As posted on Boston.com, adapted from Central Kitchen


Ingredients:

• 4 small links ( 3/4 pound) hot Italian sausage or 3/4 pound Portuguese sausage, diced or cut into marble-size pieces
• 1 small spring onion or yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 20 littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup clam stock or bottled clam juice
• 4 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from cobs
  Salt, to taste (optional)
  Handful fresh basil, chopped
  

1. In a flameproof casserole large enough to hold all the clams and corn, brown the sausage, stirring often, for 8 minutes or until the fat begins to render. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Cover the skillet and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through and the onion is translucent. Remove them from the pan.
2. Add the clams, wine, stock to the pan. Cover and let the mixture come to a boil (watch it carefully as it can boil over). Lower the heat so the water is bubbling and let the clams cook for 3 minutes or until they start to open.
3. Add the corn and sausage mixture to the clams. Stir gently. Cook for 2 minutes or until the corn is cooked through (it should still be crisp).
4. Taste the broth for seasoning and add salt, if you like. Sprinkle with basil.

Labels: Littleneck clams with spicy sausage and corn

As posted on Boston.com and adapted from Connie’s Bakery and Fresh Food

Depending on sweet tooth and appetite, each of these crostatas can serve one person or two.

CRUST

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup cold water
  

Extra flour (for sprinkling)
1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse several times to sift the mixture.
2. Add the butter and pulse again until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
3. With the motor running, slowly add the cold water until the dough forms large clumps. You may not need all the water.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and form it into a smooth flat cake. Wrap in foil and refrigerate for 1 hour.

FILLING

• 2 cups blueberries, rinsed and picked over
• 4 peaches, pitted and sliced (to make 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Confectioners’ sugar (for sprinkling)

1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, peaches, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Stir gently; set aside.
3. Cut the dough into quarters. Working with one piece at a time (refrigerate the remaining pieces), roll the piece into a 7-inch round. Transfer to a baking sheet. Do the same with the remaining pieces, putting 2 on each sheet.
4. Divide the blueberry mixture among the circles, making sure not to get too much juice on them (it makes the dough soggy). Fold the edges of the dough over the fruit.
5. Bake the crostatas for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. Adapted from Connie’s Bakery and Fresh Food

Labels: Blueberry peach crostatas

By Dee Murray

When my garden starts growing fresh green beans, it doesn’t do them justice to simply boil them up and serve them traditionally. So, after experiencing a similar dish at one of my favorite Asian restaurants, I invented my own version of this delicious, tasteful treat.

Sesame Green Beans

• ½ lb fresh green beans, washed and clipped
• ½ cup water
• 3T sesame oil
• 1t salt
• 2T sesame seeds
  
  

Spread green beans evenly over bottom of frying pan. Pour ½ c water. Let beans simmer until they boil dry. At this point, beans should still be crisp, but slightly tender.

Add the sesame oil to the pan and fry beans over medium heat adding salt as beans cook. Stir often, allowing beans to brown on one side. Before removing from heat, sprinkle sesame seeds onto beans and toss over heat for about a minute.

Serve warm and add additional salt if necessary.

Labels: Sesame Green Beans

As posted on How Stuff Works, by the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.


Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 cups cubed day-old French bread
• 1 cup fat-free (skim) milk
• 1 cup frozen orange-pineapple-banana juice concentrate, thawed
• 1/2 cup cholesterol-free egg substitute
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon butter-flavored extract
• 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 3/4 cup all-fruit pineapple preserves
• 1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
• 1 teaspoon rum or 1/8 teaspoon rum extract
  

Preparation:
1. To prepare bread pudding, preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 11X7-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place cubed bread in large bowl; set aside.
2. Combine milk, juice concentrate, egg substitute, vanilla and butter-flavored extract in another large bowl; mix until smooth. Drain pineapple; reserve juice. Add milk mixture, pineapple and raisins to bread; gently mix with large spoon. Spoon bread mixture evenly into prepared baking dish and flatten slightly; bake, uncovered, 40 minutes. Cool slightly.
3. To prepare Pina Colada Sauce, add water to reserved pineapple juice to equal 1/4 cup. Combine juice, preserves, coconut and rum in microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is hot and bubbling; cool to room temperature.
4. Divide pudding among 8 plates; top each serving with 2 tablespoons of Piña Colada Sauce.

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size:
Sodium 178 mg
Protein 6 g
Fiber 1 g
Carbohydrate 61 g
Cholesterol 1 mg
Saturated Fat 1 g
Total Fat 2 g
Calories from Fat 6 %
Calories 280
Dietary Exchange:
Fat 1/2
Fruit 3
Starch 1

Labels: Tropical Bread Pudding with Piña Colada Sauce

by Dee Murray, courtesy of Celebrity Cruise Lines

Who would have thought, among the grandeur, elegance and sheer enormity of the Celebrity Equinox, one of the smallest, most inconspicuous dishes would leave a lasting impression.

One doesn’t often find the segway inbetween dishes in a brilliantly planned menu to be the item guests walk away talking about, but during a celebration dinner in the formal dining room, Silhouette, the palette cleanser between courses 3 and 4 achieved these honors.

Cantaloupe Lavender Granite, served in a chilled shot glass, is more than a typical sorbet. It’s a mixture of crisp flavors, sweet treats and cool refreshment that could easily be expanded upon for a decadent dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2c fresh ripe cantaloupe



• 2t fresh lime juice



• 2t passion fruit puree



• ½ c water



• ¼ c sugar



• 2 drops lavender oil



• Mint leaves for garnish

Peel and seed cantaloupe and puree. Combine the remaining ingredients. Taste your mixture to see if sweet enough and add additional sugar if needed. Sweetness of this recipe depends on the freshness and ripeness of your cantaloupe. Freeze in a pan or in dishes used for serving. Yields 6 servings.

