Chicken Corn Chowder & Port City IPA

I spend most Sundays in the kitchen chopping fruits and veggies. That's because if I don't prep healthy meals ahead of time, then I end up buying lunch all week near work (which is right next to tempting fried chicken and burger joints). Worse, if it's been a crazy day and I get home late and nothing's ready-made, I end up draped on the counter eating chips and salsa for dinner. 

So I try to get all my prep done on Sunday to increase the odds that I'll eat well all week. This weekend, I had fresh corn on the cob handy so decided to lighten up a chicken corn chowder recipe. 

Pro tip: Maybe wait until after this step before enjoying the beer.

Putting this dish together, I had a cold pint of Port City Monumental IPA, which is Alexandria's hometown brewery. It's bitter and a little citrusy. Hop lovers, this one's my favorite. You also can't go wrong with the milder Essential Pale Ale. The porter is another good one. Mmm, beer. Okay, back to the food.

The beautiful sight of Port City bottles
lined up on my fridge shelf.

As a base, I used this recipe with some modifications. Normally, the biggest modification would have been adding bacon--I love a smokey corn chowder--but didn't have bacon on hand and wasn't about to go back to the grocery store. I point this out because if you eat meat and have bacon on hand, you should add it. I'd fry some up in the pan till it is crispy, set aside to drain, and cook the veggies in the rendered fat. Crumble the bacon on top of the finished chowder.

But if you are in the same sad baconless position as me, you can add a healthy dose of smoked paprika and/or my favorite seasoning blend from Trader Joe's: South African Smoke. It's basically smoked paprika, basil and garlic. Adds an awesome, pork-free flavor.

I add this to everything.
Smokey everything, y'all.

What else: I marinate the chicken for a couple hours before I start chopping. You can use a store brand, but I usually make my own--I'll post my favorite blend here another time, but here are some ideas for combinations. If you fo marinate, pat off the excess before adding meat to the pan. You can also skip the marinade altogether and pop the chicken in the pan with salt and pepper.

While chicken marinates, prep the veggies. Strip the corn from the cobs using this trick (I use an upturned small bowl inside a larger prep bowl). Save the cobs, because you'll want to add them to the chowder to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Don't skip this step. It adds a nice depth to the flavor.

Finally, I added zucchini and left out the potatoes. I know, potatoes are the building blocks of most chowders, but I was looking to make it a little less dense. If you want to add them back, toss them in after you add the broth and let mixture simmer till potatoes are cooked through.

Onions, red pepper, & zucchini sautéing in the dutch oven.

Add the corn cobs to the chowder to simmer.

Chicken Corn Chowder
(modified from A Taste of Home)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (marinated), cubed
4 tbsp butter
2 medium onions, diced

1 large red pepper, chopped

2 zucchini squash, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp smoked paprika
4 c chicken broth
2 ears fresh corn, stripped from cob (save cobs)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce, optional
1 c milk or half-and-half

1. In Dutch oven or stock pot, saute chicken in 2 tablespoons butter until lightly browned and until no longer pink; remove from pan and set aside.
2. In the same pan, saute onions and red pepper in remaining butter until tender. Add zucchini; cook for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.

3. Stir in flour and paprika, coating vegetables. Gradually stir in broth. Add corn cobs. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add corn kernels, Worcestershire sauce, salt, hot sauce and reserved chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until corn is tender, stirring occasionally. Test for seasoning and adjust.

5. Remove corn cobs and discard.  Stir in milk and heat through (do not boil). 

6. Garnish with fresh parsley or bacon. Serve warm with simple salad.

Chicken corn chowder with spinach salad
(with nectarines and blueberries).

Strawberry-Banana Muffins & Gingerbread Coffee

My husband Jeff is (slash claims to be) a supertaster. He uses that as an excuse for a limited palate for fruits and veggies, but he'll do bananas, apples, green seedless grapes...and not much else. Bananas are easy work snacks because when we inevitably forget to actually bring them with us, I stick them in a bowl or the freezer to bake with later.  My supertaster won't eat cooked fruit, but I've found plenty of other people who loved my momma's banana bread.

Last weekend, we were at the point where a fresh bunch of bananas was slowly disintegrating and another browning batch was stashed away for baking. And I had a whole bunch of strawberries. I woke up early on a beautiful morning that threatened to turn humid later in the day, but was perfect for open windows and doors in the meantime.

Something strawberry-y and banana-y will be happening.

Strawberries & late spring morning sun

I was headed off to Texas later in the week, so it was a great time to try out some new banana-based recipes with a pot of Trader Joe's gingerbread coffee. They only have it out during the December holidays, so I buy in bulk and ration it during the year because it has bits of real ginger and is a nice, balanced, cinnamony blend.  (I'd link to it, but it's seasonal, so just file it away in your brain for the next time the temperatures drop and you're thinking about how quickly the year flew by.)

Pieces of clove, ginger, cinnamon, allspice--
I haven't been able to replicate it yet.

I found a recipe for strawberry-banana muffins (or bread) that sounded perfect. I made the same blog's banana-blueberry bread as well (more on that later).  I brought them to work and folks were really positive about them; the only adjustments I made were to add a bit more banana and add a brown sugar topping, but you could go all the way with a crumb topping that would make them even better. Though it would probably push them safely out of the realm of justifiably healthy, but muffins are basically cake, right?

Strawberry-banana muffins cooling. Leave enough time
before prying them out or you'll burn your  fingers. So I've heard.

Strawberry-Banana Muffins (makes 12)
(adapated from Two of a Kind Working on a Full House)
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar, packed (plus more for sprinkling)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 medium bananas, divided (1 mashed and 1sliced)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries, diced (source says frozen works well)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare muffin tins with liners (or cooking spray). 
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon and stir to combine.
3. Slice one banana into thin discs (1/4-1/2 inch in width). Set aside. Slice 3-4 strawberries into thin slices, enough for at least one thin slice to top 12 muffins.
4. Mash the second banana in a bowl. Add the mashed banana to the dry ingredients and stir. 
5. Add the oil, beaten egg white, vanilla and stir until just combined. Gently fold in 3/4 cup strawberries.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and top with at one strawberry slice and one banana slice each, pressing gently into surface of the batter. This is where I sprinkle on extra brown sugar a cinnamon.
7. Bake for about 25-30 minutes; check for doneness using a toothpick  through the center of a muffin (muffins are done when toothpick comes out clean, with no chunks of batter continuing to cling).  

Tasty both cold and warm; they are super yummy toasted with butter.

Muffins don't need any specific beverage, but let's face it:
sugary, fruity, gingery, caffeiney = good morning.