Golden Clam Chowder Recipe

Comfort food at its best! Yes, you can have a warm, homemade bowl of Clam Chowder for dinner tonight. This soup is seasoned expertly and the thyme adds a great dimension of flavor.

Ingredients

2 celery ribs

2 medium carrots

1 medium onion

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cans (6-1/2 ounces each) minced clams, undrained

1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Finely chop the celery, carrots and onion. In a Dutch oven, saute vegetables in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, clams, clam juice, 1 cup water, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Gradually stir in milk; heat through. Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth; stir into chowder. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in bacon. Yield: 7 servings.

Easy, Decadent, Buttery English Toffee

Happy English Toffee Day!

It's amazing how simple it is to make your own tray of the buttery delicacy. Aside from a few ingredients, the main apparatus needed is just a candy thermometer. If you're feeling ambitious on this National Toffee Day, try making some yourself 

Toffee is a confection made by caramelizing sugar or molasses (creating inverted sugar) along with butter, and occasionally flour. The mixture is heated until its temperature reaches the hard crack stage of 300 to 310 °F (149 to 154 °C).

While being prepared, toffee is sometimes mixed with nuts or raisins.  Toffee used in confectionery can be mixed with many different ingredients to produce a variety of flavors: rum & butter, chocolate covered, vanilla & chocolate, rum & raisin, raspberry, and honeycomb.

 To celebrate, I chose to make some Double-Nut English Toffee and unlike some versions, this toffee isn't too hard and is easy to eat since it's only boiled to the soft crack stage. So here we go.

Ingredients

1-1/2 teaspoons plus 2 cups butter, softened, divided

2 cups sugar

1 cup chopped almonds, toasted

1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided

2 cups ground walnuts or pecans, divided

Directions

Butter a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. pan with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 290° (soft-crack stage). Remove from the heat; stir in almonds. Immediately pour into prepared pan.

Sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips; let stand until chips become glossy. Spread evenly over top. Sprinkle with 1 cup walnuts. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

In a microwave, melt remaining chips; stir until smooth. Spread over toffee. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Break into 2-in. pieces. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3-1/2 pounds.

Editor's Note: We recommend that you test your candy thermometer before each use by bringing water to a boil; the thermometer should read 212°. Adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.

Another wonderful English toffee recipe is by the one and only, Paula Deen.  Check it out here.  

Want to buy some specialty toffee instead? Check out the links below! :)

Happy Hour English Toffee with pretzels and peanuts( beer infused toffee)

Ascot Royale English Toffee

English Toffee with Chocolate and Nuts

White Satin Almond Toffee

Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Ricotta, Asiago, Mozzarella & Cottage Cheese

Satisfying four-cheese stuffed shells, bursting with ricotta, Asiago, mozzarella and cottage cheese. Use your favorite brand of spaghetti sauce--meatless or not.

Ingredients

6 uncooked jumbo pasta shells

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup 4% cottage cheese

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, Asiago cheese, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, chives and 1/2 cup spinach (save the remaining spinach for another use).

Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce into a shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drain pasta; stuff with cheese mixture. Arrange in prepared dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 2 servings.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

It's been freakin' cold lately. Comfort yourself by making a hot & hearty supper like this Broccoli Cheese Soup. This simple soup has basic ingredients, but it tastes so good. The green broccoli florets and the brilliant orange carrots make this creamy soup a colorful addition to any table.

Ingredients

2 cups sliced fresh carrots

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup sliced celery

1-1/2 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed chicken broth, undiluted

4 cups whole milk

1/2 pound process cheese (Velveeta), cubed

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add carrots, broccoli and celery; cover and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In the same saucepan, saute onion in butter. Add flour and stir to make smooth paste. Gradually add chicken broth and milk. Cook until mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes. Add vegetables; heat until tender. Add cheese; heat until cheese is melted. Yield: 6-8 servings (2 quarts).