Quick Lunch - Cheater's Salmon Chowder

Bean and I wanted a quick hot lunch, and after eating some pretty fake food at the Aquarium yesterday, I wanted it to be homemade. I adapted an already quick chowder recipe to be even faster. This whips up in 15 minutes - great for sneaking in pre-naptime!

Is it scary that I went to the Aquarium yesterday and today am cooking fish? :)

Salmon Chowder (adapted from a Robin Miller Quick Fix Meals recipe)
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1/2 tbsp butter
-1/2 onion, finely shopped
-Tarragon
-1 container (4 cups) fish stock (this was a little more liquid than my preference - I would probably use half the stock next time)
-1 can diced potatoes
-1 can crisp sweet corn kernels
-1 can pink salmon
-1 can low fat evaporated milk

-In a medium soup pot, saute onion in olive oil and butter until softened and lightly browned
-Stir in tarragon and saute an additional minute
-Add drained and rinse cans of potatoes and corn and saute 30 seconds
-Add fish stock, bring to a boil, and simmer five minutes
-Lower heat to medium-low
-Add drained salmon and evaporated milk and cook an additional 2-5 minutes

Recipe Save: Penne a la Betsey

This recipe is famous around the cooking blogs. It's from the Pioneer Woman, who is very funny, and takes great photos, and now has a cookbook.

The recipe is delicious. Unfortunately, my usual "oops, forgot an ingredient here and there" nearly killed it.

Turned out I didn't have a can of tomato sauce so I subsituted well-drained diced tomatoes. At least, I thought they were well drained, until the sauce turned into pink liquid. I thought it was ruined until Mishke suggested using half a can of tomato paste. It thickened it up and made the sauce the perfect velvety texture I was hoping for.

Between this dish and shrimp cocktail the next day, the giant sack of shrimp is no more!

Penne a la Betsey (Source: The Pioneer Woman, the below reflects a couple changes from the additional recipe based on what we had/like, but sticks with the original tomato sauce plan, because it works way better than our method did!)
-3/4 lb penne pasta
-1 lb shrimp
--3 tbsp butter
-3 tbsp olive oil
-2 cloves minced garlic
-1/2 cup white wine (used Martini Bianco)
-1 can tomato sauce
-1 cup heavy cream
-Chopped fresh herbs - PW recommends parsley and basil, we had cilantro on hand
-Salt and pepper to taste

-Put water on to boil and cook pasta until al dente
-Meanwhile, cook the peeled shrimp in a 1 tbsp each butter and olive oil until opaque and pink.
-Remove from heat, and finely chop
-Heat the remaining oil and butter in the skillet, add garlic and saute
-Add white wine and allow to reduce
-Stir in tomato sauce and cream to warm through, then reduce the heat
-Add the herbs and return the chopped shrimp to the pan
-Drain the pasta and toss together with the sauce