Steamed Mussels with Italian Sausage over Pasta

I make mussels quite a bit and my go to recipe is Steamed Mussels in a White Wine Saffron Broth.  This recipe is similar but minus the saffron and plus some wonderful sausage.  I used locally (and minimally processed) Polidori Mild Italian Sausage.  You can use mild or spicy, whatever you and your guests prefer.  The sausage adds wonderful flavor to the broth and makes a little more hearty, but still light meal when served over pasta.  My favorite noodle in the world is Buccatini. It's basically thick spaghetti with a hole through the whole noodle...or like a very long macaroni noodle. Mmmm...regular spaghetti, angel hair or linguine would work as well.

Ingredients:


-2-3 lbs fresh mussels (I did 3 lbs for 5 people)
-3 shallots, minced (or 1 white onion)
-6 garlic cloves, minced
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 cup white wine
-4 cups chicken broth
-1 Tbsp tomato paste
-2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
-1 lb Italian sausage, mild or spicy - I used Polidori
-1 baguette french bread
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 pkg buccatini, spaghetti or linguine pasta
-1 handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
-salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Savory Amaranth

What the heck is Amaranth?  Ya, I had no idea either a few weeks ago.  I was at Whole Foods in the bulk section and was looking for the Farro, which is another amazing grain.  I asked the very knowledgeable young lady if she had any other "favorite" grains and she turned me on to Amaranth.  She was right! Amaranth is a grain originating from the Aztecs...a looong time ago.  It is boiled with water or broth to make an almost, grits-like consistency.  It has a nutty sweetness to it that makes it even great in the morning as a hot cereal with nuts and fruit! This recipe is a more savory recipe with a touch of butter and parmesan cheese. I served it as a bed to sauteed kale and grilled squid.  The amaranth was my favorite part of the dish!

P.S. This is a great gluten-free option and is LOADED with protein - nearly 14 grams per serving!

Ingredients:


-1 cup amaranth grains (not flour)
-2.5 cups water or broth (veggie or chicken)
-1 Tbsp butter, optional
-1/8 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Caramelized Red Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini

Blake and I were at a wedding in Crested Butte a few weekends ago.  The food was amazing! In particular the rehearsal dinner had this little appetizer that we all couldn't get enough of.  They were perfect little finger foods for nibbling on while enjoying a glass of wine. I think they paired especially well with a hefty glass of red wine! I asked the cocktail waitress what was on the crostini and my guess was almost spot on.  Not only caramelized onions, but caramelized red onions which I've never made.  The white creamy spread was nothing but my favorite, goat cheese!  I have a whole post on Caramelized Onions that will help you folks that have never done it.  It's not hard, just takes a little time that is well worth it!

Ingredients:

-1 long loaf French bread

-2 medium red onions

-2 (5.3 ounce) pyramids of spreadable goat cheese (make sure not to get the crumbles)

-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

-1/8 cup olive oil for brushing, or olive oil spray

-microgreens or fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

-salt and pepper to taste

Fresh Tuna Tower

So when I lived in Dallas we would search out our favorite sushi spots based on our favorite "tuna towers".  They are basically an appetizer of tuna tar tar (raw tuna), avocado, sushi rice and sometimes roe and crab salad.  It's embarrassing to say the all of us girls would go to sushi sometimes 3-4 times a week and order a tuna tower EVERY TIME.  This is super easy, just a few fresh ingredients.  

More specifically, sushi grade tuna is the key.  Don't use anything that is of less quality.  My favorite place to get sushi-grade fish is Chef's Fresh Fish...they deliver fish to my door. 

Ingredients:

-1/4 lb. sushi-grade yellowfin tuna

-1 cup sushi rice

-1 avocado

-1/8 cup soy sauce

-1 Tbsp powdered wasabi

-1 Tbsp sesame seeds

-1/2 tsp ginger paste or grated fresh ginger

-juice 1/2 lemon

-1 Tbsp rice vinegar

-1 sheet roasted nori snacks (optional)

Asian Marinated Cucumbers

The sushi restaurant behind my house, Japon, has these wonderful little marinated cucumbers that they serve only if you're sitting at the sushi bar.  I know they couldn't be that hard to make so I tried re-creating them from some recipes I found on the web and ingredients in my pantry.  They are a great little Asian appetizer that gets better each day it marinates.

Ingredients:

-1 English Cucumber (or 2 Japanese cucumbers)
-1/4 cup rice vinegar
-2 Tbsp sesame oil
-1-2 Tbsp salt
-1 tsp sugar
-pinch - 2 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (depending on how much kick you want)

Spicy Crab Sushi Rolls

I've made sushi a couple of times and made a complete mess.  Once in college I tried to tempura fry anything I could get my hands on.  No joke, there was batter splattered on the ceiling of our rental house.  Oops.  This was a little cleaner and easier, especially since I had the help of Blake, master sushi-chef.  Well, maybe not master, but he has taken a class in sushi rolling and got a sushi knife out of the deal!  One of my best friends has been asking for months for a post on rolling sushi.  Sorry it has taken me so long, Allison! Here you go.  Also, get creative with your ingredients...Blake added peanut butter to one. It was actually good!

