SPICY MUSSELS IN TOMATO SAUCE (Mussels fra Diavolo)

Mussels are a favorite of my husband.  Make sure your mussels are fresh and none of the shells are broken.  I usually ask for 36 so the seafood store will count each one of them.  You can make the same recipe with clams.  

 

3 dozen fresh mussels, beards removed and cleaned with a soft brush

2 T olive oil

½ sweet onion, or 2 shallots, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 T Italian crushed Calabrian chili pepper sauce

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped

½ cup San Marzano tomato sauce from can

Fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn

Italian parsley, for garnish

Add oil to a large pot over medium heat.

Add the onion or shallots and sauté a couple of minutes.

Add the garlic and sauté another minute.

Add the crushed chili sauce and cook to combine for another 2 minutes.

Add the white wine, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and fresh basil.

Simmer 5 minutes.

Add mussels to pot, discard any that have not closed.

Simmer 5 minutes, or until mussels have opened.  Discard any that have not opened.

Add to a serving platter or 2 bowls.

Garnish with Italian parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Serves 2

EASY HOMEMADE SANDWICH BREAD

Once in a while, we like plain old-fashioned white bread for grilled cheese or tuna salad sandwiches...even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This bread is so easy to make and is very moist because of the milk or buttermilk. Your house will smell amazing while this bread is baking.  It's also excellent to cut into thicker slices for Texas Toast.  

1 cup warm milk or buttermilk (about 105 degrees F) 

2 ½ t active dry yeast

2 T granulated sugar or honey

3 cups bread flour

¼ t ground ginger

¼ cup (4 T) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 ¼ t sea salt

In a small bowl or glass 2-cup measure, add the milk, yeast, and sugar.

Mix with a spoon and set aside for 10 minutes to proof.

Add the flour, ginger, melted butter, and salt to the bowl of an electric stand mixer.

Pour in the milk mixture, attach a dough hook and mix until dough comes together.

Increase speed and mix another 3 minutes

Lightly coat a large bowl with cooking spray and add the dough. 

Flip over to coat in oil on both sides.

Cover with plastic wrap, or a damp tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.

Lightly coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Punch down dough and on a lightly floured surface, roll into a rectangle.

Roll up, tuck in ends, and place into the prepared loaf pan.

Let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until the bread is about one inch (no more) above the rim of the loaf pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, 15 minutes before the bread has finished rising.

Bake bread for 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove loaf pan onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. 

Release from loaf pan and cool bread directly on a rack until completely cool.

Makes one loaf

LIMOCELLO MOJITO

Make use of the abundance of mint in your garden by making a refreshing summer cocktail.

1 bunch fresh mint leaves, plus 2 sprigs of mint for garnish

2 lemon slices, for muddling

2 t granulated sugar

2 oz limoncello

2 oz white rum

Ice cubes

Lemon slices and mint, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, muddle a few mint leaves, lemon slices, and sugar. 

Add the rum, limoncello, and handful of ice cubes.

Shake for 30 seconds until well chilled.

Strain into 2 tall glasses with ice cubes, mint sprigs, and lemon slices.

Serves 2

GRILLED BAJA SHRIMP TACOS

Shrimp tacos are an all time favorite in our house. Serve with salsa, Baja sauce, cilantro, lime slices, or even guacamole. 

Baja Sauce

¼ cup sour cream 

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ t ground cumin

½ t ancho chile powder 

½ to 1 t Mexican hot sauce (optional)

Juice of ½ lime

Mix together and pour into a squeeze bottle to drizzle over tacos or you can drizzle with a spoon. 
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Marinade

12 extra-jumbo (16-20 per lb) shrimp or 18 jumbo (21-30 per lb), peeled and deveined

1 T avocado oil

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped 

½ t ancho chile powder

½ t onion powder

1 t ground cumin

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

Juice of ½ lime

In a bowl, big enough to hold all of the shrimp, whisk together oil, jalapeño, chile powder, onion powder, ground cumin, garlic, and lime juice.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

6 (4-6-inch) flour or corn tortillas, lightly browned in a skillet with a little oil, if desired

½ cup finely shredded cabbage, red or green

½ cup fresh salsa

Baja Sauce

Cilantro, for garnish

Lime slices, for garnish

Thread shrimp on metal skewers and grill about 1 minute, each side.

You can also stir-fry shrimp in a skillet with a little oil for about 3 minutes.

Cut shrimp into 2 to 3 pieces each, place on a sheet pan and keep warm in a 200 degree F oven, while assembling the tacos.

To Assemble

Add a little of the cabbage to the bottom of each tortilla.

Divide shrimp equally between 6 tacos.

Add a little of the salsa or pico de gallo.

Drizzle with some Baja Sauce.

Garnish with a few cilantro leaves.

Serve with a couple of lime slices

Makes 6 tacos 

ORANGE-STRAWBERRY CREAMSICLES

Do you remember the Good Humor creamsicles when you were a kid?  This version will not make you feel too guilty and is so refreshing.  Fresh orange juice, fresh or frozen strawberries, and good quality vanilla bean ice cream.

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

8 strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped

3 cups vanilla bean ice cream

Pour into a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze 4 hours or overnight.

Makes 8 

GRILLED LEMON-HERB CHICKEN BREASTS

If you love to grill any type of food with lemon, herbs, and garlic. . .you will love this easy recipe.  If you don't have fresh herbs, use freeze-dried.

2 to 3 boneless chicken breasts

¼ cup olive oil 

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup white wine

2 T fresh minced rosemary

2 T fresh minced thyme leaves

1 T fresh minced oregano leaves

1 T fresh chopped basil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring pitcher, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag or bowl.

Pour half of the marinade over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours.

Save the rest of the marinade to drizzle over top of chicken before serving.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard marinade.

Grill over medium-high heat, 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Transfer to plates and add a couple slices of lemon.

Drizzle the rest of the marinade over and serve.

Serves 2 to 3

BOURBON-PEACH ICED TEA

Nothing says summer in the south like sitting on your front porch in a rocking chair, sipping a Bourbon-Peach Iced Tea.  You will need 5 medium-size ripe peaches and 2 lemons.

4 cups boiling filtered or spring water

6 black tea bags, I use Luzianne 

1 cup Kentucky Bourbon 

Peach Syrup
1 cup filtered or spring water

4 fresh ripe peaches, diced

1 cup granulated sugar

1 3-inch cinnamon stick

Juice of ½ lemon

For Each Mug
4 slices of peaches

1 lemon sliced into circles

4 sprigs of mint

In a large heatproof container or large glass-measuring pitcher (6 cup), pour boiling water over the tea bags.

Let steep 5 minutes, then remove tea bags.

In a saucepan, add the water, diced peaches, and sugar

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and mash peaches with a potato masher.

Add cinnamon stick and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, add lemon juice, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes for flavors to develop.

Discard cinnamon stick and strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a glass pitcher.
Gently mash the peaches in the strainer with a rubber spoon or spatula to release all of the juice from the peaches, over the pitcher..

Add the cooled tea and bourbon.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill until cold.

Serve over ice with sliced peaches, sliced lemons, and a mint sprig.

Serves 4