Easy Shrimp Chowder - A Meatless Meal for Lent

Happy Fat Tuesday!  For those of you who are unfamiliar, Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season.  It is often celebrated by consuming large amounts of rich and fattening foods before the start of the season of fasting.  Sign me up! 

The arrival of Fat Tuesday always reminds me that I am going to have to come up with meatless meals for my Catholic family every Friday from now until Easter.  It's really not that difficult - between the pizza, pasta, eggs, tuna salad, and hitting the local fish fry, there are enough meatless options to get us through the six weeks without getting bored.  Occasionally, I like to try something a little different, like this shrimp chowder.  This tasty shrimp chowder isn't your usual Lent dinner, and it's so easy to make.  Don't be put off by the fact that this recipe contains canned soup.  I rarely make recipes with canned soup, and usually don't care for the taste when I do.  This one is different.  It's really tasty.  I think that coking the shrimp in the soup and adding the milk and cheese make it better.  I got the recipe from an old issue of Southern Living, so you can rest assured that it's a good one.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 medium onion, chopped (I use frozen to save time)              
• 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of potato soup, undiluted
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I don't use this because the kids don't like spicy.  I'm sure I would add a nice heat)
• 1 1/2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Garnish: chopped fresh parsley (I use dried, but fresh would be even better)

 

Does anyone else use these onions?  They are one of my favorite time savers.  I almost never chop onions to use in cooked dishes anymore.  I still chop them when the recipe is cold, like chicken salad.

 

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, and sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in cream of potato soup, milk, and pepper; bring to a boil. Add shrimp; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately. Serve with oyster crackers, if desired.

Add some green apples and some crusty French bread, and you've got a hearty yet meatless meal.

Here's the photo that appeared in Southern Living magazine.  I think they may have added some extra shrimp for the sake of the photo.

Southern Living

Does your family have a favorite meatless meal?  I'm looking for some interesting new ideas.  I'd love to hear any suggestions you have.

Linking To:

 

http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/



  





 

New Year, New Projects, New Look – new Blog!

Welcome to Richmond Homes’ new blog.  If you’re interested in luxury homes, conversions, extensions and restorations, then we hope you’ll like our regular blog spot and keep coming back for more.

It’s all happening at Richmond Homes HQ - with the first whiff of Spring in the air (we’re an optimistic bunch), we’ve settled into our new offices at Laich House in Dunfermline; we’re looking forward to a sunny and productive year with a host of exclusive new developments in the pipeline; and we’re ready to launch our new vibrant and contemporary logo and brand.

So why all the big changes?

We’re keen for new customers looking for their dream house and live-in luxury to understand that we can offer a variety of services – new builds, bespoke homes, extensions and conversions. We want our logo to express our continuing commitment to building and design excellence as well as versatility of product and good customer care – a hard nut to crack but with the keen eye of designer Tim Bremner, we’re very happy with our new look.

Fresh green for new beginnings and respect for location, steel grey for architectural and design innovation.

Richmond Homes new contemporary and elegant brand logo was designed to reflect the commitment to the high quality of Richmond Luxury Homes, underpinning a continued focus on ecological solutions to building luxury homes.”

So as the first snow-drops pop through the frost bitten ground, the Richmond Homes team are ready to launch head first into what we hope will be an inspiring and productive year – watch this space.....

The velveteen habit.........

Good late Monday afternoon sweetpeas, and how was your weekend? Ours was unexpectedly relaxing, spent a lot of time at home (always a treat) as we were trying to dig out of the approx. 22 inches that fell around here! It was quite the snowstorm. If you missed my pictures, seeing is believing you must check it out, click here. Now that mother nature has shown us who's in charge...I am totally ready to zoom into spring!

How I love velvet.... I actually always have had a thing for it but in recent years, my love has escalated to an obsession. And there's no cure in sight. Kind of like the blue and white affliction....oh well at least it's all in the name of beauty. I adore velvet, its luscious texture, soft sheen and coziness make it a fabric I could easily have in every room.

It is as beautiful in a living, dining or library as it is a study or bedroom. Add a beautiful trim to a solid color velvet and the result is nothing short of spectacular! As I am decorating my own home, I have more than a handful of ideas of how and where I plan to incorporate velvet. And seriously this is one fabric that looks just amazing in every single color, I have yet to see a color it doesn't rock in!

Stunning! Velvet is so beautiful in a rich hue like this blue, and the tufting is like the icing on the cake! Atticmag

Chad Eisner chose a slate gray velvet trimmed in a contrast piping for this elegant room

Christina Murphy added the wow factor to this room by installing a kelly green velvet sofa with contrasting tape....beautiful!

Sandra Nunnerly created this gorgeous living roolm with warm toned velvet upholstered pieces..love it! 

 A gorgeous chaise in purple velvet in this sitting area is gorgeous, AD

Love a velvet ottoman,especially this beauty in navy with nailheads, stunning!

Thomas Burak designed this magnificent moss green beauty....love the addition of decadent trim

This beautiful dining room gets a periwinkle velvet to grace its chairs, HB

Gorgeous teal antique French bench in this elegant foyer is just stunning! Atlanta Homes

A sleek blue sofa in gorgeous blue velvet, My Chic Nest

Using velvet on a statement piece like on this gorgeous French chair has given me a few good ideas, Mary McDonald

This dark moss green is one of my absolute faves, then add the tufting+ perfection!

You know I love this pictures, velvet dining chairs AND blue and white porcelain ginger jars= perfection! Nantucket showroom

 A velvet headboard....gorgeous! House Beautiful

Creamy velvet......absolutely gorgeous! Bobbi Smith

Gorgeous in gray....love the gray velvet sofas in this beautiful room.

 Purple never looked so good! AD

Gorgeous greens in luscious velvet, Home Decor

Love these softly toned pale blue velvet dining chairs, Thomas Burak

Ashley Stark shows velvet looks picture perfect in any setting,including an eclectic transitional one like this.

 Show me a gorgeous French chair that doesn't look just amazing in any color velvet! Paris Hotel Boutique

Handsome green velvet sofa, trimmed in a contrasting grosgrain tape...another favorite look.

Love this tufted velvet bed! Sandra Nunnerly

Beautiful velvet chairs look smashing in this transitional living room, love the cool color palette

Sarah Richardson chose to make this pair of chairs the statement pieces in a cut striped vibrant velvet

 

Adore this banquette with large wide tape trim...stunning! Bayon Contessa

Curtains in a rich velvet are definitely a true luxury....love the soft gray here, Houzz

 Mary McDonald is a huge fan and in this vibrant room, the result is dazzling!


So..what do you think? Does this want to make you run out and cover something in velvet? Or maybe you already are a fan? Do you love it as much as I do? What is your favorite way to see velvet? Color? You know I love to know your thoughts.  Have a fabulous Monday evening and start to your week!