Clamming Up

One of the great things about living close to marshes and the beach is the easy access to a vast array of fish and shellfish. If you are ever in Myrtle Beach and someone invites you to a clam bake or an oyster roast GO! They are the perfect mix of food, friends and fun. The marshes and the marina are about 30 minutes away from where I live, so I do not always have time to make the drive. The other day when I was making Bulgogi (Korean BBq, it will be showing up here soon), I went to my favorite Asian Market. The store owner was in the middle of unloading trucks full of, pungent spices and exotic produce. As the large trucks pulled away, a Chevy pick –up, that looked liked it was on its last wheel pulled in. The driver and shop owner started bringing in cooler after cooler. My curiosity got the best of me (Nosy) and I peeked inside and saw edible gold. There were Red Snapper in one, welks and conchs in another and CLAMS in the biggest one. Most of the seafood shops around town start at around 5 bucks per dozen. I almost started dancing when he told me his were only 3 dollars a dozen.
  
 Most of my friends and family steam there clams in water seasoned with lemon and a couple pinches of seafood seasoning. Me being the nonconformist I had to switch it up a bit. My Beer steamed Clams w/ bacon and onions are going to send your taste buds and endorphins into overdrive. I mean seriously, this dish has two important food groups in it beer and bacon. I do not put salt in this dish, because when the clams steam open, they release water that has a nice salty flavor. The bacon provides both a smoky and rich flavor, as well as salting it considerably. The onions give it a musty and sweet combo, and the clams are sweet and tender. Make sure you clean your clams very well and let them soak in a bowl of salted water for a few hours, so they can spit out any sand they have trapped inside. Remove clams from heat once they have all opened. DISCARD any that do not open.

  As with most of my recipes a full kitchen is not required. The inspiration for this recipe actually came out of a tragic event. Years ago Hurricane Hugo devastated our area. Even though I was really young, I remember that we had to go to a shelter during the storm. When we were able to go back to our homes we were still without power for a few days. My family and our neighbors helped each other out, some brought ice to pack our food in others used their grills and camping stoves to make meals. I’ll never forget my Grandparents back door neighbor. Mr. Martin had a hot plate and a huge stock pot full of boiled shrimp. The storm had stirred up the marshes so much that he was able to reach down in the water and grab the shrimp. My point is (it takes a while sometimes) is that even if you only have a hot plate and cooler you can still produce a scrumptious meal for you and your family. Total cost for everything was $6.47

Clams with Bacon, Beer and Onion Broth

2 slices of bacon diced
½ large onion diced
1 12oz bottle of beer (room temperature)
1 dz clams cleaned and scrubbed
1 tsp dried parsley (optional)


Heat a large pot over a medium high heat. Sauté bacon until brown. Drain excess fat and return pan to heat.

Stir in onions and cook until onions are translucent. Place (don’t throw or drop) clams in pot. Pour beer over clams and cover with lid. Don’t worry if the beer does not cover the clams. The clams will release water when they open.

Steam clams until shells are open this will take about 10 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Ladle clams and broth into serving bowls. Serve with your favorite crusty bread and lemon wedges.


Notes / Tips: If you do not have easy access to fresh clams at a low price, frozen mussels are a good alternative to this dish. Most groceries stores carry them for anywhere between $2.50 and $5.00 a pack. For this recipe I used Yuengling beer, most American Lagers will do very well with this dish. Beers with a bolder flavor like Guinness and Heineken tend to overpower the clams. So what beer did you use, did your beer even make it inside the pot?

I scream ! You Scream! We all Scream for .…Pain Perdu?

Ice Cream Bread Pain Perdu

Yes ladies & gents Pain Perdu translated (lost bread) is the very popular French dish that we Americans know as French Toast. Pain Perdu is usually found on the dessert menu in France, it's made from very rich egg breads dipped into a custard batter, grilled or fried. Fresh breads are what really make this recipe a cut above the rest. This recipe is bound to be a hit at your next Breakfast or Brunch. By the way, has anyone besides me ever wondered why there is not any Lunch / Dinner hybrid? I mean there are many days I would like to go to Linner or Dunch with my friends. Anyway I digress, The bread is super simple to make, when preparing this make sure you use a high quality pint of Ice Cream. That’s right folks, Ice cream, after all it is a custard that’s just been frozen. With the addition of flour and a pinch of salt it makes killer bread. I’m using Starbucks Caramel Macchiato, did I spell that right? I think it produces fragrant bread that tastes like all of my favorite flavors in a coffee shop. Use any flavor you like to customize your French toast, just be sure to use a full fat ice cream. You will probably want to make the bread the night before so it has adequate time to cool. Alright let’s get cracking…..like eggs lol. (guess I shouldn’t try out for last comic standing)

Ice Cream Bread

1 pint (2 cups) ice cream, softened
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
Pinch of salt (1/8 tsp)

Preheat oven / toaster oven to 350



Stir together ice cream, salt and flour, stirring just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into a 8x4 inch loaf pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Remove from oven, and cool completely.



