Fearless Kitchen

Recipe: Mustard Greens and Fennel

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you have to keep juggling your plans?  Well, that's every week around here.  I originally intended to make something very different with these mustard greens, but I found out at the last minute that my in-laws were coming to town.  We spent the day with them, and the dish I'd intended to make required more attention than I could possibly devote.  Instead, I made something up on the fly.  The fennel stalks were included because they were left over from a recipe my husband had made some time before and I wanted to use them up before they went bad. 

I'd have to call the results mixed.  I really tried to get the texture right, but since I had to stop and re-heat the dish (long story) the finished product was nowhere near what I was looking for.  I wish you could see the color and texture of the greens before I had to reheat them!  I felt that what I finally came up with was dreadfully overcooked, but my in-laws raved about the texture.  I guess it's a matter of taste. 

Mustard Greens and Fennel (serves 4; approx. $0.96/serving)

1 bunch mustard greens, stemmed and chopped

2 onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tablespoon black pepper

8 fennel stalks (from 2 fennel bulbs), chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

Equipment:

• Large saute pan

1. Heat the oil in the wok.
2. Add the onion and garlic.  Saute until the onion is soft.
3. Add the fennel stalks.  Saute until the stalks are bright green and starting to soften.  If the onions are starting to brown too much, add about 1/4 cup water. 
4. Add the mustard greens.  The liquid from washing the greens should be sufficient to finish cooking the dish; if not, add another half cup of water.
5. Saute for about a minute.
6. Clamp the lid on, reduce the heat and cook until the fennel stalks are tender and the greens wilted. 
7. Season with pepper to taste and serve.   
   Note: My in-laws absolutely, positively cannot tolerate any salt at all.  That's why there's no salt in this recipe.  You can feel free to add kosher salt to taste, probably at the stage where you add the onions and garlic.

Recipe: Green Salad with Goat Cheese and Golden Beets

Recipe Source: Brennan, Georgeanne.  Cooking From the Farmers' Market.  Time Life Books, New York, 1999 p. 35

As I know I've said before, salads are a great way to include more vegetables in your diet.  The inclusion of the pan-fried goat cheese kind of rounds out the dish, giving it some protein and making it filling enough to count as a light meal if you want it to.  The beets include vital nutrients, add some color, and may trick your husband into thinking you've used mangoes.  This trick will not last long if he actually tastes the salad, but in my case that's okay - my husband loves beets.

Green Salad with Goat Cheese and Golden Beets (serves 4; approx. $3.16/serving)

6 small golden beets, peeled and diced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 lb fresh goat cheese, sliced

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 ounces mixed salad greens

2 ounces baby spinach leaves

Equipment:

• Medium saucepan
• Colander
• Frying pan
• Small bowl
• Whisk

1. Put the beets in the saucepan with water to cover by at least 2 inches. 
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer until tender about 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and drain.
5. Slice the cheese into about 8 slices.  Dredge the slices in the breadcrumbs.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the frying pan. 
7. Add the cheese slices and fry until golden.
8. Remove from heat, drain on paper towels and set aside.
9. Put your greens into the serving vessel.  Top with the beets.
10. Whisk the thyme, remaining salt, vinegar and remaining oil in the small bowl until an emulsion is formed.  Pour over the greens and beets.
11. Top with the goat cheese and serve. 

Recipe: Cod in a Spicy Mushroom Sauce

Recipe Source: Husain, Shehzad with Rafi Fernandez, Mridula Baljekar and Manisha Kanani.  India's 500 Best Recipes.  Anness Publishing, London, 2006 p. 41

This was a fun recipe for me, because it really moved me outside my comfort zone.  I haven't seen a whole lot of fish dishes that include mushrooms - they're out there, but they aren't exactly common.  Since dishes that pair fish and dairy products are pretty rare in my native culinary tradition, this was doubly unusual for me.  That doesn't mean it wasn't good.  On the contrary, it was downright delicious.  It was also pretty easy to cook up, which made it ideal for a lazy Friday night.

