Cavatelli with Cream of Beans & Clams ala ~DKBB~

Cavatelli with Cream of Beans & Clams ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.cookingwithnonna.com)

The original recipe calls for fresh clams, but I don't live where that is much of an option, so I substituted canned clam pieces and it worked well.

1 lb. cavatelli pasta
1 15.5 oz. can Cannellini beans (do not drain)
2 cans clam pieces (drain, but save liquid)
1 shallot, finely diced
15 to 20 cherry tomatoes
½ cup white (cooking) wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (dried can be substituted, adjust amount)
Pepperoncino (hot pepper flakes) to taste
Salt (to taste)
Extra virgin olive oil (can use flavor infused if desired)

• Drain clams, saving liquid, and set aside.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions to an al dente consistency.
• In a large pan, add some olive oil and sauté the shallot, garlic, and pepperoncino; once the shallots are soft and garlic is turning gold, add the rosemary and sauté for another minute; add the cherry tomatoes and sauté for 4-6 minutes; add white wine and simmer until alcohol is completely evaporated.
• Put the beans (including liquid) in blender and make a cream out of them; add a bit of clam liquid if the bean blend is too thick to easily pour out of blender.
• Add blended beans, all remaining clam liquid, and salt to taste to pan; simmer all at a medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Add the clam meat to the pan, cooking all for another 5ish minutes, then add in the drained cooked pasta, stirring well to mix all together, and let cook for another 3ish minutes.
• Serve with a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil of your choice.

Lentil Quiche ala ~DKBB~

 Lentil Quiche ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from WONDER79 on allrecipes.com)

1 cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp. olive oil

½ cup dried yellow lentils

2 cups water

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup quartered grape or cherry tomatoes

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp. salt

Cracked black pepper to taste

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

• Preheat oven to 375° F. Place olive oil and chopped onion in 9-inch deep-dish pie plate; bake for 15 minutes, or until onion is tender.
• Place lentils and water in saucepan and bring to a boil; cook for about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender; drain most of the water off, leaving a small amount in pan with lentils; place broccoli florets on top of lentils; cover and cook for about 5 minutes. This will dry the lentils and cook the broccoli.
• Transfer the lentils, broccoli, and tomatoes to the pie plate with the onions and stir to evenly distribute; stir in cheese.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and spices; pour this over the ingredients in the pie plate.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until center is firm when the quiche is jiggled; cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Southwest Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocados ala ~DKBB~

Southwest Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocadoes ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from Jenny on homeandbirch.com)

 2 cups leftover roast or rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

¼ to ½ cup diced jicama (optional – provides crunch and texture)

1 cup corn kernels (I use thawed frozen corn)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 poblano pepper

¼ cup cilantro

5 to 7 oz. plain Greek yogurt (whatever size you can find will work)

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

6 avocadoes, halved

• In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, jicama (if desired), corn, and black beans.
• In a food processor, combine the poblano pepper, cilantro, Greek yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper; pulse until well combined, then add to bowl of chicken; mix well.
• Spoon the chicken salad into the avocado halves and serve; you can serve with lime slices and squeeze lime over each serving, as desired.