The wispy dill is a versatile plant with a strong personality. The seeds are used in pickling spice, and the feathery leaves known as dill weed are used fresh or dried. This garden favorite is comfortable seasoning a recipe or serving as the garnish.
| 1/2 pound cod fillets (or any mild white fish), fresh or frozen |
| 1/2 tablespoon butter or margarine |
| 1/2 cup chopped onion |
| 2-1/2 cups water |
| 1-1/2 cups diced potato |
| 1/4 teaspoon salt |
| 1/8 teaspoon black pepper |
| 1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish |
| 1/2 cup milk |
| 1-1/2 tablespoons flour |
| 1 medium firm tomato |
| Dill weed for garnish, fresh or dried |
Thaw fish if frozen. Remove any skin or bones from fish and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside. Melt butter or margarine in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender. Pour water over onions. Add fish, potato, salt, pepper, and horseradish to soup. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with lid and simmer 20 minutes. (Potatoes should be falling apart.) While the chowder is cooking; pour milk into a tall glass. Add flour to the milk and stir rapidly with a fork until smooth; set aside. Peel skin from tomato and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside. After 20 minutes, stir milk mixture once or twice and add to chowder. Bring to a quick boil over high heat. Remove from heat immediately. Add tomato pieces; cover with lid and let stand 5 minutes. Ladle into serving dishes and garnish with dill weed.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 139
Fat per serving 3g
Minced Alaskan Pollock, a mild-flavored white fish, is the primary ingredient in imitation crabmeat. More economical than real crab, the imitation “sticks” or “legs” are more readily available in non-coastal areas.
| 4 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice |
| 4 cups water |
| 1/2 cup chopped celery pieces |
| 1/2 cup chopped onion |
| 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper |
| 1/4 teaspoon ground mace |
| 1/2 pound imitation crabmeat, stick or “leg” style |
| 2/3 cup frozen peas |
Add bouillon and tomatoes with juice to water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in celery, onion, lemon pepper, and mace. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 15 minutes. Rinse imitation crabmeat sticks thoroughly. Slice each lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add imitation crabmeat and peas to stew. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 10 minutes more.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 88
Fat per serving <1g
New York has been long famous for not only great Broadway productions but for big bowls of steaming clam chowder featuring tomatoes as the leading lady.
| 1 (6 1/2-ounce) can chopped clams in clam juice |
| 1 extra large vegetable bouillon cube (or enough granules to make 2 cups broth) |
| 1 cup chopped celery |
| 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice |
| 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce |
| 1 cup water |
| Dash of black pepper |
| 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme |
| 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled |
Drain clams, reserving juice. Add reserved clam juice, bouillon, celery, tomatoes with juice, and tomato sauce to water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in pepper and thyme. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 10 minutes. Add clams to chowder. Cover tightly with lid and cook 3 minutes. Ladle into serving dishes. Garnish each serving with crumbled bacon.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 255
Fat per serving 12g
When cooking bacon as an ingredient in a recipe, take care to remove it from the pan after cooking. Lay the bacon on paper towels to drain any excess fat.
| 1 (6 1/2-ounce) can minced clams in clam juice |
| 3 cups cubed potatoes |
| 1 cup chopped celery |
| 1 cup chopped onion |
| 2 cups water |
| 1 clove garlic, pressed |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| 1/8 teaspoon black pepper |
| 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme |
| 2 whole bay leaves (do not crumble) |
| 1/4 cup milk |
| 2 tablespoons flour |
| 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and broken into quarters |
Drain clams, reserving juice. Add clam juice, potatoes, celery, and onion to water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 5 minutes. Pour milk into a glass. Add flour to milk and quickly stir with a fork until smooth. Add the milk mixture to chowder and cook 5 minutes more. Add clams, cover tightly with lid, and cook 3 minutes. Remove bay leaves from chowder. Ladle into serving dishes. Garnish each serving with bacon pieces.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 347
Fat per serving 13g
The combination of ingredients used to make the salmon balls are a mix used for years by my mom to make salmon patties. An old recipe with a new twist.
