Women's Health

Recipe for Success: Padma Lakshmi

Padma's Recipes for Home Cooking continued...

The end result should be a thick stew gravy and meat so tender it mashes apart with a fork.

If the sauce is too sour, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of sugar to round out the flavor. Mix well.

Serve hot over a bed of plain basmati rice or with oven-toasted flatbread such as naan or pita bread.

Per serving

Calories: 543, 364 calories from fat; 41 g fat; 16 g saturated fat; 109 mg cholesterol; 141 mg sodium; 14 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 2 g protein (For a healthier serving, divide into six portions instead of four.)

From Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day by Padma Lakshmi

lan Hall's Fideos with Clams and Saffron

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

•           1 pound fideos or capellini pasta (fresh if possible)

•           2 cups heavy cream

•           1 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

•           Salt

•           1 cup small cauliflower florets

•           1 cup small broccoli florets

•           1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

•           10 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

•           1/2 cup white wine or seafood stock

•           1 pound fresh medium clams, cleaned

•           Freshly ground black pepper

•           Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Break the fideos into 3-inch pieces. Arrange the pieces in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, saffron, and salt to taste and place over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, whisking and watching the pot so the cream doesn't boil over. Remove from the heat, stir in the cauliflower and broccoli, and set aside.

Preheat the broiler. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and garlic over low heat, stirring, until the garlic begins to soften and turn golden, about 15 minutes. Break the garlic up with the back of a wooden spoon, then add the wine, clams, and fideos. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.

Increase the heat to medium-high and cover the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes, shaking the pan, until the clams have opened. Discard any unopened clams. Stir in the cauliflower and cream mixture and remove from the heat.

Divide the clam and pasta mixture among 4 ovenproof dishes. Place the dishes in the oven and broil until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Per serving

Calories: 748, 377 calories from fat; 43 g fat, 17 g saturated fat, 170 mg cholesterol, 104 mg sodium, 70 g carb, 1 g fiber, 18 g protein. (For a healthier serving, divide into six portions instead of four.)