Tag Archives: main dish

Northwest Seafood Chowder

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It’s that time of year again—time to snuggle in your favorite snuggling spot with a bowl of piping hot chowder and binge-watch your favorite Christmas movies. (It’s a Wonderful Life wins for me.) This is also the time of year for having kids come home and hopefully, bring a guest or two with them. You know me, I love a houseful, and this meal is a crowd-pleaser.

We are pacific northwest people—and as such–we like all things salmon – okay – and shrimp. Okay. We like it all.

Give it a try and let me know what you think! My hunch is that you’re going to love it.

From one busy mom to another,
Heidi

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Northwest Seafood Chowder

1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

2 hours

serves 15

1.5 cup

Northwest Seafood Chowder

Ingredients

  • 1 cup celery
  • 1 cup red pepper
  • 1 cup onion
  • 2 cloves garlic (or from a jar is fine)
  • 30 oz chicken broth (about 3 cans)
  • 2 cups peeled, diced potatoes (can mix red and russet)
  • 2 cups shredded carrots (hello, food processor!)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 cans creamed corn
  • 1 can sweet corn
  • 4 cups half-and-half
  • 5 sprigs fresh dill, stems removed (dried will work too)
  • 4 cups fully cooked salmon
  • 1 cup cod
  • 2 cups frozen shrimp, tail off
  • 1/4 cup flour in chicken broth for thickener

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, saute celery, onion, red pepper and garlic in butter until the vegetables are tender.
  2. Add broth, potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper and de-stemmed dill
  3. Bring to a boil
  4. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until the vegetables are nearly tender.
  5. AT THE END:
  6. Stir in the corn, cream, salmon, cod and shrimp.
  7. To thicken - whip flour with 1/2 cup chicken broth and add to hot soup, stirring slowly
  8. Simmer for 15 minutes or until heated through.
  9. Add whatever dill is left and stir gently
https://heidistjohn.com/blog/recipes/northwest-seafood-chowder

Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque

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A few years ago, my friend Durenda was here for Thanksgiving with her family.

See?

This is me watching her cook dinner in my kitchen. 😉 (Yep. I’m that kind of friend.)

Anyway.

I have always wondered how to make butternut squash soup—and she shared her recipe with me. I now feel like I can do it myself, and I’ve made it several times since. It’s become a true family favorite.

As we all settle into SOUP SEASON, I encourage you to give this one a try. Your family will think you are some new, improved version of Martha Stewart or Rachael Ray… or Julia!

BTW, you’ll love this more if you have an immersion blender. The one we used in the photo above didn’t survive our initial foray … so I bought this one. Yep—this one is better: Kitchen Aid immersion blender has a larger blade and two speeds. It’s amazing.

Don’t forget to top it with more cheese. Cheese makes everything better.

This recipe serves eight. I have doubled it both times we made it — so if you’re serving a crowd, be sure to double it!

Enjoy xoxo
Heidi

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Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque

Serves 8

Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque

Creamy, delicious and a great way to feed a crowd! Perfect for a cold winter night.

Ingredients

  • 1 2 1/2 pound butternut squash (or 1 pkg from Costco of cubed winter squash)
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups apple juice
  • 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 6 oz smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar, finely shredded
  • {optional} toppings - crumbled bacon, smoked paprika

Instructions

  1. Peel, seed and cube butternut squash
  2. In 6-qt Dutch oven, melt butter over med-high heat.
  3. Add squash, onion, carrot, celery and garlic
  4. Cook, stirring frequently, until veggies are tender
  5. Add apples, broth, cider and peppers
  6. Bring to a boil; reduce heat
  7. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until veggies and apples are tender
  8. Allow to cool slightly
  9. Using an immersion blender, puree while in pot. You can also puree in a blender, in smaller batches.
  10. Blend in sour cream
  11. Blend in smoked Gouda
https://heidistjohn.com/blog/recipes/creamy-butternut-squash-bisque

For my fellow visual learners — here are a few pictures from our bisquey adventure:

This is my faithful friend showing me that I don’t have to be afraid of butternut squash. Veggie Tales may or may not have affected my ability to cut up butternut squash. Turns out… once you peel it and seed it, it’s not that hard. 🙂

Saute veggies in butter until they are tender

Cover with broth and apple cider. Let it cook for about 25 minutes. It’s okay if your mouth starts watering.

Using an immersion blender, puree mixuture. Add sour cream when bisque is smooth.

Add a bunch of smoked Gouda. Mmmmmm. You won’t be sorry if you add more.

Add a bunch of smoked Gouda. Mmmmmm. You won’t be sorry if you add more.

Got this at Costco. I may or may not have had extra. 🙂

 

Enjoy!

