Pacific Northwest Salmon Chowder and Gluten-free Muffins

I think one of the highest compliments you can give someone about their cooking is asking for their recipe. We had some friends to dinner the other night and they raved about this chowder. In this case, as with most of my cooking, I'm simply the lucky one who found this recipe. The muffins are reminiscent of cornbread and really, cornbread would be excellent with the chowder. We enjoyed the simplicity of the muffins with apricot jam. Following, by request, are recipes for both. The salmon chowder is another delicious find in The Joy of Cooking.

Pacific Northwest Salmon Chowder

1 cup heavy cream

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium leeks (white part only), cleaned thoroughly and chopped
1/4 cup dry vermouth (I used more vegetable broth; a little lemon juice or some kind of fruit juice would be a recommended substitution as well)
1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups fish stock, fish fumet, or fish broth (I used vegetable broth and added a few dashes of fish sauce)
2 red or white potatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 salmon fillet (about 12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon ground black or white pepper

small dill sprigs (optional for serving)

In a small saucepan, simmer the cream over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally, until reduced to 2/3 cup.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks, dry vermouth or stock, and garlic and cook until leeks are tender but not browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in fish stock, diced potatoes, and salt.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the reduced cream along with the salmon and pepper.
Simmer just until the salmon is cooked, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Gently break apart the fillet with a wooden spoon. Serve immediately, garnished with dill sprigs.
Serves four.
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These muffins are really easy to throw together, and can be used as a base for many kinds of muffins. We owe this one to Betty Hagman, the gluten-free gourmet herself (The Gluten-free Gourmet Revised edition)

Quick and Easy Muffins

¼ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
2 eggs

1 cup rice flour, or 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup sorghum flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup milk or nondairy liquid (juice is good)

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Grease 8 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin cups.
In a mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter.
Beat in the eggs.
Sift together the flour, salt, xanthan gum, and baking powder and add to the egg mixture alternately with the milk. Don’t overbeat. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour into muffin cups. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes.

Variations
Blueberry Muffins: add 1 to 1½ Tablespoons fresh or frozen blueberries
Cranberry Muffins: add 1 to 1½ Tablespoons fresh or frozen cranberries
Raspberry Muffins: add 1 to 1½ Tablespoons fresh or frozen raspberries
Lemon Poppy seed Muffins: 1 Tablespoon lemon zest and 1½ Tablespoons poppy seeds
Coconut: add 1 to 1 1/2 Tablespoons coconut

Butternut Squash Soup

Image from flickr.com

Here is a classic recipe for squash soup where the vegetable is the main event. The Joy says you can make this soup with any winter squash, but of course, butternut is the classic.
Also, a word about leeks. Leeks look like giant green onions (scallions), and are "an ancient member of the onion family," but they are milder and sweeter than any of their relatives. They are in season from fall to spring, the soup season, really, and they are so lovely in soups. Look for bunches with leeks the same size, preferably small, with bright crisp leaves.
And a word about ginger. If you don't have fresh ginger, you can use powdered, but know that it is much hotter and should be added slowly. Preparing fresh ginger is a refreshing experience and I think everyone should try it at least once.

There are so many butternut squash soup--anyone else have a favorite to share?

Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium to large butternut squash (about 3-1/2 pounds), halved and seeded

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
2 large leeks (white part only), cleaned thoroughly and chopped
4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups more chicken or vegetable stock
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
croutons
toasted squash seeds (optional)*

Preheat oven to 400.
Place cut squash cut side down on an oiled baking sheet and bake until squash can be easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Let cool, then scoop the pulp from the squash skin and discard the skin.
Melt or heat butter or oil in a soup pot, over medium-low heat. Add leeks and ginger and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned.
Stir in the squash along with the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and breaking up the squash with a spoon, 20 minutes.
Puree in a blender or using a stick blender (be careful, it's hot!) Return to the pot and stir in 2 additional cups stock and salt.
Heat through and serve immediately, garnishing with fresh herbs and croutons and seeds, as desired.
To toast squash seeds: rinse and dry the seeds, toss them in 1-1/2 teaspoons oil to lightly coat, and bake them along with the squash, until browned, reserve to serve with soup.

Three Tempting Tomato Soups

Summer favorite: fresh tomatoes.

This first soup is from Whitney. It's warm and delicious and great with crackers or bread.

Tomato Basil Soup

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2 c. sliced leeks
4 oz. butter
3 qt. beef broth
2 cans whole tomatoes, diced
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. white wine
0.25 c. cornstarch
1 c. firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1 star anise
0 Cooked rice (optional)
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Drain tomatoes and set aside juice for later. Saute together the
leeks and the butter until soft. Add the broth, diced tomatoes,
vinegar, sugar and wine. Cover partially and simmer for 25 minutes.

Optional: Add cooked rice in whatever amount suits your fancy. I like
adding cooked, rather than uncooked rice, because I always end up
adding too much uncooked rice and it turns into more of a casserole
than a soup. You may not need cornstarch, or at least not the full
amount if you add rice.

Mix together the cornstarch and the juice from the tomatoes and add
to the soup mixture. Bring back to a simmer and add the basil and
star anise. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: This is the closest recipe I've come to the tomato rice soup at
Pyrenees. I've substituted onions for leeks and it tastes good as
well. I've never used the star anise, because I always forget to buy it.

Joy of Cooking, from which this recipe comes, describes the Fresh Tomato Soup as "A simple, clean-tasting soup." For a zestier soup, make Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup. This soup reminds me of the Tomato Basil soup at Zupa's in Utah.

Fresh Tomato Soup/Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup
Joy of Cooking
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2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
3 pounds ripe tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped, with juices
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream (for Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup)
1 Tablespoon pesto sauce (for Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup)
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1. Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices.
4. Simmer until the tomatoes are covered in their own liquid, about 25 minutes.
5. Puree until smooth, either in a blender or using a hand blender (be careful either way--the soup is hot).
6. Return to the pot and stir in the salt and pepper.
Serve hot or cold.
For Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup:
7. Stir in the heavy cream and pesto sauce. Gently heat through and serve immediately.

Creamy Zucchini Soup

This light vegetable soup becomes creamy when you blend it.
serves 4-6
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2 onions, chopped
3 gloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons butter

8 medium zucchini, sliced
1 to 2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
3 cups chicken stock

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
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1. Saute onions and garlic in butter until onions are golden.
2. Add remaining ingredients, except lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Cool slightly. Puree in a blender (or using a hand blender).
4. Add lemon juice & serve.
If necessary, thin with additional chicken stock or white wine.

from Millie Deeton, found in 30 Minutes or Less: For People Who Don't Have Time To Cook, 1999.