I love a good corn chowder.  This recipe is an old favorite of my family.  Super healthy & packed with flavor.  I personally can’t wait to make this with fresh corn, when it’s in season.  The roasted poblanos add a depth to this chowder that’s quite unexpected but so welcome.  Can’t wait for you to try this recipe.

Ingredients:

5 poblano peppers, halved & seeded
6 smaller red potatoes, peeled & quartered
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 red pepper, seeded & chopped
3 cups of yellow sweet corn (I used frozen)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup of milk (I used 2%)
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
Cilantro for garnishing

Directions:

Over a hot grill, place your peppers skin side down and grill for 7-9 minutes or until nicely blackened.  Remove and place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.  Set aside.

In your Dutch oven, place the potatoes with enough water to cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until fork tender.  Drain and mash the potatoes with a fork – then set aside.

In your Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and add the onion, celery, bell pepper and cook until softened.  Season with the salt, pepper and cumin.

Once the poblanos have cooled, remove the charred skin with with your fingers.  It should easily peel off. Then chop the peppers into bite-sized pieces.

Add the potatoes and peppers to the Dutch oven.  Then add the corn, stock and milk and simmer for 45-60 minutes.  The potato will help thicken the chowder up.  Ladle into bowls when you’re ready and top with some fresh cilantro.

— Knead to Cook

Wow!  It’s pretty  much all I can say.  Vegan.  Perfect for a cool evening.  Comforting.  Low fat.  You get the picture.  A must try!

Ingredients:

1 tbl of olive oil
2 lbs of organic carrots, washed and chopped
5 tsp of grated ginger
1/4 of a larger size yellow onion, diced
4 c of vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of coriander
1/2 tsp of white pepper
1/4 tsp of cinnamon

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil.  Add the diced onions and cook until translucent.  Add the ginger and cook for 4 minutes.  Then add the carrots, broth & spices.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer.  I then ran my hand immersion blender through the soup to puree.  If you don’t have a hand blender, carefully ladle batches into your blender.    Then return to the Dutch oven.  I cooked this for about 3 hours over a very low flame.  Can be served in about 1 hour or simmer for up to 4.  Keep an eye on the broth level and add if you need additional.  Optional:  Garnish with green onions.

— Knead to Cook

Okay it clearly isn’t tomato season yet but I’ve been craving roasted tomato soup.  What to do, what to do?  Roast them!  Roasting tomatoes will take even the most horrid, hard, normally tasteless tomatoes and make them pure perfection!  Here’s how…

Set your oven for 275 degrees.  On a large cookie sheet take 6-8 larger tomatoes and quarter them.  Make sure your cookie sheet has sides to avoid dripping.  Drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Then add 6-8 smashed garlic cloves.  Place in the oven and let roast for 4-6 hours.  If you don’t have that kind of time on your hands or are more impatient, bump the temp up to 325 for about 3 hours.  You’re house will smell incredible while roasting!!!  It is the most intoxicating smell

Once you’ve removed the tomatoes from the oven, simply set aside.

Soup ingredients & directions:

Roasted tomatoes (about 3-4 lbs)
2 tbl olive oil
1 tbl sea salt
Ground black pepper
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbl butter
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
2 c of chopped fresh basil
1 tsp of dried thyme
1 tsp of Rosemary
1 qt of chicken stock or vegetable stock (vegetarian option)

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven, pour 2 tbl of olive oil & butter in the pan.  Let this heat up and then add the onions and garlic.  Cook until translucent over medium flame.  Add the remaining ingredients.  With a stick blender, blend the soup until completely pureed.  You can also use a food mill or work in batches with your blender.  Season to taste.  To serve, top with Asiago shavings.  Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

My dear friend Regina bought me Todd English’s Cooking in Everyday English cookbook for my 40th birthday.  This recipe is adapted from his Fava Bean Minestrone.  I served this in sourdough bread bowls and it was fabulous!  Kids & adults enjoyed it & I love that it’s veggie-packed!  Great winter meal

1 c of diced carrots
1 c of chopped onion
1 c of chopped celery
1/4 c of olive oil
4 oz of pancetta (to make this vegetarian, omit this ingredient)
8 c of chicken stock
3 tbl of Italian Parsley
1 tsp of fresh Rosemary
2 tbl of chicken Better than Bouillon
2 c frozen lima beans
2 c of peas
1 c of baby spinach
2 – 16oz cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas
Salt – 1 tsp
1 tsp ground black pepper

Sauté the first three ingredients in a Dutch oven in olive oil over medium heat for 8 minutes.  Add pancetta; sauté for 7 minutes or until crisp.  Add chicken stock and next three ingredients.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer covered.  I let this simmer for 4 hours.    A half hour before serving, add lima beans, peas, spinach, chickpeas, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust spices.

The spoon was made by a very talented friend Carrie.  Click the link below for her website.

http://www.etsy.com/people/pumpernickelandwry

— Knead to Cook

This is the perfect soup for a cold winter day when you crave warmth.  The aroma is intoxicating & the unique flavor will satisfy the carnivores in your family.  Although this soup is not vegan, it is vegetarian.  It can be adapted by opting not to simmer the soup with the Parmesan rind or adding the cheese.

Ingredients:

3 tsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
5 c of chicken stock
4 carrots, sliced on a diagonal
1 Parmesan rind + 2 tbl of grated cheese
2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
1 zucchini, sliced thinly
1/2 c of frozen green peas, or fresh if you have them
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and washed
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 bag of small pasta (shells, twists, orzo etc.)

Directions:
In your Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over a medium flame.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic, cook for one minute.  Then add the diced tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the broth, carrots & Parmesan rind and grated cheese.  Cook this for about 30 minutes.  Remove the rind carefully after that.  I simmer this on the stove all afternoon, covered.  20 minutes prior to serving, I add the zucchini, peas, washed chickpeas and spinach.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate pot, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking the pasta.  Drain and add to the bowl.  Pour the minestrone over top & enjoy!

 

— Knead to Cook