Your Favorite Secret Recipe

[l0st]

I saw another thread here earlier where members are discussing corn and some recipes. I tend to do a lot of scratch cooking in my home, but over the years I have found that I have kinda narrowed down the "weekly rotation" to a small set of dishes that I like, that I just eat over and over, and I am craving for something new.

Share with me your wildest and tastiest "secret" recipes. I'll try my best to replicate. I need some ideas for new dishes to cook to add variety to the menu. Oftentimes, I don't actually follow a recipe, but use it as "inspiration" for something similar or maybe even "doctored up" (as my grandfather used to say) into something a bit more spectacular.

Here's one of mine to get started:

Linguine With White Clam Sauce

The linguine:

9 minutes in a pot of rapidly boiling water with 1 tsp salt. Drop a full box of linguine (I prefer Barilla, but anything will do) after a rolling boil. Return to boil and immediately reduce heat to 1/2. Cook 9 minutes or until noodles are "Al Dente" or mostly soft, with an ever so slight crunch. Drain in a colander and immediately dowse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

The Sauce:

- 2,  3.5 oz cans chopped clams with juice. (I use dox-see clams in the can... you can use real clams but you'll need some of the juice)
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white table wine (I usually use a chardonnay or pinot-grigio - whatever is cheapest on shopping day - I also salt my wine) (non-alcoholics may substitute lemon juice in 1/2 the amount + water)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp or 3 cloves crushed or minced raw garlic
- Dried basil for garnish

1. Place olive oil in a skillet and heat until sizzling
2. Add garlic and onion
3. Fry until fragrant and onions are translucent
4. Add italian seasoning, cook at full temp for 1 minute to release flavor, then reduce heat
5. Add clams with liquid and wine or lemon juice
6. Simmer until reduced by 1/2
7. Add salt and pepper to taste, or possibly leave this out if serving guests
8. In a large bowl or dutch oven, mix drained noodles and reduced sauce - mix well.
9. Plate the servings and garnish with a dusting of dried basil all over the dish

Garlic bread and steamed asparagus make a nice accompaniment. Despite this being a white wine dish, I do enjoy it with a red - Beaujoulais-Village seems to work well. A chocolate based dessert also goes well with this meal.

[FlyingClayDisk]

I saw another thread here earlier where members are discussing corn and some recipes. I tend to do a lot of scratch cooking in my home, but over the years I have found that I have kinda narrowed down the "weekly rotation" to a small set of dishes that I like, that I just eat over and over, and I am craving for something new.

Share with me your wildest and tastiest "secret" recipes. I'll try my best to replicate. I need some ideas for new dishes to cook to add variety to the menu. Oftentimes, I don't actually follow a recipe, but use it as "inspiration" for something similar or maybe even "doctored up" (as my grandfather used to say) into something a bit more spectacular.

Here's one of mine to get started:

Linguine With White Clam Sauce

The linguine:

9 minutes in a pot of rapidly boiling water with 1 tsp salt. Drop a full box of linguine (I prefer Barilla, but anything will do) after a rolling boil. Return to boil and immediately reduce heat to 1/2. Cook 9 minutes or until noodles are "Al Dente" or mostly soft, with an ever so slight crunch. Drain in a colander and immediately dowse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

The Sauce:

- 2,  3.5 oz cans chopped clams with juice. (I use dox-see clams in the can... you can use real clams but you'll need some of the juice)
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white table wine (I usually use a chardonnay or pinot-grigio - whatever is cheapest on shopping day - I also salt my wine) (non-alcoholics may substitute lemon juice in 1/2 the amount + water)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp or 3 cloves crushed or minced raw garlic
- Dried basil for garnish

1. Place olive oil in a skillet and heat until sizzling
2. Add garlic and onion
3. Fry until fragrant and onions are translucent
4. Add italian seasoning, cook at full temp for 1 minute to release flavor, then reduce heat
5. Add clams with liquid and wine or lemon juice
6. Simmer until reduced by 1/2
7. Add salt and pepper to taste, or possibly leave this out if serving guests
8. In a large bowl or dutch oven, mix drained noodles and reduced sauce - mix well.
9. Plate the servings and garnish with a dusting of dried basil all over the dish

Garlic bread and steamed asparagus make a nice accompaniment. Despite this being a white wine dish, I do enjoy it with a red - Beaujoulais-Village seems to work well. A chocolate based dessert also goes well with this meal.

