You never know what you might find when opening a clam.
There are about 2000 different kinds of clams, but there are two main groups of commercially available clams are soft-shelled and hard-shelled. This seems fairly straightforward, but soft-shelled doesn’t mean soft in the sense of yielding to the touch, like the shell of a soft-shelled crab would. Rather, it refers to clams with shells that are thinner, more brittle and easily broken.
Soft shelled clams can be found in muddy tidal flats and estuaries up and down the east coast of the United States and Canada as well as on the west coast in the UK. They are also found in the Pacific Northwest, but they are not native to the Pacific and are considered an invasive species. Other names for soft-shelled clams include:
Hard-shelled clams can tolerate higher salinity than soft-shelled clams, and they are found in tidal areas along the east coast of North America, and even to depths of about sixty feet. There are several varieties of hard-shelled clams native to the Pacific Northwest, as well.
East-Coast US hard-shelled clams are also known by the names quahog (CO-hog), littleneck and cherrystone.
West-Coast hard-shelled clams include the Pacific Littleneck or rock clam, pismo clam and butter clam.
Some west coast hard-shelled clams are of distinctly different species. The non-native Manila clams are very sweet tasting—sweeter than East coast clams—and are available year-round. The huge geoduck (GOO-ee-duck) clams of the Pacific Northwest and razor clams are likewise available all year.
Even though not everyone is sold on their salty taste and soft and chewy texture, clams are some of the healthiest seafoods that you can eat. These tasty mollusks can be cooked in a variety of ways - steamed, baked, fried or just sauteed. They can also serve as appetizers or as the main dish.
Low in Bad Fat, High in Good Fat
If you are on the road to weight loss then clams are some of the best foods that you can include in your regular diet. With only two grams of fat and a little more than 100 calories per three ounces, eating clams is a great way to satisfy your hunger and gain energy. Clams are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, a good type of fat that many people are not getting enough of. Even though clams contain cholesterol, the amount is minimal.
Rich in Iron
Clams are also one of the most iron-rich foods that you can eat. It is so high in iron that it even beats out beef liver and steak when it comes to iron content. When you eat three ounces of cooked clams (about eight to nine small clams), you are receiving as much as 24 milligrams of iron which surpass the RDA-recommended daily amount.
Pre-menopausal women require 18 milligrams of iron per day for good health. Meanwhile, eight milligrams are enough for women who are post-menopausal and adult men. As you can see, women have a much higher need for iron so it's a good idea to eat clams regularly. A deficiency in iron can result in anemia.
Good Source of Lean Protein As you probably know, protein is an important factor in any healthy diet, and lean proteins are even better. If you're tired of regularly eating lean meat or chicken then why not try eating clams for a change? Clams have more protein content than other seafood, such as scallops and oysters. Clams are also proving to be the better choice because even though they contain roughly the same amount of protein, they have more vitamins and minerals than chicken.
A great appetizing noodle for lunch or dinner.
Recipe for 1 portion
50gm glass noodle
6 large prawn
6 large clams
2 leaves Chinese cabbage
3/4 bowl of bean sprouts
1 small sprig spring onion
1 small sprig coriander leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp oil
Seasoning ingredients for prawn
2 tsp soya sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.
Seasoning ingredients for the noodle gravy
1/2 bowl water
1.5 tsp salt or to taste
2 tsp black soya sauce
1/2 tsp pepper corn - crush finely
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
dash of sesame oil
2 tsp corn oil mix with 1 tbsp water
1/ Peel the prawn shell. If you like, leaves the last tail segment on for the look.
2/ De-vein by making a shallow slit down the middle of the back to expose the black intestine. Rinse it out under running water.
3/ Marinate the prawn with seasoning ingredients.
Colourful giant clam
4/ Wash and soak the clams for about an hour.
5/ Chopped the garlic and keep aside.
6/ Wash and cut the Chinese cabbage to your desire size.
7/ Remove the bean sprout tail, wash and toss it.
8/ Cut the spring onion and coriander leaves to 1 inch length.
9/ Soak the glass noodle until soft. Bring 2 bowl of water to boil and cook the soaked glass noodle for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from stove but leave the noodle soaking in the hot water to prevent the noodle sticking together,.
10/ Heat up the wok with 1 tbsp of oil, stir fry the garlic until slightly brown.
11/ Throw in the prawns and clams and stir fry for 1 min.
13/ Stir fry the Chinese cabbage for 1 to 2 mins.
14/ Add in the water, salt, black soya sauce, oyster sauce, bean sprouts, coriander leaves and spring onion and mix well.
15/ Add the crush pepper corn, sesame oil, corn flour mixture and mix well.
Chinese divers return to the coast after diving 60 feet to harvest large farm-grown clams near the country's northeast port city Dalian Each diver, wearing homemade dive suits and breathing through a small tube attached to a compressor on a boat floating above, can harvest nearly 750 clams a day. Market price is around 60 cents a clam.
16/ Drain the glass noodle onto the serving plate. Pour the cooked gravy on top the noodle and serve immediately.
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Cooking is not chemistry. It is an art.It requires instinct and taste rather than measurements.
Food if symbolic of love when words are inadequate.
Dessert of the day, Oreo Delight.
Ingredients
150gm cream cheese
150 mls yogurt
150 mls whip cream
50 gm sugar
6 to 8 pieces of oreos - crushed finely
1/ Combine cream cheese, yogurt, whip cream and sugar in cake mixer. Beat until thick and creamy.
2/ Chill in freezer for 4 to 5 hours.
1/ Place 2 tsp of crushed oreos at the bottom of the ice cream cups.
2/ Scope a large tablespoon of ice cream on top the crushed oreos.
3/ Sprinkle another 2 tsp crushed oreos and repeat until fill up the ice cream cup. Decorate with chocolate chips and crystal sugar.
4/ Enjoy this rolling eyes dessert.
In the buffet of life, friends are the dessert.
Have a nice week ahead, cheers!
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