Fat Frog Diary

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/egxTwMTKPyvnGjKA/?mibextid=xfxF2i   Special Seafood Chowder is an easy slow cooker meal. Remember! Don't add the half-n-half until you're almost ready to serve or it will "break" and look nasty. 

  Tuna Broccoli Bake This is similar to the famous Impossible Pies, but more like a casserole in some ways. It's a great way to have a quick little lunch or light dinner before going  out. Notes: 1. Definitely use a square pan if you want the even, perfect servings for six.  2. If it's still a bit soggy in the middle after 40 minutes baking, turn off the oven and allow it to coast to its final destination for another 15 minutes.  Source not available.  ************************ Disclaimer: I am not a chef, nor a licensed food service professional of any kind. I'm a grandmother who loves to cook and loves efficient cooking. Anything I post has been checked out by me, but in no way do I guarantee that my suggestions will work for you. YMMV (Your mileage may vary.) Some links may give the original poster a small commission on products sold via the link. I personally am not an affiliate, nor do I earn commissions on products. The links provid...

New England Clam Chowder and Fish Chowder Intro: Everyone knows New England Clam Chowder. But let me introduce you to its lesser-known twin, Fish Chowder. I'm allergic to shellfish <insert mild curses here> and I miss them horribly, but Fish Chowder keeps me from doing something stupid that requires Benadryl at the very least.    RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 lb fresh or frozen fish steaks, cut in 3/4-inch cubes while still partially frozen. 1 cup water 2 slices bacon, halved. (See Notes) 2-1/2 cups finely chopped potatoes (or use frozen cottage-style hashbrowns) 1 cup chopped onion  1/2 cup sliced carrot 1 tsp instant chicken  bouillon 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce 1/4 tsp dried thyme 1/8 tsp black pepper (or white pepper, if you don't want the black grains to show) 2 cups milk 1 cup light cream (or half-n-half) 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour Method:  Mix the water, bacon fat, potatoes, onions, carrots, bouillon, Worcestershire, thyme, and pepper in a larg...

Fish Creole I have a confession to make. As a Floridian and surrounded by the sea, you'd think I'd be able to prepare any sort of seafood known to mankind. Nope! I was intimidated by all the admonitions that it was easy to overcook seafood, and it was difficult to prepare, etc. I was wrong. If anything, fish is easy to prepare if you pay attention to how FAST it cooks. Yes, fast. As in fast food. As in, how easy can you get? And this is much healthier than opening a can.  RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 16 oz frozen cod fillet, cut up into bite-sized morsels (more to taste, if desired) 1 T butter 1-1/2 c chopped onions 1/2 c. chopped green peppers 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 med ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped OR 1 can stewed tomatoes 2 T parsley 2 t. paprika 1/2 t. sugar 1/8 t pepper 1 bay leaf ***** 1 T cornstarch 1 T water ***** hot cooked rice, optional but recommended.   METHOD 1. Cook the rice first. Keep it handy and covered.  2. Throw the first set of ingredie...

 Last one in my current list of marinades for the end of this grilling season, but you don't have to stop using marinades. They are just as fine when used with an oven, air fryer, broiler, slow cooker, and Instant Pot.  Again, this one is from Tupperware. Credit where credit is due. Please note this recipe works equally well with fish. If you struggle like me with what to do with fish, this marinade is a simple solution to the intimidation of cooking fish. No need for a fancy grill basket, either. Just wrap the fish in foil and bake until the flesh flakes. It won't take long! I want to try this in the air fryer. 

 Oriental Marinade What can I say about this one? It's unconventional? Not really. Just not used much. If you happen to have rice wine vinegar, that really ups the ante on authenticity, but it's not a screaming necessity.  This again is from Tupperware to showcase their special marinade container, but it isn't necessary. A Ziploc bag is all you really need, but I would put the bag with the marinade in a container while in the refrigerator, just in case it leaks. 

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/238037/chef-johns-salmon-mango-bango/?clickId=right%20rail1&internalSource=rr_feed_recipe_sb&referringId=82923%20referringContentType%3Drecipe#recipe-toolbar OMG, this is soooo good! I used frozen mango, but it worked just as well. The salsa was out of this world good. I could slather a brick with the stuff and eat it.

I've been playing with this one a little, and I've found that the tuna alternative is just as tasty! How inexpensive can you get? Next, I think I'll try a can of tiny shrimp, or maybe I'll even splurge just a little and get a bag of frozen shrimp. That'll make several pies.

I made a few changes to this recipe, I admit. First off, I used cut up cooked chicken from my stash of leftovers instead of the expensive boneless skinless chicken breasts. I did manage to find andouille sausage, but it wouldn't hurt my feelings if I had to substitute another kind. This is a Cajun recipe, and they're famous for making do with what they have. My chicken broth was homemade, and you don't get much more "reduced sodium" than that. (That's what I do with all those leftover bits like the pointy wing tips, necks no one wants, and the occasional "sale meat" that is a bargain only if you stew it to death. Grin) Also, here's a little trick to gladden the heart of any cook-- You can make your rice in the slow cooker too! Just use the "converted" rice (I use Uncle Ben's) and it cooks up just fine. (This is why I have two crock pots, and I'm thinking about getting another.) I'll make the jambalaya in the big pot, a...

I was surprised to learn there are people in the world who don't know how to make this ubiquitous lunch food, or worse, who stir together canned meat, mayo, maybe a little instant minced onion, and call it good. Then again, I used to be one of them, until I found this recipe and made it, just to be different. I will never go back to plain old chicken salad ever again! I found Nirvana. Then I looked at the variations. YUM-OH!

Don't freak. The soy is soy sauce. It's good!!

What better way to welcome Spring than the ultimate spring vegetable-- Asparagus!