Cod in a Spicy Mushroom Sauce (serves 4; approx. $6.19/serving)

1 giant cod fillet (or 4 smaller ones)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon black pepper

10 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms

3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

1 ounce minced ginger

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

a few fresh cilantro leaves

Equipment:

• Broiler pan
• Large wok or saute pan
• Bowl

1. Preheat your broiler.
2. Sprinkle the cod with lemon juice and broil 5 minutes per side. 
3. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Heat the oil in the wok. 
5. Add the onion, bay leaf and peppercorns.  Cook 2 - 3 minutes.
6. Add the mushrooms, lower the heat and cook another 5 minutes or so.
7. Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, spices and salt in the bowl.
8. Add the yogurt mixture to the wok and cook very gently 5 - 6 minutes. 
9. Add the fish to the wok and cook until heated and cooked through. 
10. Garnish with the cilantro and serve. 

Recipe: Smoked Beef Short Ribs (Guest Post from Fearless Grill)

Recipe Source: Perry Lang, Adam. Serious Barbeque. Hyperion, New York, 2009 pp. 186-187

Smoke and Spice, by Bill and Cheryl Jamison, is one of my favorite books on barbeque. It's so good, in fact, that my mother-in-law gets me a copy every Christmas. When I went to the bookstore to return this year's copy, I decided to pick up another BBQ cookbook with the proceeds. There were a couple I had in mind, but the store didn't have any of them in stock, so I started looking through the ones they had that I didn't already own. Serious Barbeque, by Adam Perry Lang, caught my eye. His recipes involved layering flavors in some interesting ways, all his recipes were designed to be made in a smoker rather than assuming readers would be trying to make them on a gas grill, and many of the recipes in the book weren't just rehashed versions of standard recipes I already had 50 times in other books. It also helped that there is a picture of him cooking on a Big Green Egg on page 3.

There were a lot of recipes I wanted to try in this book, but I decided to start with the 'Short Ribs with Fleur De Sel'. I've been meaning to try some short ribs for a while, the recipe looked tasty, and my butcher had some in stock. Unfortunately, there are two short rib recipes in this book, one of which called for boneless, and one with bone-in. I couldn't remember which was which while I was at the store, and bought the boneless. This recipe actually wanted the bone-in, but I didn't have the ingredients on hand to make the boneless recipe in the book, so I decided to just use the boneless ones in this recipe. I made a couple of other changes as well. First, I used a little less than 3 pounds of the boneless short ribs and halved all the rest of the quantities, as I was just making this for the two of us and the recipe called for about 10 pounds of bone-in ribs. I didn't have any garlic salt so I substituted garlic powder, and we didn't have actual Fleur de Sel, but we had some fancy sea salt of some sort so I substituted that. I also didn't see the point in adding canola oil over the seasoning, so I didn't.

Since the original recipe called for two 5-ish pound racks of ribs I didn't change the overall cooking time, since the cooking time for one or multiple chunks would be about the same, and the bone-in would cook faster than the boneless. The boneless short ribs were actually in several pieces in the package, so I just pressed them up next to each other in the smoker so they would cook as one larger piece and not dry out.

Despite having used the wrong cut of meat, I was pretty happy with how this came out. The meat was extremely tender, and the layering of flavors from the various seasoning steps really worked well, though it was a bit sweet. I was a bit leery of pre-slicing the meat before serving, but this allowed for the final layer of flavors from the cutting board to cover the meat, and made for a nice presentation. Next time we have company for dinner, I want to try this with the correct cut (bone-in) of short ribs and see how that compares.

Smoked Beef Short Ribs (Serves 2-3. Approx. Cost Per Serving Not Available)

Equipment Required

• Big Green Egg or other smoker

5 lbs bone-in beef short ribs, or 3 lbs boneless

Mustard Moisturizer

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Seasoning Paste

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Wrapping Mixture

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 tablespoons beef base in paste form (such as Better Than Bullion)

1 tablespoon water

1/2 tablespoon butter, melted

Finishing Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Sea Salt (recipe calls for Fleur de Sel)

