NomNom: Linguine with Clam Sauce

We're getting fancy today in the kitchen and by fancy I mean, clams. I invited a couple of my dear girlfriends over for dinner about a week ago and wanted to charm them with a dish that sounded fancy schmancy. As I was perusing through food magazines and cookbooks I came across this recipe from The Pioneer Woman's cookbook that sounded fantastic. I was a bit hesitant that the recipe's main star was clams but here's the not so secret part: the recipe calls for canned clams. Boom.

The best part(s) about the dish is that it was easy to cook, tasty to the palate, and elegant to the eyes. They always say you eat with your eyes first, right?

The bright lemon juice mixed with sauteed clams in butter, which is tossed together with pasta and parmesan cheese that melts through and through is just heavenly. I was ecstatic to see my friends help themselves to a second bowl of pasta that night and even saw one of my friends scoop up some of the creamy sauce from the pan with her baguette. That's always a good sign. Serve this dish with a loaf of crusty baguette (I made a baked olive cheese bread to go along with the dish) and you will have a dinner served for your friends/loved ones that will surely be appreciated.

Have a great weekend. Xo.

Ingredients (Adapted from The Pioneer Woman) Yield: 4 servings; Cook time: 15 min
1 pound linguine, cooked according to package directions
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons salted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
Three 5-ounce cans chopped clams, drained (juice reserved)
3/4 cup white wine
juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon slices for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup whipping cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the garlic and clams; stir together. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with the spoon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and less watery.

2. Add in 1 more Tablespoon of butter and stir to melt. Reduce heat and add lemon juice. Add parsley and cream. Add salt and pepper. Stir well and taste for seasonings, adding a splash of clam juice if the sauce needs thinning.

3. Cook over low heat for 3 additional minutes, or until heated through.

4. Place freshly cooked, hot pasta in a large bowl. Pour sauce from the skillet onto the hot linguine. Toss to combine.

5. Serve in individual bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan, more parsley and serve with lemon wedge for garnish.

NomNom: Cowboy Quiche

I'd like to think I'm somewhat of a good host. I watched my mom go above and beyond when it came to prepping food for her invited guests and have always admired her for that. She told me that one of the ways your can show love towards your friends is through food.

A couple of weeks ago, I invited my good friend over my home for brunch and decided to bake her a quiche. I love quiches because there are so many different ingredients you could incorporate to make variations of a quiche, depending on your liking. She never had quiche before so I decided to keep the ingredients simple and by simple I mean bacon, onion, and cheese. Who doesn't love any of those three glorious key players?

The morning she came over over, she had two slices of my quiche and was debating on a third one so I'm gonna safely assume she loved the quiche. The great thing about quiches is that it can yield many slices to feed at least 4-5 people and since it was just the two of us I had at least half the pie leftover.

This is where having a boy in your life comes in handy. I offered him the leftovers the following morning and he practically finished the entire leftovers. He had three slices and was actually debating on a 4th slice but I had to deny him at that point. It was for his own good. Portion control, honey. Portion control.

A couple of changes I made in this recipe is that I used turkey bacon (that's all I had in the fridge) and I used a store bought pie crust instead of making one from scratch. So what!

Whenever the weekend comes around I like to take time with breakfast food and what better way to impress your significant other/friends this weekend then by presenting them with a warm quiche right out of the oven? Trust me, they'll love you for it and will keep asking you for another slice. That's a good thing. It's their way of saying in between bites that this stuff is legit.

Have a great weekend.

Ingredients (Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook)
8 slices bacon, fried until chewy
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
8 eggs
1 1/2 heavy cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven 400 F. Begin by rolling out the pie dough.
2. Gently lay it in a large tart or deep dish pie pan (I used a 9-inch pie pan) and press it in the grooves in the pan. Set aside.
3. Chop up the cooked bacon into bite size pieces.
4. In a heavy skilled over medium low heat, fry fry the onions in the butter until deep golden brown, 12-15 minutes.
5. Mix the eggs, cream and salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the bacon, onions and cheese and stir to combine.
6. Pour the filling into the pie shell, cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Removed the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the quiche i set and the crust is golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes.