New England Clam Chowder

In between these early summer days of sultry weather, we've had a couple of days of damp and cool, when the idea of hamburgers and potato salad just didn't seem to hit the spot. 

I rummaged about in the pantry and saw I had three cans of minced clams, had some heavy cream in the fridge that needed to be used, and knew what we'd be having for dinner.

This clam chowder is very good; it's not the best (if you've ever had fresh from the Atlantic Ocean clams made into chowder from Legal Seafoods in Boston, you'll know what I mean by best), but it's the best I've ever made at home.  This chowder had a wonderful velvety mouth feel and the clam flavor came through nicely.  Even Ole Sweetie-Pi, who rarely goes for a second helping on anything with milk in it, ate two servings, and put dibs on the leftovers.

There's controversy about bacon versus salt pork, and I use bacon.  Rarely do I have salt pork in the house unless I'm making baked beans.  If you have salt pork, but all means go ahead and use it; just render the fat as you would with the bacon.  Some folks go so far as to finely dice the salt pork and sprinkle it on the chowder  as a garnish, but I'm not one of them; I've got to have some limits, smiles, on the amount of fat I consume.

And take a look at the last ingredient at the ingredient list. Are you as surprised as I was?  I hesitated using the sugar as it's not an ingredient I envision with clam chowder, so I opted to use just a good pinch, and the addition seemed to work just fine.

New England Clam Chowder

3 6.5-ounce cans minced or whole clams, reserve liquid **
3 slices bacon
4 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
1 cup heavy cream (light cream will work too)

3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
good pinch of sugar

Drain the clams, reserving the liquid.  Add enough water to make 2 cups of liquid.

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon, rendering the fat.  Remove the bacon and save the drippings.  Add the diced potatoes and onions and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or so, or until the onions look translucent. 

Add the clam juice, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Stir in the claims, 2 cups of milk and the cream. 

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of milk with the flour and stir well.  Stir mixture into the chowder. Cook chowder until thick and bubbly.

Add Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of sugar. Stir, and taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper if desired. 

Supposed to serve 4, (probably dainty eaters)  but more likely 2 or 3 really hungry people.

**My notes:  The original recipe called for 2 cans of clams, which isn't nearly enough.  Even with three 6.5-ounce cans of clams, I felt as if I could have used another can, and then I probably wouldn't have had to add any water at all.

Four cups of potatoes, is that really enough?  Depends how thick and chunky you like your clam chowder.  Next time, I'll probably add another potato or two. 

Same goes with the thickener.  I've had chowder so thick you could stand your spoon up in it and at the other end of the spectrum, where it was just a milk broth.  This chowder is a medium consistency, very good.  If you like it thicker, add more flour and milk after you see how it cooks up.

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake (?)

Buttery, sugary, buttermilk tender, strawberry rhubarb-y,  jammy-oozy coffee cake.  But is this really a coffee cake?  Is it for breakfast or dessert?  It doesn't matter to me, this is very good!  I probably should have waited before cutting into this cake and photographing it, but the aroma was so irresistible that I had to.  Warm, it was like a cobbler with a bottom crust. After completing cooling, the filling was less oozy,  but still delicious, more like a coffee cake. 

We were visiting Sweetie-Pi's sister's home, and her beloved offered fresh-from-their-garden rhubarb, with the warm earth still clinging to the long green and red stalks. He handed me a huge bagful and my eyes lit in anticipation, as I thought of strawberry rhubarb pies and coffee cake.  I found this keeper recipe on Southern Food About.com. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

(found on Southern Food About.com)

Filling

3 cups sliced rhubarb, (1 inch pieces) fresh or frozen

2 pints fresh strawberries, mashed

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, cut in small pieces

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

Generously butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and have ready a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan (or tin foil on the baking rack) to place under the baking dish to allow for any fruit bubbling over. Preheat oven to 350*F.

In a large saucepan, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, and lemon juice.  Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Combine the sugar with the cornstarch and add to the fruit mixture.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened, and the cornstarch mixture looks clear.  Remove from heat.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Cut the butter in with a pastry blender, or use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients, until you have a mixture that resembles coarse crumbs.  In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. 

Spread half of the batter mixture into the prepared 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  Top with the strawberry rhubarb mixture, carefully spreading as necessary.  Using a tablespoon, drop the remaining batter onto the filling.

For the topping, melt the butter either in your microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add the flour and sugar and mix until the mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle over batter.

Place baking dish on the baking sheet and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the cake is done.  A toothpick inserted into the center of the batter will probably have the fruit mixture cling to the toothpick, but you are looking to see that the batter is cooked. 

Cool cake on rack.  Cut in squares to serve.  Will easily make 12 squares. 

Notes:  This may be sacrilege, but I preferred this cake slightly warm and the filling all sweet, gooey, and oozy. 

Cake took an extra 10 minutes to cook in my oven, a total of 55 minutes.