Freshly ground black pepper

1. At least 8 hours before you are ready to eat, set up your smoker for indirect cooking at 250 degrees. In my large Big Green Egg, I used my plate setter legs up with a drip pan inside. I added hickory wood chunks to the fire for smoke flavor.
2. Moisten all sides of the meat with the Mustard Moisturizer.
3. Sprinkle all sides of the meat with about 1/2 of the Seasoning Blend.
4. Once your temperature is stable, place the meat in the smoker, bone side down if using bone-in ribs, and cook for about 5 hours.
5. Lay down a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil, turn up the edges, and pour on the wrapping mixture. Add the ribs, meat side down if using bone-in ribs, and crimp to seal. Wrap with another sheet of foil, and return to the smoker, meat side down. Cook for one hour.
6. Remove the meat from the smoker, and raise the temperature to 275 degrees. Let the meat rest for 45 minutes.
7. Remove the ribs from the foil over a dish to catch the cooking liquid. Dust all sides of the meat with the remaining Seasoning Blend, and return to the smoker, meat side up, for 45 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, strain the solids out of the reserved cooking liquid over a measuring cup. Allow the fat to rise to the top, pour off, and discard.
9. Remove the meat from the smoker, and allow to rest in foil for 15-30 minutes.
10. Drizzle your cutting board with the olive oil, and add the reserved cooking liquid, along with the parsley, sea salt, and pepper. Unwrap your ribs, place over the mixture, and slice perpendicular to the bone into 1/4 inch thick slices. Dredge the slices in the mixture, and sprinkle with additional sea salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe: Lamb Chops in Garlic Tomato Sauce

Recipe Source: Basan, Ghillie.  The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking.  Anness Publishing, London, 2007 p. 204

The weather in New England can be kind of weird.  The temperature can go from mild and sunny to stormy and damp to icy and dry in three days (sometimes even less.)  When I made this, early in March, the weather was cold and damp and kind of unpleasant.  A few days later we got a spell of bright warm sunshine, which makes me feel a little silly talking about this hearty, meaty, delicious dish.  To be quite honest I would probably enjoy this just as much in the heat of August as I did in chilly damp March. 

I did make a few changes.  I omitted the butter out of respect for my husband's preferences.  I changed the cut of lamb chop, using shoulder blade chops instead, because they were considerably less expensive.  I increased the number of chiles, omitted the sugar (because if my grandmother caught me putting sugar into anything with tomatoes she'd pinch me), and increased the amount of garlic by a whole lot. 

Lamb Chops in Garlic Tomato Sauce (serves 4; approx. $4.07/serving)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 lamb shoulder blade chops

1 onion, finely chopped

3 serrano chiles, finely chopped

8 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes (use 2-3 fresh in season)

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

Oregano, kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Equipment:

• Large, deep saute pan or pot

1. Heat the oil in the pan.  Brown the lamb chops on both sides, then remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the onion, serranos and garlic.  Fry gently until the onion begins to brown. 
3. Add the vinegar, bay leaf, green pepper and tomatoes.  Lower the heat and simmer 30 minutes. 
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Return the lamb to the pan.  Make sure it is completely covered in the sauce.  Cook until the meat is tender, about 15 minutes.
6. Transfer to a serving platter, cover in sauce, sprinkle with oregano and serve. 

Recipe: Chicken and Mixed Nut Stew

Recipe Source: Samuelsson, Marcus.  The Soul of a New Cuisine.  John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, 2006 p. 114

I'm about to really, really date myself here.  At least, I'll be dating myself as far as anyone from the Boston area is concerned.  I had to make some changes to this recipe, and the biggest change I had to make was substituting cashews for peanuts.  Unfortunately, some of my supply of cashews got contaminated, and I had to replace that container with almonds.  I'd initially intended to call this a chicken and cashew stew, but now the nuts were mixed.  This made it a mixed nut stew.... and as soon as I realized that, I couldn't get Mixed Nuts out of my head.  Mixed Nuts was a handful of guys, probably homeless but one shouldn't make assumptions, who used to hang around in Kenmore Square and play air guitar for spare change.  I don't spend much time in Kenmore Square anymore and haven't in a long time, but when I have been in that area I haven't seen them. 

The picture isn't pretty.  I guess it kind of looks like something you might find in Kenmore Square late on a Saturday night toward the end of baseball season, just as the frat party season is getting underway.  At least, that's what you would have found in that area back in the day.  It's been a while.  Anyway, don't let appearances fool you.  This stew was absolutely delicious. 

