She's Cookin' | from the heart » easy

Salmon with Bow Tie Pasta and a Recap

Priscilla — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:26:55 +0000

Two matters of business today! First, a recipe that I posted about a year ago, but seeing a similar one featured in my Martha Stewart email blast, confirmed that it’s definitely a winner in the Everyday Dinner category and deserves another mention This deliciously colorful main dish is packed full of the nutritional benefits of salmon and multi-grain pasta, and, if you keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer, you probably have all the ingredients, except the salmon, on-hand. Speaking of well-stocked pantries, brings me to the second order of business: a little recap of the virtual cooking class that I participated in last week.

Last Wednesday, I joined several other amazing food bloggers as a cohost on the fourth virtual Cooking Connections class sponsored by The Motherhood, in partnership with ConAgra Foods. The class focused on Creating an Efficient Kitchen and the main talking points were:

Setting up your kitchen for success
Meal planning and grocery shopping
Organizing your recipes
Money-saving tips
Freezing and food storage
Getting creative with leftovers
Efficient clean-up

The tips and suggestions flew fast and furious for the entire hour-long session, kudos to the three amazing hosts who managed the flow: Tricia Callahan (Once A Month Mom), Sommer Collier (A Spicy Perspective) and Jodi Grundig (Mom’s Favorite Stuff).

If you feel like you could use a little help in any of these areas,the summary of the class, along with helpful videos on these topics, are available for you to check out at your convenience. I think you’ll find some great suggestions. I learned so much myself and thought the freezing and food storage tips were especially useful to busy moms or folks who like to enjoy a home cooked meal but don’t always want to cook every night. I’ve included the video, but use the link above for more great tips.

Salmon with Bow Tie Pasta and Peas

1 lb. wild salmon fillet

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon dill

1 tablespoon sweet onion, finely chopped

8 oz. Barilla multi-grain bow tie pasta

8 oz. frozen young peas

½ c. prepared pesto sauce

⅔ c. lowfat milk

2 ounces cream cheese, or Neufchatel*

*Neufchatel is slightly lower calorie than cream cheese and is sold in the same section of the market.

Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. You can use the pasta pot that has been lightly sprayed with oil to keep the pasta warm.

Preheat broiler on high. Rinse the salmon fillet and pat dry with a paper towel. Dot with butter, sprinkle with dill and chopped onion. Place on baking pan lined with aluminum foil and lightly sprayed with oil. Broil for 5-7 minutes, depending on thickness, until salmon is lightly browned and crisped on top and flakes with a fork. Do not overcook – it’s better to be underdone – the fish continues to cook after its removed from the oven, plus it will be cooked again when mixed with the pasta. Allow the fish to cool and use a fork to flake off bite size pieces.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over med-high heat, mix the pesto and milk, bring to a gentle boil, whisk in the cream cheese or neufchatel to thicken. Feel free to increase these quantities if you prefer lots of sauce. Microwave the frozen peas for 2½ minutes, drain. Combine all the ingredients with the pasta in the large pot. Mix well to coat with sauce. I topped with carmelized onions (half an onion, sliced onions and sautéed in a little butter until browned) but this is optional.

Enjoy

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Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Curry

Priscilla — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:09:24 +0000

You live with someone for half your life and just when you think you know everything about them: you can complete their sentences and predict their response to nearly any situation – they surprise you. And that’s somewhat refreshing when you get to this stage of the game For some reason I thought The Don abhorred cauliflower, in fact, in my mind I vaguely remember him telling me this one evening after dinner; vague being the key word I guess. But I was wrong! He raved about this colorful curry, exclaiming how he loved sweet potatoes (which I knew) AND cauliflower, and how I should make it more often! Who knew? Certainly not me.

So, thanks to my friend, Faith at Edible Mosaic, not only was this fragrant and savory vegan meal a home run with the huz, but it satisfied my sudden craving for Indian curry. The Indian name for this dish is Aloo Gobi Masala, and the minute I saw it, I made a mental note to buy cauliflower on my next grocery run. Because we love the orange tuber, and for more color and nutritional value, I substituted sweet potatoes for the white potatoes in the original recipe. I also had a fantastic Madras Curry from Williams Sonoma and substituted that for garam masala and added more peas, because you can never have enough sweet peas in my book. Edible Mosaic holds a place in my Blogroll because Faith always inspires and amazes me with her creative, unpretentious recipes - please take a moment to check out her site, I think you’ll love it too

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Curry

Inspired by Edible Mosaic | Serves 4

3 Tablespoons canola oil

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 large onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, grated

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon curry powder or garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

1 large or long sweet potato, cut into bite size pieces

1 teaspoon sugar

½-1 cup water*

1 cup frozen peas

Salt and pepper

Garnish: Fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)

Heat oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium-high heat; when oil is hot, sprinkle in red pepper flakes, add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and ginger and sauté another 30 seconds. Add bay leaf, curry or garam masala, cumin seeds, coriander, and tumeric and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add cauliflower, sweet potato, sugar, ½ teaspoon or so of salt, a few grinds of fresh pepper, and ½ cup of water (*I used ½ cup of dry white wine and ½ cup of water). Stir to combine. Cover the skillet and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender.

