Seafood Chowder

Spring can be fickle. One day it's warm and sunny ... The next cool and rainy. This is a great soup for those overcast days. Be sure to serve with a generous bouquet of daffodils and tulips..

This really isn't an authentic seafood chowder which would use several kind of fish. Nor is it a genuine clam chowder which would use corn but no cod. It fits somewhere in-between.

Because bacon can be so expensive, I no longer buy it by the package. Instead, I purchase it by the slice from a local grocer.

This goes together quite simply. You could, of course, use any white fish, just be sure it is meaty. For a bit more zing, you could add a bit of Old Bay's seasoning.

• 4-6 slices smoked bacon
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme flakes
• 1/4 cup crushed saltines, preferably unsalted
• 2, 6-ounce cans chopped clams, drained, juices reserved
• 1 large white potato, peeled, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bottle clam juice (about one cup) preferably a refrigerated brand
• 3/4 pound thick cod filet cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup Half-and-Half
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 2-4 tablespoons cream cheese (optional)

In a large heavy pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel leaving behind the drippings. To the drippings in the pot, add the onion, celery and thyme. Sauté over medium heat until vegetables are soft and onion begins to turn golden. If too dry, add a bit of olive oil. Add crushed crackers and stir for about three minutes.

Add reserved juices from clams, the bottled clam juice and the potatoes. Bring to a partial boil. Reduce feat to low and simmer, partially covered, for about fifteen minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Add cod pieces and simmer until fish is cooked through, about five minutes.

Add the creams and, if using, cream cheese and Old Bay's. Simmer on low just until heated through. Add about ten grinds of fresh pepper. Taste and re-adjust for seasonings.

Serve with a bit of bacon on top or simply mix all of the bacon into chowder before serving. 

7-Up Biscuits

 

I've seen this recipe floating around here and there on the currents of foodie sites. Today, finally, I decided it was time for a swim, so I dove into the recipe and made them at work since it involved so few ingredients.

Wow! It won waves of accolades from my co-workers. One said it was the best biscuit he ever had. And his mom was Southern!

I love my own recipe for biscuits. But there's just something about these ... That crusty/buttery bottom and then the ultra-tender interior from the addition of sour cream. Even cold, these biscuits retain flavor without the tinny, after taste of baking powder.

Apparently, these have been around for decades! There are those who grew up on them, especially at church dinners. Who knew? Certainly, not me.

Be forewarned: this is a wet, sticky dough. Do not at any time attempt to knead it. Use your hands, not a rolling pin! Gently, pat, pat, pat. Gently shake off excess flour before adding to the pan with the melted butter.

You could certainly use any lemon/lime carbonated soda. Even ginger ale. (Maybe, even a sweet, flavored beer?)

I did one-half recipe and used an 8 x 8 metal pan with a two-and-one-half-inch biscuit cutter.

Maybe add some grated cheese? Fresh herbs?

Full recipe is below. It is easily halved.

• 4 cups Bisquick
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup 7-Up
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Add melted butter to a 9 x 13 pan.

In a large bowl, combine sour cream with Bisquick. I use the underside of a large metal spoon to "schmear" the sour cream into the Bisquick until it forms large coarse crumbs--maybe chunks would be a better word?

Add the 7-Up and stir just until incorporated. Do not "beat." Loose is good.

Using a spatula or large spoon and not yours hands, scrape the mixture into a blob onto a well-floured board. Sprinkle the top with a bit more Bisquick. Dough will be wet and sticky but very light and soft. DO NOT KNEAD THE DOUGH! Instead, gently pat to bring it together to form a circle one-inch thick. Cut biscuits using a floured biscuit cutter. Gently dust off each biscuit before placing into pan.

Bake at  420 - 425 degrees Fahrenheit 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before eating.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Yes, you need to make these. Like ... Last year!

Even here in North Carolina, it has been frigid with near-zero temps. It is ... Dark. Dank. Depressing. Everyone, it seems, has a cold or a cough (including me) and my colleagues at work.

I dream of warm, afternoon-food. Mid-day fare after a morning shift of chilly work.

So, I fixated on this recipe; or, rather, it fixated itself upon me! Such is food. Often, the table sets us... We don't set it.

I nervously assembled  a 9 x 13 pan of these little puppies to take to work at the grocery store to share with my colleagues. They were baked in the bread oven (thanks, Mary!).

Why "nervously?" I had never made them before and I researched a zillion similar recipes, each with its unique spin. After getting a sense of the original recipe, I started on my own.

Use packaged Parker House dinner rolls, usually found in most deli/bakeries. One dozen is usually made to fit into a 9 x 13 pan. I used a foil pan for easy clean up. Swiss cheese is the traditional one to use, but I'm not overly fond of it, nor are others. I went for the blend below.

These were a real hit and I will definitely be making them again!

•    BUNS:
• 3/4 to 1 pound thin-sliced deli ham. I used ham-off-the-bone
• 4 oz. shredded Italian blend cheese
• 7 - 8 oz. sliced, extra sharp, white Cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 12 Parker-House rolls

•     SAUCE:
• 1-and-one-half sticks of butter, melted (12 ounces, preferably unsalted)
• 1 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (start with less and add more if needed)
• 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons dried, minced onion
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 - 3 shakes Cayenne pepper
• 1 good tablespoon poppy seeds (add last)

Lightly spritz foil pan with non-stick spray. Using a long serrated knife, slice each layer in half. Place bottom layers in pan. Spread with mayo. Layer half the ham over the rolls. Sprinkle with the Italian cheese mixture. Layer the white Cheddar slices over the shredded cheese and then layer that with the remaing ham. Cover with the tops of the rolls.

Prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients except the poppy seeds. Taste and re-season as necessary. When satisfied, stir in the poppy seeds. Evenly distribute the sauce mixture over the tops of the rolls, brushing a bit as necessary. 

Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake, covered for ten minutes. Uncover and bake an additional ten minutes. Remove from oven and watch them disappear.

Chicken with Cabbage and Potatoes

Here's a one-pot peasant dish at it's finest and a good way to stretch your food budget by using lots of veggies. I used chicken legs because they are still inexpensive and hold up well to the braising. Pork "side meat" may be difficult to find. Basically, it is unsmoked bacon and not overly salty like salt pork. (I'm sure one could use bacon with no harm--it's just expensive).

This will make its own "juice" as the vegetables cook down. You are seeking a stew-like consistency. Of course, you could easily make it into a "soup" by adding some chicken stock.

For this batch, I used half red potatoes and some chunks from a sweet potato.

It's not the prettiest dish when done, but it is warm and filling. This would be nice served with a side of wide, buttered noodles.

To make it vegan, simply omit the meats and simmer for a shorter period of time.

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
• 1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced (8 full ounces)
• 4 small red potatoes cut into chunks
• 2 small carrots, slice and diced
• 1/2 large onion sliced and diced
• 1, 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup pork side meat, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seed (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• Tabasco sauce, several shakes or to taste
• Smoked paprika 
• Butter

In a medium Dutch oven, mix the vegetable ingredients, thyme, caraway seed if using, and side meat together. Give a few shakes of Tabasco and smoked paprika. Salt and pepper the chicken legs. Place on top of vegetable mixture. Dot chicken legs with butter. Cover. Slowly bring up to heat and simmer 60-90 minutes until chicken is tender. Remove chicken, skin, de-bone, and add back to pot.