My Recipe Reviews

Recipe Reviews, Recommendations, Tips and Musings. Thanks for visiting!

seafood

New England Clam Chowder (Bon Appétit)

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New England Clam Chowder

My sisters and I went on a sister trip to Maine last week and had a wonderful time. I was all revved up to make an original Maine recipe and since I didn’t want to use lobster and just made Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake not too long ago (Maine blueberries and all), I decided to make this New England Clam Chowder from Bon Appétit.

There’s an age-old world of controversy about chowder. Should it be thin, should it be thick and creamy….? I compromised and made it half-way between – creamy and just a little thick. I think it’s a perfect rendition of New England Clam Chowder. Delicious.

New England Clam Chowder

We had a wonderful time in Maine. The leaves just started turning beautiful yellow, orange and red, and are amazing. The air is clean and the lobster is outstanding. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a vacation getaway.

This New England Clam Chowder is from the Bon Appétit web site. Just a note: you’ll want to read through the ingredients and have everything chopped and ready when you start the chowder. It takes a few minutes, but will save you time in the long run.

New England Clam Chowder

It’s not a complicated dish – just make sure all of your ingredients are fresh and of high quality. It makes a big difference.

I really love this chowder and am surprised at how simple it is to get that great flavor. It takes me back to the great vacation with my sisters, eating seafood, laughing, wandering around beautiful Maine, and playing gin rummy!

New England Clam Chowder

New England Clam Chowder (Bon Appétit)

Yield: 3-4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Excellent New England Clam Chowder stocked with potatoes and a bit of bacon. Creamy, but not thick.

Ingredients

  • 1 10 oz can baby clams (or 2, 6.5 oz. cans)
  • 3 C bottled clam juice (about 24 oz.)
  • 1/2 tbsp butter
  • 4 oz bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
  • 1 celery stalk, minced
  • 1/4 large yellow onion, minced
  • 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 C heavy cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • chopped fresh chives (or the green end of green onions)
  • oyster crackers

Instructions

  1. Drain the clams, retaining the liquid.
  2. Melt the butter in a large heavy pot (eg. Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon just begins to brown (will brown completely on another step), about 5 minutes. Spoon out all but 1 tbsp of the bacon grease if present.
  3. Add the celery, onion, and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, 7-8 minutes. Add the reserved broth of from the canned clams, along with the 3 cups of bottled clam juice, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the chowder base to a low simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
  4. Stir the cornstarch into a cup with about 2 tbsp of water until well mixed and it forms a slurry. Pour the slurry into the chowder base, then return to a boil to slightly thicken.
  5. Remove the base from the heat. Carefully discard the bay leaf. Stir in the clams and cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the chowder among bowls and garnish with chives and oyster crackers if desired.
  6. Cool any leftovers completely and store in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.

Notes

The original recipe calls for 4 lb. of cherrystone clams, scrubbed, but the canned clams are good and way less trouble.  Your choice!

The recipe above is halved from the original Bon Appétit recipe.

Don't leave the bay leaf out.  It gives the chowder that distinctive "chowdery" taste.

If you want it thicker, use a little more cornstarch and water slurry.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 618Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 1875mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 34g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Bon Appétit
Category: Soups, Stews, and Salads

Lemon-Herb Halibut with Crispy Garlic Potatoes

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We have a wonderful friend, Bruce, who’s a great fisherman and he’s kind enough to share his catch with us on a regular basis. When he goes to the Texas Gulf, he brings back delicious red fish or catfish. He recently trekked up to Alaska with some fellow enthusiasts to enjoy the salmon and halibut fishing

This week Bruce presented us with a beautiful, fresh piece of halibut. I made sure to find a recipe that would retain that halibut flavor – baking up lemony, buttery, and flaky. This Lemon-Herb Halibut with Crispy Garlic Potatoes from “The Complete Cooking for Two” cookbook (one of my favorite cookbooks) has few ingredients, and maintains the integrity of the fish without overwhelming it.

Lemon-Herb Halibut with Crispy Garlic Potatoes

The plus to this recipe is the crispy garlic potatoes! They’re roasted in the oven with bits of fresh garlic, then topped with the fish, lemon and butter and baked until the fish is flaky and delicious. I love the fish, but those potatoes are really outstanding. Since they’re so easy, I’ll be making them again.

The halibut was straight out of Alaskan waters and so fresh. I’m hoping we can find some great halibut down here in the future so we can make Lemon-Herb Halibut with Crispy Garlic Potatoes again! Soon.

Lemon-Herb Halibut with Crispy Garlic Potatoes

Lemon-Herb Halibut with Crispy Garlic Potatoes

Yield: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Flaky, buttery, lemony fish baked accompanied by wonderful crispy garlic potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large russet potato, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 (4-6 oz) halibut or cod fillets, skinless (1 to 1 1/2" thick)
  • 1 tbsp butter, cut into 1/4" pieces
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
  • 1/2 lemon, sliced thinly

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°.  Brush a baking dish with half of the olive oil and set aside.
  2. Toss the sliced potatoes with the remaining oil, minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Line the dish with the potatoes shingle-style (overlapping a bit) and roast the potatoes until just tender, about 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through roasting.
  3. Pat the halibut dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Carefully place 1 fillet, skinned side down on top of the potatoes.  Top fillets with butter pieces, thyme, and lemon slices.  Roast the fish and potatoes until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with a paring knife - about 10-15 minutes (don't overbake - the fish will continue baking a bit after you remove it from the oven).
  4. Slide a spatula underneath the potatoes and fillets and gently transfer to individual plates. Serve immediately.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Cod or halibut are nice choices for this recipe. Any thick, flaky fish will be good.

