Stovetop/Hotplate: Bean, Potato, and Bacon-flavored Chowder

In this recipe, I have married recipe tactics from two of my favorite authors, Jack Monroe (The Tin Can Cook) and Amy Dacyczyn (The Tightwad Gazette).

Because I live in Mexico, I often do not have access to several ingredients called for in many recipes, so I make substitutions.

Also, in Mexico and in the United Kingdom, they use the metric system. So, I convert the grams, liters and milliliters into ounces etc. But, do not take the ounces literally, generally, just find a can of whatever in the general range of the ounces noted.


Stovetop/Hotplate:  Bean, Potato, and Bacon-flavored Chowder
(Adapted from TWG Bean-Bacon Chowder P160)

(Flour not pictured)

Ingredients:

3 cups Milk (I used 1/2 dry milk mixture and deslactosada milk (Lactose-free milk))
2 TBspns Flour
1 TBspn Imitation bacon bits
1 TBspn Onion powder
1 430g / 15.16 oz Can of potatoes, diced or sliced, rinsed in can
1/2 Tspn Thyme, dry, crushed
1-5 dashes of hot sauce (Optional)
S/P to taste
1 560g / 19.75 oz Can of Charro beans (contains pork bits), drained
Garnish: Parsley, dry, crushed


Process:

Add milk to medium sized pan.
Bring to a simmer.
Add flour slowly.
Stir and mash flour into milk.
Smash any lumps with a spoon or other utensil.
Stir thoroughly to mix flour into the milk.
Add bacon bits.
Add onion powder.
Simmer mixture.
Add potatoes.
Add thyme.
Add S/P to taste.
Stir thoroughly.
Cover and simmer 12-15 minutes to soften potatoes.
Add beans.
Stir mixture.
Simmer until mixture is warm throughout.
After making a serving, garish with a sprinkle of crushed parsley.

Recipe made four bowls of soup.

I am a great believer in freezing additional servings for future meals, I got that idea first from Peg Bracken in her, I Hate to Cook Cookbook.

Freeze individual servings you want to save for later.

Reference:

TWG: The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn

Toaster Oven/Stovetop: Fishy Snacks - Anchovy Savories and Deviled Eggs Stuffed with Sardine Mash

During the last few weeks of recipe frustration, I did make two recipes that came out well but only for people who like sour and salty snacks.

I like anchovies, so I had to try Jack’s recipe Anchovy Savories from Cooking on a Bootstrap (eBook version).

While it looks like a simple recipe, it is, but the whole melting butter mixed with flour thing intimidates me.


Toaster Oven / Hotplate: Anchovy Savories
(From Jack Monroe’s Cooking on a Bootstrap (eBook) )

Makes enough sauce for 2 slices of toast.


Ingredients:

1 tspn Butter
1 tspn Flour
A little Milk
A small lump of hard Cheese, grated
A few drops of hot sauce
2 pieces of multi-grain bread
Parsley (optional)
1 36g (1.25oz) Can of anchovies, drained


Process:

Make toast, first, either in a skillet or in a toaster oven.

In a small skillet, add butter.
On a low heat, melt butter.
Add flour and stir.
Keep stirring as you slowly add a bit of milk.
Keep stirring to avoid lumps.
Add grated cheese.
Keep stirring.
Add a bit more milk, if needed.
Add hot sauce.
Keep stirring, scraping the bottoms and sides of skillet.
Sauce should be slightly thick.
Spread a layer of sauce on toast.
Top with a few anchovies.
Add parsley (optional).
Eat immediately.

To my mind, this is a snack food.

Note: You may have heard about the controversy over the contents of some Parmesan Cheese containers. Some companies were selling cheese flavored sawdust. Well, the same problem exists in the spice industry. I had a jar of Parsley that was more like twigs than parsley leaves. So, that is why I did not use parsley in this recipe




I credit Alex Fergus for the inspiration for the following recipe. You can find him at https://www.alexfergus.com/blog/51-sardine-recipes-for-the-fussiest-of-fish-eaters.


Deviled Eggs Stuffed with Sardine Mash

Pre-preparation:

Make hard-boiled eggs via toaster oven. See recipe on this blog.

Make sardine mash. See recipe on this blog.

Ingredients:

Hard-boiled egg(s)
Sardine mash
1 TBspn Mayo and a little more
1/2 Capful of lime juice
Ground black pepper to taste
1 TBspn of parsley, dry


Process:

Peel egg(s) and cut in half lengthwise.
Carefully remove the yolk(s) and put into sardine mash container.
Add Mayo into container.

Add Lime juice to mixture.
Add ground black pepper.
Stir and mix sardine mash and yolk(s) well.
Stir mixture until it is creamy.
Add more mayo if needed.
Take a Tsp scoop or more of mixture and fill the hollow in the egg halves.
Sprinkle deviled egg(s) with crushed dry parsley.

#GERD-friendly if you do not add Black pepper.

Stovetop: Salmon and Corn Chowder

I have a smile on my face. I made chowder.

For the last few weeks, my attempts at making several recipes from various sources failed.

I battled with making peanut butter ice cream. My first attempt had came out good but when I tried to make it again, it became peanut butter ice or a thick peanut butter cream.

My little white beans, while cooked, lacked flavor.

But, things began to change when I made a wonderful sesame sauce for cucumber slices. Ahhh.


Stovetop: Salmon and Corn Chowder
(Adapted from: Tin Can Cook - Salmon and Corn Chowder p110)

I have made adjustments to Jack's recipe based on ingredients I had available and also in an attempt to make the recipe GERD-friendly.

Also, while I converted the grams into ounces, the amounts are not exact to the quantity you will find in cans in your grocery store.


Ingredients:

1 430g (15.16 oz) Can of potatoes, sliced or cubed, drained, and rinsed in can
 
1 and 1/2 Chicken bouillon cubes

10 oz Water

1 285g (10.5oz) Can corn, drained, and rinsed in can

4 oz Salmon paste see fish paste recipe below

2-3 TBspns Milk (I used powdered milk mix)

S/P to taste

2-3 TBspns thawed frozen spinach (Optional)


Fish Paste
(Adapted from: https://jackiem.com.au/2015/05/19/how-to-make-fish-paste/)


Ingredients:

 1 140g (4.93oz) Can of salmon, drained
3+ TBspns of flour
and a bit of water
S/P to taste


Fish Paste Process:

Basically, in a bowl, add salmon and flour, mix ingredients thoroughly by hand until it is a smooth thick paste. Add water if needed. Store the fish paste in the frig until ready for use. This recipe makes about 8oz of fish paste.


Salmon and Corn Chowder Process:

Add potatoes to medium sauce pan.
Add bouillon cubes to 10 oz of water.
Boil water and cubes in microwave for two minutes.
When ready, stir to blend bouillon with the water.
Add bouillon stock to pan.
Stir.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
Add corn.
Add fish paste.
Stir until mixture is smooth.
Simmer until vegetables are soft.
Stir.
Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add milk.
Stir.
After a minute or two, add s/p to taste.
Add spinach (optional)
Simmer for a minute or two until chowder is hot.
Serve.

Note: I did not add spinach.

 

 Great with saltine crackers.

#GERD-friendly