Really, Really, Really Good Blueberry Muffins

I may have mentioned a while back that my friend Alice T. asked me if I had a really good blueberry muffin recipe.  Truth was, I didn't, which sent me on a quest to find one. While I accept that everyone has their own opinion of  what is "best,"  I tried several  so-named best recipes from different sources, only to be disappointed with leaden or sodden lumps of dough with blueberries interspersed.  I began to believe I was seeking an ideal which lived only in my imagination:  fluffy, blueberry-goodness, in a muffin form, not too sweet (so that let out anything with a strudel  topping), and without crazy ingredients or procedures.  I had a favorite, blueberry tea bread, so why would I need a blueberry muffin recipe.  Well, I just did and so did my friend Alice.

This morning,  I discovered a really, really, really good blueberry muffin recipe.  It's reportedly from Cooks Illustrated, which was my reason for trying just one more recipe; they call it their Best Blueberry Muffin.  I messed up on following the directions, and these muffins still came out moist, fluffy, blueberry-good!  I'm just sayin' the search stops here as far as I'm concerned.  Alice, you have to try these!

Really, Really, Really Good Blueberry Muffins

(found on food.com)

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries, preferably the small, wild kind

Put your baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350*F.  Spray  a standard muffin tin** with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt (or you could just sift all the ingredients together).

In a second medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg until it is light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds.  Add the butter in 2-3 additions, whisking well to combine after each addition. Add the sour cream in 2 additions, whisking until just combined.

Add the frozen berries to the dry ingredients and gently toss to combine.  Add the sour cream and fold with a rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed, about 25-30 seconds.  There may be some small streaks of flour but that's okay; it's more important not to overmix.

Fill your muffin tins about 1/2 to 2/3 full.  Bake until it's a beautiful golden color or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.   It's okay if a little blueberry clings to to the toothpick, that may be inevitable, just look to insure that there is no wet batter.

Turn the muffins out onto a wire rack, turn right side up, and allow to cool for several minutes before enjoying.

**My Notes:  Well, as I said, I messed up following the directions, assuming, erroneously that I already knew what I was supposed to do. HA!  I added all the dry ingredients in the first bowl (the sugar should  have been in the second bowl), beat the egg, sour cream, and salted butter in the second.  (I did reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon to allow for the salt in the butter.)  I tossed the still-frozen blueberries in a little flour to give the batter something to stick to so the blueberries wouldn't all sink to the bottom.  I added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (mixed ever so gently in 2 additions, I did see that!), and then folded in the blueberries.

The recipe states to use a standard sized muffin tin, but I found I had enough batter to make 18 muffins that  crowned nicely without spilling over the top, as I'm not keen on that muffin-top look and clean-up. 

Strawberry Summer Cake

"Do you want a bite of this?"  I offered  a towering forkful of this strawberry cake to Sweetie-Pi.  "Nah, I don't think so.  I don't feel like anything sweet."  I shrugged, a little disappointed.  "Well, maybe a little bite," he said. He took a little nibble. "Yummm, this is good,"  he said.   "It's really good!"  He wedged the remainder of the cake and whipped cream into his mouth and gave me back an empty fork. Ole Sweetie-Pi showed more self-restraint than I; I ate two pieces and called it dinner.

If you like strawberry shortcake, or strawberry trifles, or just about strawberry anything, I believe you'll really like this. This is going into my keeper file and will be seen on the family groaning board when we are together next.  I can't wait to share it with them.

Reportedly, this is a good keeper, will stay fresh about two days, if properly covered, either at room temperature or refrigerated.  Let me know if this delicious cake last that long in your house, smiles.

 
Strawberry Cake
(originally at Martha Stewart)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to grease the pie pan
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pound strawberries, rinsed, dried, hulled, cut in half
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Generously grease a ten-inch pie plate.**

In a small bowl  whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Then add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix until just combined.

Add the flour mixture and mix until blended.  Transfer batter to buttered pie plate.  Batter is thick, so you may have to level it a bit with a knife or an offset spatula.

Add the strawberries, cut side down, in a single layer, as closely as possible on top of the batter.  Sprinkle the two tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries.

Bake the cake for 10 minutes at the 350*F temperature.  Then reduce the oven to 325*F about 50 to 60 minutes.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out free of batter, though it will likely have a bit of strawberry clinging to it.  

Let cool in pan on wire rack. Cut in wedges and top with your favorite whipped topping, if desired. 

**I used a deep dish 9-inch, Pyrex pie plate and it worked very well, I thought.  My cake was done at 50 minutes.

Bourbon Chicken

This chicken falls into the finger-lickin'-good category! I made this on Mother's Day using chicken wings (which is what the original recipe called for), and there were happy sounds all around the table. No leftovers! We liked this so much we couldn't wait to make it again;  Ole Sweetie-Pi does not care for meat on the bone so this time I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and it was so good! 

