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Texas Clam Chowder – The Best 1024 727 Mari Bickmore

Texas Clam Chowder – The Best

Well this beginning has nothing to do with Clam Chowder, Texas or otherwise (that comes later).  In the middle of the night, many times, I have thought about topics I wanted to write about and none of those times did I follow through; they’re now like the misty stuff of dreams.  Here’s one I remember though…A couple of weeks after the inauguration I had a great conversation with a friend on the wrong side (oops).  We disagreed on many things, agreed on some, and did so amicably.  One of her big problems was the theory that Trump had some connection with Russia, still unsure as to what.  I don’t buy into any of that, nor do I think Trump has a man crush on Putin.  Anyway, as it turns out everyone and their dog has had a meeting with the Russians…on both sides of the fence…except, it seems, Sarah Jessica Parker, if you follow that sort of thing.  I recall a statement by Obama before the last election when he thought the mic was off that goes like this:  “After My Election I Have More Flexibility.”  Did you see the MSM go after that?  None of them seemed to have a problem with that…but now it’s like they’ve all went CRAZIER.   Also, how can they say the Russians interfered with the election exactly?  Even if they did hack the DNC and reveal things that they had done…then the DNC did those things.  Somehow the real “criminals” are  made to be okay just because their crimes were revealed by the Russians (if that is even true).   I know, we’re living in the Twilight Zone.

And now we see the true (tolerant HAHAHAHA) Alt-Left…breaking private property, impeding regular people’s road right-of-way, beating people up, acting like idiots, and trying to stop the free speech of others with differing ideas…the list goes on and on.  I’m glad we didn’t act that way when the travesty that is Obama was elected.  Sure, I complained, and hopefully so did millions of other people, but that was mostly words on a screen and not looting and assault.

Finally, I’m moving on.   I’m still looking at those resolutions and my work on them is a bit stifled, so I went to the gym yesterday for the first time this year.  And today I was shamed again, so I went on a 2.5-mile walk.  Who knows, maybe it’s a trend!  However, I have been playing tennis a few times a week.  Does that count?  First time playing on a mixed doubles team and it’s fun!  I was always intimidated about playing with guys so I always turned down the invites to play on those teams.  We are in second place.  Bummer.  Maybe that will change.  In any event, I had to make food to take to a match the other day and remembered how yummy my recipe for TEXAS Clam Chowder was, so I made it.   Instant hit!  I’ve been perfecting this one for many years.

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Mari’s Texas Clam Chowder
TEXAS CLAM CHOWDER — ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVS
1/2 pound smoked peppered bacon, chopped into small pieces (I chop it small before I fry it, but you could just fry it and crumble later; it’s just easier to put it all in the pot to fry chopped small)
3  jars or cans baby clams and/or minced clams (I actually buy fresh clams if I can find them but that is unusual)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
4-6 medium red potatoes (peeled or unpeeled), diced
6 medium carrots peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp Tony Cachere’s Creole Seasoning (you can try jalapeno pepper too)
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
6-8 ounces large fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, minced
Whipping/heavy cream about 1-3 cups depending on the consistency you want, I’m usually at about 2 cups.
In a large pot, fry chopped bacon until crispy browned; remove and drain on paper towels.  Drain off all but about a 1-2 Tbsp of the rendered fat.  Mix the cornstarch with a little water and mix until smooth.  Add clams w/juice and water to the pot along with the cornstarch mixture.  Add chopped potatoes and carrots, white pepper, parsley and seasoning to taste (I usually use about what is listed above).  Add chopped celery and mushrooms, then onion.  Crunch bacon into small pieces and add back to pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until carrots are done.  Add enough cream to achieve desired consistency.  I serve with oyster crackers.
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Quick and Tasty Cannellini Bean & Sausage Soup 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

Quick and Tasty Cannellini Bean & Sausage Soup

bean sausage stew 7I am still under the weather, still relying on DayQuil to pull me through and get some things done.  I am getting a lot of couch time, and the Australian Open is still keeping me company.  I am thankful for my freedoms today, just the freedom of watching tennis on TV without some Islamic maniac executing me for watching it, like those poor teen-aged boys who were executed by ISIS for watching a soccer game.  I think we should give Africa to the Muslims and never let them set foot on another continent.  Send them all there.  Okay, I’ve ranted.

How does one segue from that to soup?  Okay, there is no segue so I’ll just move right along.   What can I say? This is a great, hearty, aromatic soup…real comfort food.  The hubby loved it, it’s simple to make and, except for the sausage, it’s pretty darn healthy.

ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1-1/3 pounds Italian sausage links
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)
  • Three 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
  • 3-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 5 ounces baby spinach (about 10 cups)

preparation

1.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside.bean sausage soup 2

2.  Heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat . Add onion, garlic, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes.

3.  Add beans and broth, crushing a some beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce.  Cook until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.  I like it thicker so I mash a decent amount of beans.

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4.  Season with salt and pepper.  I used a fairly spicy sausage so I didn’t use the pepper.

5.  Add spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes.

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6.  Slice sausage and stir into stew; add water or broth to thin, if desired.

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See how easy!

