Salmon Chowder

The flavor of this salmon chowder is greatly enhanced by adding either fresh dill or dried tarragon: each herb lends its own distinctively different and appealing character to the soup. Even if you don’t keep instant mashed potatoes in your pantry, it’s worth picking some up for this soup. They give the soup a thick, chowder texture without any heavy cream or butter. Leftover mashed potatoes work too, but give a slightly less-velvety texture.

Ingredients


1 tablespoon canola oil

1/3 cup chopped carrot

1/3 cup chopped celery

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

1 12-ounce skinned salmon fillet, preferably wild-caught (see Note and Tip)

2 1/2 cups frozen cauliflower florets, thawed and coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallions, or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried chives

1 1/3 cups instant mashed potato flakes (see Note), or 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste


Preparation


1.Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrot and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables just begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth, water, salmon, cauliflower and chives (or scallions) and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, maintaining a gentle simmer, until the salmon is just cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the salmon to a clean cutting board. Flake into bite-size pieces with a fork.

2.Stir potato flakes (or leftover mashed potatoes), dill (or tarragon) and mustard into the soup until well blended. Return to a simmer. Add the salmon and reheat. Season with salt and pepper.

Tips & Notes

Notes: Instant mashed potato flakes is not a product that we typically use in our recipes, but we love how it gives creamy texture to soup without adding extra fat. Look for a brand that has the fewest ingredients possible (and therefore little to no artificial additives or flavoring). At our local market, the store brand was the best choice.

Wild-caught salmon from the Pacific (Alaska and Washington) are more sustainably fished and have a larger, more stable population. For more information, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp).

Tip: To skin a salmon fillet, place on a clean cutting board, skin side down. Starting at the tail end, slip the blade of a long, sharp knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding the skin down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.

Nutrition

Per serving: 115 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 27 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 15 g protein; 2 g fiber; 552 mg sodium; 496 mg potassium.



Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Vitamin A (25% dv), source of omega-3s.



Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat

Reboot!

Chocolate-Almond Flutes

Just-baked cookies are fashioned into flutes or cups, which can be filled with ice cream, sorbet, mousse or fresh fruit.


About 10 flutes or 8 cups

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes Ingredients


1/4 cup sliced almonds, (1 ounce)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process

Pinch of salt

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar for dusting
 
Preparation


1.Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat one or two baking sheets with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper or foil and coat again.

2.Place almonds, flour, cocoa and salt in a food processor or blender and process until the almonds are finely ground. Whisk together egg whites, sugar, oil, butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add the flour-almond mixture and whisk until well blended.

3.If making cookie flutes, drop a scant tablespoonful of batter onto a prepared baking sheet. With a metal spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the batter into a circle 4 to 4 1/2 inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining batter, leaving ample space between cookies"you will have room for about 3 cookies per baking sheet. Bake until the tops of the cookies are firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately lift the parchment or foil from the baking sheet and place it on the counter. Carefully slip a flat metal spatula under each cookie to loosen it. Return the cookies to the baking sheet and place in the oven for about 1 minute to soften. To shape, wrap each cookie loosely around a wooden spoon handle to form a flute. (If making cookie cups, use a generous tablespoonful for each cookie. Spread the batter into circles 5 to 5 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake as directed above. To shape, drape the softened cookies over an upside-down glass"a narrow glass, about 2 inches in diameter, works best"and pleat the edges to make a cup.)

4.Transfer the shaped cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. Before serving, dust the edges of the cookies with confectioners’ sugar.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Per serving: 95 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 26 mg sodium; 34 mg potassium.



1 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 1 fat

Cranberry Streusel Coffee Cake

Ingredients


Streusel

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour, or cake flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

1 tablespoon canola oil

Cake

1 16-ounce can pears packed in light syrup, drained

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups unsifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt, or nonfat sour cream

1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries, (3 cups)
 
Preparation


1.To make streusel: Stir together brown sugar, 2/3 cup flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in apple juice concentrate and oil and blend with a fork or your fingers until crumbly.

2.To make cake: Puree pears in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a wide saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly, until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.

3.Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

4.Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns a light nutty brown, about 1 minute. Whisk into the pear puree. Add sugar, egg, egg white, oil and vanilla, whisking until smooth.

5.Sift together 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the pear mixture alternately with yogurt (or sour cream).

6.Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with cranberries, then the remaining batter. Sprinkle the streusel over the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Per serving: 302 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 21 mg cholesterol; 62 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 274 mg sodium; 84 mg potassium.



4 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

Apple Blue Cheese Bacon Cheesecake Recipe

Apple Blue Cheese Bacon Cheesecake Recipe



I thought this was an interesting cheesecake, I have'nt made it yet. But I think I will later this week!
Sorry, no picture available.


Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable spray
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided use
1/2 pound bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled (reserve 2 Tablespoons of fat)
1 onion, diced
2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
32 ounces (4 large blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
5 eggs
3 Tablespoons wine vinegar
1/4 cup whiskey
12 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

2 Tablespoons minced chives

Sliced fresh apples, toast wedges, and/or assorted cocktail crackers

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 200 F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Dust with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Saute onion in bacon fat until softened and translucent. Add apples and garlic and continue to saute over medium heat an additional 2 to 3 minutes until apples begin to soften. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.


Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, wine vinegar, and whiskey, beating until smooth. Stir in apple mixture, bacon, blue cheese, remaining Parmesan cheese, and chives by hand.

Pour batter into prepared pan and place in the preheated oven. Let bake overnight for 8 to 9 hours (timing is not critical). It should be fairly firm and slightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a rack at least 1 hour.

Cover the top of the cooled cheesecake with plastic wrap. Place an inverted plate over the top, turn it over, and remove the pan. Refrigerate the upside-down cheesecake at least 1 hour. Reinvert the cheesecake and remove plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.


To serve as an appetizer, cut slices with a knife dipped in warm water and garnish with fresh apple slices, toast wedges, and/or cocktail crackers of choice.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings