Broccoli Corn Chowder

Spring weather in Southeast Alaska ranges from warm and beautiful (rare) to cold and rainy (not rare). On cold and rainy days, soup is always on the menu. Today, it’s a chowder using my two favorite vegetables: broccoli and corn. This chowder is packed with veggies and just a little heat.

Ingredients

4 slices uncured bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion (if using frozen, be sure it is thawed and patted dry to prevent splattering when added to the pot)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
32 oz reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
1 bag frozen broccoli, corn, and red pepper mix
8 oz frozen broccoli florets
1  1/2 cup 2% milk
1/2 tbs crushed red pepper

How I Made It

In a large non-stick dutch oven or soup pot, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate.

Increase the heat to medium and cook the onion until it begins to soften, stirring frequently. Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Add the chicken broth and potato and bring the pot to a boil. Then reduce it to a simmer and cook until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the broccoli, corn, and peppers, and the milk. Cook until the broccoli is crisp yet tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with 1/2 tbs crushed red pepper. Serve topped with bacon (and a little cheese if you’ve been extra good), and a crusty roll. Makes 4-6 servings, depending on the portion.

How It Turned Out

 

This is not a thick chowder (but it’s not too watery, either). I like my vegetables crisp, so I took my supper bowl as soon as the vegetables were done. Left to simmer for another 30 minutes, it’s much thicker (but the veggies are soft). Either way, this is warm and comforting on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

 

Easy Crab and Tomato Bisque

Special thanks to the best friends, one who gave me the immersion blender used in this recipe and the other who was willing to be the guinea pig for this easy bisque.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
16 ounces fresh wild crab (claw meat, not imitation)
1 box Pomi chopped tomatoes
1 box Pomi strained tomatoes
3 tbs basil (dried)
1 tbs minced garlic
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cup low-sodium V8 juice
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Gourmet Garden chili blend (in the tube in the produce section)

How I made it:

Melt the butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the crabmeat, the chopped tomato, and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the strained tomatoes and stir until thoroughly blended.  Stir in the flour, then the tomato juice.  Add the cream, ketchup, Old Bay and chili blend.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened.  Stir in the basil. 

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it’s smooth. Be careful — if you splatter it will be hot (I speak from experience).

Turn the heat down to low until you are ready to serve.  Makes 8 servings.

How it turned out:

Perfect!  Everyone at dinner tonight had seconds.  With a big salad and fresh whole wheat bread, it was a lovely winter Sunday supper.  A dollop of sour cream or a splash of hot sauce can add a bit more pizzazz, but it’s perfect as is. 

 

Spicy Tomato Bean Soup

Without meaning to, I made a completely vegan — and yet still delicious — soup for cold autumn days.  This version makes 8 servings, so you’ll have plenty of leftovers.

Ingredients:

1  32 oz box “no chicken” broth (or vegetable broth)
2  16 oz cans organic cannellini beans
1   medium poblano chili, halved, seeded, and finely chopped
1   sack frozen chopped onion
2   28 oz cans of organic diced tomatoes
4  tsp chili powder
2  tsp ground cumin

How I made it:

Combine all the ingredients in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

How it turned out:

An easy, yummy soup with just the right amount of heat.

 

Sweet and Spicy Summer Dishes

Inspired by the July edition of Bon Appetit, I decided to adapt a couple of recipes for our Independence Day celebration.  Both turned out so yummy that they disappeared before I got pictures.

Grilled White Salmon with Thai Sauce

This is a spicy coconut sauce that was great with fresh Alaska salmon.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (regular, not lite)
the juice of one lime
5 tsp ginger paste (in the chilled section of the produce aisle)
3 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp diced serrano chili (no seeds or pith)
1 lb salmon fillet

How I made it:

Heat the coconut over medium-high heat.  Add each of the other ingredients one at a time, gently whisking to combine them all.  Let cook 3-4 minutes, until it becomes a little thicker.  Remove from heat.

Spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce over the fillet and let sit for an hour (in a glass dish, preferably) before putting on the grill.  Reserve the remaining sauce in the refrigerator for later. 

Grill on a medium-hot grill until cooked through, flaking easily and no longer translucent in the center.  Reheat the remaining sauce in a glass bowl in the microwave.

Serve the fish with 2-3 tbs of sauce spooned over the top.

How it turned out:

Given how little was left over, I think it was a hit.  Very moist, with just the right amount of spice.

Soda Jerk Beans

These are a lighter version of the traditional baked beans.

