Silent Sunday in my city... West Palm Beach, Florida

Saturday, October 14, 2012...a visit to City Place, West Palm Beach, Florida, and to the vicinity of the Green Market, which has opened for the season on Saturdays!

Red Clam Sauce with Linguine

I'm at the point where I feel like 'throwing in the towel'...and take a 'blogging break'...I'm totally discombobulated, disconnected, so not on the 'ball' with my blogging, and keeping up with my posts that would actually amount to something or feel I have a connection to the proper groups, blog hops, social networks. I'm probably the only food blogger that hasn't used STUMBLE! Even my Google+ is sitting there all lonely and not properly attended to. I was one of the last ones that stayed on the old Blogger format, until they finally discontinued the old format! Good thing I'm able to figure out the new Blogger format, which is really great:)

As I mentioned the last time that I don't take photos of the things I make every day...but then, if I don't have a plan for something special, than I have no other choice but sprucing up my dish to take some photos, mostly in my kitchen, for the best light at night... if I want to have a new post.

This is a classic Italian Clam Sauce with Linguine, but one rule is that, it's either 'White Clam Sauce'...not a white cream sauce, but a simple extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and lots of fresh parsley; and don't forget the lemon. In case of the 'Red Clam Sauce'...not drowning the clams in a heavy red sauce, but the same format, leaving out the lemon juice and lemon slices, and using white wine. As for the tomato sauce, it really is just Hunt's diced tomatoes in their natural juices, or you can you fresh diced tomatoes, just don't overcook them so they keep their diced shape.

My recipe is from 'scratch'...from memory of a 70's classic that I still remember, only adding the diced tomatoes to it! The best way to make this even special, is to add fresh steamed whole baby clams, to add more flavor, and for presentation.

Red Clam Sauce with Linguine
recipe by; Elisabeth

2- 7 oz. cans of chopped clams
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 or 4 cloves garlic chopped
a handful of Italian fresh parley chopped
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used Hunt's with sweet onions)
1/2 cup white wine (real wine, not cooking wine)
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
freshly ground pepper to taste
salt (use sparingly, clams are salty enough)
1 dozen, fresh baby clams (I used 10 for two serv.)
1 lb. linguine, or spaghetti

In a medium saucepan, add the 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (don't worry about the amount, you need a lot of oil to soak up the clams and pasta)

On medium high heat, add the oil, the chopped garlic, the red pepper flakes, and heat up till the garlic sizzles, just don't let it get brown. Add the half cup wine, a good portion of chopped parsley, and the juices from the canned clams. Do not add the clams at this time.

Add the canned tomatoes with the liquid, and heat to a slow boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, and at the very end, add the canned clams. Just gently stir, and simmer on low for a about another 5 minutes. Keep it on warm, while you're boiling the water for the linguine. For the fresh clams, In a skillet, add a small amount of chili red pepper and more garlic if you like, add another 1/2 cup of white, a small portion of parsley, Cover with a lid, and boil until all the clams open up, which should take no longer than a few minutes.

Important to note: Do not try to pry open any clams that do not open up by themselves. In my case, 2 clams did not open up...so I had to discard it. (discard any that do not open up)

To serve: In a serving bowl, add the linguine, and ladle the sauce with the clams, and mix gently together. Garnish with additional parsley, and carefully surround the bowl with the opened fresh clams. (As a rule, do not add grated Parmesan cheese) Serves 4.

Linking to: Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop, @ Katherines Corner

The Best Ever...Salmon Burgers

Notice the Louisiana hot sauce in the background? What a coincidence. I was just mentioning on some replies on my previous post that tropical storm Isaac is in Louisiana now. Since about 1 week now, we've been having heavy winds and rain here in South Florida, but nothing compares to the windy heavy storm we had last weekend, finally ending last night with several huge BANGS of thunder that shook all the windows.

When you're stuck inside all day on Sunday and half the day on Monday, due to the storm, you better have a plan while you have electricity, to make the best of the situation. As for me, I yearn for comfort food...not necessary junk food but something satisfying...yet, healthy! I had a brilliant idea to make burgers on my little George Foreman grill...better yet, a juicy salmon burger, with robust flavor, not too spicy, but intense in flavor.

