Seafood & Butternut Squash Chowder
We are baaaaaccckkkkk from vacation - a kind of bittersweet feeling as it always leaves me a bit slow to return to restart the productivity needed for everyday life. Jumping back in to the real world was especially rough this go around as we are back from the oh so beautiful and oh so relaxing Costa Rica. It was a vacation that can summed up by long days at the beach, lots of Pina Coladas (my favorite!), getting lost in a novel with feet in the sand, & pairing my fave straw hat with all my vacation outfits. Our vacation photos prove that Jordan also got lots of use out of his favorite straw hat .
Real talk thought - it was the best was to spend our first international trip together (quite the milestone!). We have had a countdown going for this vacation because it it was our escape from the moving craziness that has somewhat consumed our life this past month, and it really was the perfect escape. We dove head first into vacationmode, and we even have the tans to prove it!
Traveling has always been something I have enjoyed, and my favorite part being the adventure of finding the local spots. If I am being brutally honest, being the ugly American who makes no effort to speak the local language or tries desperately to find the closest thing to a TGIFridays is large pet peeve for me. I pride myself on really trying to immerse myself in the local culture and being fearless when it comes to trying new things. I want to eat where the locals eat & kick it where the locals kick it. It's a "just say yes" attitude that I try to embrace when on vacation that never fails to lead to the best memories. On this trip, saying yes to all the opportunies that came my way lead to catching my first fish ever and eating street food from a guy cooking in the back of his corolla, and let me confirm that it was both sketchy and totally amazing. But I just said yes to going for it, and those 2 experiences are my highlights from this Costa Rican vacation. The best part is that my husband is totally my vacation twin - he says yes to all the fun things too! Probably even more adventurous and fearless than me (show-off). & it is his free spirit that lead to chowing down on homemade empanadas and coconut snacks no the beach, both courtesy of beach peddlers. Not to mention his passion for boogey boarding inspiring to me to join in and ride the waves until my ribs were sore. GAH and ceviche - eating all the ceviche we could get our little hands on. So big picture - I am coming back even more grateful for my husband and his adventurous spirit more than ever.
Though we are back in the PNW with only the best memories and some fresh tans, we are in need of a hardcore detox as we survived on nachos, beers, rice, & beans abroad. I had all sorts of plans to eat as clean as possible, but a few too many drinks lead to some not so great carby decisions. Delish and worth every indulgent calorie, but the belly bloat on the plane ride home was real, and change is coming! So day 1 of returning home I am putting a hard stop on the vacation diet and loading up on veggies and clean eats. But of course making an effort to keep it fun. So round 1 of detox - I going veggie overload & mixing in some light and refreshing seafood. When it's summer & you live near a local fish market where everything is always super fresh (which I do), it makes adding seafood to almost every meal quite tempting. So tonight I'm giving in to my shellfish craving and pairing it with one of favorites - chowdaaaa. But I'm going ham on the shellfish - using shrimp and scallops (& some bacon bits) to make a Seafood & Butternut Squash Chowder. So buttery, creamy, and smooth, and the seafood bit on top adds a salty and briney bit that just makes this chowder extra fun to eat.
I will say that I loooovvveee chowder, and especially homemade chowders. They are typically fatty and cream, and so they feel pretty decadent. But this chowder is sans all cheese and cream so the veggies can really be the shining star. Yes there is butter in the dish, but still the dish is lightened up and truly veggie heavy (which I am all about for my summer diet!). This chowda also brings a spicy surprise by using a generous amount of creole seasoning and red pepper flakes, and it is such a great compliment to the creamy sweetness of the butternut squash. It's a bright and cheerful little dish that brings some exciting elements to a night of clean eating. Even something that would be so fun to make for a big group!
For the Soup
2 lbs cubed butternut squash
1 yellow onion, minced
1 can of yellow corn kernels, drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 c. chicken stock
Salt & pepper
EVOO
1 lb scallops
1 lb shrimp
4 slices thick cut bacon
3 tbsp butter
Creole seasoning
1 tsp red pepper flakes (plus a pinch extra if you like things realll spicy)
Fresh chives, thinly sliced
Preheat your oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix together about 3 Tbsp oil, the squash, and a pinch of both salt a pepper. Toss to coat the squash. Spread onto a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. Remove squash from the over and set aside.
When the squash has finish cooking, reduce the heat in the oven to 325. Place the baking on a foil lined baking sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven once cooked and let cool while sitting on the baking sheet.
While the bacon cooks, melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once melted, add in the onion and cook until translucent. Add in the garlic and corn, and cook over medium heat for an addition 5 minutes. After that time, add in the squash and the broth, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low, and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes. After that time, remove the lid and turn off the stove. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is a smooth and creamy texture and all large chunks of the butternut squash are gone. Stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Turn the stove back on low and cover the soup.
In a separate pan, heat a large skillet skillet over medium heat. Add in 3 tbsp butter plus 1 tbsp EVOO and melt. On a separate plate or cutting board, season the shrimp and scallops (both sides) with your choice of creole season. Use at least 2 tsp (you want it to thoroughly coat the shellfish). Start by adding in just the scallops, one side down, and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat. Flip and place the scallops on one side of the pan, and add in the shrimp on the other half. Let cook for 4 minutes and stir the shrimp every 1 minute. Add in red pepper flakes, stir, and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
All the elements are cooked, so you're ready to assemble. In a large shallow bowl, dish up a healthy serving of soup. Add in about 3 small chunks of bacon (about 1.5 slices broken into pieces), 2 scallops, and 4 shrimps. Scoop a spoon-full of the sauce the fish was cooked inover the top of the fish (optional but so flavorful!). Sprinkle a large pinch of chives right over the top. You're ready to eat!