Stir in thawed peas, cover skillet and cook for another minute to warm peas. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper (and red pepper flakes if you like more heat). Serve garnished with fresh cilantro or parsley if desired.

Enjoy

Shown served with hummus and whole wheat pita.

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Chickpea Curry with Bolani

Priscilla — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 23:20:02 +0000

We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat” and yesterday my post focused on a recent article about how, more than ever, food defines social class in America more than the clothes you wear or the car you drive. Basically, the food that is available and affordable to the vast majority of Americans is processed foods and not organic, sustainable, fresh fruits and vegetables. We hope to change that, but it’s going to take time and a change in the mindset of many.

Meanwhile, it is possible to eat healthy on a limited budget without spending hours in the kitchen. One of the most nutritious foods that even finicky eaters like in one form or another is tomatoes AND it’s on the shelves of every store from big box retailers to small neighborhood markets and quick stops. When I was growing up, I really didn’t like tomatoes - even though they were homegrown and organic from our own garden. But I did love a bowl of chunky chili or my mom’s comforting beef stew on a frigid winter’s eve. It wasn’t until much later in life that I realized how utterly sweet and luscious those tomatoes were and started planting a garden just so I could eat a juicy, red (or yellow) meaty tomato!

Whether you eat them raw or canned*, tomatoes are a significant source of fiber, Vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene. Research results were presented at the American Dietetic Assocation’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in November, suggesting that the nutrients in tomatoes may have a measurable impact on heart disease prevention. Since cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the U.S., this is a VERY important finding in helping us pave the way toward heart disease prevention! Heart disease has directly affected our family, and more than likely, many of you reading this.

My husband was relatively young when he had bypass surgery, he ate healthy home-cooked meals and exercised regularly. In fact, his first heart attack struck him while he was on his regular 26 mile bike ride. In the words of his cardiologist, he had three strikes against him: he was male, over 40 and had heart disease in his family. So start eating some tomatoes – in soup, salsa, chili, stew, pasta, pizza, or hey, even ketchup (minus the sugar and corn syrup please).

So let’s get to the recipe! I created this curry using Hunt’s diced tomatoes because it’s a brand that all stores carry. Not only did this take less than 15 minutes to prepare, but it filled the house with an exotic aroma, and has the added benefit of 6 grams of fiber from garbanzo beans I served it with spinach Bolani but its also great with pita bread or naan (which you can buy at Trader Joe’s for $2.99).

Chickpea Curry

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Madras Curry*

1- 14 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 14 oz. can of Hunts diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout or garam masala

1. Cut onion in half and thinly slice crosswise. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat (I sprinkle with some red pepper flakes). Cook onions for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic. Continue cooking until onions are soft.

2. Add the curry powder. Stir to coat onions and cook for another minute.

3. Add chickpeas and undrained tomatoes. stir until combined. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Stir in Ras el Hanout or garam masala. Simmer another 10 minutes to meld flavors.

4 Servings as a meal, add a green salad or brown rice if you desire. Great as an appetizer, too.

Enjoy

*Note: Research published in the British Journal of Medicine actually shows the body more readily absorbs lycopene from canned tomato products vs. fresh tomatoes, I was skeptical when I first read this, but it’s published in a medical journal here if you want to read it.

Disclosure: I was paid to write this post, Yay! Still, my opinions are my own.

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Corn for all seasons

Priscilla — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:35:35 +0000

I think most of us are trying to eat more sustainably, buy organic when we can, be more conscientious about buying locally and seasonally at farmers markets, etc. But I’d like to share a few tips that you may not have considered from 50 Tips for Eating Sustainably at Whole Living.

1. Use the whole vegetable: the stems of cauliflower or broccoli, the inner leaves of celery, the fronds of fennel, the greens of beets, even the stems of herbs: all edible, all tasty.

