Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is in just a few days and I’m rounding up all of my Thanksgiving Day recipes!
Since I have a few days to prep, I made the cranberry sauce in advance so that I have less to do on the day of. Cranberry sauce is one of the easiest recipes in the world and consists of little more than 3 ingredients. You can dress it up by adding spices (like cinnamon or nutmeg) or stirring in pomegranate seeds, or adding a splash of rum, vodka, champagne or in my case, Chambord!
Cranberry Sauce with a bit of Chambord
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
1/4 cup Chambord
6 Strips orange peel
Bring water and sugar to a boil.
Stir in cranberries and lower to simmer.
Allow cranberries to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn off pot, stir in Chambord and orange peel, cover pot and allow to cool.
Once cranberry mixture is cool, pour in to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Most of the berries should still be whole.
The orange peel and Chambord make the cranberry sauce sweet and tart with just a hint of citrus!
Enjoy!!
C is for Cookie
The first time I had these cookies was when I first met Mr. X. His best friend’s mom made these cookies for them when they were growing up and they became one of Mr. X’s favorite! Mr. X loves them so much, we even had them as the dessert at our rehearsal dinner. It was a nice touch having his favorite childhood dessert and sharing it with all of our friends and family!
I decided to try my hand at making these cookies and wow were they a hit!
It sounds a bit strange adding ricotta cheese to chocolate chip cookies, but the cheese makes the cookies really light and fluffy!
They are literally so fluffy they’re like eating little clouds of chocolate chips! I tweaked the original recipe a bit to make bigger cookies and include both milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chips. You can thank me later!
Ingredients
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened – I take the butter out of the fridge and let it sit our until it’s softened but not melted.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preparation
In a large bowl, cream together ricotta cheese, butter, and sugars until fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and mix together until combined. Stir in both chocolate chips until it looks like every bite will be choc full of chips!
Cover the bowl and stick in freezer for 10 minutes. In the mean time, pre-heat oven to 350*.
Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop cookies on to cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Makes 24 cookies.
Nom nom nom nom Cookies! Enjoy!
Aloha!
A fellow blogger with an awesome travel blog, Danielle over at Danielle Abroad has posted one of my recipes! Danielle has traveled all over the world and features a whole series on Plates from Around The World ! Take a look and send Danielle some love!
Aloha! Aloha is a colloquialism in the Hawaiian language used to say hello, goodbye, and love. In 2010, I found out why Hawaii is nicknamed the Aloha State when my husband, Mr. X and I traveled to Maui on our honeymoon. From the moment we were greeted with a friendly “Aloha” and a lei upon landing, we fell in love with the Island and couldn’t bring ourselves to say goodbye.
The biggest attractions in Maui are the Hana Highway, Sunrise at Haleakala National Park and beautiful Lahaina. While a jeep is not 100% necessary, rent a car while you’re in Maui. We rented a Dodge Challenger and we were able to climb mountains with the best of them. We stayed at the Westin Maui, which is right in between the beach areas of Ka’anapali and Lahaina on the Western side of Maui. As you drive in to Lahaina on Hawaii Route 30, also known as the Honoapiilani Highway, you’ll find yourself hugging cliffs on one side and looking down at the beautiful blue ocean on the other. I can’t tell you how many times we stopped along that stretch of highway just to take pictures of the view! Along this highway you will also see Shoreline Access markers; look out for these, pull up to any one, grab some snorkeling gear and jump into the water.
Farther along the Honoapiilani Highway, you’ll find Ka’anapali Beach. Ka’anapali beach is a 3-mile long stretch of soft white sand. At the north end of the beach, you’ll find the Black Rock. Black Rock is a rocky peninsula formed from lava rock. It quickly became one of our favorite snorkeling spots. Grab a couple of towels and your snorkel gear, find a spot on the sand, then float to your heart’s content! The visibility is awesome, even in the deeper parts around the point – you’ll see tons of fish, crustaceans and even a turtle or two. Once you’ve gotten your fill of under the sea life, dry off on the sand and watch the locals prove how brave they are by scaling the 25-foot high rock and diving off. A small warning for novice snorkelers – the water gets shallow in some spots and you’ll find that the reef is literally 1 to 3 feet below you. Mr. X loved that he could get up close and personal with the fish. He even trailed a sea turtle for a bit!
