Savor The Flavor is starting out this month by thinking about “All Things Valentines Day”.

Savor The Flavor is starting out this month by thinking about “All Things Valentines Day”. 

SWEETHEART PUNCH

Ingredients:

1 - 64 ounce container of V8 Strawberry Lemonade of your choice.

1 liter Sierra Mist or Sprite

1 1/2 quart container of raspberry or strawberry sherbet 

Directions:

Chill strawberry lemonade and sierra mist for a few hours.

Pour the strawberry lemonade and Sierra mist in a gallon pitcher or punch bowl.

Stir to combine flavors.

Pour mixture into mason jars and top with a scoop of sherbet.

Serve immediately.~~ENJOY~~

SHRIMP SALAD LETTUCE CUPS

Ingredients:

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound cooked shrimp, chopped

1 green onion, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped celery

1 tablespoon diced pimientos

2 heads endive, separated into leaves

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Stir in the shrimp, onion, celery and pimientos. Spoon 1 tablespoonful onto each endive leaf; arrange on a platter. Refrigerate until serving. ~~ENJOY~~

February 7, 2020 is “National Fettuccine Alfredo Day”

Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

1 pound fettuccine

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces), plus more for topping

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain.

Meanwhile, combine the heavy cream and butter in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking to combine. Whisk in the nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.

Add the pasta and cheese to the sauce. Increase the heat to medium and toss to coat, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Transfer the pasta to bowls and top with more parmesan. ~~ ENJOY~~

VALENTINES DAY LASAGNA (Crockpot  or slow-cooker)

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef

1 jar regular size spaghetti sauce

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes Italian or Basil, Oregano & Garlic Flavored

12 oz ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg ~~ENJOY~~

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 onion chopped

1 package 8oz no-cook lasagna noodles

salt to taste

Directions:

Brown ground beef and chopped onions until no longer pink. Drain, and return to pot.

Stir in pasta sauce, canned tomatoes and 1/3 cup water on medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low to simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Dump ricotta cheese in a bowl with the egg, stir well until combined.

Pour 1/5 of your meat sauce into the bottom of a greased Crock Pot and top with a layer of dry noodles. They won’t fit perfectly, you’ll need to break off bits and pieces all over the place (I’d consider wearing safety goggles for this job) and overlap them some – but no worries, it’ll all work out in the end.

Spread a ricotta cheese mixture on top of noodles. I've found it's easiest to squeeze mixture out of a zip lock. (see image below recipe).

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, followed by mozzarella. I use more mozzarella than parmesan.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have 3 layers of noodles or are simply out of ingredients. It’s hard to mess this up – the most important part is to make sure there is a layer of sauce touching each layer of noodles so that it will “boil” while cooking. Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours. During the last hour, pour the extra 1 Cup Mozzarella on top so it will melt and look lovely by dinner time~~ENJOY~~

February 25, 2020 is “Clam Chowder Day”

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, chopped

1 1/2 celery stalks, chopped

7 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch crushed red pepper

1/4 cup tomato paste

3 sprigs parsley

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 large waxy-style potato (about 3/4 pound), diced

5 cups clam juice (five 8-ounce bottles clam juice)

One 28-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes (with liquid), roughly chopped

1-1/2 cups minced clams, drained (about four 6-1/2 ounce cans)

1 tablespoon kosher salt or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute more. Tie the parsley sprigs, fresh thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot with the potatoes. Pour in the clam juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and clams. Cover and bring to a low simmer. Season with pepper to taste. Divide among warm soup bowls and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately. ~~ENJOY~~

RED WINE RISOTTO WITH PEAS

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted, optional

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer. At this point, the risotto can be made 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate the risotto (the rice will still be firm) and remaining broth, uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep them refrigerated until ready to proceed.

Bring the remaining broth to a simmer, then cover and keep it warm over very low heat. Stir 3/4 cup of hot broth into the partially cooked risotto over medium heat until the broth is absorbed and the risotto is hot, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the peas and parsley. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve. ~~ENJOY~~

MIX BERRY CRISP

Ingredients:

12 ounces frozen berries (blueberries or raspberries)

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup plus 2 cups crisp topping, recipe follows

TOPPING: 

5 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1 cup

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups chopped nuts such as; walnuts, pecans, or almonds

1 1/2 cups crushed crackers, gingersnaps or cereal

4 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

Directions:

Place the flour, sugar, nuts and crackers into a large mixing bowl and combine. Work the butter into the dry ingredients with your hands until it is crumbly. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Use as topping for crisps, cobblers or grunts.

Do you know what a “grunt” is? A Slump?

A dessert, traditionally served on America's east coast that is a combination of a pie and a cobbler. It consists of fruit, most often berries, which are cooked beneath a crust of biscuit dough. ... A Grunt is similar in preparation to the Slump with the exception that the Grunt is steam cooked and the Slump is baked.

CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS

Ingredients:

2 bags chocolate chips (dark or milk chocolate)

1 bag pretzels (logs work well for this, but you can try any of the medium to thick variety of twists)

Chopped nuts, for garnish, optional

Colored nonpareils, for garnish, optional

Sprinkles, for garnish, optional

Coconut, for garnish, optional

Crushed cookies, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Melt chocolate in double boiler over medium heat on stove top. Using tongs, or your fingers, quickly dip pretzels in chocolate allowing the excess to run off. Place dipped pretzels on waxed paper lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, colored sugars or other toppings. Allow to harden. You may need to refrigerate for a while to help this along. Once hardened, remove from sheets and store in a cool location, with waxed paper between layers.

Tip: Package pretzels in clear cellophane bags or in vase for festive gift giving!

Hint: Get your children and grandchildren involved and watch their creativity show. ~~ENJOY~~

Next month, Savor The Flavor will be bringing you “Everything Green” for St. Patrick's Day.  Thank you for making us part of your day~ See you next month.

Deborah L. Reed, Editor of “Savor The Flavor”