One of my favorite dishes, Linguine with White Clam Sauce.  I've got a variation on this dish which will blow your socks clean off your feet.  This is an InstaPot recipe and it's fantastic!

Go to the store and buy some garlic, a shallot, a can of Delallo or Progresso white clam sauce, a can of chopped clams, a bottle of clam juice.  You'll also need 1/2 box of linguine.  I'll assume you have butter and some white wine handy (preferably chardonnay)

Set your instapot (IP) to saute, and add a quarter stick of butter.  Chop about half a shallot and saute in the butter.  Right before the shallot is sauteed, add in 2 cloves of chopped garlic (you don't want this to cook long, maybe 1 minute).  Switch the IP to pressure cook and set for 6 minutes.   Add in the whole bottle of clam juice, the can of white clam sauce, and just the juice from the can of clams (not the clams...yet).  You can add about 1/4 cup of white wind here also.  Break the linguine in half drop in the pot.

Put the lid on the IP and let 'er rip for 6 minutes on high pressure.  When it's done you will have a feast fit for a King!!  But...but...WAIT!...what about the clams??  Yeah, so when the 6 minutes is up, vent the IP and stir in the clams and some Romano cheese.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes and it will thicken as the clams heat through.  Now you can eat your King's feast!

Oh, and be sure to add some good Romano cheese at the end (sacrilege for white sauces, I know, but just trust me...it's awesome!). 

Side note - I love Linguine with White Clam sauce so much that I have about (25) different recipes for it!  This particular recipe is both delicious and fast, because sometimes I want this dish so badly I just ain't got the time to waste...gettin' it in me belleh'!  

[727Sky]

Cajun Recipes to not-so-Cajun, over 4,500 recipes on this site were collected and compiled from Cajun Families located around New Iberia, Louisiana in the Heart of Cajun Country.

http://www.cajun-recipes.com/index.htm
https://www.cajun-recipes.com/html/gumbo.htm

[Raptured]

My late wife perfected linquine with clam sauce.

The secret was to add a good-sized dollop of Anchovie Paste.

Trust me on this

[UltraBudgie]

So you take a cup of black beans and a pot and put the beans in the pot and add water and then boil it but then turn off the heat and cover it and let it soak. Two hours.

Then drain the purple bean water and add new water and boil it up again but then let it simmer and cover it. Another two hours.

Then drain the bean water again but keep it, like two cups to add back later and while the beans are in the drainer you take an onion that's chopped and put it in the pot and add a glug of olive oil to paint it and fry that a bit then add like two chopped garlics and some salt and some black pepper and some cumin. Then pour back in the beans and water and boil and cover.  Simmer that like an hour or two.

Oh yeah and stir it too.

And while that last bits going you take a cup of rice and enough water and maybe a bit of butter and salt and boil that and cover it and simmer it 15 minutes then keep it covered and just let it sit off the heat until the beans are done.

Ah ha when are the beans done? Well not too squishy you want to uncover them and then boil down until they're not too watery.  No crunchy onions either.

Then you have two things rice and beans and you don't mix them really but put scoops of both them in a bowl and eat a bit of one and another. Okay well not really a secret at least not any more.



Oh and I forgot add some orange juice with the cumin and if you have a lemon squeeze that in there two that's very important because of flavor.

[FlyingClayDisk]

My late wife perfected linquine with clam sauce.