I think if one cooked down the marinade til it was nice and syrupy, it would be super good to brush on chicken on the grill of if you wanted to cook the chicken in the oven.  Cooked as directed, there is some remaining sauce which I poured over the chicken after plating it, but the sauce would be good on rice or perhaps some grilled vegetables.  The caramelized sauce can leave a bit of a mess in your pan, but as it's sugar based, a little soaking in hot water will make the job a whole lot easier and virtually becomes no effort at all.

**The original recipe says that wings will cook in 16 minutes, (and other reviewers said the same thing) but I found  the time to be grossly understated.  I think I must have cooked the wings a good 30 minutes or more, first because I wanted the marinade to reduce to a syrup and turn to a desirable caramel color and consistency and secondly and more importantly, the chicken did not test done when I pierced it with a tined fork.  The thighs took about the same amount of time, so I would recommend using your best judgment in timing the cooking of this.  Of course, this could be due in whole to my method of cooking, smiles, as I did not cover the chicken while it cooked.  I brought the sauce to a bubble, saw that the chicken was going to simmer in the marinade, and became trepidacious of boiling/steaming the chicken.

Bourbon Chicken
(adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/bourbon-chicken-wings-148454)

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
oil for the skillet

1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used dark brown, but light brown would also be good)
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 cup bourbon (I used Jim Beam, but only because that's what we have)
2 tablespoons ketchup

Give a couple of good swirls of oil in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer.  (I place the chicken so that all the top/outer sides are facing me, so when it comes time to turn them I be able to tell that they have all been turned  over.)

In a separate, smallish bowl combine the remaining ingredients and then pour over the chicken.

**Cover and cook over medium heat, about 20 minutes, or until chicken is done, turning frequently to prevent chicken from sticking.

Hashbrown Casserole

Yum-oooooh-yum-yum-yum do we love this!  Hashbrown casserole has been a family favorite since a co-worker back in my insurance days raved about a new potato dish she had at a function.  I made this for my family, and it was a hit and became part of my niece Hilliary's birthday dinner request, smiles. 

I brought this to a small Mother Day's gathering and this simple casserole won new devotees for its cheesy, crispy, potato goodness.  I mixed all the ingredients together ahead of time, sans cornflakes which I added just before baking, so it was a timesaver.  Serves 8-12 people, depending on appetites.

Hashbrown Casserole

2 pounds frozen hashbrown potatoes (the diced potato kind, not the shredded)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint of sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (other cheeses also work well)

1 cup (or more!) crushed corn flakes
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Generously butter a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish.  Combine the first four ingredients together (can use the casserole dish to save a dish).  Top with the crushed corn flakes and butter.

Bake for 60-90 minutes.  Serve hot.  Rewarms well but the cornflakes loose some of their crunch.

Green Bean and Pork Chop Casserole

This recipe is a spinoff of the perenially popular green bean casserole.  For not a lot of money you can feed a family a meal that is filling and delicious.  I can't tell you how many times my own mother made this when the pantry was getting a little lean and the wallet a little thin. We thought we were dining like rich folk. 

Essentially, I just threw together ingredients for a green bean casserole, added sliced potatoes, and a couple of chops, a small can of mushrooms (fresh is so much better if you have them!), some sour cream, and baked.  For the two of us, I used only two chopsyou can easily add more chops. This made a generous amount of casserole, which we enjoyed as a leftover. 

Green Bean and Pork Chop Casserole

2 medium potatoes, washed, thinly sliced, skins left intact if desired

1 can cream of mushroom soup, plus one half can of water

1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained

a good-sized gob of sour cream, probably about 1/2 cup

2 cans green beans (also known as haricot verts)

2 thin boneless pork chops, browned

salt and pepper to taste

generous handful of French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Generously butter an 11 inch by 7 inch baking dish (or a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish if using more than 2 chops).

Wash and peel your potatoes, and then slice to about 1/8 inch thick.  To prevent browning,  put them in a bowl of fresh cold water. Set aside.  (Dry them off with a paper towel before using.)

In a separate bowl, combine the mushroom soup, water, mushrooms, and sour cream.  Add the green beans and mix to combine. Set aside.

Lightly salt and pepper the pork chops + and brown in a fry pan, about three minutes each side.

In your baking dish, layer the sliced potatoes.  Top with one half of the green bean mixture.  Add the browned pork chops, and top with the remaining green bean mixture.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 350*F for about 50 minutes.  Remove from oven, peel back aluminum foil and insert the tip of a knife to the bottom of the casserole, testing that the potatoes pierce easily and are done. If not, cover and return to the oven and bake until done, probably another 10 minutes or so. When potatoes are done, completely remove the foil and sprinkle with the French fried onions and return the casserole to the oven.  Bake for an additional 10 minutes to brown the onions or until the onions are a deep golden color.

Remove casserole from oven.  Let rest a couple of minutes, serve hot.