2. Get to the root: try to forgo packaging and buy vegetables with the roots still attached.

3. Get farm fresh food delivered: find a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm near you at eatwellguide.org or localharvest.org and pay a subscription fee for regular batches of local produce (and, in some places, grass-fed meat).

4. Be package conscious – try to select food that comes in the least amount of packaging possible or that is packaged in recyclable containers.

5. Google your milk: Until the USDA revised the standards, 30 to 40 percent of milk that was labeled organic was actually from factory farm-raised cows. Regulations are tighter now, but not all organic milks are created equal. Check your brand at sustainabletable.org — and opt for antibiotic- and rBGH-free (no artificial bovine growth hormones).

If you would like to see the slide show and all 50 tips, visit WholeLiving.com

What I’m focusing on today, is Tip #24: Eat more real corn – not processed corn, because according to the USDA, at least 85 percent of the corn grown in this country has been genetically modified, meaning the plants were altered to make them more pest resistant. Corn is easy to stockpile. While there is still beautiful, sweet, farm-fresh corn in the markets; buy a bunch, blanch the cobs, strip the kernels (its easy using a corn peeler) and freeze it. You’ll taste a little bit of summer every time you add it to soups and stews during those bleak winter months!

With that in mind, my long goodbye included grilling corn using a recipe adapted from Martha Stewart by Sippity Sup, a food blogger whose posts never cease to amaze, amuse and educate me, all at the same time. One of the only things I’ll eat at county fairs is the grilled corn with chili seasoning and this preparation is that and more.

Grilled Corn with Feta and Lime

• 4 ears of corn, in husks

• 2 T mayonnaise

• 1 lime, juice and zest only

• 1⁄4 t chili powder, to taste

• 2 oz feta cheese

• kosher salt to taste

• lime wedges as needed

1. Heat the grill to high. Soak corn in cool water for 10 minute, turning occasionally.

2. Peel back the husks of the corn without removing them completely. Remove as much of the silks as you can. Return the husks to as close to their original place as possible, tying them in place if necesary.

3. Transfer to grill. Cover; cook, turning often, until husks are charred, 10 minutes. Remove from grill.

4. Using a kitchen towel, pull back husks. Combine mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder; brush onto the partially cooked corn.

5. Return corn to grill (with husks pulled back and off heat). Cover; cook, turning often and brushing with more chili-lime sauce as needed, until kernels are charred in spots, 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Remove to a serving plate and dust with finely grated feta cheese. Season with coarse salt and serve with lime wedges on the side.

Shown served with Annie’s Favorite Cornbread - it was a very corny evening. Enjoy

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Tuna Steak au Poivre

Priscilla — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:55:05 +0000

Here on She’s Cookin’ I specialize in simple + seasonal, quick and easy recipes that fit your busy lifestyle. I’m always mindful of creating nutritious dishes that take advantage of the freshest seasonal produce available in the markets, and often inspired from what I have growing in our own garden. With that said, I know that quality, gourmet sauces and marinades that transform a dish from ordinary to extraordinary with the twist of a cap can be your best friend Which is why I opted to try an assortment of sauces from Barhyte Specialty Foods and enter their cooking contest.

Barhyte is a family owned company that began sharing their homemade specialty mustards, made from recipes passed down through generations of both sides of the family, at a local deli in the 1970s. Mustard sales grew so quickly that it became a business in 1984 and now has expanded to include many tasty condiments, sauces, and marinades. I zeroed in on the Cracked Pepper marinade first, but I’ll be having fun with the Hot Wing, Sweet Onion, and Lime Chipotle marinades and the Chipotle mustard in the coming weeks.

Using Barhyte’s Cracked Pepper marinade for steak seemed so predictable. I wanted to create a spectacular dish that was at once easy and elegant. Inspired by the classic French preparation for Steak au Poivre, I marinated tuna steaks in the Cracked Pepper marinade, quickly seared them on the grill, served atop a bed of arugula and baked potato – it made for a dazzling anniversary dinner!

Tuna Steak au Poivre

4 – 6 to 8 oz. Ahi tuna steaks, 1 inch thick

1 cup Barhyte Cracked pepper marinade, divided use

3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced crosswise

Serves 4

Rinse tuna steaks in cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and place in a glass baking dish. Pour ½ cup marinade over the steaks and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium high heat. Brush, spray, or – a tip I learned from a grill master – use balled up aluminum foil to oil the grill rack.

Remove fish from marinade and place on grill. Close lid and sear for 4 minutes. Turn and cook for 4 more minutes.

