Vegetable - Corn Chowder

 

Chowder served with Potato-Cheese Bread

I had prepared chowder earlier many times and wasn't completely satisfied with the end product. When I chose to go with "Soups and Salads" as part of the BM#26 theme this week, I thought of giving it another try. A chowder recipe from a cookbook I own, named "Vegetarian" seemed very appealing because of the broccoli - cheese addition, which my family truly enjoys. And so I tried and was happy with the result though I substituted the whole milk and cream with fat free version. A rich and creamy bowl of indulgence, perfect for the winter days.

Ingredients: (3 servings)
1 Tbsp oil
1 garlic clove crushed
1 small onion, diced
1 small potato, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 - 1/2 cup broccoli florets
3/4 cup sweet corn (I used frozen. If using canned, drain before using.)
1-2 Tbsp wheat flour / all purpose flour
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup vegetable stock (I used a bouillon cube and added water to the preferred consistency.)
4 - 6 Tbsp grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
* Heat the oil in a pan and saute garlic, onion, bell pepper and potato for 2 -3 minutes. 
* Next stir in the flour and continue to cook for about 30 seconds. 
* Stir in the stock and the milk. 
* Adjust the chowder to desired consistency by adding extra milk / water as needed
* Add the broccoli and corn, reduce heat and simmer until the veggies are tender.
* Stir in 1/4 cup cheese until it melts.
* Add the seasonings, spoon into bowls and garnish with the remaining cheese. 

This is my Day 1 post of Blogging Marathon #26, under the theme "Soups and Salads". Check what other marathoners are cooking during this BM#26.

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Broccoli Cheese Soup

Srivalli's blogging marathon - 9th edition starts from today. I chose to go with "Soups / Salads" theme this week though "Festive Special" and "Regional Special" themes were equally tempting. I did not want to pack any extra calories either in the guise of a holiday season or blogging. :)
My first post in the series is going to be this broccoli - cheese soup, a family favorite of ours and hopefully it may be yours too if you give it a try. :) A hot bowl of a creamy, rich, flavorful soup seems like a perfect companion on cold days like these.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp oil / butter (I usually go with olive / canola oil.)

1 garlic clove finely minced

1/2 cup finely minced white onion

2 Tbsp wheat flour

1 cup broccoli florets chopped
1/2 cup peeled & finely minced carrot

3 cups water

Grated cheddar cheese as preferred (I used 2 Kraft cheddar cheese singles as I did not have grated cheese on the day I prepared soup.)

Salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add garlic. Fry until golden brown and add onion. Saute until translucent and then add wheat flour. Fry it for a minute on low flame and then add broccoli, carrot and water to the pan. Stir well so that no lumps are formed. Continue to cook on medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add cheese and salt; cook until the cheese melts. Serve hot.

This goes to
1. "Global Food Festival" by Kalyani
2. "Soups & Salads Mela" by Srivalli.

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Broccoli Parathas

Another round of BM#8 starts from today and among the various interesting themes given, I chose to go with "Cooking with five or less ingredients" this week. That means the recipes I am going to post for the next seven days contain five or less ingredients. Srivalli however has given a concession that the seasonings / salt together can be considered as one ingredient. My first post under the above said theme is going to be broccoli parathas. And check what the other marathoners are cooking today.

My son has always been an easy going kid and so before I had my daughter, I thought raising kids was child's play. :) Oh boy, my daughter showed me practically how wrong I was. Everything turns into a fuss when dealing with her and of course it's more obvious when it comes to food. If anyone chooses to start a "picky eater club", my daughter would be the perfect president for it. She prefers to go hungry instead of eating something that is not appealing to her. Whenever she has to eat something, she has some standard lines to say - "I am not hungry" or "this looks gross / weird" or "I don't like it" or "I asked for that, not this" or "this is not my favorite" or "I asked for rotis" (particularly when I don't have dough handy) or "I will eat later" and the list goes on. I like the roti excuse more since I can sneak in whatever veggies I like and I know that she is going to like and eat some healthy food in the process. Over the years, my daughter has taught me that if a kid doesn't like any particular veggie / fruit, sneaking it in other forms works better than presenting it in the most obvious fashion. These parathas are one such example. No steamed broccoli / broccoli soup suits her and so I puree the broccoli and add it to the roti dough. Any faint smell that broccoli rotis have is masked by the side dish that goes along with them. I thank God that she likes rotis or otherwise it would have been a different story altogether. :)

Ingredients (for 20 parathas):

3 cups atta / wheat flour + extra for dusting

1.5 cup broccoli puree (Broccoli florets lightly cooked in microwave and pureed.)

Salt to taste

1 Tbsp oil (optional) + Oil to make rotis

(Green chilli - ginger paste can be added if preferred.)

Method:

* Combine atta, broccoli puree, salt and a Tbsp of oil in a mixing bowl. Gradually add water as needed to form a firm, pliable dough. If the dough becomes too sticky, add some extra flour. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes and shape it into a ball. Cover and allow it to rest at room temperature for at least an hour.

* Place a cast iron skillet or a low rim frying pan over medium heat. While the skillet is heating up, knead the rested dough for a minute. Divide the dough into 20 equal portions, roll each portion into a ball and flatten it between your palms. Take a flattened dough ball and keep the remaining ones covered. Dip both sides of the flattened dough ball into loose flour, place it on a flat rolling surface. Roll it into a thin circle of about 4 - 5 inches diameter.

* Place the rolled out circle on the hot skillet, cook for about 30 - 40 seconds and flip it using a spatula. There should be brown spots on the flipped side. Cook for another 30 seconds and flip again. Spread 1/4 tsp oil around the edges if desired. Press down on the bread with spatula while cooking to allow the bread to puff up. Remove it after it puffs up and you see brown spots on both sides.

Repeat the steps with the remaining dough.

Note:

If not using immediately, the dough may be refrigerated for a couple of days. Just remember to bring it back to room temperature. Or put in the microwave covered, for about 30 - 60 seconds depending upon the quantity of the dough.

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