Chicken and Mixed Nut Stew (serves 4; approx. $5.71/serving)

2 onions, sliced

2 carrots, chopped

2 habanero chiles, halved

1 1/2 ounces grated ginger

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon black pepper

4 cups water

2 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces

1 cup unsalted cashews

1 cup unsalted almonds

3 tablespoons Olive oil

2 baking potatoes, cubed

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound spinach, chopped (I used frozen)

Equipment:

• Large wok or saucepan
• Small frying pan
• Food processor
• Large saute pan
• Immersion blender

1. Combine the onions, carrots, chiles, ginger, bay leaves, peppercorns and water in the saucepan.  Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add the chicken and simmer 25 minutes uncovered.  The chicken should be cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, toast the cashews in the frying pan over medium heat.  Do this carefully lest they burn.
4. Grind the cashews into a thick, coarse paste in the food processor. 
5. Toast the almonds in the frying pan.  Set aside.
6. Remove the chicken from the vegetables and cooking liquid.  Set aside, preferably out of reach of the dog.
7. Use the immersion blender to puree the vegetables in the pot.  I left a few chunks because I prefer that kind of texture, but it's up to you.  Discard the bay leaves before you do this. 
8. Heat the oil in the large saute pan. 
9. Add the potatoes and saute until golden brown.
10. Add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides.  Remove pan from heat.
11. Return the pot with the vegetables to a boil.  Add the cashew puree and almonds.  Stir well to combine.
12. Add the tomatoes, chicken, spinach and potatoes.  Simmer until warmed through.
13. Season to taste and serve. 

Recipe: Watercress and Artichoke Heart Salad

Gonzales, John R.  The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook.  Clarkson Potter Publishers, New York, 2001 p. 53

Salads are a great way to get more vegetables into the diet.  They're easy to whip up, scale up (or down) easily, and are easy to adapt to the tastes and needs of your particular diners.  Being (usually) raw, they also convey the full nutritional value of the whatever greens you're using.  Eventually, though, even the endless possibilities of salad start to run together and I at least start to get very, very bored with them.  Sometimes I don't even bother posting them.  This one is a pretty simple salad, but using the artichoke hearts makes it a little different.  I omitted the sugar on general principles, reduced the amount of olive oil, used black instead of white pepper, and used canned artichoke hearts for convenience.  The result was a pretty darned tasty salad that certainly refreshed the palate when combined with the main course that night. 

Watercress and Artichoke Heart Salad (serves 4; approx. 1.74/serving)

1 10-oz can artichoke hearts, drained

1 bunch watercress, thick stems trimmed

Grated peel of one lemon

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Equipment:

• Small bowl
• Whisk

1. Put the watercress in your serving bowl.
2. Arrange the artichoke hearts on top.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients in the small bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Drizzle the bowl mixture over the vegetables.  Serve. 

Recipe: Kale and Mushroom Tacos

Recipe Source: Bayless, Rick.  Mexican Everyday.  W. W. Norton and Company, New York, 2005 pp. 215-218

I made this recipe recently as part of my efforts to prove that a vegetarian meal doesn't have to taste like cardboard.  While I did make a few... spontaneous changes... I'd say that I succeeded in my goal.  These tacos were pretty tasty (if I do say so) and the whole dish was easy to make.  It was made even easier by one of those changes.  The original recipe called for making the salsa when you cooked the meal.  I'd found a container of Salsa Verde that was left over from a recipe my husband made in the freezer.  I decided to use it, which certainly made my life easier. 

One of the spontaneous changes I made involved the dish itself.  You see, the name of the recipe is on page 215.  The ingredients and instructions - the important part of the recipe - were on page 217.  I was a little rushed when I was making this, and to make a long story short I didn't realize that these were supposed to be enchiladas.  Looking at the photo - on p. 216, so visible while I was cooking - would have set me straight, but whatever.  These worked as tacos. 