Once we’d wrapped up our trip and gotten back to the states, I would have cravings for Huli Huli Chicken so severe, I knew I had to come up with my own recipe. The problem was… I lived in an apartment and didn’t have access to a big grill where I could turn – ah, I mean huli – my chicken. What to do? Baking it wouldn’t get the skin crispy with those delicious grill marks, and laying raw chicken directly on my oven racks was definitely a no-go. Then I thought, maybe the broiler would do the trick. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen an apartment oven’s broiler rack, but it ain’t big. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that my first attempt blackened and blistered the skin while leaving the center mostly raw. Hm… what if I used my grill pan first, then transferred the chicken to the oven to finish? That could work, I thought to myself. And it did! Victory was mine, and so was delicious, sweet, sticky, Huli Huli Chicken.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white wine (one you’d actually drink)
1 piece ginger root, grated
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 lemon, cut in to quarters
- Combine ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, wine, ginger root and garlic in a large bowl and whisk together. It’s going to smell delicious and you’re going to want to start dipping things in there immediately – fingers, French fries, noodles – but don’t! You’ll want every drop of that marinade to soak in to your chicken.
- Reserve 1/4 cup marinade, add your chicken to the bowl and coat. Then, cover bowl and allow chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour to overnight.
- Remove chicken from fridge 15 minutes before cooking to take the thaw off.
- Pre-heat your oven to 400* and lightly oil your grill pan –if you’re fortunate enough to have a broiler big enough to fit the chicken and a baking pan, turn your broiler on.
- Heat grill pan over medium flame until hot and place chicken skin side down. This is important to get those great grill marks and crispy skin. Cook for 10 minutes, turning halfway through. While the chicken is cooking, combine reserved marinade and 1/2 cup pineapple juice.
- Once the skin is grilled, move the chicken to a baking pan brush with pineapple juice-marinade mixture. Place baking pan in center of your oven or broiler. Every 15 minutes or so, brush chicken with extra pineapple juice-marinade mixture – don’t just pour it over the top or the chicken won’t stay crispy.
- Cook for 40 minutes or until chicken is done, and don’t forget to huli your chicken!
Heart of gold….Buns of Steel
I haven’t posted in a while for a couple of reasons. First, Mr. X transitioned the site to this wonderful new format that you’re looking at now. Ain’t it be-a-utiful folks??
Second, my friend Audra convinced me to sign up for a bootcamp class with her at the end of January. Now, I’ve done bootcamps before but this one was a little different – it required a minimum 21 day commitment and the trainer Patrick Jones of ReShape Fitness of Greenwich CT, put together a very comprehensive nutrition regimen.
What I liked most about Patrick’s bootcamp was that it was a 360* approach to fitness and well being; he really got me thinking not just about working out, but about making healthier food choices as well.
Anyone that knows me, knows that I love to eat, but that didn’t mean that I shouldn’t care about the foods that I was putting in to my body.
The hardest part about the 21 day bootcamp was giving up some of the foods that I loved…. you know like pizza, tacos, cookies, cupcakes, cake, chocolate… well you get the point!
But it also challenged me to come up with healthy alternatives to some of my favorite foods.
I can tell you that 21 days later, Audra and I are feeling really good about ourselves! Through our experience, we’re both supporting each other in making better decisions about our health, nutrition and fitness.
So I’m challenging myself (and you guys) to make small modifications to your favorite meals!
As I’ve mentioned before, Mr. X is Italian and he’s big on pasta! Since I was allowed to have one cheat day a week, I wanted to try to make a baked pasta dish with a healthy twist.
This recipe has been Mr. X taste-tested and approved, and it was also trainer approved for a cheat day! Woohoo!
The only modifications I would make to make this recipe healthier is cut back on the cheese, since there is still a pretty considerable amount of fat and carbs in this one recipe.
But it is definitely a healthier version of a hearty dish that made my hubby happy!
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1lb organic lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 cups frozen chopped spinach
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 whole tomato, diced
1 15oz can Eden Organic No Salt Added Crushed Tomatoes (these are unpeeled pure tomatoes with no additives – there’s 1 ingredient on the can – Roma Tomatoes) http://www.edenfoods.com/store/product_details.php?products_id=104080
16 oz Brad’s Organic Fat Free Low Sodium Classic Marinara Pasta Sauce http://www.bradsorganic.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BO&Product_Code=BRD231&Category_Code=SAUCE
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 1 pound bag Bionaturae Organic Whole Wheat Penne
8 oz Polly-O Fat Free Ricotta Cheese
1 egg
4 oz Sargento Reduced Sodium Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (it takes a little searching to find this cheese, but I got it at Fairway)
Olive Oil Spray
Pepper, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes
grated parmigiano cheese
Spray pan with a olive oil spray and brown meat. Once meat is cooked, drain off any fat or oil.
