Salmon Chowder and Happiness

I really love soup. I could eat soup everyday and never get sick of it. I could have an entire blog just about soup (which might happen if I keep this up). And what soup is better than creamy chowder? (crickets, crickets.)

It's officially May. The beginning of a new month is always a good reminder for me to evaluate my life, to cultivate the areas that I love and want to keep growing, and to weed out the areas that I don't love. I've made it a point to choose happiness over any other emotion. This is my life, and I intend to live it exactly how I want to. I can't think of anything else I'd rather be than happy.  As you may have read, it didn't always used to be this way. I didn't wake up one day and have abundant happiness, or even realize that I had the power to create it. To be honest, I still don't. But I do realize that my emotions are my own responsibility. As much as I'd like to, I can not blame my husband for the fact that my dog has eaten more than 5 pairs of shoes and countless other items (all of mine, none of his) in the past month. And I can barely blame my dog because.... well, he's a dog. Nope, I alone am in charge of my crazy, exciting, unpredictable life. And I love it. Chewed up shoes and all. (If you could see the love-bug that is my fur-child, you'd get over all the chewed up footwear too.... eventually)

I have decided to be happy because it is good for my health. ~ Voltaire

source

I like to think of thoughts as seeds. There they are, planted in the ground, but I get to decide which ones get sunlight, water, and nutrients. I get to decide which ones get to live and which ones must die (evil laugh). The ones that make me happy will be bestowed the privilege of life. The rest? They gotta go. Eventually, the weeds get pulled. Basically, the thoughts that we give energy to are the ones that get more power. So focus on the things that make you happy, and don't focus on the things that don't make you happy. Easier said than done? Yes. But the more I practice this, the easier it becomes. The less amount of time I spend flailed on my bed before I pull myself back together and get on with my happy life. When I'm happy, I cook. And happy cooking results in delicious chowder. 

This past weekend was my sister-in-law's graduation from nursing school (go you!). We went out to dinner to celebrate. My husband had a bowl of creamy whitefish chowder with his meal. This is the U.P. We are the whitefish mecca of the great lakes. Whitefish is what we DO. I had a bite, and it was g-o-o-d. Now, I wasn't about to eat a whole bowl of cream (dairy, wheat, and an assortment of other food that is generally not intended for consumption {sugar} result in major skin issues for me... more on that in a later post), but it left me feening for fish chowder. So I made up my own (thank you very much). The fact that I had salmon in my kitchen and wasn't up for a trip back to the Co-op resulted in salmon chowder. Feel free to substitute whitefish (especially if its fresh caught from Lake Superior). 

Creamy Salmon Chowder 

1 can wild salmon

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

3-4 small red potatoes, chopped 

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced 

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 1/2 teaspoon dried dill 

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/3 teaspoon arrowroot

4 cups broth

salt and pepper

In large pot, saute shallots and garlic. Add potatoes, carrots, celery and saute for about 5 more minutes. Add 3 cups of the broth, salmon, dill, and salt/pepper. In your blender, combine arrowroot, 1 cup of broth, and cashews. Blend until smooth. Add to pot and stir to combine. Add the peas and continue cooking until veggies are soft. Eat!

**A word on salmon**

I really can't urge you enough to only eat wild salmon. Wild salmon is food. Farm raised salmon is not food. Farm raised salmon is toxic to both your body and the environment. I was about to go into a tirade about farmed versus wild until I found this article. Its basically everything that I think is important on this issue, so please take a look. 

What makes you happy? 

This recipe is included in Seasonal Sunday and Real Food Weekly

  

 

Quinoa Corn Chowder

 

If you tried my salsa verde, then you probably have some cilantro left over. Fret not. Cilantro lovers, you are in the right place. Soup, quinoa, corn, and chowder lovers, you're going to want to stick around too. 

Its April. In the U.P. This means that both cross-country skiing and stand up paddle boarding are realistic possibilities on any given day... sometimes on the same day. Today, its snowing.... and snow means soup in my world. A big ole pot of it that will make my whole house smell warm and cozy, like a blend of love and wood fire (snow also means firing up the wood stove in my world too). I'm making quinoa corn chowder.

I hope by now you have caught the quinoa (pronounced keen-wha) craze. Its been around long enough (5,000 years to be exact) to have made its debut in most mainstream grocery stores. If you haven't had it yet, today is the day. Quinoa is not a grain (on a side note, corn IS a grain). Technically, its a seed from a plant related to the spinach family. Technically, its a superfood. Quinoa is full of phytonutrients and anti-oxidants. My favorite quinoa fact is that its a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids required by the body to build muscle. Um, awesome.

 I love you, quinoa! 

 Quinoa Corn Chowder 

1/2 cup quinoa (soaked and rinsed)

1/2 teas cumin seeds

1/2 teas mustard seeds

Toast quinoa, cumin seed, and mustard seed in a dry pot over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes. You'll know its done when the seeds start to 'pop' and the quinoa starts to turn gold. Plus, its going to smell wonderfully fragrant. Remove from the pan, and hang on to them until later.

Heat coconut oil in the pot, and add:
2 cups frozen corn
1 large leek, chopped
3 medium red potatoes with skins, chopped
Saute for about 5 minutes


Add:
4 cups broth
2 cups non-dairy milk (I used cashew. For the love of yourself, please DO NOT USE SOY MILK. Thank you)
Bring to a boil. Add toasted quinoa/seed mixture. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. 

Add:
1 chopped bell pepper

Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until both the quinoa and potatoes are done. 

Add:
3-4 Tbsp chopped cilantro. 
(ahhhhhhh, best food scent ever. Toasted cumin seeds AND cilantro in the same bite. Yes please!) 

We put a little sriracha on ours.

What's your go-to comfort food on a wet, snowy Spring day? Oh, is the UP the only place that has snowy Spring days? C'moooooon Mother Nature, we're waiting for you!

This recipe is featured in Seasonal Sundays at Real Sustenance.