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RESOLUTIONS and GREEN ZEN SOUP 1024 768 Mari Bickmore

RESOLUTIONS and GREEN ZEN SOUP

green soup 6

I just returned home from Christmas holiday in Southern California where it was in the 70s and sunny. Lucky when I got home it was sunny….and 23 degrees! Yuch! I just had to say that.

I have been thinking about New Year’s resolutions (better late than never). I typically don’t make any firm resolutions anymore, and that hasn’t exactly changed. However, as the years have begun to race by and I ponder the fact that I don’t feel like I am fulfilling every moment with positives, I figured I’d at least have an outline of resolutions, of a sort. I don’t want to write down things that I cannot accomplish and just feel bad about it, so I’m keeping it fairly simple, so here are my thoughts:
1. Try not to waste so much time; i.e. watching too much TV, spending too much time looking at random things on the internet.
2. Focus on learning, expanding my base of knowledge, self-improvement; i.e. really learning a second language, scripture study and spirituality, take new design classes, or find an entirely new business to try.
3. Make a bucket list and start marking them off; even things that seem unrealistic. Go big or go home, know what I mean?!?! Someone told me that dividing it into categories, such as weekend-type items, week-long items, month-long items, etc. might make the list easier to use.
4. Try to have a healthier lifestyle; i.e. eating, exercise, work hard with physical therapy to get my gimpy foot healed enough to jump back into tennis.
5. Work at relationships; expand my circle of friends, let my family know how much I love them all the time. As an aside to this, I want to perform some type of service for random people as often as possible…I am not great at thinking about this, so it will be a definite process for me. I know “pay it forward” is an old cliche now, but that probably sums it up.

Okay, it does seem like more than an outline and somewhat less than simple. It is doubtful that I will be marking any of these off as complete as they are more of a process, but I hope when the year comes rushing to a close I will look back and see changes and improvement in my lifestyle (and I won’t see 10 more pounds but 10 less). Maybe I will have learned a thing or two and have seen some interesting places and feel like I have and will continue to make a difference in this world, however small it may be.

In the vein of the healthy aspect of my list, this soup is amazingly good for you food! After all the holiday food and eating out I have done since Thanksgiving, I should eat this everyday for weeks to lose those holiday pounds. But we all know that I might post a recipe for donuts next week or a new cream sauce. This is kind of a template recipe, as you can play with your favorite green veggies and make it your own. I don’t think I have made it exactly the same twice, but this is my favorite.

Green Zen Soup

Ingredients
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large yellow or Vidalia onions
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-1/2 tsp salt divided
½ cup arborio or long-grain white rice
1 lb greens (kale, green/Swiss chard, or mustard greens – or a blend; my favorite is half kale and half Swiss chard)
12 cups spinach (about 12 oz)
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1-1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

1. On high heat, heat oil in large skillet. Add onions and ½ tsp salt.
2. Stir until onions begin to brown; about 5 minutes.
3. Add 2 tsp water, reduce heat to low and cover. Stir frequently and cook until onions are caramelized; about 25 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the chopped garlic.

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4. In the meantime, combine 4 cups of water, the ½ cup rice, and a generous teaspoon of salt in a soup pot or dutch oven and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
6. Trim any tough stems or ribs from the greens and chop. Even kale that is already chopped in the package may have tough stems and ribs.
7. When the rice mixture has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the broccoli and cook on low for 5 minutes, then add the greens and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. When onions are caramelized, stir in 1/4 cup of the broth and add to the greens mixture, along with the spinach, remaining broth and cayenne.
9. Return to a simmer, and cook until the spinach is tender; aobut 5 minutes.

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10. In batches, puree the soup in a blender, then add the lemon juice when all the soup is combined together in a large bowl or pot. Garnish with olive oil and/or feta cheese (optional).

Eat that everyday for a week and call me.

green soup 7green soup 5

For Thousand Island Dressing Lovers! No Fail Dressing. 1024 756 Mari Bickmore

For Thousand Island Dressing Lovers! No Fail Dressing.

1000 island 2So my husband was complaining that I was trying to kill him lately because I wasn’t having enough salads and veggie-only dinners, so I decided to have a salad for dinner.   Not quite sure this is going to salvage my character though…bacon, eggs, cheese.  However, I did temper those with carrots, spinach, and green beans…oh, and Thousand Island Dressing.  I have had a love affair with Thousand Island since I was a little girl, but we won’t go into how long ago that was.  I have been playing with this recipe for awhile now, and I’m not saying I won’t tinker with it again, but this really works for me now.  I could even use it for a veggie dip and definitely on a sandwich.

1 1∕2 cup mayonnaise
3–4 tbsp.chili sauce, the Heinz type
2 tbsp. finely chopped yellow, Vidalia or sweet onion
2 tbsp. finely chopped sweet pickles
1 tsp. juice from sweet pickles
1 tbsp. chopped, drained, jarred pimientos
1-1/2 to 2 tsp prepared horseradish
dash hot sauce
½ tsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste, shouldn’t take much salt at all

This is so easy! Just combine all the ingredients into a medium bowl and stir
until well combined. Dressing will keep, covered, in the refrigerator at least a week.   I have had it refrigerated for at least a couple of weeks.  Other ingredients you might to throw in and play with are:  worcestershire, chopped capers, lemon juice, cream, chopped boiled egg.  If you use your own home–made mayo that is great!

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