Easy Clam Chowder

Easy Clam Chowder

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Yield 6 servings

Clam chowder is easier to make than you think - and the homemade version is unbelievably creamy, flavorful and chockfull of clams!

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 2 (6.5-ounce) cans chopped clams, juices reserved
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup half and half*
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

• Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon excess fat; set aside.
• Melt butter in the stockpot. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, vegetable stock, clam juice and bay leaf, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in potatoes.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes.*
• Stir in half and half and clams until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.
• Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.

Notes

*Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream. 
*Cooking time may need to be adjusted depending on the thickness of the potatoes.

3.1

http://damndelicious.net/2015/04/25/easy-clam-chowder/

Why It’s A Smart Choice

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

Servings Per Container 6

Amount Per Serving

Calories 264.0 Calories from Fat 117.9

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13.1g 20%

Saturated Fat 6.8g 34%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 63.9mg 21%

Sodium 367.3mg 15%

Total Carbohydrate 15.4g 5%

Dietary Fiber 0.7g 3%

Sugars 1.5g

Protein 20.8g 42%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

High in many vital minerals and vitamins, clams are little nutritional powerhouses! One serving of this soup gives you a good dose of iron, zinc, magnesium, and over 4 days worth of Vitamin B12. Clams for the win!

Greek Chicken Pasta with Olives and Feta

Greek Chicken Pasta with Olives and Feta

Serves 6

For the chicken:
2 medium skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped, fresh oregano (see this post on converting to dried oregano)
2 small (or one large) cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

For the vinaigrette:
Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

For the pasta:
1 pound fusilli or other pasta
12 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, halved or quartered into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups pitted olives (kalamata or any mediterranean mix)
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon chopped, fresh oregano
Handful of chopped, fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken breasts dry and lay them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Mix the remaining ingredients together to form a paste, and rub it over both chicken breasts, making sure to get some of the mixture underneath the skin and in any folds of the meat. Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper.

Roast chicken for about 25 minutes, until cooked through (the skin does not need to brown). Remove and allow to cool slightly, then peel back the skin, remove the meat, and shred it into bite-sized chunks. Try to scrape as much of the seasonings as possible off the skin and bones, so you can add it to the pasta along with the chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Mix the lemon juice with the salt and pepper, then slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking vigorously. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water. While it's cooking, combine the artichoke hearts, olives, and shredded chicken (plus any juices and spices on the cutting board) in a large bowl. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the bowl. Pour over the vinaigrette, then add the feta cheese. Mix everything together, then sprinkle in the extra oregano and parsley, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cured Salmon

Cured Salmon, Like Mother, Like Daughter

A filet of salmon, skin on (the skin, well, you just have to have the skin) — don’t start with less than a pound, because you will regret not having more. For our family, I try to get two pounds.

A lot of kosher, pickling, or sea salt (but it’s not really worth using expensive salt — but whatever you have is fine).

A shallow glass dish large enough to hold your fish filet and the liquid that will be produced as it cures — in other words, a platter isn’t a great idea. You need sides.

Options for flavoring: 

Dulse, which is flaked seaweed — this adds a lovely smokey sea flavor and is very good for you — you can see the dark brown flakes in the photo above. Use about 1/4 cup per filet.

Lemon juice and/or rind or whole lemons, sliced – the lemon will cure as the fish does, and of course the citrus flavor is a natural. Use a tablespoon of lemon juice or 1/2 a lemon, sliced, per filet.

Liquid smoke – In theory this should just be a liquid version of the smoke you would infuse in a smoker. If it’s not safe, it’s probably not safe to smoke food, either. Since I liked smoked food, I don’t worry too much about it, especially since I always forget to buy it. Use a tablespoon per filet.

Whiskey, bourbon, brandy, or other spirits — Also adds a nice smokey flavor. Use a couple of tablespoons.

Any herb or spice that strikes your fancy. Scandanavians use dill. Rosemary is nice, and I also like coriander and cumin.

Rinse your filet in cold water.

Put about an inch of salt in your glass dish. Mix your flavorings with your salt. Do not worry. In the end it will taste like salty salmon, and you will squeeze some lemon on top and be in heaven.

Check your filet for pin bones by rubbing your fingers against the grain of the flesh. Pull any out with your fingers or with kitchen tweezers or a pair of needle-nosed pliers (wash before and after, thank you). Don’t fret about the tiny ones — I think that the salt dissolves them, and slicing the flesh thinly renders them harmless anyway.

Lay your salmon, skin side up, on the layer of salt. Put about another 1/4 inch of salt over the skin. I used to get high anxiety over the amount of salt, but now I’ve done this so many times that occasionally I find I don’t have a ton of salt handy. But I really, really want cured salmon. It works even with 1/2 cup of salt, total. 

Cover tightly with plastic wrap or with the glass cover to your dish. This is just so that the fridge doesn’t end up smelling like fish. The fish itself would be fine left even uncovered. It’s got salt all over it — it’s not going to spoil.

You just want to check in about 8 hours to make sure that the underside of your salmon is resting on salt, and that the sides of the fish also have a layer of salt. 

A filet of fish that is about 3/4″ thick at its thickest end will cure in a 24-hour period. One that is thicker will take up to 2 days. After about 18 hours the juices of the fish will start to mingle with the salt and create a brine. That’s all good. Just use a spoon and make sure that everything is in contact with salt. 

You can turn the filet over after about 18 hours, again making sure the exposed skin is covered with salt.

When you are ready to eat, rinse the filet off and pat it dry with paper towels. (By the way, yes, you can put the brine in a jar and use it again. Keep it in the fridge.)

Put it on a cutting board, set out a sharp knife: The flesh has to be cut very thinly, against the grain, at a diagonal. Start at the thick end. 

(If you leave it longer than 24 hours, you will find that it gets quite salty, and it might need a little soak in cool water before serving — cut it very thinly indeed.)

Serve with cream cheese and crackers, with a squeeze of lemon. Brown bread and butter — also lovely! And of course, a bagel piled high with glistening slices — it doesn’t get better than that!

When you get to the very last bit of salmon — when it really can’t be cut into delightful thin slices any more, scrape the skin well and chop everything that is left into little bits. Mix it with cream cheese and enjoy on your toasted bagel!

 

Notes to answer questions:

1. It’s unlikely that you will have much in the way of anything left over from this production. If you do, just wrap the skin around the flesh, cover the whole thing in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. It’s best if you eat it up within two or three days. The longer you’ve cured it, the longer it will last.
2. I have never frozen the cured salmon, because there is never that much left over, but I imagine it would be just fine, as our Norwegian friend Astrid in the comments says.
3. A lot of fish sold in the supermarket has already been frozen when it is sold as “fresh.” Freezing kills any parasites. You can ask when you buy it if it has been frozen. If it hasn’t and you are worried, just freeze it, thaw it in the fridge, and then proceed. I usually wash my filet before curing it, but the salt will kill any surface bacteria.