The secret was to add a good-sized dollop of Anchovie Paste.

Trust me on this

I'm skeptical, but I'll try it next time.  Anchovy paste in Caesar dressing...absolutely!  In my coveted linguine with white clam sauce??  Mmmmm...not so sure, but I'll give it a try.  I do love anchovy in certain things, pizza being one of them.  Oh, and Caesar dressing of course.

The more linguine and white clam sauce recipes, all the better!  LOL!

[Maxmars]

So you take a cup of black beans and a pot and put the beans in the pot and add water and then boil it but then turn off the heat and cover it and let it soak. Two hours.

Then drain the purple bean water and add new water and boil it up again but then let it simmer and cover it. Another two hours.

Then drain the bean water again but keep it, like two cups to add back later and while the beans are in the drainer you take an onion that's chopped and put it in the pot and add a glug of olive oil to paint it and fry that a bit then add like two chopped garlics and some salt and some black pepper and some cumin. Then pour back in the beans and water and boil and cover.  Simmer that like an hour or two.

Oh yeah and stir it too.

And while that last bits going you take a cup of rice and enough water and maybe a bit of butter and salt and boil that and cover it and simmer it 15 minutes then keep it covered and just let it sit off the heat until the beans are done.

Ah ha when are the beans done? Well not too squishy you want to uncover them and then boil down until they're not too watery.  No crunchy onions either.

Then you have two things rice and beans and you don't mix them really but put scoops of both them in a bowl and eat a bit of one and another. Okay well not really a secret at least not any more.



Oh and I forgot add some orange juice with the cumin and if you have a lemon squeeze that in there two that's very important because of flavor.

Almost any dish which features rice and beans will receive a happy dance salute from me!




(As I got older, I found the crunchy (raw) onion things that many people seem to love wasn't really 'good' for Mr. Stomach... who would punish me cruelly.)

[l0st]

One of my favorite dishes, Linguine with White Clam Sauce.  I've got a variation on this dish which will blow your socks clean off your feet.  This is an InstaPot recipe and it's fantastic!

Go to the store and buy some garlic, a shallot, a can of Delallo or Progresso white clam sauce, a can of chopped clams, a bottle of clam juice.  You'll also need 1/2 box of linguine.  I'll assume you have butter and some white wine handy (preferably chardonnay)

Set your instapot (IP) to saute, and add a quarter stick of butter.  Chop about half a shallot and saute in the butter.  Right before the shallot is sauteed, add in 2 cloves of chopped garlic (you don't want this to cook long, maybe 1 minute).  Switch the IP to pressure cook and set for 6 minutes.   Add in the whole bottle of clam juice, the can of white clam sauce, and just the juice from the can of clams (not the clams...yet).  You can add about 1/4 cup of white wind here also.  Break the linguine in half drop in the pot.

Put the lid on the IP and let 'er rip for 6 minutes on high pressure.  When it's done you will have a feast fit for a King!!  But...but...WAIT!...what about the clams??  Yeah, so when the 6 minutes is up, vent the IP and stir in the clams and some Romano cheese.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes and it will thicken as the clams heat through.  Now you can eat your King's feast!

Oh, and be sure to add some good Romano cheese at the end (sacrilege for white sauces, I know, but just trust me...it's awesome!). 

Side note - I love Linguine with White Clam sauce so much that I have about (25) different recipes for it!  This particular recipe is both delicious and fast, because sometimes I want this dish so badly I just ain't got the time to waste...gettin' it in me belleh'!  

I don't have an instant pot, but I do have some other brand electric pressure cooker is basically the same thing. I never thought about romano cheese and actually, this sounds really good. I'm not sure its really faster but I might try your version anyways... just because.

---

Cajun Recipes to not-so-Cajun, over 4,500 recipes on this site were collected and compiled from Cajun Families located around New Iberia, Louisiana in the Heart of Cajun Country.

http://www.cajun-recipes.com/index.htm
https://www.cajun-recipes.com/html/gumbo.htm

I'm totally down with Cajun recipes but somehow I just can't seem to get them right.

