Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Voting and Sausage & Clam Soup

So life has been a bit crazy recently -- we visited Pennsylvania, we celebrated 2010, we got ENGAGED, Andrei moved back to S-port!  Sadly, our lack of posts reflect this!  We have still been enjoying good food but haven't taken the time to comment.  Now we are back on the blogging trail chronicling our food adventures. 

This weekend we had a fun weekend together living normal life.  Here are the details from the weekend . . .

Andrei:  Rachel and I do super fun things together all the time.  Recently, we registered at Crate and Barrel, (our first time registering! Very fun let me tell you, just give a boy a gun, and he'll have fun for hours (and by gun i mean "price gun".) We also signed up for a wonderful Ultimate Wedding Contest that we'll tell you about (so stay til the end to help us win an Ultimate Wedding!)

The Sausage and Clam soup however, was a very successful and fun time of cooking together. I'm very thankful to Rachel for finding such a fun recipe, knowing that I'd love it, and also endeavoring to spearhead the project even though she wasn't feeling 100% well. The Sausage and Clam Soup was perfect. Its secret ingredient is, wait for it.... ORANGE JUICE. It gave the soup the tangy flair that I love so much, from Asian style soups. Rachel will brief you more on the yummy specifics. However, suffice it to say that it was a delight to cook with my woman, and we hope you all will enjoy cooking this dish with your special someone, or for your family as the case may be.

Now about The Contest: Rachel and I have entered a contest and we need your help to move on to the final round. Anyone, who has a valid email can vote.

http://www.ultimateweddingcontest.com/entries/32629

Click on the link and vote and if you have another email address logout (the upper left hand corner) and revote again. THANK YOU SO MUCH! We love you all!!!!!!!

Rachel:  Ironically we can't find the pictures we took of the soup so I am uploading a picture of my favorite thing that we registered for . . . our bedding!  It is gorgeous and a big surprise to both of us that we agreed so quickly!  Andrei was really patient throughout the whole registry process and so eager to think through every item from every angle with me.

This weekend we also visited the church where we are planning to be married, Believers' Chapel.  The people were so friendly, warm and welcoming.  If for no other reason, I want to get married there, just because they were so welcoming!  It was definitely a bonus to realize how pretty the church is and perfect for what we are envisioning!   

One thing I love about Andrei is how many new foods I enjoy cooking with him in my life!  I saw this recipe and knew it was great for us . . . especially since it is only 5 points a serving on Weight Watchers which will really help me with my continued quest to eat healthier!  We had lots of fun shopping together and the soup is really easy to make.  Andrei says the broth is the part that really makes it which surprised me since I expected him to love the clams and sausage.  Enjoy!   

Sausage and Clam Soup
From the Food Network Magazine March 2010

2 tbsp EVOO
8 oz hot Italian sausage, thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
6 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 bunch kale, trimmed and roughly chopped
28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
14 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
16 littleneck clams, scrubbed
2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add the sausage and cook, turning, until browned, about 4 minutes.  Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.

2.  Stir in the orange juice concentrate, kale, and 3 cups water.  Add the tomatoes and break them into chunks with a spoon.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. 

3.  Add the beans and clams.  Return to a boil over high heat, cover and cook until the clams open, 10 to 12 minutes.  Stir in the vinegar and serve with bread.  Serves 4-6.   

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