Grilled Clams with Breadcrumbs and Pine Nuts

This post will be short and sweet. I've been hacked twice, blogger took my site down twice and restored it. So now it's back online. Now all I need to do is get cooking again. In the meantime this recipe was in my drafts probably since last grilling season. It's a shame to let it sit in drafts so I'm posting. 
These were fantastic.

Grilled Clams with Breadcrumbs and Pine Nuts

original recipe by Ina Garten
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/grilled-clams-with-basil-breadcrumbs-recipe/index.html
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

1 cups panko bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 sun-dried tomato halves in oil, drained and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
24 littleneck clams, scrubbed clean
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

Heat your grill.

On medium-high heat in a skillet, heat the oil and lemon juice with the garlic. Add the breadcrumbs and pine nuts and stir occasionally. When the crumbs start to brown, add the salt, pepper and chopped tomatoes. Stir, making sure the crumbs don't burn. When they are golden brown remove them from the heat and place them in a serving bowl.

When the grill is hot, place the clams in 1 layer on a foil pan or directly on the grill. Close lid and allow the heat to open the clams. They'll open gradually at first, then pop-open wide when they're done. Any that don't open discard. Using tongs, remove the clams from the grill and place them in the bowl with the bread crumb mixture and toss together. Drizzle with the melted butter, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.


 

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Shaved Brussels Sprouts

There's something to be said for convenience. And safety :) We really like Brussels Sprouts and shredded is a nice change from roasting them whole. The thought of shaving those little round sprouts on a mandoline kind of scares me. Green cabbage is one thing. Teeny sprouts are another. When I was at Trader Joe's last week I saw bags and bags of Shaved Brussels Sprouts! Problem solved. I have all my fingers intact. I'm sure there's plenty to do with this, probably great as a slaw, in a salad. But all I did was saute it with some garlic, pancetta and toasted pine nuts. Excellent. I went back to Trader Joe's for more. And ended up with three full bags of other stuff, too. Yeah, I'm also one of those shoppers who buys new and improved, and all the cute junk by the register. An advertiser's dream :)

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Pine Nuts 

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts (or 1 bag store-bought shaved)
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, cut crosswise into thin strips (or tiny cubes, if you have thick pieces of pancetta)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful of pine nuts, toasted in a small dry skillet
1/2 -1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Carefully use a sharp knife or mandoline to thinly slice Brussels sprouts crosswise (or buy a bag that is already shaved.) Discard the root ends.

Add olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat; add pancetta and stir until slightly crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, and cook, stirring often, until sprouts are bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the toasted pine nuts. Stir in a little butter, if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

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Roasted Mushrooms

Here's another winner from the book All About Roasting by Molly Stevens. Quick-Roasted Mushrooms with Pine Nuts and Parmesan. Usually I stuff mushrooms or saute them but this time I roasted them, it gave plain old white button mushrooms a lot of flavor. A little something different. This was outstanding.

Of course the recipe called for something I didn't have on hand, cremini mushrooms. But white buttons worked out so well in this, I'd use them again. The whole dish took less than twenty minutes using the high heat method. Funny but high heat usually means burnt in my case. Not these, they came out perfectly fine, there were no leftovers, and the smoke alarm never went off. You can also serve on toasted baguette slices, just chop it a bit.  And it would be nice chopped on top of some whole wheat pasta.

Roasted Mushrooms with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Source: All About Roasting by Molly Stevens
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon pine nuts (I used a bit more)
1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or use less dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Toast the pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Watch them carefully, they tend to burn rather quickly. Transfer to a plate to cool. Chop them if you like. I left them whole.

Put the mushrooms in a mixing bowl and drizzle with melted butter and olive oil. Sprinkle with the chopped thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the mushrooms to coat. Spread the mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and roast for about 10 minutes. Turn them and then roast for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the mushrooms to a serving dish and toss with the pine nuts. Grate the cheese over and serve. 

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Cider Baked Apples

In a long, long list of favorite desserts, baked apple is way up there. Way, way up there. Practically tops! This recipe is simple and easy and I added the pecans because we love apples and pecans. You can add anything you like, the recipe is easy, simple and so good. And being the somewhat lazy cook that I am I didn't even bother to baste them, instead halfway through cooking I just turned the apples upside down and finished baking. Being not completely lazy, I served them right side up!

Cider Baked Apples with Pecans

Source: Food52, member recipe by Sally

Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

2 1/2 cups apple cider
6 Fuji apples (or any firm cooking apple)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Pour the cider into a small skillet and bring it to a boil. On medium heat, continue to boil until the liquid reduces by a little less than half. It should be somewhat syrupy, but it won't be very thick. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil out.

While the cider is reducing, peel the skin from the top third of each apple. Use a melon baller or an apple corer to dig out the core. Place the apples in a baking dish. Stuff the pecans into the apple cavities. Sprinkle some pecans in the baking dish.

Stir the cinnamon, butter and brown sugar into the cider syrup. Pour it into the apple cavities, allowing it to overflow into the baking dish. Bake the apples for 40 to 50 minutes, until they are soft and tender, but not mush. Baste the apples occasionally in the cider syrup. Add more cider if it needs more liquid. The actual cooking time will depend on the size of the apples, larger apples may take longer.

Serve the apples warm with the syrup and pecans spooned over them. It's also nice topped with ice cream, whipped cream, yogurt or a cream anglaise.

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