PASTA VONGOLE

I've been meaning to cook a version of this, ever since I've tasted this pasta in an Italian restaurant in Tagaytay. Since I was able to buy fresh clams today at Centris Sunday Market, I had the perfect opportunity to prepare this one. 

A bit of background on this, "Vongole" is the Italian word for clams. This pasta dish is simply spaghetti and clams. You can prepare this dish in two ways: with tomatoes (in rosso) and without (in bianco). For my version, I like it without tomatoes. Others like to cook this too with cream or with white wine. Considering the low fat and high fiber 1400 calorie diet imposed on me by my Endocrinologist (due to hypothyroidism), I decided to forego the cream and white wine. 

It's yummy and light too! It's perfect for people who are in a diet. Following a diet does not necessarily mean that you'll eat bland food. It all boils down to choices, moderation and variety. This is one example of good food for health-conscious people. 

Also, if you're tied of eating tomato-based pasta, cream-based pasta or the olive oil-based pasta, try this recipe for a change. 

Buon Appetito!

Ingredients:

500 grams Spaghetti or Spaghettini
1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
1 kilo fresh clams
150 milliliters or or about 2/3 cup chicken stock or water
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup arugula, finely chopped
3 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper


Procedure: 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions (making sure that it's cooked al dente). 
2. In a pan (using medium fire), saute the garlic in extra virgin olive oil for 2 minutes 
3. Add in the clams and cook until the shells open. 
4. Pour the chicken stock or water in the pan and let it simmer until the liquid is reduced to half. Season with a dash of salt & pepper. 
5. Add the Parmesan cheese.
6. Take the pan off the heat and add the parsley. 
7. Mix the clams with the pasta and top off with arugula. 
8. Top the pasta with extra Parmesan cheese if desired. 

Scrapped Ham Frittata

Food certainly brings back happy memories for many people, including me. My mom usually cooked this dish a day after Christmas when we had lots of leftovers. Since my sister gave me scrapped ham, I decided to cook the Scrapped Ham Frittata  so that my son would  get to taste and appreciate my mom's legacy. 

Scrapped ham is definitely tastier than the usual ham slices. It's great on its own, but more sumptuous with potatoes and eggs. 

And I was right! Joaqui loves this meal. I hope you'll enjoy this recipe too. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Scrapped Ham, diced
2 small or 1 medium size potatoes, diced

2 small tomatoes, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed & finely chopped
4 large size eggs
1 tablespoon Fresh Milk
1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper
3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil 

Procedure: 

1. Heat a non-stick pan under a medium fire. Once the pan is hot, pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once heated, fry the diced potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are golden brown. Remove from fire and transfer the potatoes on a plate lined with paper towel to drain the excess oil. Set aside. 
2. Separate the egg whites from the yolk. In a medium size bowl, whip the egg whites until foamy (the bubbles are small). Whisk in the yolk, mayonnaise, milk, salt & pepper. Set aside.
3. Heat a non-stick pan under a medium fire. Once heated, add the remaining oil and swirl the pan a little to make sure that it is well coated. Saute garlic and onion. Season it with a little salt and pepper. Once the onions are translucent, add in the tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Add the scrapped ham and saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the potatoes. Spread out the ham & veggies to cover the surface of the pan. Using a very low heat, pour the whisked eggs over the ham & veggies. 
5. Cover the pan with a big plate or an aluminum foil to cook the top portion of the frittata. Cook for 5 minutes or until the tiny bubbles disappear. 
6. Slide the frittata into a serving platter, slice and serve. 

Enjoy!!1

Monte Cristo

Ever since my dad had his first stroke years ago, we always tried to have a lighter Noche Buena fare. For Noche Buena 2012, I prepared Monte Cristo to complement my sister's Minestrone Soup. Monte Cristo is simply a french toast with ham and melted cheese. It's a leveled up version of french toast, a savory french toast. I'd like to share my take on Monte Cristo. This could be served for breakfast or as snacks or baon. Anything that has cheese is always a comfort food for me. :) 

Try this one for a change. I'm pretty sure that kids and adults will love this dish. It's a nice to have this too with a creamy tomato soup or any tomato-based soup like minestrone. 

Happy Cooking! 

Ingredients:

2 Large Eggs
3/4 cup Fresh Milk
Salt & Pepper
8 slices of loaf bread
4 slices of ham
4 slices of edam or cheddar
4 slices of emmentaler or mozzarella
1 1/2 tablespoons Mustard

3 tablespoons Butter


Procedure: 

1. Prepare the batter - Whip the eggs and add the milk, a dash of salt and pepper. Mix well. Set aside. 
2. To make the sandwich - Spread a thin layer of mustard on 1 slice of the bread and spread a pat of butter on another slice of bread. Top the two slices of bread with edam and emmentaler cheeses and add a slice of ham in the middle. Enclose the sandwich. 
3. Heat a nonstick pan and add a little butter about half a tablespoon or use a no-stick cooking spray and swirl the pan. While waiting for the pan to heat up, dip the sandwich in the batter. Pan-fry the sandwich, wait for the cheese to melt a little before turning the it to the other side. When the sandwich is golden brown & the cheeses have melted, transfer it to a plate with paper towel to drain the excess oil. 
4. Slice the sandwiches into triangles and serve.