Corn Chowder with Wild Rice and Grapes

The theme for Recipe Redux this month is “Fresh from the Garden.”

Nothing beats fresh corn on the cob

I love fresh corn on the cob. Can’t get enough of it in the summer months.  I don’t grow corn myself, but can find lots of it at local supermarkets and farmer’s markets. It is best to shop early in the day for corn and prepare it that same day for the sweetest, best tasting corn.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh corn is to make a large batch of corn chowder. It is especially good with fresh rosemary, from my garden.

Fresh homegrown rosemary adds great flavor

Corn Chowder with Wild Rice and Grapes

Ingredients:

6 slices lower sodium turkey bacon

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 medium sweet onion, peeled and diced

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tsp fresh or dried rosemary, minced

4 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed if frozen

5 cups lower sodium chicken broth

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups cooked wild rice

1 cup seedless red or green grapes, halved

Directions:

Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, turning as needed. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Add oil to Dutch oven. Add onion and sweet potato and cook over medium-low heat, covered and stirring occasionally, until onion and sweet potato soften, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute. Add corn, chicken broth, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Carefully transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Add pureed mixture back to Dutch oven. Stir in wild rice and grapes and heat just until warm throughout. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with 1 strip of crumbled turkey bacon.

Makes 6 servings (about 1-2/3 cups each or 10 cups total)

Nutrition Information per Serving:

250 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 4g dietary fiber, 9 g protein, and 415 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides a good source of protein, fiber, B-6 folate, and vitamin C.

Cost per Serving: $1.78

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except grapes were on sale for $0.99 per pound and corn was on sale, 5 ears for $1.99.

An InLinkz Link-up

Nutrition Budgeteer Suggests Adding Tuna to a Broccoli Cheese Souffle

 

Broccoli Tuna Souffle

I received free samples from Bumble Bee Seafoods that are mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Bumble Bee Seafoods and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

I was excited to learn about a recipe contest from Bumble Bee Seafoods. As the Nutrition Budgeteer, I often promote canned tuna as a budget-friendly, healthy choice. I have developed a flyer on 10 ways to enjoy canned tuna that you can access here. Canned tuna provides an excellent source of protein, selenium and niacin and is a good source of vitamins B6 and B10.

Most of us do not eat near enough seafood per week, as recommended by government officials, including FDA and EPA. We should be eating 2 to 3 servings of seafood per week. Even moms and moms-to-be should be eating more seafood. While some women may avoid seafood during pregnancy because of fear of metal contamination, a 2014 report from FDA points out that pregnant women should actually consumer 3 to 4 servings (or 9 ounces) of canned albacore tuna per week to realize the maximum net benefit for her infant’s IQ. Fresh seafood can be costly, so canned seafood is an economical choice.

Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health reviewed several randomly controlled trials and prospective studies looking at the danger of consuming seafood and concluded that the benefits of eating seafood far outweighs the cancer risk from chemicals, such as mercury. Click here to link to the Harvard conclusions.  You can also learn more about Bumble Bee Foods’ scientific approach to long-term sustainability of fisheries by clicking here.

Need some other ideas on ways to enjoy canned tuna? Click here to see recipe videos, quick and easy recipes, and other lunch and dinner ideas for using Bumble Bee Food products. You can also visit YouTube to see recipe videos at: http://www.youtube.com/user/BumbleBeeFoods

For this recipe contest, I decided to make a tuna broccoli soufflé. Although some people may be afraid to make a soufflé, they actually are fairly simple, as long as you separate the eggs easily and handle them properly. Canned tuna and eggs used in this soufflé are a low cost and tasty choice.  Instead of 6 individual ramekins, I used a soufflé dish that serves 2 and 4 individual ramekins, as you'll see in the photos. The lemon caper sauce accents the soufflé well.

Broccoli Tuna Souffle with Lemon Caper Sauce

Broccoli Tuna Soufflé with Lemon Caper Sauce

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Soufflé:

2 cups chopped broccoli flowerets

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup cold milk

1 5 –ounce can Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore in Water, drained

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

5 eggs, separated

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Lemon Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

1/4 cup dry white wine

Zest of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon capers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray 6 individual ramekins or a 5-cup soufflé dish with non-stick cooking spray and place on baking sheet.
3. Microwave broccoli with 1 inch of water in microwave-safe dish, covered, for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes until broccoli is tender-crisp. Rinse broccoli in cold water to stop cooking. Drain broccoli and set aside.
4. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and stir until mixture becomes paste-like, about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk; bring to a boil and then simmer until thick, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
5. Place milk mixture, tuna, broccoli, garlic, and egg yolks in blender or food processor and process just until smooth. Pour broccoli mixture into a large bowl. Stir in Cheddar cheese; mix well.
6. Beat egg whites in a clean, large glass or metal bowl using electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
7. Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the broccoli mixture using a large rubber spatula just until combined; do not over mix.
8. Fill prepared ramekins or soufflé dish about 3/4 full.
9.  Bake in preheated oven until edges are golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 to 25 minutes for ramekins or 25 to 35 minutes for soufflé dish.
10. While soufflé is baking, make sauce. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, garlic and chicken granules. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 minute. Add wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture to sauce. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in capers.
11. 1Remove soufflé from oven and serve immediately with sauce.

Folding egg whites into broccoli tuna mixture

 

Squeezing lemon for sauce

Adding caper to lemon sauce

An InLinkz Link-up