---

My late wife perfected linquine with clam sauce.

The secret was to add a good-sized dollop of Anchovie Paste.

Trust me on this

Hmmmmmm..... *processing*

---

So you take a cup of black beans and a pot and put the beans in the pot and add water and then boil it but then turn off the heat and cover it and let it soak. Two hours.

Then drain the purple bean water and add new water and boil it up again but then let it simmer and cover it. Another two hours.

Then drain the bean water again but keep it, like two cups to add back later and while the beans are in the drainer you take an onion that's chopped and put it in the pot and add a glug of olive oil to paint it and fry that a bit then add like two chopped garlics and some salt and some black pepper and some cumin. Then pour back in the beans and water and boil and cover.  Simmer that like an hour or two.

Oh yeah and stir it too.

And while that last bits going you take a cup of rice and enough water and maybe a bit of butter and salt and boil that and cover it and simmer it 15 minutes then keep it covered and just let it sit off the heat until the beans are done.

Ah ha when are the beans done? Well not too squishy you want to uncover them and then boil down until they're not too watery.  No crunchy onions either.

Then you have two things rice and beans and you don't mix them really but put scoops of both them in a bowl and eat a bit of one and another. Okay well not really a secret at least not any more.



Oh and I forgot add some orange juice with the cumin and if you have a lemon squeeze that in there two that's very important because of flavor.

I've never considered orange juice but this sound like it might be a good idea. The only recipe I can think of where I use orange juice is an orange vanilla frostie which goes something like this:

-1/2 can orange juice dehydrated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- salt, yes salt
- 2 cups milk
- 16 oz cubed ice
- 1 cup white sugar

Blend until smooth.

---

I'm
Almost any dish which features rice and beans will receive a happy dance salute from me!




(As I got older, I found the crunchy (raw) onion things that many people seem to love wasn't really 'good' for Mr. Stomach... who would punish me cruelly.)

I'm having this problem with milk. I've always been "lactose intolerant" but lately I get downright sick if I eat a bowl of cereal with milk. Like wake up at 3am with the shits sick.

[Maxmars]

I'm having this problem with milk. I've always been "lactose intolerant" but lately I get downright sick if I eat a bowl of cereal with milk. Like wake up at 3am with the shits sick.

I recently discovered that lactose-free milk actually let's me avoid the digestive tract problems that always followed drinking regular milk.

Now I wonder if that will last.  Because on a couple of occasions over the past few months, I got the same mid and lower gut agitation that whole milk had started giving me (as I grew older and more decrepit.)  It's a shame really, I loved whole milk... and I can't abide the various watered down offerings (1%, 2% etc.)

[l0st]

I recently discovered that lactose-free milk actually let's me avoid the digestive tract problems that always followed drinking regular milk.

Now I wonder if that will last.  Because on a couple of occasions over the past few months, I got the same mid and lower gut agitation that whole milk had started giving me (as I grew older and more decrepit.)  It's a shame really, I loved whole milk... and I can't abide the various watered down offerings (1%, 2% etc.)

It sucks because I do enjoy it. I typically drink 2% as whole milk has made me "violently" shits for a lot of years now.

Whole milk tastes really good and I miss it but I just don't like being sick if I drink it. After all these years drinking 2% whole milk almost tastes like cream, which is maybe good and bad.

This stuff really makes me sick now. Like 3am cramps holding the stomach puking and sitting on the throne sick. No thanks. Not worth it. But this is a new occurrence for me. I've not had problems with 2% for a lot of years... until now. Generally, if I'm moderate, no problems unless I eat like a whole bowl of ice cream. And I'll partake once in a while but know that I'll pay for it later. Now, no moderation needed. I'm even having problems with the 2 tablespoons I put in my coffee in the am.