Arrange arugula on plates. Put a tablespoon of butter inside each split baked potato and place on top of arugula. Drizzle with additional marinade and sprinkle with scallions. Violá!

Cooks Notes: Shown served with baked potatoes which were also cooked on the grill. Wrap potatoes in heavy duty aluminum foil and place on grill over med-high heat for 40 minutes. Remove the potatoes which will stay warm while you cook the fish.

Ahi tuna, also known as yellow fin or big eye tuna, is a meaty fish best served rare to medium-rare like a premium beef steak. For medium-rare, cook the steak for 4 minutes on each side. Just as with a beef steak the high temperature cooks the outside quickly and forms a crust (searing) while leaving the interior rare to medium rare.

Enjoy

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Almond Herb Biscuits

Priscilla — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:30:17 +0000

Filled with layers of texture and flavor, the outside is crunchy, the inside soft and savory. This toothsome biscuit is from The Cornbread Gospels, a cookbook filled with wisdom and downright delicious recipes compiled by the passionate author Crescent Dragonwagon. Schooled in Southern cornbread for 33 years, Ms. Dragonwagon delighted travelers from near and far at the Dairy Hollow House in my home town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Savory Almond Herb Biscuits

from The Cornbread Gospels, by Crescent Dragonwagon

½ cup sliced or slivered almonds

1 tablespoon plus1/3 cup cold butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped

1 cup unbleached white flour

½ cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1¼ cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon assorted fresh finely minced herbs

(I used thyme, rosemary & parsley from my kitchen garden)

Makes 12 large biscuits.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with oil.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add the almonds, stirring constantly, toast until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer almonds to a cutting board to cool, then coarsely chop.

Add one tablespoon butter to the skillet, when the butter melts, add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown – about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the garlic.

While the onion and garlic mixture cools, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the remaining 1/3 cup butter using a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture has the consistency of fine crumbs.

Pour the buttermilk into the skillet, stir gently, scraping up any flavorsome bits of onion or garlic that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Pour this into the cornmeal and flour mixture, stirring with as few strokes as possible to blend the wet and dry ingredients, stopping while there are still some dry clumps. Add the reserved almonds and the herbs and stir a few more times.

Drop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, 10-15 minutes. Serve with additional butter if desired.

Enjoy

You’ll be tempted to eat them all, but save a few for breakfast!

Not to mention, delicious alongside a cool gazpacho on a warm summer’s eve or a tummy-warming minestrone for a cozy autumn supper.

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Post tags: almond drop biscuits, Baking, biscuits, Crescent Dragonwagon, drop biscuits, easy, The Cornbread Gospels

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Golden Gazpacho

Priscilla — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:13:22 +0000

The garden gods were good to me last week when an afternoon movie netted a bounty of fresh, organic veggies and I became the lucky recipient of three huge, meaty, gorgeous Elbe heirloom tomatoes. Named after the Elbe River in Germany, these award-winning beefsteak-like tomatoes have been an heirloom favorite since 1889.

One of the golden orbs satisfied our primal craving for a good ole BLT – aaahh, summer and succulent tomatoes!

Inspired by our recent “heat wave”, the other two became the perfect base for this unique gazpacho. They were overripe which meant all I had to do was plop them into the blender with the cooked onions and zucchini, add the buttermilk, and give them a whirl!

Golden Gazpacho

(adapted from Crescent Dragonwagon’s The Cornbread Gospels)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 medium onion chopped

1 ½ cups mild vegetable stock

2 large yellow heirloom tomatoes, such as Elbe

2 medium zucchini squash (about 1 lb.), chopped

1 ½ cups buttermilk

1 large wedge day-old corn bread, crumbled*

Salt

Finely diced red bell pepper for garnish

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, sauté, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium and continue cooking until the onions are golden brown, another 5-6 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and zucchini to the skillet. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the squash is soft, 12-15 minutes. Stir in the crumbled corn bread. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Spoon half of the squash and onion mixture into a blender or food processor, add half of the buttermilk and one of the tomatoes (cut in fourths if they’re not really soft) and blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining vegetable mixture, buttermilk, and tomato. Add salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate for several hours until very cold. Serve chilled in bowls, stir in red pepper as garnish, it also adds a pleasant crunch to the creamy texture.

Enjoy :-)

* No cornbread? ½ cup of homemade bread crumbs can be substituted.

Eyeing those rustic drop biscuits alongside the gazpacho? Come visit on Monday for the recipe.