Other changes I made were an increase in the amount of mushrooms (the mushrooms came in a 10-oz package and I didn't want leftovers), substituting kale for spinach (we'd already had several spinach dishes that week and I wanted more variety), omitting the (optional) chicken, using these odd multi-grain tortillas instead of corn (because I've bee really unhappy with the corn tortillas I can get here), omitting the sugar, and using feta for the queso fresco (which was a suggested option so I shouldn't really describe it as a change.)  I'm pretty happy with all the changes I made, although the tortillas were a bit larger than called for and so the filling didn't come close to... well, filling them. 

Kale and Mushroom Tacos (serves 4; approx. $3.70/serving)

1 1/2 cups Roasted Salsa Verde (or store-bought)

1 tablespoon olive oil

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced (I like baby bella)

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 bunch kale, stemmed and sliced

Pinch kosher salt

12 tortillas - I used these strange multi-grain tortillas but corn tortillas are more authentic

4 ounces crumbled feta

Equipment:

• Saute pan

1. Heat the oil in the saute pan over medium-low heat. 
2. Add the mushrooms and cook until they soften.
3. Add the onion and salt and continue cooking until the onion is translucent. 
4. Add the kale.  Cook until it starts to wilt.
5. Add the salsa.  Cook 1 - 2 minutes and remove from heat.
6. Add the cheese. 
7. Spoon 1/12 of the mixture into the middle of the tortillas. 
8. Serve.

Recipe: Spinach Kofta in Yogurt Sauce

Recipe Source: Wickramsinghe, Priya and Carol Selva Rajah.  The Food of India.  Murdoch Books, Millers Point 2008 p. 174

I'm not a vegetarian.  Not even close.  I have had vegetarian phases of my life, though.  Unfortunately most of those phases came before I discovered that vegetarian food can be tasty.  Vegetarianism doesn't have to be a penance, and it doesn't have to be unhealthy.  From what I'm told, eating just a few vegetarian meals a week can really improve your health.  I know it can improve your budget. 

Now, on to this recipe.  I had originally flagged it to make over the summer when we were doing our Sunday open houses as a vegetarian entree.  However, I kept putting it off.  The vegetarians I was trying to anticipate didn't show up, and the recipe looked complicated.  I was trying to come up with a vegetarian meal for the week recently when I remembered that I'd flagged this.  Once I made it, I immediately regretted not making it during the summer.  It was not complicated.  It was quite easy.  I made a few changes, such as increasing the garlic, using canned tomatoes, and not deep-frying the kofta.  I did use plenty of oil when frying them up, but out of sensitivity to my husband's stomach I avoided deep-frying. 

I made this with another vegetarian dish (to be posted at a later date).  Both dishes resembled dishes that usually have meat, a fact that my husband remarked upon.  What he said was that he didn't miss the meat at all.  The dishes left him feeling satisfied and satiated, they had plenty of flavor, and they weren't a pain to make.  I do think that using the frozen spinach gave the kofta a kind of watery taste that I wasn't overly enthusiastic about, but for the most part we both really liked this and I will cheerfully make it again and again. 

Spinach Kofta in Yogurt Sauce (serves 4; approx. $1.75/serving)

1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt

4 tablespoons chickpea flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

6 curry leaves

1 onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 1/2 cups chickpea flour

1 red onion, finely chopped

7 ounces diced canned tomatoes, drained

5 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Oil for frying - this will depend on the kind of pan you use and the kind of frying you're choosing to do.  I used some canola oil that mysteriously appeared in our house after a vacation; what you use is up to you, but olive oil has a low smoking point so be warned.

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Whisk
• Large wok or saute pan
• 2 large bowls
• Slotted spoon

1. Combine the yogurt and the first 4 tablespoons chickpea flour in one of the bowls.  Add 3 cups of water and whisk to form a very smooth paste. 
2. Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in the saucepan.
3. Add the mustard and fenugreek seeds and the curry leaves.  Cook until the seeds start to pop.  This will be quick, so don't turn your back on it.
4. Add the onion and cook until the onion softens and starts to brown. 
5. Add the turmeric and chili powder.  Cook 30 seconds. 
6. Add the yogurt mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Season with kosher salt to taste.
7. Meanwhile, in the second bowl, combine the spinach and remaining ingredients (up through the oil, obviously) with a pinch of kosher salt.  Mix with your hands. 
8. Form into balls about the size of a walnut. 
9. Heat the oil in the wok.  When it is hot, add the spinach balls.  Cook them until they are browned on all sides.  When they are done, remove them with a slotted spoon.  Let the oil drain from them for a second or two, then add to the yogurt sauce.  Work in batches. 
10. When all of the non-meatballs have been added to the sauce, you're done.  Transfer to the serving vessel and serve. 

