Stuffed Clams Casino

I made these for "dinner" the day after Christmas for Mr. Foodie and myself. After the past few weeks of dinners out, cocktail parties, work dinners, and the topper of Christmas Eve and Christmas day meals, we really just wanted a bottle of wine, some nibbles and a movie.

I very highly recommend having the prosciutto freshly sliced at an Italian deli or Whole Foods. I had a bit of sticker shock at Whole Foods ($29.99 a pound, EEK!) but you only need three thin slices, so it's not so bad and totally worth it.

Stuffed Clams - makes a plate of 24, perfect for a party app or "dinner"

Steaming the clams:
12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
1/4 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. white wine
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
When hot, add the onion and garlic and cook about 2 minutes.
Add the clams and continue to cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the wine, lemon juice and a bit of salt and pepper. Cover and steam for about 5 minutes or until the clams open.

Set the clams aside to cool a bit. When cool, remove the clam meat and set aside.

Make the filling:
3 slices good quality prosciutto, chopped
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 c. celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I used about 1 tsp.)
1 c. panko bread crumbs
1 small can clams, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 bottle clam juice
1/2 c. parmesan cheese

Heat a little bit of olive oil in a skillet.
Add the proscuitto, onion, celery and garlic. Cook until vegetables are soft.
Mix in panko, canned clams and the fresh clam meat. Mix well.
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and red pepper.
Add just enough clam juice to moisten the mixture (you won't need the whole bottle). I used maybe 1/2 cup.
Stir in most of the parmesan cheese, reserving a bit to sprinkle over the tops.

Fill the clams:
Gently break the clam shells apart at the hinges and rinse well to get rid of any sand.
Fill each shell with a spoonful of the filling.
Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Goat Cheese, Pesto, and Sundried Tomato Torta

This is a yummy, amazingly easy make-ahead appetizer that goes quickly. The red, white and green colors make it an obvious choice for a Christmas party.

Goat Cheese, Pesto and Sundried Tomato Torta

1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese
1 4 oz. log of goat cheese
1/2 c. pesto*
1 small jar of sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and finely chopped
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

* You can make your own pesto or use store-bought stuff. This recipe requires a pesto that can hold its shape, so if your pesto is a little runny, add grated parmesan cheese until it will stick to a spoon. Recipe for homemade pesto follows.

In a bowl, blend the goat cheese and cream cheese together.

In another bowl, mix 1/4 c. of the goat-cream cheese mixture with the sundried tomatoes, tomato paste and vinegar.

Line a 2 cup ramekin (you can get this at Crate and Barrel for less than $5) with plastic wrap, leaving the ends long enough to fold back over the top. Spray the wrap lightly with cooking spray.

Press 1/2 of the goat cheese mixture into the bottom of the ramekin.
Spread 1/2 c. pesto over the top of the cheese.
Spread the sundried tomato mixture over the top of the pesto.
Spread the remaining goat cheese mixture over the top.

Fold the plastic wrap over the top to cover and chill for at least 1.5 hours.
To plate, unwrap the top, invert onto a plate and peel off the plastic wrap.
Serve with crackers or baguette slices.


Homemade pesto:
4 c. fresh basil leaves
3/4 c. pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic
1 c. freshly grated parmesan
About 1/2 c. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Pulse first 4 ingredients together in a food processor. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until you get the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

This makes enough for the torta above and to sauce pasta for 2-4. This recipe makes a thicker pesto for the torta. If you are using to sauce pasta, reserve some of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Not healthy at all, but who cares! Serve with tortilla chips.

1 8 oz. package light cream cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 package frozen spinach, thawed, water squeezed out and chopped
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Fresh ground pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder

Combine everything except shredded cheeses in a crockpot. Once everything is hot, stir in the cheeses. Keep warm in the crockpot until ready to serve. You can also just microwave everything on high, stirring every 30-45 seconds. Stir in the cheese at the end.

Stuff I Like

I will fully admit to being a brand snob about some things, Bloody Mary mixes being top of the list. Some taste like V8 and have no spiciness at all. Others are spicy, but in a liquified salsa sort of way. It's hard to find a great mix that has a good tomato flavor with the right amount of seasonings, Worcestershire and horseradish. I always ask at brunch what brand the restaurant uses so as not to, GASP, consume shitty Mrs. T's.

Behold the most glorious Bloody Mary mix of all time: Zing Zang.



Zing Zang is perfectly spicy without being too hot, and it doesn't taste like salsa. You can see all of the spices that are in it floating around in the bottle. It's really the only acceptable mix that you can buy.

In other news, Harry and David makes this tomato pepper relish that makes an amazing, easy dip.



Simply use a hand mixer to blend a whole jar of the relish with an 8 ounce package of cream cheese. Serve with salty tortilla chips. It's sweet and spicy. It's easy enough to keep the ingredients on hand in case of a party emergency.

The UItimate Stuffed Mushroom

I get requests for the recipe ALL. THE. TIME. Recipe was originally published in Bon Appetit in 2002. When I bring these to a party, they are gone within minutes. It's almost a waste of time to make them. However, I am a whore for validation, so once people are done stuffing their faces and the compliments start, I am secretly satisfied.

3 hot Italian sausage links (I've used turkey sausage, works fine)
1 tsp. oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1 package plain cream cheese (don't use light or fat-free - too runny)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg yolk
Black pepper
2 small packages of white mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned
Small amount of dry white wine

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove sausages from casings, crumble and brown over medium heat.
Add oregano and garlic.

Mix cream cheese, egg and 1/2 c. parmesan in a bowl.
Add the sausage mixture and mix well.

Arrange mushroom caps in a baking dish and brush insides lightly with wine.
Stuff mushrooms with a scant 1 tbsp. of cheese-sausage mixture.
Sprinkle remaining parmesan over the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until brown.**

**Note: The mushrooms seem to release a LOT of liquid while they bake. Using a slotted spatula to remove them from the dish and placing them on a cooling rack set over paper towels to cool for a couple minutes helps them to set up.

Another suggestion I recently received was to bake the mushrooms on the cooling rack, set over a baking sheet, and reduce the baking time by a couple of minutes. I have yet to try this method, but it sounds promising. I'll let you know how it turns out.