Stir in 1 cup frozen spinach and continue to cook until spinach is heated. Remove from heat.
Pour tbsp oil in big pot and add garlic and tomatoes. Cook on low until tomatoes are cooked down. Stir in Crushed Tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with pepper, oregano, parsley and red pepper flakes.
Bring to a slow boil and then reduce heat to simmer.
While pasta sauce is cooking, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and add two sprays of olive oil spray.
Add pasta and stir. Bring water back up to a boil and boil pasta for 12 minutes. The longer the pasta cooks for, the more gluten will be released from the whole wheat pasta. If cooked for too long, the whole wheat pasta will become “gluey”. Try to cook pasta to “al dente” so that it still has some bite to it and doesn’t get gluey or mushy.
Drain pasta once cooked.
Add pasta to a 9×13 baking pan, stir in meat + spinach mixture. Pour tomato sauce over pasta and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, add ricotta cheese, 1 cup spinach and 1 egg. Stir until combined.
Dot pasta mixture with ricotta mixture.
Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan on top of pasta and bake for 10 -15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
January Songs
The holidays came and went in a whirlwind! A big part of me is sad that it went by so fast, but a small part of me is wishing for Summer already!
Of course, with a New Year comes some new resolutions! So what will it be? Fad diet? Juice cleanses? This year I’m choosing to live healthier and make smarter decisions about my food choices.
I also resolve to post on here waaaaaay more often! One of the Christmas gifts I got this year from my friend @taryn_rae was a cookbook on how to make your own fondant and cake designs!
I started experimenting with fondant for the first time in December.
This was my first attempt – The cake was a chocolate biscuit cake with Bailey’s chocolate frosting. I used chocolate flavored fondant and white fondant to cover the “glass” and then piped the design and wording on by hand:
Not bad if I do say so myself!
Here’s the recipe for the biscuit cake:
Chocolate Biscuit Cake with Bailey’s Frosting
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/3 cup butter
2 1/2 cups chopped semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
8 oz. British digestive cookies or tea biscuits, broken into pieces (I like to use the chocolate dipped ones for an little extra chocolatey treat). **The bigger the pieces, the more “crunch” your cake will have. The finer the pieces, the more dense the cake will be.**
Can of chocolate frosting
Line an 8” round springform (or regular) pan with a piece of parchment in the bottom.
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and butter over medium heat; once the butter has melted, stir in the chocolate and set aside for a few minutes until the chocolate is shiny and glossy. Stir until smooth.
Stir in the broken cookies and spread in the prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm or overnight.
To make the Bailey’s frosting, place 3/4 can of chocolate frosting in a bowl. Slowly stir in Bailey’s liquor one tablespoon at a time until incorporated and still spreadable – you want a ganache consistency. Spread over cake. Enjoy!
You can be sure I’ll be putting that book to good use in the upcoming months – I’m working on making my own fondant this upcoming weekend! Pics to come soon – wish me luck!
Holiday Treats
The holidays are here and you know what that means….. cookies, cakes, chocolates, pies, sweets – in a word, DESSERTS!
With cookie swaps and parties all season long, I wanted to share some crowd pleasing favorites! Enjoy!
Pumpkin spice cake balls
Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice seasoning mix
¾ cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 can cream cheese frosting
Chocolate candy melts or almond bark (For chocolate coating)
Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350* or according to instructions on back of cake box dependent on ovens. Mix canned pumpkin in to yellow cake mix. Stir in cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Add water, oil and eggs; mix until well blended. Pour in to 13×9 pan.
Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or according to back of cake box dependent on oven and pan type. Make sure cake is completely baked – no soft middle!
Allow cake to cool slightly – about 30 minutes. While cake is still slightly warm, crumble apart in to a large mixing bowl until no large solid chunks are noticeable.
Stir in ¾ to 1 can cream cheese frosting depending on texture and moistness desired. Mix together until frosting and cake are well combined and hold together when formed in to balls. Roll in to balls about 1-2 inches in diameter (doesn’t have to be exact – just about “two bites” sized). Place on cookie sheet or in a container and freeze for 2-3 hours or refrigerate overnight.
