Salmon Chowder and Garlic Cheddar Biscuits (+ 2 salad ideas)

 It has been in the 70's and 80's for the past two weeks and that is not normal March weather for Michigan. So today, when it did go back to normal (60's and rainy) it felt like a violent cold snap.  I was cold all day and wanted to immediately put on socks and sweaters.  My parents came for dinner and brought my grandma who recently moved to town. I decided it was soup weather. Ironically, just two days ago it was salad weather!  So I made smoked salmon chowder, cheddar biscuits, and a mixed greens salad.  

A couple weeks ago the Meijer store near me (who recently put in a fish counter) had (among other things) large smoked salmon fillets for $2.99! Not $2.99/lb, but $2.99 per pound!  I bought two fillets as well as two tortilla crusted tilapia fillets.  My husband will eat fish, but doesn't love it.  He prefers his fish fried and basically just tolerates it when we have it for dinner. So after the tilapia, I knew he wouldn't be thrilled to eat salmon again within the same week. (I, however, could eat seafood nearly everyday and be perfectly content).  Well hubby would not be joining us for dinner because he had band practice so I was thrilled when I stumbled upon salmon chowder at the blog Eating Well...Living Thin.  The recipe and nutritional info follow:


Smoked Salmon Chowder


4 slices bacon, diced (turkey bacon if you prefer)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda - *I completely omitted this
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 teaspoons Spice Blend (see below)
Dash nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
One 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 cup fat free Half & Half  
1 cup 2% milk
1 1/2 pounds fresh salmon, cooked. - *I used smoked salmon and the two fillets were only 2/3 of a pound and it was plenty of fish.

.

Bake or grill salmon. Flake or tear into one-inch chunks and set aside.

In stockpot over low heat, add olive oil and diced bacon. Cook until bacon is crispy. 

Add onion, and garlic. Cook until onion is soft, 8 to 10 minutes. 

Add flour and seasoning and stir for 1 minute.

Increase heat to medium and add broth, cream, and milk.  Simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.

 Reduce heat to low and add salmon. Heat through.  

Spice Blend

2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon marjoram - *omitted
1 teaspoon dill - *omitted
2 teaspoons thyme
1/2 teaspoon sage
2 teaspoons rosemary
1 teaspoon tarragon - *omitted

Mix well and store in a glass jar or Ziploc bag.

Makes 8 servings approx 3/4 cup each.  Calories: 270; Total Fat: 11 g; ;  Sodium: 317 mg;  Carbohydrates: 12 g;  Fiber: 1 g;  Sugar: 5 g;  Protein: 23 g

The review?
This soup was absolutely delicious. As you see, I didn't have all of the spices so I used what I had and even still the broth was SO, SO rich in flavor.  It didn't need additional salt or anything.  My folks and grandma agreed! Everyone licked the last drop out of their bowls. I would definitely keep this recipe around.  It makes for a very fancy meal, but was easy to prepare.


I also made Garlic Cheddar Biscuits from Skinnytaste.com.  I made quite a few substitutions.  You can find the original recipe here, my version is below:

 

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
 

• 2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 3.5 oz shredded reduced fat sharp Cheddar cheese *I didn't weigh the cheese, just threw in a handful.
• 2/3 cup fat free milk
• 2 tbsp butter, melted 
• salt

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine biscuit mix, cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, parsley and garlic powder. Stir in milk and mix (do not over mix). Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. I made 12 biscuits.

Bake for 10 minutes. Brush biscuits with melted butter then sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. 


The review?
These were absolutely amazing! They tasted very similar to Red Lobster's version! These were also a HUGE hit!  I'm not sure that my changes would alter the calories too dramatically.  The original recipe made 14 biscuits so if you are counting calories, either follow the original or make smaller biscuits to yield 14.  I will absolutely be making these again and again!


Mixed Greens Salad
Earlier this week (when we were experiencing salad weather) I made the following salad. It was so good I had to make it again for the familia just to show off.  It contained:


- A 50/50 mix of mixed greens and chopped romaine
- chopped strawberries
- pecan halves
- chopped red onion
- feta cheese


I like it with a Traverse City Cherry vinaigrette, but I've enjoyed this salad with ranch, honey mustard, and balsamic vinaigrettes.  This is my second favorite salad.  My first favorite is below:


- A 50/50 mix of mixed greens and chopped romaine 
- caramelized onions
- thinly sliced green apple
- goat cheese
- pine nuts
- dried cherries or cranberries


Happy eating everyone!!  Feel free to leave links or recipes in the comments section of anything you've tried and love!