Smoky Corn of Delight!

As I mentioned yesterday...I wanted something warm and cozy for dinner! Corn Chowder ended up being our dinner of choice last night. The only soy milk we had in the fridge was chocolate...so I had to come up with something else that would give the chowder that creamy, creaminess that I was soo looking forward to. So that can of coconut milk that was staring longingly at me from the cupboard got its time to shine, corn chowder style! Here is the recipe!

Smoky Coconut Corn Chowder

1 shallot, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups corn

1 cup carrots, chopped

2 cups potato, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cups veggie stock*

1 can coconut milk

2 tbsps chili powder**

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Sautee the shallot in the olive oil for a few minutes until tender, and almost caramelized, then add the garlic and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the chili powder, followed by the veggie stock and the coconut milk. Stir to combine. Add the rest of the veggies. Simmer on medium low for about an hour, to an hour and a half, puree the soup as much as you'd like (some folks like it smoother than others). I pureed about half, making sure that I scooped up some of the potato, so assist in making it creamy. Add the pureed part back to the pot, and heat the soup through, adding sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

*I used my own "compost" veggie stock for this one, so if you are one of those people who saves their compost scraps in the freezer to make soup stock, you know what I mean! Taste may vary!

** I made my own chili powder using a giant dried ancho chili, cumin seeds, corriander seeds, toasting and pulverizing them, and adding smoked paprika and basil. This is what gives it that smoky flavour, so if you're using regular chili powder, try adding a drop of liquid smoke, or your own smoked paprika.

Tonights dinner was nothing overly special...but delicious...and sadly my camera batteries have died (tis the season just passed for picture taking!). A simple kamut and garlic spaghetti noodle, with tvp and kidney sauce with red peppers and mushrooms. Usually we'd have salad with this, but eating so late tonight, we just had a little pasta and are on our way to bed!

Goodnight, all!