Molly Malone’s cockle and mussel chowder

molly malones chowder

Molly Malone was a beautiful girl who sold cockles and mussels and died tragically of a fever while still young, or so the song goes. Molly may not have been a real girl, but since at least the 17th century, there have been fishmongers on the streets of Dublin who sell ‘Cockles and Mussels, alive, alive, oh!’

Cockles, with their distinctive flavour and lovely curved shell, are traditionally eaten in Ireland with Oatcakes. If you can only find mussels, this chowder will be just as good.

Serve either as a substantial starter or with chunks of crusty bread as a meal in its own right.

Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and sauté for about 1 minute, until crisp and golden. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Then add the leek, carrot and potato. Reduce the heat to low and sauté gently for 4–5 minutes, until soft but not browned.

Meanwhile, prepare the cockles and mussels. Scrub the shells clean and discard any that remain open when you tap them against a hard surface. Remove the beard – the little fibrous tuft – from each mussel. Bring the wine to a boil in a large saucepan and add the cockles and mussels. Cover with a tight-fi tting lid and cook for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened.

Remove from the heat, drain the shellfi sh in a colander, reserving the cooking juices, and discard any shells that remain closed. Return the shellfi sh to the empty pan to keep warm. Place a fine sieve over a measuring jug and strain the cooking liquid. You should have at least 600ml (1 pint); if not, add water to make up that quantity.

Add the pan juices and the milk to the bacon and vegetable mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6–8 minutes, until the potato is tender. Add the cream and simmer for another 2–3 minutes, until the soup is reduced and thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, remove half of the cockles and mussels from their shells and add them with the remaining cockles and mussels still in their shells to the chowder. Stir in the parsley and serve at once.

http://www.rachelallen.com/post/molly-malones-cockle-and-mussel-chowder

 

Farfalle with red pepper sauce – Catherine Fulvio

farfalle-red-pepper-sauce-266x266

It’s great over steamed fish and equally tasty over roasted garlic and courgettes.

Ingredients

  • 350g farfalle
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 100ml white wine
  • 2 red peppers, roasted and chopped
  • 50g crème fraîche
  • 200ml fresh cream
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 100g ricotta salata (or feta), crumbled, to serve
  • chives, to garnish

Directions

1 Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

2 In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a low heat and sauté the shallots until softened. Add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Add the roasted peppers and cook for 1–2 minutes, then stir in the crème fraîche and cream.

3 Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove half the sauce and blend it to a purée, then mix both back together again. Season to taste.

4 Toss the drained, cooked pasta into the sauce, sprinkle over the crumbled ricotta salata and garnish with some chive lengths on top.

KEEPING IT LOCAL: THIS SAUCE IS ESPECIALLY TASTY SPOONED OVER STUFFED LOCAL FREE-RANGE CHICKEN BREASTS WRAPPED WITH LOCAL DRY CURED BACON.

http://cookwithavonmore.ie/recipe/farfalle-with-red-pepper-sauce-catherine-fulvio/

Recipe: Butternut Squash Paleo Breakfast Hash

Try this flavorful butternut squash paleo breakfast hash with veggies and eggs over easy. This beautiful paleo breakfast hash offers an easy way to get a boatload of veggies into one meal. Swap out the sausage and processed meats and refined toast because these fiber-rich veggies are taking over!

Ingredients

2 cups butternut squash (about one small squash), diced
4 eggs
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cups spinach
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 cup roma tomatoes, diced
Dash of sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
  2. Add the butternut squash to a medium size bowl and evenly coat with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  3. Pour the squash onto a baking sheet and spread out evenly.
  4. Bake the butternut squash for 20-25 minutes.
  5. In a large sauté pan heat the coconut oil over medium heat.
  6. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
  7. Remove the butternut squash from the oven and add it to the pan, in addition to the spinach, tomatoes & cilantro.
  8. Sauté the vegetables for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  9. Use a spoon to create four small holes and add one egg to each hole.
  10. Cover the pan for about five minutes or until desired doneness. Optional Toppings: salsa, avocado slices, hot sauce, beaumonde, etc.

Nutrition information

Makes 2 servings.

Each serving contains:

Calories 388
Fat 25g
Carbohydrates 30g
Fiber 5g
Sugar 9g (Added sugar 0g)
Protein 14g
Sodium 355mg

Recipe provided by registered dietitian nutritionist Brigid Titgemeier, MS, RDN, LD.

Photo © BeingBrigid Functional Nutrition