When ready to dip, melt chocolate in large non-reactive bowl in microwave for 15 second increments, or until chocolate starts to melt. Remove from microwave and stir until completely melted. **If you have a lot of patience, you can also use a double boiler (a glass bowl over a pot). Do not let water touch bottom of bowl and melt chocolate slowly until shiny. Once chocolate takes on a sheen, remove from heat and stir until melted completely**
Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Using a fork and a spoon, balance cake ball on fork and submerge in chocolate; use spoon to cover cake ball until fully coated. Lift fork and tap excess chocolate off. Gently place chocolate covered balls on baking sheet. Refrigerate for a hard chocolate shell or let sit at room temperature overnight.
Festive Red Velvet cake balls
Ingredients:
1 box red velvet cake mix, and ingredients to make the cake
1 can (16 oz) prepared cream cheese frosting
1 lb candy coating, white or dark chocolate
Sprinkles or small candies to decorate (optional)
Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350* or according to instructions on back of cake box dependent on ovens in a 9×13 cake. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely.
Crumble the cake into a large bowl and work it with your hands until it is in small pieces. Stir in ¾ to 1 can cream cheese frosting depending on texture and moistness desired. Mix together until frosting and cake are well combined and hold together when formed in to balls. Roll in to balls about 1-2 inches in diameter (doesn’t have to be exact – just about “two bites” sized). Place on cookie sheet or in a container and freeze for 2-3 hours or refrigerate overnight.
Place the candy coating in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave it until melted, stirring after every 45 seconds to prevent overheating. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
Using a fork and a spoon, balance cake ball on fork and submerge in chocolate; use spoon to cover cake ball until fully coated. Lift fork and tap excess chocolate off. Gently place chocolate covered balls on baking sheet. Refrigerate for a hard chocolate shell or let sit at room temperature overnight. These cake truffles are best served at room temperature, and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Hibernation Pastina
I haven’t had a new post in a long time – the weather has gotten colder in Connecticut and the sun sets at 4PM. It get’s so dark by the evening that I just want to put on some comfy pjs and lounge on the couch!
This is a simple winter supper recipe that is easy to throw together in less than 15 minutes. It’s warm and comforting and it has tiny stars in it! Mr. X is Italian and loves this recipe with tomato sauce and parmesan stirred in.
Buon appetito!
Yields 4 1-1/2 Cup servings
Ingredients:
2-cups chicken broth or water
½ cup chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
Pre-cooked chicken (cubed or shredded)
1/2 – 1 cup uncooked pastina (small star shaped pasta)
Optional:
1 egg
Celery, carrots, green onions (thinly sliced)
Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Bring water/broth to a boil in a large soup pot. Add pasta and cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir in vegetables and chicken if using. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
If adding eggs: once vegetables are tender, scramble eggs in a separate bowl, then using a fork slowly stir in to soup. Eggs will cook quickly so you can remove from heat after 1-2 minutes and then stir in parsley. Pasta will expand as it cooks – add more water/broth to thin out.
Recipe Double-Take: Macaroni and Cheese
When the weather changes, so does my cooking. Here in New England, when the temperature drops, all I want is something warm and comforting. Mac and Cheese is one of my all time favorites!
I have two really great Mac and Cheese recipes: one is decadent and rich, the other a lighter meal for those counting calories.
RICH: Truffle Mac & Cheese (8 servings)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 mins – 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 box dried pasta (pipette or elbow macaroni cooked according to instructions on box)4 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk (I used 1 1/2 cup fat free and 1 1/2 cup heavy cream)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 to 2 1/2 cups Four Cheese Shred (Asiago, Fontina, Parmesan, Provolone)
1 cup Shredded Gruyere
1 tbsp White truffle oil (white or black – white is mild, black is earthier)
Black truffle oil for drizzling
Italian bread crumbs
additional parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to 350*
Cook pasta according to the box, salting the water and adding a tsp. of olive oil to the pasta water to prevent pasta from sticking.
While pasta is cooking, heat butter over medium heat in a saucepan until it foams and bubbles.
Slowly whisk in flour until a white sauce forms.
Lower heat to low.
Slowly pour in milk (or milk/cream mixture) whisking continuously until all milk has been incorporated and the sauce thickens – approximately 5 to 8 minutes. Make sure there are no lumps… if there are lumps, you will have to skim them out.
Slowly add the cheeses and continue to stir until the cheese is completely melted. Add the white truffle oil to cheese mixture. If more is needed, add to taste.
Add salt and pepper to cheese mixture to taste.
Drain pasta once it is finished cooking. Slowly add the cheese sauce to the pasta and mix in to pasta. Pour pasta mixture in to a bake-safe pan.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs and parmesan over pasta mixture.
