Red, White and Blue Clams Casino Seafood Lovers Dish

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 dozen cherry-stone clams

2tbls of olive oil

1tbls 50/50 smart balance butter blend

½ cup finely minced Spanish onion

¼ cup finely chopped green pepper

2 fresh peeled garlic cloves or spice world chopped garlic

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

4 slices cooked crispy bacon/crumpled

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2tbls grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup chopped parsley

Liberal amount of paprika

Small amount of olive oil to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Thoroughly rinse and scrub clams, discard any that are open. Place clams on a baking sheet and bake until the shells open, remove meat from shell. Finely chop clams, discard one half shells.

3. Heat 50/50 smart balance butter blend and cooking oil in saute pan. Add chopped garlic, green pepper and onion, saute ingredients until tender. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Add chopped bacon, bread crumbs, and oregano and Parmesan cheese. Add clams to mixture, mix up all ingredients well.

5. Clam shells that have been saved – begin to fill in clam mixture. Sprinkle parsley and paprika; finally, drizzle with olive oil. Bake Red, White and Blue Clams Casino for 8 minutes, should be golden brown on top. Immediately serve while clam dish hot from the oven.

Photo Credit: Sheri W. -- Wikimedia Creative Commons -- via Flickr

The Perfect Saint Patrick Grilled Reuben on Toasted Rye

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2Ibs of shaved corn beef or freshly cooked brisket

Kosher sauerkraut

4 barrel dill pickles

1 16oz bottle of 1000 island dressing

1 ½ stick of 50/50 smart balance butter blend

Pam non-stick cooking spray

Directions

1. Each grilled Reuben will need to be pan-fried separately when cooking for a family of 4 or 6. Pre-heat cooking frying pans to low heat, immediately spray a generous amount of Pam to each pan. Let cooking pan heat for 10 minutes before adding rye bread.

2. Add rye bread to cooking pan; place a generous amount of shaved corn beef to one slice of bread.

3. Place 3 tablespoons of Thousand Island dressing on top of corn beef.

4. Top off with a generous amount of kosher sauerkraut, immediately place the side down slice of rye bread to the top of the sandwich.

5. Add 1 tablespoon of 50/50 smart balance butter blend to pan, turn up heat to medium and smoothly turn over Reuben. Take spatula and push down of sandwich; also gently hit the top of the bread to give the rye a little breathing before flipping it over.

6. As the Reuben is grilling – make sure that the smart balance butter blend saturates the bottom rye bread to give it the ultimate taste.

7. Total time for grilled Reuben, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove Reuben from pan, slice in half and serve with two slices of dill pickles.

Photo Credit: jefferyw -- via Wikimedia Creative Commons

Baked Scallops with Orange Spice Sauce

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 pound of bay scallops

5 tablespoons of chopped scallions

10 tablespoons of Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend

1 ½ navel orange

Mrs. Dash salt-free Southwest Chipotle seasoning blend

2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup of Italian bread crumbs

4 tablespoons chopped parsley

Baked Scallops with Orange Spice Sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Butter a deep casserole dish with some Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend, and place scallops in dish.

3. Set range top to medium heat; add 4 tablespoons of Smart Balance Butter Blend to saute cooking pan. Saute scallions in cooking pan for a one minute or two, and then sprinkle sauce and scallions over scallops.

4. Melt the remaining butter in a separate sauté pan, remove cooking pan from heat and add stir in lemon juice. Begin to pour sauce over both sides of scallops. Cover scallops with Italian bread crumbs on one side only.

5. Bake bay scallops for 15 minutes, during the baking process – saute scallops with remaining sauce for complete tenderness. Serve immediately, garnish with chopped parsley.

Photo Credit: Chef Sean Christopher -- March, 2013 -- Wikimedia Creative Commons

Butter Beans with Smoked Turkey and Wild Rice

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 cups of Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice

1 pound of smoked turkey necks

3 tablespoons of Goya Adobo (all purpose seasoning)

2 tablespoons of Spice World

2 tablespoons of Texas Pete Hot Sauce

2 tablespoons of Mrs. Dash (original seasoning blend)

1 ½ Spanish onion – diced into medium pieces

Less than a half of celery stalk chopped into very small pieces

2 bags of Frozen Butter Beans

1 qt. stick of butter

Directions

1.  Add 4 cups of water and 1 qt. stick of butter to cooking pot - add rice to pot and turn up heat up to high. When rice begins to boil – immediately reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. 

2.  Rinse off turkey necks under cold running water for several minutes, rub meat in between rinsing – add 8 cups of water to large cooking pot, add turkey necks to pot, turn stove-top heat to high and continue to cook at this temperature for 1 hour.

3.  After 1 hour add all ingredients to cooking pot, reduce heat to medium and cook for an additional 1 hour or until butter beans are tender. Turkey Necks should be tender to the point of meat falling off the bone. In between cooking make sure to skim off excess grease to ensure no grease remains.

4.  Add 2 tablespoons of Wild Rice to bowl and top off with a few shakes of Texas Pete Hot Sauce along with desired amount of Butter Beans and serve immediately. 

Author Note: Recipe ingredients can also be substituted with beef, beef sausage, vegetables, and tomatoes to add uniqueness to this classic soul food dish.

Photo Credit: Jpatokal -- 10/2007 Wikimedia Creative Commons