Ingredients:


-1 cups dry sushi rice (makes about 2 1/2 cups cooked)
-2 Tbsp rice vinegar
-nori wrapper paper
-avacado
-cucumber
-1 pkg refrigerated crab pieces
-2 Tbsp mayo
-1 tsp - 1 Tbsp sriracha (depending on how spicy you want it)
-Wasabi paste or powder
-3 green onions, thinly sliced
-juice 1/2 lemon
-a few slices of pickled ginger to serve with the sushi
-sesame seeds for garnish

Other things needed:


-1 bamboo rolling mat
-plastic/saran wrap (don't use press and seal)
-sharp knife
-wet kitchen towel...helps slice the rolled sushi without smashing it

How-To: Growing Sprouts

Did you know you can grow your own sprouts, in your kitchen, in a mason jar?  It's basically that easy and only takes about 10 days until they're ready to be thrown on a salad or sandwich.  The most popular sprout may be alfalfa which is what I grew my first time around.  Come to find out though there are many many different seeds that can sprout into these crunchy edible garnishes.  And each of them have a different flavor whether it be zesty, spicy, earthy, you name it.  You can grow leafy sprouts, bean sprouts, and even nuts! Give it a shot.  You can get sprouting seeds at health food stores including Whole Foods, your local nursery (mine had 3 varieties) or you can order them online from Sprout People.

What you need:


-1 Tbsp of sprouting seeds
-1 quart-size mason jar with ring
-1 - 6 inch x 6 inch square of cheesecloth (I doubled mine in thickness)

Spicy Garlic Edamame

I love edamame.  Have you ever been to a sushi restaurant and they had more options than just with sea salt? spicy? garlicky? Well here I combined them both!  I basically just boiled the edamame a few minutes, strained it and tossed with a sauce made of ingredients I had in my fridge.  If you're looking for a new, easy app that will take the heat up, this recipe is for you!

Ingredients:

-1 pkg frozen edamame, still in shells

-2 Tbsp Thai chili garlic paste

-2 tsp ginger paste (or grated fresh ginger)

-1 Tbsp dried garlic or jarred minced garlic or 3 cloves fresh

-1 Tbsp sea salt

-1 Tbsp sesame oil

-1/2 tsp togarashi pepper (optional...will really bump up the heat)

Rock Chalk Cake Pops

Win or lose we still love our Jayhawks...and we will eat cake pops.  Yes, Kansas lost the National Championship on Monday but we had a great season and none of us are fair-weather fans. I made these for our party and they were devoured.  I was lucky to have a few to photograph the next day.  I'm not a baker and I was even successful at these!  I know I'm thinking ahead, but tailgates next fall? You betchya!

Ingredients:


-1 box yellow cake mix
-eggs (however many the box calls for...I needed 3)
-butter (follow box ingredients again)
-1/2 can cream cheese icing
-2 pkgs white candy bark (you can get any color at Hobby Lobby or white at the grocery store)
-sprinkles

Other things needed:

-double boiler (or just two different sized pots)
-Popsicle sticks (also found at Hobby Lobby or craft store)
-Styrofoam blocks or large ring

And the Winners Are...

Italian Herbs - Whitney from Prairie Village, KS - blog: Pretty Penny
Edible Flowers - Hannah from Raytown, MO - blog: Wonderment in Neverland

Congrats to the winners, don't forget to email me your address so Garden Bon Bons can ship you your treats for the spring!  Not a winner? I'm sorry :(  But, you can still order a box or two from their online store.  They make great gifts for spring birthdays, Mother's Day and shower gifts.

Random Number Generators:

Smoky Cornish Game Hen with Pan Sauce

If you're a Reckless Abandon reader, you know I love my roasted chickens! I've never tried a Cornish Game Hen before so I saw it in the store and grabbed one for a quick dinner.  It was absolutely delectable and something I will now make for guests. What is a Cornish Game Hen?  It's actually not a game bird, or even a hen.  It can be male or female and it's a domestic hybrid chicken.  Basically, they are a smaller, juicier version than a regular whole chicken.  I thought I could eat a whole one, but indeed only ate half.  Also, I roasted vegetables around the Hen and threw them in with Farro, a wonderful grain.  You can find the recipe here and you could use couscous or brown rice if you can't find Farro.

Ingredients:


-1 cornish game hen (about 1 lb)
-2 Tbsp kosher salt
-1 tsp pepper
-1-2 Tbsp smoked paprika
-1-2 Tbsp dried thyme
-1-2 Tbsp garlic powder
-1/2 white onion
-1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth