Roasted Corn Chowder

Brought by Sister Owens to May's Relief Society Meeting

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry or chili powder or paste, mild or hot, to taste

4-5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

1 medium sweet onion, diced

3 ears of corn, roasted, kernels removed

1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced

1 14-oz can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles

1 cup seeded, chopped fresh heirloom tomatoes- I used yellow and pink

4 oz. chopped roasted green chiles

1 quart light vegetable broth

1 14-oz can coconut milk

2 rounded cups torn cooked chicken pieces

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

A quick drizzle of organic raw agave, to taste

To serve:

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Fresh lime juice from 2 juicy limes

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and stir in the cumin and curry or chili powder; cook for one minute to infuse the oil with spice.

Add the chopped garlic and onion. Stir and cook for five minutes. Add the roasted corn, sweet potato, canned fire roasted tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, green chiles; stir for a minute. Add in the broth.

Cover and bring to a high simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about twenty minutes or so.

Add the coconut milk and cooked chicken pieces. Stir and season with sea salt and ground pepper; and add a drizzle of organic raw agave to taste. Heat through gently- please don't boil it.

Just before serving, add the chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. Stir. Taste test. Adjust seasoning. The lime juice brightens the taste and accents the spice. Agave cools the hotness.

Garnish with a lime wedge and pass out the spoons. Slurp. Smile.

Serves 6-8.

More RS Soup Recipes

Here are two more soup recipes from our recent Relief Society meetings.  


Chicken Vegetable Soup (recipe from Karen Hallifax)
3 lbs. chicken breasts cooked in 2 large boxes of chicken broth.  Remove the chicken from the broth and cool.  Cube or shred the chicken and reserve.


To the broth add:
1 finely diced onion
1 cup finely diced celery


Cook vegetables in the broth until tender.


Add 1 cup water and 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables.  May also add 1 handful of lentils or barley.  Cook until tender.  Add reserved chicken and cook until heated through.


Italian Sausage and Kale Soup (recipe from Lori D'Alba)
3 quarts chicken stock
2 lbs sausage (I use half hot Italian and half sweet Italian)
2 large onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches of kale, tough stems removed, leaves cut into strips

Prepare sausage - options:
1. Remove the casings and brown the sausage.  Drain on paper towels.
2. Brown the whole sausage links in a little oil until lightly browned.  Add 1/2 cup water to pan and cover with lid - let sausages steam until mostly cooked, about 5 minutes.  Add a little more water if needed.  Remove lid and let remaining water evaporate.  Slice sausages on the diagonal.  I cook the sausage in my dutch oven and then just add the other ingredients (cuts down on dishes to wash).
3. If you are using all sweet sausage or breakfast sausage, you will need to add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the soup or it's too bland.

Make the soup:
Saute onions unti translucent.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant (about 2 minutes).  Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Add sausage and kale.  Simmer 15-20 minutes.  Adjust seasonings if needed.  Tastes even better the next day.

Options:
My original recipe called for 2 cups of cream or half and half to be added right before serving.   It tastes good with the cream, but I like it better without.
I sometimes add cooked elbow macaroni or other pasta to make the soup go a little further.
If you don't have kale, you can use 2 boxes of frozen chopped spinach instead, or 2 bags of fresh spinach. (I like the kale best.)

March Meeting Recap and Recipes

Thanks to all who attended the March meeting - an evening of service to celebrate the Relief Society's birthday.  Following a dinner of soup, bread, and birthday cake, we made 11 nursing cover-ups for women who receive services from Catholic Charities WIC, and we made taco soup and chili for the Lockport Homeless Shelter.  We appreciate everyone who donated food, fabric, time, and effort to make the evening such a success!

Black Bean Soup - recipe courtesy of Hillary Georgia
2 cups dry black beans
8 cups "broth" (chicken bouillon and water)
1 onion, diced
2-3 medium carrots, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (chili style optional)
1 can corn
1/2 bell pepper, diced
Extra broth and spices to taste

1. Rinse and drain beans.
2. Combine beans and broth in pot and boil 10 minutes.
3. Put all ingredients (including beans and broth) into crockpot and add desired spices.  (Hillary adds salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and chili powder to taste.)  Cook on High 4-5 hours and on low for 1 hour.

February Meeting Recap + Recipes

Thanks to all of our wonderful Relief Society sisters who participated in the February meeting!  Following a wonderful dinner of a selection of homemade soups, Sue Malcomb demonstrated using the New Family Search program and Margaret Pace discussed why we do family history.

If you haven't used the New Family Search program before, you will need to register first.  To register, you will need your Member ID number and the date you were confirmed.  Contact the ward clerk if you need this information.  For additional help in getting started, contact one of the ward's family history consultants: Sue Malcomb, Margaret Pace, or David McAllister.

Lentil Soup (from Cathy Owens)

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and pepper
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 lb. lentils (about 1 ¼ cup) of any variety (I used half red lentils, half French green lentils)
6 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth (I used vegetable)
4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
1/4 lb. dried pasta

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 t. Dijon mustard (optional)
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and pepper and sauté until all of the vegetables are tender and browned, about 12-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and lentils and broth, stir, and add in the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.  Stir in the red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard (if desired).  Cook the pasta separately and then add it when the soup is all done.  Serve in bowls sprinkled with parmesan cheese. 

