Salmon Vegetable Chowder

Serves 4-6

Recipe from Food Network Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Preparing this tasty chowder took a bit of prep, but my husband said, “I could eat this every day” and so I would say it was worth the effort.  Make it on a weekend and have it for lunch during the work week or make this delicious (and pretty) chowder for a casual dinner party for friends.

4 slices bacon, chopped

6 shallots, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh dill, divided (I used 1 heaping Tablespoon of dried dill since fresh wasn’t in season.)

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

6 medium carrots, peeled and diced

4-5 cups water

Kosher salt, to taste

10 oz. sliced mushrooms

10 oz. Brussels sprouts, halved (or quartered if large)

2 large egg yolks

1 cup half-and-half

3 Tablespoons dry white wine or fresh lemon juice

¾ pound skinless, deboned* salmon fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook the bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the shallots and half the dill and cook until the shallots are soft, about 3 minutes. 

Add the potatoes, carrots, and 1 teaspoon salt.  (You can add 1 cup more water if the soup seems too thick at this point.)  Cook until the potatoes and carrots are almost tender, about 6 minutes. 

Add the mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and cook until all of the vegetables are tender, about 6 more minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, half-and-half, and the wine in a small bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the salmon and cook until opaque, about 2-3 minutes.  Gently stir in the egg mixture and cook until the soup thickens just slightly, 1-2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the soup among bowls and top with the remaining dill.

Nutritional Info per Serving:  567 calories; 23 g fat (9 g saturated fat); 184 mg cholesterol; 58 g carbohydrates; 8 g fiber; 33 g protein

*I keep a pair of tweezers in my kitchen gadget drawer just for this purpose.  Run your finger along the salmon fillet and you’ll feel the bones.  Grasp a bone with the tweezers and pull.  The bone will slide right out. 

Pumpkin French Toast

Recipe from Glad

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 6

When you have guests for breakfast, treat them to this really special meal.  It’s perfect for the autumn/winter holiday season.  Prepare this dish the night before and let it chill in the fridge overnight.  The next morning, finish up the dish.  Serve with fresh fruit and maybe some bacon or ham or sausage.

¼ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch kosher salt

½ cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

½ cup half-and-half

4 large eggs

2 Tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice (I used Triple-Sec.)

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon grated orange zest

1 loaf (1 pound) brioche-style bread, sliced 1-inch thick

6 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk in the pumpkin, half-and-half, eggs, liqueur, ginger, vanilla and orange zest.  Pour the mixture into a large pan.  Add the bread slices; turn slices over to completely coat each slice.  Cover the pan with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight.  Preheat oven to 250F.  Heat two large skillets over medium-low heat.  Add 1 Tablespoon butter to each skillet.  When the butter is sizzling, add 2 bread slices to each skillet.  Cook until the bread is golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side.  Transfer slices to a cookie sheet; keep warm in the oven.  Repeat the steps with the remaining butter and bread.  Serve with maple syrup.  (I personally thought this Pumpkin French Toast tasted wonderful even without the syrup!)

Curried Tofu and Green Beans (or Sugar Snap Peas)

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I’m always on the hunt for a yummy, easy-to-make meatless meal.  My husband and I gave this one a big thumbs up.  He said this one was his favorite way with tofu.  I chose to make this using sugar snap peas because they had some lovely fresh ones in the produce section. Other reviewers suggested adding ingredients like cayenne, water chestnuts, lime juice, cumin.  Obviously, this recipe is quite forgiving and you could change it up as you see fit. This dish will definitely be in our regular Meatless Monday rotation!  (If you've never prepared tofu before, never fear!  It's quite easy.  I've provided instructions in the links below.)

1 container (14 ounces) firm or extra-firm tofu, drained

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon curry powder

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup half-and-half OR coconut milk (Using coconut milk will make this dish vegan.)

½ cup water

1 box (10 ounces) frozen green beans, defrosted (I used sugar snap peas instead.  I think broccoli and/or asparagus and even red pepper would make good substitutes.)

4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups) (I used 3 regular tomatoes. I think a couple of cups of cherry tomatoes would be tasty substitute as well.)  (I've tried this with a 15 oz. can (drained) of tomato bits and it works great!)

Cooked brown rice, for serving

Halve tofu horizontally; then crosswise. (You should have 4 equal squares). Cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles. (You can also cut the tofu into smaller triangles.)

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook, turning once, until golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon oil, onion, and curry powder. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add half-and-half or coconut milk and 1/2 cup water; bring to a gentle simmer. Return tofu to skillet. Add green beans (or sugar snap peas) and tomatoes, cover, and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Serve over rice if desired.

How to Prepare Tofu:  (Click on the link to the left to see a photo how-to.) Arrange tofu in one layer on a baking sheet lined with 3 layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel; cover with three more layers of paper towels or another clean kitchen towel. Place another baking sheet and a weight on top. Let tofu drain until towels are soaked, about 20 minutes.

Here I have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go.  You'll also see my
veggie broth scrap bag that I have out to fill with veggie scraps as I prep.
When the bag is full, I'll have enough to make Homemade Vegetable Broth.

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Lemon-Cream Sauce

6 Side Dish Servings

Recipe from Cooking Light 
MAY 2013

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

To celebrate the morel season, I served this as a special side dish for some friends using morels my hubby found.  This recipe got an enthusiastic thumbs-up from all at the table.  This would also be delicious using cremini or button mushrooms. To make this a vegetarian dish for Meatless Monday, use vegetable broth.  All the ingredients can be found at our local food co-op, Lost River Market & Deli.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¾ cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

½ cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth (Use vegetable broth to make this meatless.)

½ cup half-and-half (You could also use heavy cream.)

3/4 cup frozen green peas

3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon rind

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces uncooked penne or other short pasta (I used whole-wheat.)

1 pound (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add thyme and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Sprinkle mushroom mixture evenly with flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and half-and-half; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add peas, 2 tablespoons cheese, rind, and next 3 ingredients (through pepper); cook 1 minute or until peas are thoroughly heated.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add asparagus to pan; drain. Add pasta mixture to mushroom mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tablespoon cheese.

Amount per serving (If using whole-wheat pasta, there will be more fiber and fewer carbs per serving.)

Calories: 363; Fat: 9.2g; Saturated fat: 3.6g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.8g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g; Protein: 15.5g; Carbohydrate: 57.6g; Fiber: 6.3g; Cholesterol: 14mg; Iron: 5.1mg; Sodium: 507mg; Calcium: 130mg