Easy Creamy Bacon Chicken

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When you remember to invite company for Easter dinner, but forget to buy ingredients to prepare the dinner with, you know you are just slightly busy, and that’s the pickle I found myself in this year.

creamy-bacon-chicken

The day before Easter was crazy, too, so after church I was scrambling to prepare food with the ingredients I had in my house.  Surprisingly, a new invention was created that wound up being a family favorite. It is simple, easy to prepare, and delicious. It has a nice visual appeal, as well, and my guests loved it. They even requested the recipe, so I guess “flying by the seat of my pants” isn’t always bad.  Remember that hospitality doesn’t mean you have to host in absolute perfection, and that new creations can be born out of chaos.

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Easy Creamy Bacon Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
  • Chicken Tenders (amount may vary according to crowd size)
  • one medium size onion, diced
  • 2-3 fresh, minced garlic cloves
  • 2-6 cups cream cheese, depending on crowd size (I used six cups for fourteen people)
  • bacon, cooked and diced (I used a pound of Hempler's Organic Bacon for my large crowd)
  • salt to taste (I use Himalayan salt)
  • pepper to taste (I use fresh ground)
  • organic no salt seasoning to taste
  • 2-6 cups mozzarella cheese ( used six cups)

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, add coconut oil, and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent.
  2. Set veggies aside
  3. In a large casserole dish, add as many chicken tenders as you need.
  4. Season the tenders with salt on one side
  5. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour
  6. While the chicken is cooking, whip the cream cheese until it is soft and add in salt, pepper, no salt seasoning, veggies, and some of the mozzarella cheese.
  7. Add the cream cheese mixture to the chicken tenders and mix well.
  8. Top the chicken with a good layer of mozzarella cheese, the chopped cooked bacon, and place in oven until cheese is bubbly and brown.
https://heidistjohn.com/blog/recipes/easy-creamy-bacon-chicken

 Serve hot and enjoy!

Simple Gluten-Free Chicken Salad

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I love healthy, tasty, satisfying, and simple meals that are appealing to the eye. Simple is the key word here, and one of our favorite meals is an easy, gluten free chicken salad. Actually, you don’t have to use chicken. You can leave it out for a vegan meal, or you can use tuna, salmon, or lunch meat as variations. Flexible recipes are my favorite!

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Simple Gluten Free Chicken Salad

Simple Gluten Free Chicken Salad

Ingredients

  • One Costco Asian Salad mix sans the dressing packet and seeds/wantons
  • Baked Chicken Tenders seasoned with (pink) salt, pepper, and garlic powder (as many tenders as you like in your salad)
  • One bunch (or more) Green onions, chopped
  • Fresh grated, parmesan, cheese
  • Dressing:
  • Pure virgin olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  1. Open salad bag and add to a large salad bowl
  2. Add grated parmesan cheese, onions, and chicken tenders and mix well.
  3. Serve on individual  plates, add vinegar and oil and enjoy!
https://heidistjohn.com/blog/recipes/simple-gluten-free-chicken-salad

Cream Cheese Chicken Tenders And Green Bean Tomato Medley

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Last night I needed a super simple, healthy, gluten free meal that was quick to prepare. We were just coming down from the high time demands after talent show week for our kids. Since I direct the choir, and work with small ensembles, this kept me running with extra practices, along with other extras thrown in each day of the week. Consequently, time for planning and preparing meals was pretty much non-existent. Time didn’t allow for a trip to the store, so I began searching our cupboards, freezer, and refrigerator, and gathered some ingredients that seemed like they would compliment each other. In other words, I totally winged it! This was a cooking experience on the fly, so when my family decided they love it and want me to make it again, it was a pleasant surprise. If you need a meal that meats this criteria, you just might like this one.

gf-chicken-green-bean

Cream Cheese Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

  • Chicken Tenders (as many as your family will eat)
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil
  • Salt (Pink Himalayan salt is the best)
  • Fresh, ground, pepper
  • garlic powder
  • Organic No Salt Seasoning (Costco)
  • Cream cheese to taste

Directions

  • In a large skillet, heat coconut oil, and add chicken tenders
  • Season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and no salt seasoning.
  • When the first side is browned, flip the tenders to brown the second side, and cover.
  • Cook until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
  • Add cream cheese and stir well.

Serve and enjoy!

 

Green Bean Tomato Medley

Ingredients

  • Frozen or fresh green beans
  • One medium onion
  • One clove garlic, minced
  • Salt (pink)
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • One tablespoon coconut oil
  • Grape or Cherry tomatoes to taste

Directions

  • In a medium to large size skillet, heat coconut oil
  • Add chopped onion, garlic, and seasonings and sauté until translucent.
  • Add green beans, stir well, and cover.
  • Cook thoroughly for about fifteen minutes, stirring from time to time, until beans are tender, but not overly soft (for frozen beans. Less for fresh).
  • Add a handful or two of grape or cherry tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes to warm them.

