit. Add the clams and cook a few minutes. Add the lemon juice and incorporate. Add a splash of wine or beer and cook the alcohol off - deglaze the pan if necessary. Add the reserved clam juice and a splash of cream; cook a few minutes more then add parsley - check if you need salt & pepper. Add the cooked noodles and toss with tongs. Serve with fresh parmesean cheese on top.

That's it!!

Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies - Crockpot

Ingredients:
1 pound bacon
1 package Lil Smokies (I use cheese filled)
3 cups brown sugar

Directions:

Cut bacon in thirds. Wrap bacon around hot dog pieces and secure with toothpick. Place in crock pot and pour brown sugar over them. Cook on high 3-4 hours or until bacon is brown

Stuffed French Bread Meal

Note, don't brown the hamburger for this dish. As it cooks on the bread, the grease soaks in the bread and makes it delicious. It comes out great (not soggy & greasy). This is a hearty, fast, great tasting dish!

6 oz evaporated milk (1/2 can)
2 lbs hamburger (raw)
1 egg
1/2 C chopped onion
1 tbsp mustard
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 C grated cheese (I use cheddar but use what you have)
1 loaf french bread from the supermarket

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients except french bread (don't discard any of the inside of the bread you need it to absorb hamburger grease). Cut bread in half lengthwise. Spread meat mixture on each half. Wrap foil around bottom of bread so it doesn't burn. Bake 30 minutes, top with cheese bake 5 minutes more.

Sloppy Joe-Mama

This isn't your typical sloppy joe - it's good enough to serve to company!

2 loaves of french bread (from the supermarket), slice in half lengthwise
½ lb bacon, chopped in 1” pieces
2 pounds ground beef
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 small carrot peeled and grated (or finely chopped)
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon each oregano & basil
1/2 cup beer (or red wine to de-glaze the pan)
1/2 cup beef broth
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
½ to 1 C chopped parsley
1 pound shredded mozzarella (2 to 4 cups)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Split bread lengthwise then cut in half again and hollow out some of the insides of bread. Lightly crisp bread in oven, about 3-5 minutes. Remove bread and switch broiler on.

Cook bacon in a little olive oil on medium high heat. After the bacon renders most of the fat (not too crisp) add ground beef and brown well. Add garlic, onions and carrots and season with salt & pepper. Add Worcestershire, oregano, and basil, cook about 10 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add beer to de-glaze pan. Add beef broth, tomato sauce, and parsley and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Fill breads with mixture and top with a thin layer of mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Place under broiler to melt cheese.

Truffles (Almost)

Ok so they're not real truffles, but don't let them know your secret! These are a holiday favorite! They are almost too pretty to eat!

20 oz package of oreos (generic ok)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 package each white & chocolate (chips or candy qwik meltable chocolate)

Crush cookies in plastic bag or food processor. In a mixing bowl, mix cookies crumbs with softened cream cheese. Roll in to small balls (3/4"). Let set on waxed paper, cover and refrigerate.

Melt chocolate according to package directions (I use the microwave). I dip the balls in chocolate and drizzle with white. you can do the reverse and/or a combination. Delicious!

Irish Creme (like Bailey's)

This is what we're making this Christmas (and have in many before). If you're weirded out about "raw" eggs, omit them and use 1 cup of brewed coffee that has been cooled (instead of instant granules). We have made this for years and use the raw eggs.

1 C Whipping Cream
1 2/3 Cup Whiskey (Brandy is nice too)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
2 eggs
1 tsp instant coffee
2 tbsp chocolate syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond

Blend all ingredients well in a blender. Keep refrigerated. Pour a shot or two in hot coffee. Also delicious over ice with a shot of peppermint schnappes. Pour a shot of butterscotch schnappes in a shotglass, add a little of this irish cream on top for a slider (shot).

Cinnamon Granola

This recipe was modified from Ina Garten's Food Network show, which I saw around 2006. It's very easy and delicious.

Cinnamon Granola

4 C rolled oats
2 C sweetened shredded coconut
2 C sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (dried cherries or raisins work well too)
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/3 C honey
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Toss oats, coconut, almonds, and dried fruit in large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add cinnamon, stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice golden brown, about 25-30 mins. Remove the granola from the oven, cool, stirring occasionally. Store in airtight container.

Spaghetti Carbonara

(Bacon & Eggs Spaghetti)

I was leary about posting this recipe because it's something you throw together without even reading a recipe card and what really makes the dish is the cooking technique. It's so delicious - one of my family's favorites. This is a regular (at least once a month) in our house! Traditionally, italians make this with pancetta or prosciutto (an italian style ham / bacon) - but who can afford that? We use bacon (on sale of course) and it is like a gourmet meal! Once you get the hang of this dish - you will make it again and again as it is affordable and delicious!

1 lb. bacon (chopped into 1" pieces)
1 small onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1 cup of white wine (or 1 cup of beer) - to deglaze the pan
2 cups parmesean cheese * (see note) reserve a 1/4 cup or so to sprinkle on top
handfull of chopped parsley (or a couple tbsp. of dried)
4 eggs - beaten
1 lb. spaghetti

Cook chopped bacon in a large skillet - as the fat starts to render add onion & garlic.

Start the water to boil for the spaghetti - when it comes to a boil add a good amount of salt** (see note) and start to cook the spaghetti.

When the bacon starts to get crisp - turn down the heat until the spaghetti is done. Don't deglaze the pan until the spaghetti is ready.

When the spaghetti is done, drain the grease off the bacon turn up the heat a little and deglaze the pan with the wine. Reserve some hot water (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups)in a small sauce pan before draining the spaghetti. Drain the spaghetti and dump immediately into the skillet. Toss with tongs.

Ok, here is where it's a little tricky -

Pour the reserved hot spaghetti water into the beaten eggs while whisking them (this is called tempuring the eggs so they don't "scramble").

Put 1 1/2 cups of Parmesean cheese in the spaghetti pan

Pour in the tempured eggs, add the parsely

Take your tongs and toss, toss, toss; continually until the eggs are "cooked". This is hard to explain because the eggs mix with the parm cheese and sort of make a saucy custard like coating.

Serve immediately with more parm on top!

*I buy parmesean cheese in a chunk and grate it on a large grate (the same size as cheddar) You can also buy already grated parmesean cheese - which I've used in this dish and it works fine. DO NOT USE CANNED PARMESEAN CHEESE.

**I was watching Tyler's Ultimate on the Food Network and he said when salting water for pasta you want to add enough salt that it's actually like a broth. Since watching that I started adding a good amount to my pasta and it really does taste better (like a couple 3 tablespoons of kosher salt for a large pot of 16oz spaghetti).