| 1 (6-ounce) can boneless, skinless pink salmon, drained |
| 1 egg |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| 1/8 teaspoon black pepper |
| 1/2 cup self-rising flour |
| 1 tablespoon vegetable oil |
| 4 cups water |
| 4 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano |
| 1 cup quick-cook whole grain brown rice |
| 1 green bell pepper, chopped |
Use a small bowl and mix together the salmon, egg, salt, pepper, and flour. Stir until all ingredients are well blended. Shape salmon into 24 small balls. Lay on a plate until needed. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon balls to hot skillet, then reduce heat to medium. Brown salmon balls on all sides. (Be careful not to turn until browned on the bottom or they may come apart.) Remove from pan; set aside. Pour water into a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bouillon, oregano, and rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 10 minutes. Add bell pepper. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat. Ladle soup into serving dishes. Add 6 salmon balls to each serving.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 332
Fat per serving 8g
When you want your vegetables to maintain a firm texture, watch your cooking time carefully. Overcooking by a mere 5 minutes can turn some vegetables mushy. Be sure to remove the pan from the heat source to stop the cooking process.
| 2 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 1/4 teaspoon salt |
| Dash of black pepper |
| 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper |
| 2 cups cooked baby shrimp |
| 2 cups water |
| 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen deluxe stir-fry vegetables |
Add bouillon, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and shrimp to water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 5 minutes. Add frozen vegetables. Cover tightly with lid and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat. The vegetables will retain a firm texture. Stir and serve.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 185
Fat per serving 1g
Jambalaya is for those who prefer their food on the spicy side. You may want to use only half the amount of crushed red pepper. Taste the broth after cooking 10 minutes and then decide if you need to spice it up.
| 2 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 1 cup chopped onion |
| 1 clove garlic, minced |
| 1 green bell pepper, chopped |
| 1-1/4 cups small cooked shrimp |
| 2 cups water |
| 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice |
| 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce |
| 1/4 teaspoon salt |
| 1/8 teaspoon black pepper |
| 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper |
| 1 cup quick-cook whole grain brown rice |
Add bouillon, onion, garlic, bell pepper, and shrimp to water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 10 minutes. Add the rice. Continue to cook over low heat 5 minutes more with lid vented. Remove from heat, cover tightly with lid, and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 6
Calories per serving 200
Fat per serving 1g
Simple and economical garnishes for soups are at your fingertips. Reserve a small amount of a colorful vegetable in the recipe. Mince and sprinkle on top for a perfect finish.
| 2 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 1 cup sliced potato |
| 1 cup chopped onion |
| 2 cups water |
| 1 cup chopped celery |
| 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained |
| 1 (6-ounce) can fancy white crabmeat (do not drain) |
| 1/8 teaspoon salt |
| 1/8 teaspoon cumin |
| 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper |
Add bouillon, potato, and onion to water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Set aside 8–10 pieces of chopped celery for garnish. Add the remaining celery, tomatoes, and crabmeat to water. Stir in salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 10 minutes. Pour into a blender and purée. Ladle the bisque into colorful serving dishes. Mince the reserved celery and garnish each serving.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 105
Fat per serving <1g
“Flexible” and “no fuss” are perfect descriptive words for gumbo. If you are short on time, go ahead and preassemble ingredients in the pan up to twenty-four hours prior to using. Gumbo also freezes well, which makes taking care of leftovers a snap.
| 2 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 1/2 cup chopped onion |
| 1 clove garlic, pressed |
| 2 cups water |
| 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice |
| Dash of black pepper |
| 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper |
| 2 whole bay leaves (do not crumble) |
| 2 cups frozen cooked baby shrimp |
| 2 cups frozen okra pieces |
Add bouillon, onion, and garlic to water in a 3-quart saucepan. Stir in tomatoes with juice, pepper, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp and okra. Continue to cook with lid vented for 25 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir and serve.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 155
Fat per serving 1g
An easy way to work your dumpling batter is with this method: scoop out 1/2 teaspoon dumpling mix with one spoon while using a second spoon to nudge the dumpling into the broth. In this recipe, small pieces of the crab dumpling will break off during cooking and thicken the soup.
| 1/2 cup flour |
| 1 teaspoon baking powder |
| 1/4 teaspoon salt |
| 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram |
| 1 teaspoon vegetable oil |
| 1/4 cup milk |
| 1 (6-ounce) can fancy white crabmeat, drained |
| 4 cups water |
| 4 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 2 cups frozen broccoli florets, lightly thawed |
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and marjoram; mix well. Stir in oil, milk, and crabmeat. If you have “lump” crabmeat, break it down with a fork before adding. Use 2 spoons and shape 32 mini dumplings. Place on a plate until needed. Pour water into a 3-quart saucepan; add bouillon. Bring to a boil. Add dumplings to boiling liquid. Reduce heat to low. Cover tightly with lid and cook over low for 10 minutes. Cut large broccoli florets in half. Drop broccoli into soup without stirring. Don’t disturb the dumplings. Replace lid tightly and continue cooking 5 minutes more. Ladle into serving dishes.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 146
Fat per serving 2g