St. John’s and MVP Health Care’s Seasonal Flavors cooking demonstration and educational series on September 22 featured “Bisques and Chowders.” Attendees had the opportunity to taste delicious recipes as shared below.
Be a part of our next session and enjoy Seasonal Flavors firsthand. To RSVP for our next Seasonal Flavors event, visit stjohnsliving.org/embrace-series.
Clam Chowder
Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 bay leaf
4 cups low sodium seafood stock
1 cup skim milk
3 cups diced white potatoes
1 16-ounce container chopped fresh clams (plus their liquid), thawed if frozen
Snipped chives for garnish
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, 3 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle flour, thyme, pepper and bay leaf over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add seafood stock and skim milk; bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.
Stir in potatoes and bring just to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add clams and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve topped with chives, if desired.
Nutrition Information: 256.1calories/serving, 8.1 g total fat (1.0 g saturated fat, 5.0 g monounsaturated fat, 1.0 g polyunsaturated fat), 26.5 g total carbohydrates, 3.0 g fiber, 36.5 mg cholesterol, 390.7 mg sodium, 19.6 g protein
Recipe courtesy of Eating Well
Creamy Tomato Bisque with Mozzarella Crostini
Yields: 6 servings (about 1½ cups each)
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
¼ cup white rice
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
½ cup silken tofu
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
6 ¾ -inch thick slices baguette, preferably whole-grain
3 Tablespoons shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in broth, water and rice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is very tender, about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Stir tomatoes, tofu and vinegar into the soup. Remove from the heat and puree, in batches, in a blender. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium-high heat, stirring often.
Meanwhile, top slices of baguette with mozzarella and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with a cheesy crostini.
Nutrition Information: 218 calories/serving, 8.0 g total fat (1.0 g saturated fat, 4.0 g monounsaturated fat, 2.0 g polyunsaturated fat), 31.0 g total carbohydrates, 4.0 g fiber, 3.0 mg cholesterol, 355.0 mg sodium, 8.0 g protein
Recipe courtesy of Eating Well
Spinach and Goat Cheese Bisque
Yields: 8 servings (about 1 cup each)
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 Tablespoons plus 2 cups water, divided
1 Teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh
1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
2 Tablespoons Marsala
4 cups vegetable broth, store-bought or homemade
24 cups gently packed spinach (about 1 1/4 pounds), any tough stems trimmed
Pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (2 ounces), plus more for garnish
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
Soup croutons for garnish (see below)
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and thyme and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 cups water in a large soup pot or Dutch oven; add potato. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until very soft, 12 to 15 minutes.
When the onions are caramelized, stir Marsala into them; add them to the pot along with broth. Return to a simmer. Stir in spinach, cayenne and nutmeg; cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, stir in goat cheese, butter and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; allow the butter and cheese to melt. Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth or in a regular blender in batches (return it to the pot). Serve garnished with a large soup crouton and crumbled goat cheese, if desired.
Nutrition Information: 125 calories/serving, 7.1 g total fat (3.2 g saturated fat, 2.4 g monounsaturated fat, 0.6 g polyunsaturated fat), 12.0 g total carbohydrates, 3.5 g fiber, 11.0 mg cholesterol, 193.3 mg sodium, 4.8 g protein
Recipe courtesy of Eating Well