Recipe: Clams with Tomatoes and Garlic

Recipe Source: Weir, Joanne.  From Tapas to Meze.  Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, 2004 p. 44

Shellfish are an important part of New England culinary life.  It's not all baked scrod and deep-fried haddock around here.  Most of the time the shellfish even comes from New England, so you're supporting at least semi-local businesses by using them.  They're a healthy source of protein, and if you're an (observant) Orthodox Christian they're an acceptable source of protein during Lent.  They're tasty and, depending on your source, they can be a lot easier on the budget than some other piscene food sources.

They're also dead easy to make. 

I used to be afraid to make them.  I was terrified of food-borne illness.  For the most part, the shellfish population in this country is safe.  There are places around here that produce shellfish that ought not to.  My husband has actually seen people digging for clams off Logan Airport, which seems like a colossally bad idea to me.  Your fishmonger is required to tell you where your shellfish came from, so if in doubt, ask.  Anyway, if you follow some basic rules about storage et cetera and you eat them the day you buy them, you should be okay. 

So I really enjoy shellfish and tend to make it once a week or so, although sometimes I'm just not feeling inspired by mollusks and go for meat.  I decided to make this on a recent Friday night for me and my husband.  Then we heard some friends were having a tough day - their roof was leaking badly and the wife was trying to make the cupcakes for a baby shower... in Nyack.  We decided that we would bring dinner to them.  Now, this is a tapas dish intended to serve 6 as part of a tapas spread.  I figured it would serve two as a main course, not four.  I remembered something a very wise friend taught me years ago.  Starch is filling.  The right kind of starch can also provide an excellent vehicle for sauce... like the sauce from this dish.  But what kind of starch?  Bread was right out - I didn't have enough time to make it.  Rice would have been okay, but kind of dull.  Barley was kind of what I was in the mood for, but I hadn't any.  I did however have a huge sack of quinoa.  The lady of the house we were bringing the food to is quite fond of quinoa.  I decided that the dish you see here would be served on a bed of quinoa. 

I made a few other changes as well.  I reduced the amount of olive oil slightly to reduce fat.  I used more tomatoes than called for, all of the canned variety.  I'd opened a can for another recipe and wanted to use up more of those leftovers.  Besides, tomatoes are incredibly tasty and are packed with lycopene, which is good for you.  I was distinctly lacking in a white wine I wanted to use for cooking, so I substituted some hard cider.  It's my understanding that in some parts of Spain that would be perfectly normal.  I could be wrong though.  Anyway, I used Lemony Vegetable Broth instead of fish stock because I had it and because it's a lot cheaper than fish stock or clam juice.  I also increased the amount of garlic.  How can a recipe have garlic in the title and only include one clove?  Seriously. 

Clams with Tomatoes and Garlic (serves 4; approx. $3.80/serving)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

21 ounces (approx.) diced canned tomatoes with their juices

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup hard apple cider (I'm a big fan of Harpoon cider if you can get it)

1 cup Lemony Vegetable Broth

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

8 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 pounds fresh clams

2 cups quinoa

4 cups water

Equipment:

• Large wok, pot or saute pan with lid
• Immersion blender
• Medium saucepan with lid

1. Combine the quinoa and the water in the medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes, then let stand (covered) and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in the other pot.
3. Add the onion and cook until it begins to turn golden and gets soft.
4. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste.  Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add the cider.  Simmer until the mixture is reduced by half.
6. Add the broth.  Simmer another 5 minutes.
7. Using the immersion blender, puree the sauce.  I was more than willing to leave a few chunks in there for texture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Add the clams, parsley and garlic to the pan. 
9. Cover and cook over high heat 5 - 10 minutes, or until the clams are open. 
10. Put the quinoa into your serving vessel.
11. Pour the clams and the sauce from the pan over the quinoa and serve.