Category: Sauces

No. 617Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Simple Linguine with Clam Sauce

Simple Linguine with Clam Sauce | Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen

From the pantry to the table this Simple Linguine and Clam Sauce will be on repeat in your home. Bijouxs Collection Membership Recipe No. 617 Prego!

LINGUINE AND CLAMS

For years I ordered this dish when I dined out, little did I know how easy it is create at home, plus it uses basic on-hand pantry ingredients–a little kitchen jewel.

CANNED BABY CLAMS

Canned clams are available in almost any market, as is the bottled clam juice. People may shy away thinking this dish may taste fishy, but no, the baby clams are mild and sweet. This is a pasta dish you can serve to almost anyone and they may not guess there are clams in the sauce. 

CLASSIC ITALIAN

Linguine and Clams is a traditional Italian dish. This is a take on the dish with a few twists. The linguine is cooked in the clam broth, which adds deep flavor to the pasta, and keeps the sauce light. This method also makes cooking the recipe very easy. The other twist is to top the pasta with toasted bread crumbs Sicilian style. Then just a  touch of fresh parsley and oregano complete the pasta.

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Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette

Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Spring in the garden heralded by my first artichokes. Inspired, a new recipe for the Collection Membership a crispy Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette. Join and as a member access all 600 recipes.

SPRING IN THE GARDEN

As we all know this Spring weather has been a bit wonky everywhere, hard to plan a garden this year. I have held off on planting my lettuce and herbs, the fog has made it dismal here on the CA Coast. However, my tried & true artichokes mananged to squeek out a few artichokes.

Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

ARTICHOKE PANINI

The dreary weather has kept me indoors but I happened on a delighful recipe from Joy’s Once Upon a Thyme featured in Diner’s Driveins and Dives. Joy created a crispy artichoke panini served with the best dressing. They are located in beautiful lush Chehalis Washington.

Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette | Bijouxs Little Jewels

BASIL VINAIGRETTE

Her salad dressing is so much in demand that they sell bottles of it at the restaurant, really. While I do not have her exact recipe, I have come pretty closed by tinkering with the ingredients. The episode on DDD does tell more about the basil dressing, which she says people want to drink, it’s that good. Photo from website.

Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Enjoy this crispy Artichoke Pesto Panini with Basil Vinaigrette. Cheers.

No. 595Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Mushroom Ragu

Mushroom Ragu | Bijouxs Little Jewels

This ragu is bursting with mushrooms and complex umami flavors, this may become your new Sunday sauce–Mushroom Ragu No. 595 in the Collection, another Little Jewel from the Kitchen.

MUSHROOMS

A vegetable based ragu so rich you will never miss the meat. Mushrooms are the key along how they are cooked, no rush here. This sauce is a great weekend project, perfect for Sunday Supper. Although this is a meatless sauce, the complex flavors beguile the diners. How can there be a ragu without meat? The answer is the richness from mushrooms, along with some traditional and not some not-so traditional ingredients.

L’ARTUSI, NYC

The recipe has been on the menu from day one at L’Artusi, and it is said there would be an uprising if it leaves the menu. Gargenelli pasta with mushroom ragu, ricotta salata. So loved, it can be ordered via Goldbelly here. Of course, although it relies on humble ingredients, all the parts must be just right for the sauce to come together. I followed the chef’s tips, such as brushing the mushrooms with a paper towel, avoiding any extra water. (I was one of those cooks who purchased a mushroom brush, but it is lost in the drawer of my food tools). Looking at this upgrading to improved mushroom brush.

RAGU INGREDIENTS

I have made this recipe a compilation of recipes, resulting in what I think is just a dandy mushroom ragu. Besides the mushrooms, the other cast of characters in this sauce are easy to find and work with in the kitchen. Onion, tomato paste and pasata, along with sauce favorites cream, butter, cheese and wine-what’s not to love. Ingredients such as Sicilian oregano, Red Boat fish sauce and mushroom broth are a some of the unique things you may not have on hand, but an easy order from Amazon.