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Green Beans with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Priscilla — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:04:09 +0000

Greeted by a bounty of green beans upon our return from vacation, I’ve been busily creating summertime salads that defy the term “salad” as it is commonly thought of, i.e. dressed salad greens with traditional salad toppings. The first was the classic Niçoise Salad, inspired by images of my daughter gleefully absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells of Italy and France – last week traveling from Venice, to Avignon, the French Riviera via Monaco, to Nice (where salade Niçoise originated).

Today’s salad also hails from the french countryside and was inspired by the beautiful Bon Appétit 1994 Special Edition entitled The French Countryside.

I treasure my archive of these informative and gorgeously photographed Bon Appétit special editions, a gift from my mother when I was married My recipe was inspired by the Potato Salad with Haricots Verts, Roquefort and Walnuts from the article The Art of the Picnic.

Grilled Potatoes with Green Beans, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

adapted from Bon Appétit

10 small red-skinned potatoes, halved

1/2 pound young green beans,trimmed

2/3 cup Blue cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main

Heat grill to med- high. Toss the potatoes with a 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette before placing on grill. (I used the remainder of the vinaigrette from the Nicoise Salad). Sear with grill marks on cut side and then lower heat and transfer to a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil to continue cooking. About 20 minutes total.

Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well and transfer to a medium bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, add walnuts and half of the blue cheese and gently combine.

Arrange beans on a platter. Surround beans with the grilled potatoes or mound them in the center atop the green beans.

We enjoyed this as a main dish, or you could do as the French do and include it as a side dish to a succulent roast chicken as in the article. Either way -

Enjoy

Today, she comes home, exhausted from a transformative journey encompassing four European countries – the grand finalé, two racous nights in Paris celebrating Bastille Day , the French national holiday known as La Fête Nationale, as the French do. I’m so excited – can’t wait to hear about her trip!

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5-minute Spicy Hummus

Priscilla — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:47:20 +0000

For Meatless Monday or any day of the week, here’s a quick and easy hummus recipe that I found in one of my stacks of Real Simple magazine. Of course, you can buy hummus at any store, but for the cost of a can of garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) you can make your own in 5 minutes — that’s right, 5 minutes! And, it’s worlds better! Because I prefer a little heat, I jazzed it up with a dash of cayenne and, for a Moroccan flair, a teaspoon of Ras el Hanout, my current spice obsession from Awaken Savor spices.

5-Minute Spicy Hummus

1-15 ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout spice*

kosher or sea salt

¼ cayenne pepper (or paprika for less spicy) for serving

In a mini food processor or blender, puree the garbanzo beans and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, spice, and salt until smooth and creamy. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Salt to taste.

Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cayenne pepper or paprika. Serve with toasted whole wheat pita bread.

Enjoy!

Add a crisp green salad topped with your favorite veggies and you have an instant Meatless Monday meal.

* Note: Ras el Hanout is a traditional Moroccan blend of herbs and spices, popular across the Middle East and North Africa. The name means “head of the shop” in Arabic and represents the very pinnacle of spice blends. Ingredients include saffron, paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, tumeric, fennel seed, and allspice to name a few. You may substitute cumin, but I highly recommend adding this Ras el Hanout to your array of spices.

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How to make soup from mashed potatoes

Priscilla — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:47:13 +0000

There are not many days in Southern California when the sky looks like this in the morning:

A blanket of moody gray.

I’m an emotional cook (which is why you will probably never see a video of me cooking , but more on that later) and waking up to gray skies triggered a yearning for something warm and soothing.

Hmmm, I could make vegetable soup but didn’t feel like doing all that chopping – I had a blog post to knock out. I scanned the contents of the fridge - the bowl of leftover mashed potatoes from our steak dinner the other night was staring back at me. Yep – nothing spells comfort better than POTATOES! So here you go: How to make soup from leftover mashed potatoes:

Three ingredients is all.

Pour the broth (vegetable or chicken) into a large (3 quart) saucepan and heat over medium-high. Spoon the mashed potatoes into the broth – you need about 2 cups of mashed potatoes. Stir the mixture to blend, add half the bag of frozen corn, cook for a few minutes. Remove from heat and puree using a hand-held blender – this is one of my must-have kitchen tools – great for smoothies, no blender to clean

Violá! Mashed Potato Corn Chowder

Add the remaining corn, heat through. If you like a smoother soup you can puree it again. I pureed it a bit more, but leaving some chunky corn for texture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped scallions and roasted red peppers.

Variations: Substitute vegetable broth for vegan/vegetarian. Add cheese or cream if you desire a richer, creamier chowder. Substitute broccoli and add cheese for a quick broccoli cheese soup.

Enjoy!

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