Serve hot and enjoy a delicious, hot, healthy, gluten free meal with your family! <3

Simple, Satisfying Roast Beef Dinner

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roast-beef

Roast is one of our favorite meals, and it’s one of the easiest meals to prepare.  I don’t know why I forget to make it. It’s delicious, satisfying, gluten free, and everyone in our family loves it!  With our busy schedules, I was looking for some easy recipes last week.  My goal is to simply life a little bit and cooking meals that fit the criteria for good nutrition was my project of the week.  I came across my favorite roast recipe and decided it was time to prepare it again.  Oh the aroma that filled our home as we came through the door with hungry tummies after a long and busy day!  I prepared sweet potatoes, asparagus, and green beans, pan fried in coconut oil to go with that succulent, tender, roast. Please excuse me while I wipe up the drool that just landed on my key board, and write roast on my grocery list…..again.

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Ridiculously Easy Roast

Ridiculously Easy Roast

Ingredients

  • One roast of your choosing
  • mushrooms (as many as you like)
  • one large onion
  • Fresh, minced garlic (2 cloves)
  • one tablespoon coconut oil
  • Himalayan or sea salt to taste
  • Two bay leaves

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, heat coconut oil, and add onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Sautee until onion is translucent, and mushrooms are browned and tender. Remove veggies and set aside.
  2. Add roast to the skillet and brown on all sides. Rub salt on each side of the roast, then add to the crockpot. Place veggies on top of roast and top with two bay leaves. Cook on high for seven hours (or according to your own crock pot's heat. Mine is very slow, so high works best). Remove bay leaf and serve!
https://heidistjohn.com/blog/recipes/simple-satisfying-roast-beef-dinner

 

Creamy Potato Soup

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Being a full-time, working, homeschooling mom to three daughters means that some days it’s just way easier to grab lunch at a fast food restaurant. Yes, there are those lovely days that I come home and make sandwiches, pack them for my family, then return gracefully to the music store just in time for lunch.  But, then there are the busy days when I ignore my mommy guilt and just drive through for the box of nuggets!

Sometimes my girls do not agree on the chosen lunch options on these fast food days. Out of the three girls, you can almost be guaranteed that one will have an objection about the restaurant I am grabbing lunch from. However, there is one place I can count on to please everyone at lunch time. Schlotzsky’s. My middle daughter is particularly fond of their potato soup. It’s not surprising, really, since she’s our “carbs girl.” If I’d let her, that girl would live off of French bread, mac & cheese, Ramen noodles, and mashed potatoes!

creamy-potato-soup copy

Knowing how much she loves Schlotzsky’s potato soup, I decided I would try my best to replicate it. Of course she was thrilled when she learned that potato soup was what I would be making for dinner! When I was just about finished cooking the soup, I let her have a taste to see if it was good. She very carefully took a sip so as not to burn her mouth. Then, she hesitated and sweetly said, “Hmmm… it doesn’t taste quite the same as Schlotzsky’s.” 🙁 So I replied, “Oh. Okay, well, what do you think it needs?” (I later realized this was a good mom choice on my part, because it gave my daughter ownership to the soup.) So, she suggested more salt and a little cream. And, I think it did improve the taste. Yay!! The best part of the story though, is that my daughter was happy and thought it tasted like her favorite soup in the world!  Just to let you know though, this is NOT a copycat recipe.  It doesn’t taste exactly like Schlotzsky’s soup.  But, it’s close enough for a nine year old girl 🙂

Here is the recipe for my potato soup that made my little girl so happy.

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Creamy Potato Soup

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 10 red potatoes
  • 4 gloves garlic
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 TB. sour cream
  • 1 tsp. ground pepper
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground rosemary
  • 4 strips bacon
  • 1/2 tsp. onion salt or powder

Instructions

  1. Chop potatoes and mince garlic.
  2. Heat butter and garlic on high heat for 2 minutes in a medium size stew pot.
  3. Add potatoes and 8 cups of water, boil uncovered for 20 minutes on high heat.
  4. While potatoes are boiling, cook 4 strips of bacon in a skillet.
  5. When potatoes are tender, mash them to desired consistency. (don't drain water)
  6. Reduce to medium low heat and add cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, onion salt, rosemary, cream and milk.
  7. Simmer for 5 minutes on low heat until soup thickens.
  8. Serve with shredded cheese and bacon crumbles.
https://heidistjohn.com/blog/recipes/creamy-potato-soup