Harvest Squash Soup (from Carole Vanill)

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

1 TB vegetable oil

4 cups mashed, cooked butternut squash

3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cups fat free milk

1 by leaf

1 TB sugar

1 TB lime juice

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

In dutch oven, saute onions in oil until tender.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Discard bay leaf before serving. Yield 2 1/2 quarts or 10 1-cup servings.  (Note:  Carole used half-n-half instead of skim milk.)

Nutritional Information

1 cup = 113 calories

2 grams fat

1 mg cholesterol

60 mb sodium

22 grams carbohydrates

0 figer

4 grams protein

(1 starch, 1 vegetable) Diabetic exchanges

Blitz Bread: No-Fuss Focaccia (from Lori D'Alba, adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1 1/2 cups + 2 TB warm water 

3 TB olive oil (plus additional for greasing pan and drizzling over bread)

1 tsp kosher or sea salt

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 TB instant yeast

3 TB Parmesan cheese (like Kraft)

1/4 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)

1 tsp Italian seasoning (or to taste) - optional

Directions

1. Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan, then drizzle 1-2 TB olive oil in the bottom of the pan.

2. Combine all of the ingredients in order listed, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.

3. Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, spread out as much as you can with a spatula, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until it's become puffy.  If the room is cool, it can rise longer.

4. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

5. Gently poke the dough all over with your index finger.

6. Drizzle the dough with olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) and sprinkle with Italian seasoning or the dried herbs of your choice, if desired.  (It's also good plain.)

7. Bake the bread until it's golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.  

8.  Remove from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a cooling rack.  (If you leave the bread in the pan, the bottom will turn soggy.)  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Makes great sandwiches.

NOTE:  You can double the recipe and bake it in a half sheet pan.  Leftovers freeze well. Let thaw at room temperature.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the bread directly on the oven rack and heat for 5 minutes or until warm.

Curried Corn Chowder with Coconut Milk

Cathy Owens made this delicious soup for our January Relief Society meeting.  A wonderful way to warm up a cold evening. 

Curried Corn Chowder with Coconut Milk

1 big yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

¼ t. fresh or 1/8 t. dried thyme

2 T. unsalted butter

3 ½ cups frozen or canned corn, or 4 ears, shucked and kernels cut off cob

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 t. sugar

2 T. unsalted butter, clarified, or ghee

1 T. Madras curry powder

¼ cup canned coconut milk

1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 T. salt

A few turns of freshly ground black pepper

1. Saute the onion, garlic, and thyme in 2 T. butter (not clarified) in a large soup pot over high heat, stirring occasionally to keep the onions and garlic from sticking to the bottom of the pot.  When the onion has begun to reduce in volume, in 5-10 minutes, lower the heat to medium and continue cooking for about 10-15 more minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent.
2. Add the corn, stock, and sugar, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, and let the stock simmer for 30 minutes.
3. In a separate sauté pan, warm the clarified butter over medium heat.  Add the curry powder, and cook until the curry becomes fragrant, 3-5 minutes.
4. Remove the soup from the heat to puree.  If you’re using an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in the pot.  Otherwise, wait a few minutes, until the soup cools.
5. If you don’t have an immersion blender, scoop up half the soup with a ladle or measuring cup with a handle, pour it into the bowl of a food processor (or a blender) fitted with a metal blade, and blend until the soup is smooth.  Return the pureed soup to the soup pot.
6. Return the pot to the stove over medium heat, and stir in the curry butter.  To get all the curry butter out of the pan, use a rubber spatula to scrape it down, then pour a little bit of the soup into the pan, swish it around, and dump it back into the soup pot.  Stir in the coconut milk, cilantro, salt, and pepper into the soup pot, and cook for another 15 minutes, until the flavors come together.  Serve warm with freshly ground black pepper.

Egg Rice Soup

This recipe was served at an evening Relief Society meeting and utilizes many food storage items. Recipe courtesy of Dana Dwyer.

3 cups chicken broth

1 can evaporated milk

2 egg yolks

1 cup cooked white or brown rice

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan. Beat egg yolks and milk together. Pour 1/2 cup broth into the egg mixture, then pour the mixture in a thin stream back into the remaining broth in the saucepan. Heat gently until soup thickens slightly, stirring frequently. Add rice and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with pretzel sticks or whole wheat croutons.

Italian Wedding Soup

This soup was served at our Relief Society meeting on Tuesday, January 10.  Thanks to Hillary Georgia for sharing with us!

12 ounces Italian sausage
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 TB breadcrumbs
2 TB milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
8 chicken bouillon cubes
2 beef bouillon cubes
10 cups water
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, grated
garlic, salt, and pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked rice or orzo

1. In a medium bowl, combine sausage, parmesan, breadcrumbs, and 2 TB milk.  Form into 3/4-inch meatballs.
2. In a pan brown meatballs and drain grease.
3. In a stockpot or crockpot combine remaining ingredients including browned meatballs (exclude rice) and bring to a simmer.
4. While soup is cooking, prepare rice (1 cup rice + 2 cups water).
5. When rice is cooked, add to soup.
6. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when serving.