Kitchen

[Beebee2]

Normally, when you think of corn chowder you think of potatoes and some half and half or maybe cream. But this delicious recipe is a heart healthy version from Dr. Joseph Piscatelli's wife, Bernie, and I cannot tell you how good it is. The flavor is intense; the texture is nice and thick because she uses the chowder to thicken the chowder, by putting half of it in the food processor and then combining it with the other half. It makes four servings, each with 276 calories, 12 g protein, 43 g carbs, cholesterol 3 mg, total fat 9 g, saturated fat 1 g, dietary fiber 6 g. Sodium is high 421 mg., but not terrible compared to most recipes. Enjoy!

Corn Chowder

2 T olive oil
1 c chopped onion
1/2 c minced celery
1 red pepper, minced
4 c fresh corn kernels, 4 or 5 cobs, or frozen
1/2 t coarse salt
1/4 t black pepper or to taste
1 t chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 t dried
2 T chopped fresh basil, or 1/2 t dried
1 c chicken broth, preferably homemade
1 c fat-free evaporated milk

Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 3 to 5 minutes. Add celery and sauté 5 minutes longer. Add red pepper, corn and seasonings; stir well. Reduce heat. Cover and cook 5 minutes on low heat. Add broth, cover and cook 10 minutes.

Pour half of the soup into a food processor and puree. Pour the other half into a stockpot and add pureed soup. Stir. Ten minutes before serving, add evaporated milk. Cook 10 minutes and serve.

Note: 16-oz frozen corn yields 3 cups. I used dried thyme and fresh basil. I used non-fat Swanson’s chicken broth.