Yield: Makes 1 (8-inch) loaf about 6-8 slices



Pain Perdu batter (French Toast batter)

1 Large Egg slightly whisked

¼ cup milk

Whisk together milk and egg. Slice the bread and place each slice in batter coating both sides. Coat a skillet or your George Foreman grill with nonstick spray and cook 1-2 minutes on each side or until a golden brown crust forms. You can serve this straight up or dust it with powdered sugar and maple syrup.

Notes / Tips: Serve this with your favorite fruit and breakfast meat. I really enjoy turkey bacon or regular bacon w/ this; it makes for an awesome salty / sweet contrast. Make sure you do NOT thaw the ice cream completely. You want to let it melt until it is around the consistency of mashed potatoes. Be sure to use a French accent when you serve this, to give it that Je ne sais quoi. So what ice cream will you be using to make your Pain Perdu?

Dry Rubbed Chicken w/ Spiced Sweet Taters & String Beans

Hey everyone, after months of planning and debating rather or not to go through with this blog here is my first recipe / tutorial. I absolutely love grilling, but it has been so cold this winter, that I have not been able to brave the cold like I have in years past. I still had to satiate the need for some grilled up goodness, so out came the indoor grill. This recipe really epitomizes the Big Taste Small Space philosophy. It’s huge on flavor, it is fairly inexpensive and you do not even need a full kitchen to achieve the result. Most of all people it’s actually good for you too, that’s right Ladies and Gents, the Kid (that’s me) was on fire when he made this one!


The spiced sweet potatoes have a great smoky flavor that pairs excellently with the chicken and the string beans. This recipe calls for several dried spices; you can find these for a steal at Drugstores like CVS and Walgreens I even found some at Wally World for .50 cent. This recipe makes 2 portions with maybe a little leftover (depends on who you feed I put food down like a rabid Wolverine). The total for everything was only $6.83

Ingredients :

For the Chicken

6 boneless skinless breast tenders appx. 2oz each
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Mesquite seasoning
Pinch of salt

For the Sweet Taters

1 Large Sweet Potato
1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp sweet paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp seasoned salt

For the String Beans w/ Bbq Vinaigrette

12 oz package microwavable whole Green Beans
2 Tbs Bbq Sauce
1 tsp Apple Cider vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat toaster oven or oven to 350 degrees and preheat grill (I’m using the George Foreman Champ grill)

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Combine spices for chicken and rub each tender with a generous amount of the spice mixture. Let the chicken marinate for at least 10 mins. Lightly spray grill with nonstick spray. Grill chicken until juices run clear and flesh is completely white.

Peel Sweet Potato and dice into chunks about ½ inch wide. Add oil and spices to diced potatoes, toss to evenly distribute oil and spices. Pour Sweet Potatoes onto a baking sheet / pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Arrange potatoes so that they are in an even layer, place in oven and bake until fork tender (approximately 10-12 minutes depending on oven watts).

Microwave green beans according to package instructions

Place chicken, potatoes, and green beans on plate. Wisk together Barbeque sauce and vinegar. Spoon mixture over Green beans and around the plates.

Notes: Typically I find that a lot of commercial BBQ sauces are a little too sweet for my taste(For this recipe I used Sweet Baby Ray original, isn't it ironic). Adding a little cider vinegar really gives the sauce a little kick. You can add honey, molasses, mustard or even a little orange juice to kick up your BBQ Vinaigrette. As far as beverages are concerned, you can’t go wrong with a nice cold beer or a tall glass of Sweet Tea. For my Red Wine lovers, it’s a bit challenging during warmer months I wouldn’t suggest a Red because the heat can cause it to lose some of its aroma and fall flat on the palate. Since we’re doing this in the winter try a young Zinfandel or a Syrah with lots of fruit notes. If Whites tickle your fancy, I would probably go with either Pinot Gris or Riesling. So, How did yours turn out?