Source: I was inspired by this one and this one and then sort of just went for it, taking what I liked from each and using what I had on hand
Ingredients:
1 can petite diced tomatoes with chiles (when I run out of the case that I bought of these, then I'll probably just use 2 cans of the stewed tomatoes and add a jalapeno to the blender)
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 handful cilantro (~1/2 cup), rough chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 clove garlic, rough chopped
1/4 onion (yellow or red), chopped into quarters
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (you could also try the Chipotle Tabasco mentioned in the Our Best Bites recipe above, but this is what I had in my cupboard, so that's what I used; I really like the slight smokey flavor it adds to the salsa, but you could probably leave it out, too, if desired)
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender (it doesn't have to be fancy - our cheap Hamilton Beach one works fabulously). Pulse until the ingredients are chopped but not pureed and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. For best flavor, refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving. (I think it just gets better and better as it ages, so when I was making a double batch for a bridal shower for my sister, I blended everything a week before the party so all the flavors could meld and blend and be the best ever.) Makes 1 quart salsa. Refrigerate for up to a month or more (if it lasts that long!).
Notes:
One day I was making tacos for dinner but I had no more salsa left. We live less than a mile from a grocery store, but I decided instead of driving there to buy some, I'd give this recipe I had been saving and thinking about a whirl (quite literally - ha). I haven't used store-bought salsa ever since and I've made at least four batches of this good stuff for us and for the above-mentioned bridal shower. It's delicious. Everyone who tastes it says so. And it has turned out to be a really great use for that case of too-spicy-for-anything-I've-tried-cooking-with-them diced tomatoes with chiles that I bought at a caselot sale over a year ago and have just been giving away at food drives because my family (and I) won't eat them. They lend the perfect amount of spice in salsa form (because I expect salsa to be at least a little spicy) and I'm quite pleased with this discovery.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
New England Clam Chowder (aka The Best Clam Chowder You May Ever Eat)
Source: Mel has done it again! (but I made a few minor adjustments, in italics, as usual)
Ingredients:
5 cans (6.5 ounces each) chopped clams (whoa nelly! that's a lot of clams - I have used either 2-3 and it's plenty clammy for us)
2 bottles (8 ounces each) clam juice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (I added 1 15 oz can)
1 1/2 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and small diced (about 3 medium potatoes) (I don't even peel them because I'm lazy; I like red potatoes, too)
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons butter (I didn't measure, but it was probably half this) (*update: my favorite version was probably closer to the actual 4 TB, though I still didn't measure)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
1 cup diced celery (about 4 medium stalks)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (my favorite version was 1.5 cups 2% milk)
1 cup half and half (I always just skip this and it's plenty thick for us)
1 teaspoon salt (I reduced this to 1/2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Directions:
Drain the clams, reserving the juice. Set both the clams and juice aside.
In a 5- or 6-quart pot, combine the clam juice, broth and potatoes (the potatoes will just barely be covered with liquid; it's important they are diced small). Bring to a simmer, add the bay leaf, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, in a second pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted. Stir in the onions, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 5-7 minutes. (Note: make sure that celery gets soft - mine was still a bit crunchy and that was a bummer.)
Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and half and half, stirring quickly to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture has thickened, 4-5 minutes.
Stir the creamy mixture into the potatoes, whisking quickly until combined (take out the bay leaf if it's getting in the way). Stir in the salt, pepper, vinegar, and reserved clams. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Stir in any of the reserved clam juice to thin the consistency, if desired (I always desire). Serve. (Note: when I made the second time, I let it cool and then refrigerated it and warmed it up quickly the next day to serve to my birthday guests - it was fantastic and so easy!)
Ingredients:
5 cans (6.5 ounces each) chopped clams (whoa nelly! that's a lot of clams - I have used either 2-3 and it's plenty clammy for us)
2 bottles (8 ounces each) clam juice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (I added 1 15 oz can)
1 1/2 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and small diced (about 3 medium potatoes) (I don't even peel them because I'm lazy; I like red potatoes, too)
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons butter (I didn't measure, but it was probably half this) (*update: my favorite version was probably closer to the actual 4 TB, though I still didn't measure)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
1 cup diced celery (about 4 medium stalks)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (my favorite version was 1.5 cups 2% milk)
1 cup half and half (I always just skip this and it's plenty thick for us)
1 teaspoon salt (I reduced this to 1/2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Directions:
Drain the clams, reserving the juice. Set both the clams and juice aside.
In a 5- or 6-quart pot, combine the clam juice, broth and potatoes (the potatoes will just barely be covered with liquid; it's important they are diced small). Bring to a simmer, add the bay leaf, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, in a second pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted. Stir in the onions, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 5-7 minutes. (Note: make sure that celery gets soft - mine was still a bit crunchy and that was a bummer.)
Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and half and half, stirring quickly to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture has thickened, 4-5 minutes.
Stir the creamy mixture into the potatoes, whisking quickly until combined (take out the bay leaf if it's getting in the way). Stir in the salt, pepper, vinegar, and reserved clams. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Stir in any of the reserved clam juice to thin the consistency, if desired (I always desire). Serve. (Note: when I made the second time, I let it cool and then refrigerated it and warmed it up quickly the next day to serve to my birthday guests - it was fantastic and so easy!)
Notes:
So Gregg's favorite soup of all time is Clam Chowder. He orders it at nearly every restaurant that we go to that offers it (especially if we're in a coastal area). When I make it at home (usually only once or twice a year) he raves about it and can't stop ladling more into his bowl. I follow Mel's Kitchen Cafe blog religiously and when she posted this recipe a few months ago, I knew I had to give it a try. I've never bought the bottled clam juice before, and I thought 5 cans of clams seemed like a TON, but I added everything to my shopping list anyway, because I trust Mel. When it came time to make the soup, though, I just couldn't imagine putting all those clams inside. So I only used two. And then I had three cans left in my cupboard, just waiting to be used in the future. And the future was my birthday. I invited my family over for soup and bread bowls and German Chocolate Bundt Cake (recipes for those goodies coming soon, just you wait) and I think the clam chowder was the star of the dinner. Gregg, of course, loaded up. And his Dad told me it was the best chowder he's ever had, even better than Ivar's famous. What a compliment! And I owe it all to my pal, Mel.
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