Serve with a side of grapes or melon.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 389Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 285mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 25g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Seafood

Tangy Shrimp Avocado Salad

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Summertime is waning and thoughts of pumpkin bread and Fall root vegetables are whirling in my head. It’s been an unusually cool August and I’m already getting excited about holiday cooking!

I don’t want to let Summer go, though, without that last fresh, cool salad on the menu. This Tangy Shrimp Avocado Salad is originally from Add a Pinch, but I adapted quite a bit to our tastes and to be honest, what’s in the refrigerator. The result was a shrimp-filled tangy, cool Summer salad.

I have the hardest time ripening avocados for recipes – I just can’t seem to get them ripened on the day I need them. The one I used in this recipe was a little overripe and creamy, but it actually blended nicely with the tangy dressing and made it a more creamy dressing. Funky color green, but hey, it tasted good!

Tangy Shrimp Avocado Salad

Tangy Shrimp Avocado Salad

Yield: 2 - 3 servings

Cool shrimp-filled salad loaded with avocados.  Nice, tangy dressing.

Ingredients

  • Dressing
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Salad
  • 1 lb medium to small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 green onion
  • 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (or creole seasoning)

Instructions

  1. Dressing:  combine all of the dressing ingredients, salting and peppering to taste, and whisk until well combined.  Store in refrigerator until needed.
  2. Salad:  Put 2 tsp. olive oil in a nonstick skillet and heat on medium until oil is shimmering. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry and sprinkle the Old Bay Seasoning over them - stir until all are coated.  
  3. After the oil is hot, put the shrimp into the pan in an even layer and let sit for 45 seconds without stirring, then turn shrimp over and saute until shrimp are pink and lightly cooked.  (don't overcook or they'll be rubbery.)  Put cooked shrimp into a medium bowl.
  4. While shrimp is cooking, chop the avocado into medium chunks.  Slice the entire green onion up, keeping the green and white pieces separate.  Take the dressing out of the refrigerator and stir in the pieces of white onion.
  5. Stir the avocado gently into the shrimp and pour half of the dressing over the mixture.  Stir until combined, then add remaining dressing if needed and to the desired coverage.
  6. Divide the salad into bowls and sprinkle each serving with the green onion. Serve immediately with a side of crackers or the Best Dinner Rolls Ever.  

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

I used fairly small shrimp because I like them more bite-sized with this salad.

If you don't have Old Bay, use creole seasoning, just salt and pepper, or spices of your choice on the shrimp.

You can store the salad in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes or so if not serving right away.  Be sure and stir for dressing coverage before serving.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1 servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 285Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 670mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Soups, Stews, and Salads

Seafood Paella

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It’s been awhile between posts, but I had a good excuse. I went to Alabama to visit my sisters for a week!  While there, we cooked and baked and generally had a great time.

This Seafood Paella by Mr. Food has been tucked back in my “To Try” manila folder for years and years.  Anything I’ve ever tried from the trusty Mr. Food cookbooks has turned out from really good to great and this was no exception.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Mr. Food – about 15 or so years ago I subscribed to the pay-by-the-month, get-a-packet-of-binder recipes from them and they sent a truck load over a couple of years until I finally cut it off.  I ended up with two binders full and have really enjoyed the ones I’ve tried.

We enjoyed this Seafood Paella immensely and it got thumbs up from participating diners. It initially came out more of a seafood soup/stew – I think because of the liquid from some of the frozen shrimp. We also added more seafood (because we wanted to use up the whole bags full) and 12 ounces of peas instead of 10 ounces (because my sister, Sherry, likes peas…).  

After it was refrigerated, it thickened up over the next several days and became more paella-like. It warmed up nicely in the microwave – oh, and it makes a TON – more like 10-12 servings than 8.

Only got one good photo with my cell phone, but you get the idea.

Seafood Paella

Seafood Paella

Yield: 10 -12 large mugs
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Thick and comforting and full of seafood - will be great for a cold winter's night meal.  

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined medium shrimp
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 C water
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 (10 oz) package saffron rice, uncooked
  • 2 (14 1/2 oz) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 1/2 lb orange roughy or any firm white-fleshed fish, cut into 2" pieces
  • 1/2 lb bay scallops
  • 1 (12 oz) package frozen green peas
  • 1/2 tsp each - salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. If using frozen seafood, remove from package, place in a colander and run cool water over it until ice crystals are removed and seafood is slightly thawed.  Pat dry with paper towels.
  2. In a Dutch oven, cook onion in hot oil for about 2 minutes.  Add garlic and stir for about 1 more minute or until onion is tender - stir constantly.  
  3. Add water and butter; bring to a boil.  Stir in rice; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Add all seafood and stir gently.  Sprinkle in salt and pepper.  
  5. Cover and cook on low about 10 more minutes.  Add peas and simmer for 5 more minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Sister Sherry said she would add one more can of drained tomatoes in the future.

Sister Glenda said a tsp. or so of Tabasco after adding the peas would add a nice spicy flavor. If you don't prefer that, have the Tabasco bottle on hand for others to add to their bowls!

I will leave the white fish out completely next time.  The shrimp and scallops were the perfect amount to me, and the white fish didn't do as well as warmed up leftovers.

Don't overcook the seafood, even if the liquid isn't gone out of the Dutch oven - better to have seafood stew than overcooked seafood!

Next time I would add 1/2 tsp. or so of salt and pepper.

We used regular canned tomatoes and added a tsp. or so of oregano and about 1 tsp. of cumin. I would add more cumin next time. Really very good and I will make this again!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 255Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 176mgSodium: 778mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 37g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Seafood