Aboard Equinox, the dish was frozen in its shot glass. And when served to guests, shot glass is placed on a warm plate to help soften the granite.

Find out more about Celebrity Cruises’s latest ship, Equinox here and check back for more recipes and other ship features on our other blogs.

View our Floating Island Dessert recipe, or Grilled Tomatoes Provencale, both from Celebrity Equinox

Read about Equinox’s sister ship, Solstice

White Chocolate Mousse recipe from Solstice

Labels: Cantaloupe Lavender Granite, Celebrity Equinox

By Dee Murray

Recipe courtesy of Celebrity Cruise Lines

Food is available 24/7 on a cruise ship. On Celebrity Equinox, the Oceanview Café is the place to get fresh vegetables, flavorful fruit and main dishes too numerous to count. (It’s also great for that late night, 1 a.m. pizza fix after dancing in the night club, Quazar) …

Grilled Tomatoes Provencale is a special favorite, filled with flavor, color and … easy enough for a novice chef to make!

Ingredients

• 5 tomatoes, halved
• 2 ounces chopped garlic
• 1 ounce minced onions
• 1 ounce chopped thyme
• 1 ounce chopped oregano
• 1 ounce chopped rosemary
• 2 ounces chopped parsley
• 5t olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

(cooking note: 1 ounce is equal to two Tablespoons of ingredients)

Select 5 fresh red tomatoes about the same size, wash and slice them in half. Quickly sear them on a grill to gain grill marks on flesh side of tomato. (1 or 2 minutes). Set aside on cooking tray.

In a pot, lightly sauté the chopped garlic and add all herbs except parsley.

Top the tomatoes with the mix, salt and black pepper. Flash for 2 minutes in a broiler.

Remove from oven, spread with the chopped parsley and drizzle with olive oil. The grilled Provencal tomatoes are ready to be served. If you wish, you can add some breadcrumbs to the top of the tomatoes.

--

Find out more about Celebrity Cruises’s latest ship, Equinox here and check back for more recipes and other ship features on our other blogs.

View our Floating Island Dessert recipe, also from Celebrity Equinox

Read about Equinox’s sister ship, Solstice

White Chocolate Mousse recipe from Solstice

Labels: Grilled Tomatoes Provencale from Celebrity Equinox

As posted on How Stuff Works, by the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Ingredients:

• 4 English muffins, split
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 pound fresh crabmeat, drained and flaked*
• 1 to 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  

Preparation:
1. Preheat broiler. Place muffin halves on lightly greased baking sheet. Broil 4 inches from heat 2 minutes or until muffins are lightly toasted. Place on large microwavable plate.
2. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and bell pepper; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in crabmeat, hot pepper sauce and cheeses. Spoon about 1/3 cup crab mixture onto muffin halves.
3. Microwave on HIGH 2 to 3 minutes, rotating platter once, or until crab mixture is heated through.

Labels: Hot Crab and Cheese on Muffins

By the Associated Press (Recipe adapted from Megan Carle and Jill Carle's "College Vegetarian Cooking", Ten Speed Press, 2009)

Start to finish: 30 minutes (15 minutes active)
Servings: 6

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 12 spears asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Cook the quinoa according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan bring 1/2 inch of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and blanch until barely tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the asparagus and rinse under cold running water for 1 minute to cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the cooked quinoa, asparagus, olives, tomato and lemon zest.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil, then pour over the quinoa mixture.

Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, then serve topped with the feta cheese.

(Recipe adapted from Megan Carle and Jill Carle's "College Vegetarian Cooking", Ten Speed Press, 2009)

Labels: Asparagus Quinoa Salad

By Dee Murray
Recipe Courtesy of Celebrity Cruise Lines

Labels: Celebrity Cruise Line’s new ship, Equinox, Floating Island dessert

As posted on Dallas Morning News

Ingredients:

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Directions
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine cream, half-and-half, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Heat, stirring constantly, until the chips and marshmallows are melted. Transfer mixture to a blender, being sure to scrape the chocolate from the bottom of the pan. Add vanilla and salt, then puree for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Divide mixture between about 8 frozen pop molds (number will vary by size), then insert sticks according to product directions. Freeze for at least several hours. Makes about 8 pops.

Source: The Associated Press

Published in The Dallas Morning News on August 27, 2008

Labels: Chocolate Marshmallow Pops

As posted on Boston.com and adapted from Cheryl Jost

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed)
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
• Handful of fresh basil leaves

1. In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, stock, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken, stir well, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours.
2. Remove the chicken from marinade. With a sharp knife, cut horizontal slits in one side of each breast to form pockets. Don’t cut all the way through.
3. With your hand or the flat side of a knife, slightly flatten four of the sun-dried tomatoes. Chop the remaining 2 tomatoes. Into the pocket of each breast, insert a sun-dried tomato, a slice or two of mozzarella, some chopped sun-dried tomato, and a few basil leaves. Pinch the edges of each breast to close them.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the breasts. Cook, turning once, for 7 minutes on a side or until cooked through.
5. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Slice them and arrange each one on a plate, fanning out the slices.

Labels: Chicken Galileo recipe

Start to finish: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 (about 2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 6- to 7-ounce can salmon
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Kalamata olives
  

In a food processor, combine the black-eyed peas, salmon, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, pepper and cumin. With the processor running, add the oil and process until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl, then add the sour cream and pulse to combine.

Add the red onion and parsley and pulse to just combine. Transfer to a bowl, then mix in the celery and olives.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 166 calories; 80 calories from fat; 9 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 24 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 3 g fiber; 488 mg sodium.

Labels: Salmon and Black-eyed Pea spread