Drizzle black truffle oil over the top.
Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Once finished cooking, add more black truffle oil to taste.
LIGHT: Mac and Cheese Bake
Prep Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 45 mins
Ingredients:
1 box dried pasta (pipette or elbow macaroni cooked according to instructions on box)1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
12 oz can fat-free evaporated milk
8 oz low-fat shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Reduced Fat grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to 350*
Cook pasta according to the box – do not add salt or fat (oil or butter) to the pasta. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream and set aside.
Heat evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear. Reduce heat to low and add cheese. Simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, salt and pepper.
Mix cheese sauce in to pasta and coat pasta. Transfer to a casserole dish.
Combine breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over pasta.
Bake until top is golden brown – 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
The Dog Days Are Here
For most people, New Year’s Eve is a time to start over and resolutions are long forgotten by the time Summer rolls around. For me, Summertime has always been my chance to start anew. Whether it’s the fact that the days are longer or that a New England summer brings with it clam bakes, beach fun, vacations and roadtrips, I look forward to each sultry summer day, cool summer night, and pack each weekend with as many cookouts and gatherings as I can handle.
It seemed only fitting that my first blog post be for a Summer Fiesta! I’m making a chicken and seafood paella and a blush sangria to celebrate a friend’s birthday.
This blush sangria was made using a red moscato, but you can use any rosé. Blush wine is more subtle than a full red and goes by different names: rosé, rosado (Spain), rosato (Italy). This sangria will make you feel like you’re sitting by the Mediterranean, whether you’re in a backyard in Connecticut, beachside in the Hamptons, rooftop in New York or anywhere else with good people, good food and good times!
Blush Sangria
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour + chill time
Ingredients:
1 Bottle blush wine
1 Lemon cut in to thin slices
1 Orange cut in to thin slices
2 Fresh peaches, sliced thin
1 Cup strawberries quartered
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup peach flavored brandy
1/3 cup triple sec
2 Cups club soda or substitute 1 cup sparkling fruit juice
Preparation
Place sliced peaches in a bowl. Combine sugar and brandy until dissolved. Pour sugar-brandy mixture over the peaches and leave aside.
Pour the wine in to a large pitcher or punch bowl.
Slice lemons, oranges and strawberries. Gently squeeze lemon slices and orange slices to release a little juice in to the wine. Add fruit slices to wine.
Stir in triple sec.
Stir in peaches and sugar-brandy mixture.
Refrigerate until your guest arrive or preferably overnight. For immediate chilling, add ice to the pitcher or bowl.
Immediately before serving, stir in club soda/sparkling fruit juice and pour in to glasses. Garnish with remaining fruit from pitcher.
Chicken and Seafood Paella
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves
1 large onion, diced
6 tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. powdered safron or substitute Goya brand Sazon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 package chorizo sausage, sliced in to rounds
2 pounds chicken, cut in to strips
1-2 dozen littleneck clams
2 pounds mussels
1 pound shrimp
3 cups white rice
1 lemon
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
12 ounces diced frozen green peppers
12 ounces frozen carrots and peas
14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
Preparation
Rinse clams and mussels with cold running water. Scrubs shells to remove any seaweed, dirt or other particles.
Place clams and mussels in two seperate bowls. Fill with cold water and add salt.
Place shrimp in a large bowls and fill with ice and cold water.
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add chorizo and brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add chicken to pan and cook through. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to same pan. Cook onion and garlic until translucent. Sprinkle with salt.
Add diced tomatoes and juices. Bring to a boil.
Stir in rice and juice of 1 lemon. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour in chicken broth and water, stir. Bring to a fast boil.
Simmer rice uncoverd for 10 minutes without stirring or until water is below the rice line. Cover pot and lower heat to low. Cook for another 10 minutes or until water is absorbed.
Meanwhile, in a large stock pot add 2 inches of water, add clams to the liquid and steam for 5-7 minutes or until they open. Remove clams from stock pot and discard any unopened clams. Add mussels to the stock pot and steam for 6-8 minutes or until they open. Remove mussels from stock put and discard any unopened mussels. Set aside.
Boil shrimp for 3-5 minutes or until just pink. Remove from heat.
Gently stir diced peppers, carrots and peas, and cilantro in to rice. Add broth if rice is too dry. Gently stir in clams, mussels, and shrimp. Remove rice from heat. Cover with a lid to allow remaining liquid to absorb.
Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.
Ahhhh the taste of Summer… Enjoy!