Mussels, garlic linguine with white wine and chiles

One item that is hard to find in Patzcuaro is fresh mussels, so each time I get my hands on fresh sea food like clams or mussels I always will buys some.
Here is a very simple but tasty recipe you can toss together in less than 20 minutes.
You could also add chopped Italian Panchetta or even Chorizo to add additional flavors.

Linguine with Mussels, Garlic and Chilies

Yield: 4 servings as a main pasta course

• 1 pound linguine
• 1 large shallot onion, finely minced
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 5 or 6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chilies
• 1 to 2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and rinsed and de-bearded
  
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped, to yield 1/4 cup

Bring six quarts of water to boil and add 3 tablespoons salt.

In a large sauté pan, sauté red onion, celery and garlic over medium heat until onion is very soft and onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Put the garlic in first and be careful not to burn it with excessive heat because it will make the garlic bitter. Bitter is bad......

Add hot chilies, mussels, white wine and butter and bring to a cover. Cook until all mussels have opened, and then set aside.Usually about 3 minutes or less. Do not overcook because the mussels will become rubbery and tough.

Boil linguine according to package instructions. While softened but still firm ( al dente), drain in colander over sink and toss into plan with mussels and stir gently to mix. This will finish cooking the pasta and infuse the sauce into the pasta. This should still be a little broth-like. Add chopped parsley, pour into warm serving bowl and serve.

Easy Leftover Chicken Salad

Ok, so what do you do with leftover chicken? You can make some tacos or perhaps mix it in your scrambled eggs, but from time to time I make a chopped salad, and today It felt like it was about time to do one.
You really can use a lot of leftovers, two nights ago I made chicken and green beans, so both of those went into the salad.



First the dressing.

Into a small food processor toss in a half of a Granny Smith Apple and puree.
Add,
3tbs cider vinegar
3 tbs H2O
2tbs Marsala or dry sherry
1 1/2 tea seasoning salt
1 tea sugar
1/2 tea paprika Hungarian is best
1/4 tea garlic powder
2 tea Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tea Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil, drizzle in while the processor is working.


This is the basic vinaigrette dressing I used today, sometimes I will add honey instead of sugar, and change the vinegar for maybe a raspberry one.....

For the salad take and chop into 1/4 or dice:

1/2 red bell pepper (seeded of course)
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/4 of red onion, place the chopped onion in water for 15 minutes first to remove the heat then drain and dry with a paper towel
1/3 cup green beans chopped to 1/2 inch
1 cup, left over chicken chopped into 1/2 cubes
1 head of romaine lettuce with outer leaves removed, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 chopped jicama 1/4 inch dice
2 hard boiled eggs

Toss in large bowl add about 1/3 cup dressing or as you like, serve with a chopped hard boiled egg on top

Fast and Easy Lemon Chicken

Photo before sliding it into a 400 degree oven.

I haven't been posting lately just because I am lazy. Half way through making something I finally tell myself I should have shot some photos and written it down....so today I did that.

This is easy because there is little prep, you toss the pan in the oven and come back in 30 to 40 minutes, plate and eat. My kind of dinner prep nowadays, I only do long complex dinners when guests come which is not as often as it use to be.....

Smash and chop fine one head of garlic, add 1/4 cup of good olive oil, let the garlic sweat for about 2 minutes, on very low heat. Add the herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper, wine and let seat for about 5 more minutes on low heat.
Wash Chicken breasts, and remove any excess fat or skin, pat dry with a paper towel. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees or about 225 Celsius.
Take the chicken and put into the pan, with a large spoon spoon the sauce over the chicken, toss the used up lemons into the pan, slide it into the oven.....

After 30 minutes check and see , the skin should be crispy, you can either stick a instant read thermometer and see for 155 of 160, or by touch.
Remove and tent with foil while you make the other stuff .

Tonight I made some plain Jasmine rice and steamed Green beans which were tossed with a little butter and salt.
To plate, put about a 1/2 cup of rice in the middle of the plate, place the chicken breast on top, spoon some of the olive oil sauce from the pan onto the rice....

Stuff you will need:
2 or 3 Chicken breasts, with the ribs removed. Remove excess fat or skin
1/4 cup olive oil
1 whole head of garlic, paper removed, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 tea fresh ground pepper
1/4 tea red pepper flakes
Juice of 2 lemons
zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

Yes I know there is a thigh and leg in there....you can use all the parts of the chicken if you like!