How could you not have a burger without sides?...not me! Either fries, or onion rings, but I must confess I do love onion rings...good onion rings, and I am not going to wast any time making them from scratch just for me alone when I can get the Alexia onion rings in my local supermarkets freezer section.

I even made the dipping sauce that was sweet, and spicy (recipe on the side of the bag) I adapted it my way by adding the Louisiana hot sauce to kick it up a bit. No frying with these onion rings. Just bake it for 10 minutes on 400 degrees F. for a crisp perfect, crunchy onion rings that were dipped in Panko crumbs.

You must have tartar sauce with a delicious salmon burger...if not a tartar sauce, but then a special sauce. Now I have both, a ketchup based sweet and spicy dipping sauce, and a homemade tartar sauce that is way better than the store bought!

I was so inspired to make the tartar sauce that I have been making for years, which is really a simple method. Just have a good brand mayonnaise, and to make sure you add sweet pickle relish, or make your own pickle relish by chopping the pickles in your food processor.

So let's get started. For 2 salmon burgers, I used a piece of salmon fillet that was just under 1/2 lb.

2 scallions, trimmed and chopped coarsely.
2 or three pieces of fresh dill, stems cut
1 teaspoon lemon zest
juice of half of a lemon
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
freshly ground pepper, and sea salt to taste
(I used coarse sea salt ground fine)

Cut the salmon into 1 inch cubes, and add it to a food processor, adding all the listed ingredients.


Being careful not to process; just give it no more than 2 pulses, to keep it coarse, and not make it like ground meat. The Panko will help it hold together.

Have your grill set up, or your favorite grill pan or electric grill heating up.

This is the ideal consistency you should have. (my only problem was, I should have chopped the scallion into smaller pieces) food processor does not seem to chop it up in 2 pulses.

Now you are ready to pat them gently into patties.

On a large plate, add 1/4 cup more of the Panko crumbs and roll the salmon burgers in them. Gently pat some extra on each side.

Spray with PAM or other brand cooking spray on both sides. At this time, you can refrigerate them while you prepare the other easy sides to go with it!

Grill the salmon burgers on the George Foreman Grill, which of course has two sides for grilling which takes half the time than grilling in a grill pan, or on an outdoor grill.
Spray extra cooking spray while you're grilling,

Total time on George Foreman is 4-5 minutes. On a one sided grill you have to flip over to the other side. (4-5 minutes on each side)

Dipping Sauce for the onion rings and for the salmon burger (optional)

1 cup good quality ketchup
(I use Heinz)
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and serve for dipping, or spreading
.



Linking to:Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage
               Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop @ KatherinesCorner

Grilled WW T-Bone Steak...Fairy Hobmother, and Award!

I hope you don't find this lovely T-Bone steak repulsive...but I've been sooo good on my Weight Watchers diet, except at the end of the week. Mostly vegetarian!
Still, all you have to do is to count up all your points, and see the result at the end of the week. I was under 3 points of my allowed points, even if I "fell off the WW diet wagon"...Grilled T-Bone Steak? no way! Yes way! You are allowed to have that...of course, not this entire huge steak...half of it will do!
Did I also forgot to mention...I lost 3 lbs in one week...yeayyy!!!

I have to be honest with you, the side dishes are not in the WeightWatchers cookbook! It's just a sweet potato "nuked" in the microwave, with a pat of butter, and steamed baby spinach!

I'm not ashamed to show off my George Foreman Grill (thrift find $6.99) brand new, with book and recipes, as well! Retail price? at least double, or triple!

Grilled T-Bone Steak
Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

4 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
1 1/4 lb T-Bone steak, at least  1 1/2 inch thick
trimmed of all visible fat
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat the grill.
In  a small bowl, mix the oil, rosemary, and the sage. Rub the steak with the herb mixture; place on the grill rack. Grill 3 inches from the heat, turning once, 6 minutes on each side for rare. (In the George Foreman, you don't have to turn, it should be done within less than 10 minutes)...although, you can turn if the steak is a large piece!

Season with salt and pepper as soon as the steak is done. Transfer steak to a small cutting board. Let stand for about 5 minutes before slicing.
Points value-6