Corn Chowder

Sunset in Maui.

We got a lot of cool kitchen tools for the wedding and a few cook books to test out the toys!
The past week, I have been cooking from Real Simple, Best Recipes (Thanks Liz!)
I made Golden Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives. It was pretty good, but I used long-grain brown rice that pretty much turned to mush. Next time, I'll stick with minute rice!

Chocolate Pots - basically chocolate mousse/pudding that I put in our Cobalt LeCreuset
I served it with Sea Salt Olive Oil ice cream that I made with my KitchenAid mixer ice cream attachment. The recipe came from Desert Candy.

On Wednesday, I made Smoky Corn Chowder using our new blender and Red LeCreuset soup pot. Serves 4 as main dish, 6 as a side dish.

8oz sliced bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces (I used turkey bacon and cooked it with olive oil, salt, and pepper)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (we like garlic, so I probably added 5 cloves!)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (skipped this)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (used fresh crushed chile from New Mexico and probably added 1 tablespoon! We like it hot!)
20oz of frozen corn
3cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup half-and-half (used fat free version since it is what GAH puts in his coffee)
Scallions, thinly sliced
1 baguette

-Cook bacon until crisp (6 to 8 min). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
-Spoon off and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings and return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
-Stir in the corn, broth, and half-and-half and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
-Divide the soup among bowls and top with the scallions and bacon. Serve with bread.

Now I really wish that I had an immersion blender!
Enjoy
-ELH