SERVE THE SAUCE

I enjoy the ragu over polenta, Bob’s Red Mill makes an organic one, again Amazon, the stores don’t seem to carry their organic one. This umami-rich sauce is a winner over creamy-dreamy polenta. Also a great sauce for your favorite pasta.
Your new Sunday sauce from Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen.

 

No. 565Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Bijouxs featured in 805 Magazine November

Bijouxs 805 November Feature

Thankful. The season of thanks begins with a heartfelt thanks to 805 Magazine for featuring me as an 805 Magazine Contributor this month and featuring two of my favorite fennel recipes in the November Issue.  

 

HOLIDAY RECIPES

Here at Bijouxs I have amassed and serious collection of over 550 recipes over the span of the ten years I have written the blog. I have so many Holiday favorite, but seasonal cooking always wins out. I had a number crop of fennel and made this Fennel Pesto to make use of all the voluptuous green fronds my plants produced. During the holidays during the lock down Whole Foods was delivering and part of my holiday order included fresh fennel, which I used to make Crispy & Cheesy Roasted Fennel. 

RECIPES IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE

FENNEL FRONDS PESTO

CRISPY & CHEESY ROASTED FENNEL

COLLECTION MEMBERSHIP

Currently with over 550 recipes and growing,  as part of my Recipe Membership Collection, there are so many choices for your holiday table. If you are not yet a Collection Member consider signing up and having all of my recipes on the ready for your holiday celebrations. It’s easy and very cost effective, less than $2.oo a month for one year and the beauty is NO heavy cookbook to lug around and go searching for your recipes. I have taken an age old recipe problem and solved it with my Collection Membership.

Cheers to all!

No. 563Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Spaghetti alla Vodka

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Food & memories, memories & food. Years ago when the world was steady, I met a fantastic chef/fellow blogger. She shared her take on her Grandmother’s “all vodka” recipe. Spaghetti alla Vodka a memory Little Jewel.

ALLA VODKA

Vodka sauce is a pink sauce with a splash of booze that is somewhere between a tomato sauce and an Alfredo sauce. The sauce was surely created in Italy way before it became popular in America. Not to worry, the alcohol inherent in vodka is cooked out completely during the cooking process.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

TOMATO INFUSED VODKA

Key to the recipe are the vodka soaked tomatoes. Do not skip these, they are easy to make. Just place ripe, large peeled garden tomatoes in a glass jar (with a lid) and cover them with vodka. Cover and put tomatoes away in the refrigerator for at least 5 days to do their magic. Make sure to fill the jar to cover the tomatoes with vodka, if they float up use a wooden skewer to anchor the tomatoes.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI ALLA VODKA

This recipe originated from my friend’s Grandmother in Italy. I will vouch, this is a real Italian family. I enjoyed our days cooking with this fellow chef, always something to learn.

Prepare a large pot of boiling salted water, hold a low boil.

The sauce is so easy to prepare. Lightly sauté onions and garlic together in olive oil, just until translucent. Next add the pureed tomatoes and tomato vodka. Simmer about 10-15 minutes. Add the sliced basil*, red pepper flakes, and heavy cream, stir and allow sauce to heat through.

Add the spaghetti to boiling salted water and cook to package instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water to use if the sauce seems too thick.

Stir in the drained spaghetti to the sauce. Toss lightly to coat the spaghetti. Serve the spaghetti in a large shallow bowls with additional grated Parmesan, drizzle of olive oil and more red pepper flakes if you like spicy.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

CHIFFONADE

This a French cooking term which is the culinary preparation of herbs or leafy vegetables sliced into long, thin ribbons. Simply tighly roll 2-3 basil leaves together then slice crosswise in thin strips.

PASTA BOWLS

A collection of plain white pasta bowls are a worthwhile kitchen investment. I have two types, the shallow bowls you see here and deeper large bowls for ragus and larger pastas.

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Spaghetti alla Vodka | Bijouxs Little Jewels

No. 563 Spaghetti alla Vodka, a shared Little Jewel from the Kithen Recipe Collection.

 

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