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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, January 7, 2009

LIGHT & LOCAL
Chowder's a tasty and versatile way to use up milk

By Carol Devenot

 •  Thai, the Chai way

Each week, my boyfriend, Bob, and I go to Costco to buy bulk items. We always get the fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread, cottage cheese and milk there. The gallon of milk is still cheaper per glass than the regular supermarkets. Unfortunately, there is always plenty left over. So rather than throw it out, I try to find ways to use the milk in recipes. One that came to my mind was corn chowder.

There are many different ways to make this dish. I tried to make something that would be healthy, tasty and easy. I used turkey bacon for the smoky flavor and spiced the dish with Chef Prudhomme's Seafood Magic. I realize that there isn't any seafood in this recipe but it sure gives it a great flavor. You could leave out the corn and add clams or other seafood (shrimp, scallops) and make seafood chowder. Why not a corn and clam chowder?

Because we are on a low-carbohydrate diet, I substituted cauliflower for the traditional potato. It gave it an interesting texture and absorbed the flavors very nicely. I also find that white corn is sweeter than yellow. If you have a can of creamed corn, you could use that instead of the frozen. I was too lazy to cut the corn kernels form the husk, so I opted for frozen. Try a different garnish for a new twist, such as seeded and minced jalapeno pepper, or some strips of roasted pimento. Whatever combination of ingredients you come up with, you will love the results.

WHITE CORN CHOWDER

  • 2-4 slices of turkey bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1/2 large yellow onion

  • 1-3 cloves of garlic

  • 1-2 teaspoons Chef Prudhomme's Seafood Magic

  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

  • 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

  • 3 cups low-fat milk

  • 1/2 head of cauliflower cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 1 cup frozen white corn

  • 1/2-1 teaspoon white pepper

  • Flat-leaf parsley (optional)

    In a nonstick Dutch oven, brown the bacon and set aside to drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Water-saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the Seafood Magic. Add the flour and mix to get all the lumps out. Add the broth, milk, cauliflower, corn and pepper to taste. Cook the mixture until cauliflower is tender. Garnish with parsley.

    Serves 6.

  • Per serving: 140 calories, 4 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 1000 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 9 g protein

    Want a local recipe lightened up? Write Light & Local, Taste Section, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or taste@honoluluadvertiser.com. Carol Devenot is a Kaimuki-raised kama'aina, teacher and recipe consultant, and author of "Island Light Cuisine" (Blue Sea Publishing, paper, 2003). Learn more at www.islandlightcuisine.com.