This delicious corn chowder is a breeze to make with minimal prep work and only about 20 minutes on the stove top. It is thinner than most chowders and works well as a starter course, or as a way to stave off the munchies before dinner. Chipotle provides a strong flavor punch, adding enough of a kick to hide the fact that the soup has a minimal amount of salt and fat. The ability to use frozen corn kernels makes this a great winter soup and brings a taste of summer back into the kitchen despite cold temperatures outside. The recipe makes a small batch, so of course we doubled it and enjoyed leftovers for a few days afterwards. If you are looking for a healthy yet still comforting soup- this recipe is a winner.

And if you’re happily ignoring all things healthy for a few more weeks, did I mention these crack cookies, bread pudding, and bourbon balls?!? Oh so tempting…

Corn Chowder with Chipotle Pepper (Printable Recipe)
Adapted from Canyon Ranch Cooking
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 dried Chipotle pepper
1 teaspoon Olive oil
1/2 small Onion, diced (1/2 cup)
3 Garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 cups fresh or frozen Corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
2 cups Vegetable stock (homemade or a low-sodium variety)
1/2 cup Soy milk (I used 2% regular milk as we were out of soy)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon chopped Cilantro, plus additional leaves for garnish
1 Red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 Green bell pepper, seeded and diced

Directions:

Boil a small amount of water in pot or kettle. Once the water is boiling, place the chipotle pepper in a small heat-proof bowl and pour the hot water over the top of the pepper. Let the pepper soak in the hot water until it is soft, while you prep the rest of the ingredients, about 5-10 minutes. Once the pepper is soft, discard the water, cut the pepper in half, carefully remove any seeds, and finely chop the pepper.

Place a medium soup pot over medium-high heat, and add in the olive oil. Once the oil is warm, add the onion, garlic, and chipotle pepper. Cooking, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft.

Next, add the corn kernels, chili powder, and cumin to the soup pot. Stir well, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the corn is mostly thawed (if using frozen corn).

Pour the vegetable stock into the pot, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until the corn is tender. Next add in the milk, and continue to simmer until the liquid is warmed through and well combined. Turn off the heat.

Use a stick blender, or carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender and puree. (Be careful blending hot liquids in the blender, as steam can become trapped under the lid and lead to an explosion!) Once the soup has reached a consistency that is to your liking (I went for a very smooth soup), stir in the salt and cilantro. Taste the soup to see if it needs additional salt or pepper (this will vary depending on the type of vegetable stock used).

Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the diced bell peppers and additional cilantro if desired.

For each 3/4 cup serving, this soup has an estimated: 85 calories, 2 grams of fat, 217 milligrams of sodium, and 3 grams of protein.

After several months of participation in The Bread Baker’s Apprentice challenge Mr. B has learned to anticipate Saturdays scheduled around rising dough. He also has embraced eating the resulting loaves with gusto. This week when he asked what type of bread was next, I replied “A marble rye bread.” “Really?” he replied, as his eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas. “That means we can make Reubens!” I smiled and agreed that Reubens were in order.

On Saturday I made the marbled rye bread, basically mixing two different doughs (the dark one contains chocolate powder) and then layering them in the final rise to create marbling. The loaves turned out beautifully and as a lover of rye bread I will definitely make this recipe again!

Not one to let such a monumental opportunity quietly slide by, Mr. B took it upon himself to call around town to find the best source for homemade corned beef and thousand island dressing. All I can say, is the man loves his Reubens! Thus I was not surprised when I learned that for our anniversary dinner we were going to trek about 40 miles outside of town to an old school steak house, where not only do they butcher their own beef, but they also make all the supplies for a classic Reuben. After a great steak dinner we drove back home with a package of corned beef and container of dressing tucked safely between my feet.

With all of the ingredients for a Reuben now assembled, we started making sandwiches. This is a simple recipe- basically a doctored up grilled cheese- but oh what fabulous results!

The toasted outer layer of buttered rye bread envelops an inner filling of gooey Swiss cheese, crunchy tart sauerkraut, thinly sliced corned beef, and creamy zesty dressing. It was sandwich bliss. We dipped our warm sandwiches in bowls of a creamy crab bisque and washed it all down with a cold beer. After the sandwich had disappeared, Mr. B turned and looked at me and said, “Round 2?”

P.S. I think over the weekend we managed to eat these Reubens for six meals in one weekend….I am in desperate need of a salad!

Classic Reuben Sandwich (Printable Recipe)
Serves 2

As is the case with many simple recipes, using the best ingredients you can find makes a big difference in the final result. I have a feeling that with a bottled thousand island dressing and store-bought bread this sandwich would have lacked much of the flavor we enjoyed.

Ingredients:

4 slices of Marbled rye bread, (or regular Rye if you’re not making your own!)
1/4 cup thousand island dressing (please make this if you can’t find a good source!)
1/3 cup sauerkraut
1/2 pound Corned beef
1/4 pound Swiss cheese
2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Directions:

Place a heavy skillet over medium heat. Evenly spread the butter on one side of the bread slices. Place that side facing down on a cutting board. On the un-buttered sides of the bread, thickly spread a layer of thousand island dressing. Layer sauerkraut, corned beef, and Swiss cheese on two of the slices. Place the remaining slices on top of the filling so that the buttered side of the bread is now on top (facing you). Place the sandwiches in the skillet and cook on one side until it browns. Flip the sandwich to the other side and cook until it has browned and the cheese is melting. Remove sandwich from heat, cut in half and serve!