Ingredients:

1 vidalia onion, coarsely chopped
2 tbs olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
4 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups root beer (use a rich artisanal one, not A & W)
3 tbs apple cider vinegar
3 tbs light or mild molasses
2 tbs tomato paste
2 tbs dijon mustard
2 tsp chili spice blend (available in the chilled section of the produce aisle)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

How I made it:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In an ovenproof pot or skillet, saute the chopped onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat, until the onion just begin to turn brown.  Add the ingredients one at a time, saving the beans for last.  Stir until well combined.  Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

How they turned out:

A light and tasty version of baked beans.  They won’t be the thick or sticky kind associated with traditional baked beans, but they are full of flavor and a great side dish for food off the grill.

 

Tomato and Bean Curry

This is a yummy, low fat high fiber dish (.7 grams saturated fat, 7.7 grams total fat, 8.2 grams fiber).

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion

1 tbs minced garlic

1 tbs fresh ginger

1 tbs vegetable oil (I used the Omega-3 enriched variety)

1 tbs curry powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 can organic diced tomatoes

greek yogurt, plain

How I made it:

Cook onion, ginger and garlic in the olive oil, just until the onion begins to brown.  Add the curry, cumin, cayenne, and mustard seeds (I mixed these together prior to adding them to the pan, to ensure uniform flavoring).  Stir until fragrant.

Add beans and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve over hot cooked rice, with a dollop of plain greek yogurt.

How it turned out:

Perfect — not too spicy, not too bland.  This was my first successful curry, so I’ll be making it again.

 

Maybe It Should Be “One New Recipe a Month”

The resolution to try a new recipe every day is harder to keep than the resolution to go to the gym every day.  The resolution to eat out lots and watch more television is going much better. . .

That’s not to say I haven’t been spending time in the kitchen.  It just hasn’t been too successful.  I did invent the yummiest — but ugliest — way to use leftovers.  I baked refrigerated hash browns with left over chili and Pace Four Cheese dip.  The secret is the cheese dip.  If you haven’t discovered this, head straight to the salsa aisle.  It’s spicy and cheesy and makes everything better.  So I layered the ingredients in a baking dish, baked at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, and had a wonderful (yet somehow tacky) casserole.

My attempt to make masaman curry was nowhere near as successful.  I mixed a can of light coconut milk, 1 cup chicken broth, and 2 tbs curry powder.  I poured that over chicken thighs, potatoes (the canned whole kind) and onions in a baking dish.  I put it in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour.  It was a complete bust.  Edible, but definitely NOT masaman curry.  And now I have such a craving for good thai food . . .

 

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

As you would expect, Alaska is cold and snowy in the winter.  This winter has been exceptionally cold and snowy — over fifty inches this month and it’s not even the 15th! 

This kind of weather begs for comfort food.  My first choice is mac and cheese, but it isn’t the healthiest option. Luckily chili is nearly as good (especially when you add a grilled cheese sandwich on the side).

 

This is a spicy vegetarian version that earns high marks from vegetarians and tobasco-lovers alike.

 

Ingredients:

1 big can of dark red kidney beans (organic)

1 regular sized can of red kidney beans (organic)

1 regular sized can of chili beans (organic)

1 large can of Muir Glen diced tomatoes

1 regular can of Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes

1 regular can of Muir Glen no salt added diced tomatoes

1 small can of chopped jalapenos

1/2 large white onion, chopped (not too fine) (organic)

1 green bell pepper (organic)

2 hands full frozen corn (organic)

2 tbs chipotle tobasco sauce

2 tbs olive oil

How I made it:

In a big soup pot, pour olive oil and bring to medium-high heat.  Add onion, cook until golden brown.  Add bell pepper and cook 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes and stir together.  Drain, rinse, and drain the beans before adding to the pot.  Stir together.  Add at least 1/2 the can of the jalapenos, more if you can handle it.  Stir some more.  Put the lid on the pot and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat (stir occasionally).  Add frozen corn, stir together, and cook for 10 more minutes.  Add chipotle sauce to taste, stir some more.  Cook covered for another 5 minutes (or however long it takes to make a grilled cheese).

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a big glass of milk (milk cuts the heat!).

The results:

YUMMY!!  I made a huge pot thinking I’d freeze a bunch for later, but folks went back for seconds and more seconds so there was barely enough for lunch today.

For next time:

Unfortunately, my chili is never the same twice.  Even if I followed these instructions to the letter, it would somehow be different.  That’s okay though — it’s still good.