Crockpot Corn & Potato Chowder

Photo Caption: I forgot to include carrots in this picture because they were an afterthought.

We decided this week that we would not go to the grocery store or eat out. Jason did cheat yesterday and go to McDonalds, but that is okay. That means we have to eat what we have left over in the fridge and pantry. Challenge accepted. 

As of this morning, we were down to celery and 5 red potatoes in the produce door. Combine that with a freezer of varies frozen vegetables and we may actually be able to do it. After some quick research, I found this Crockpot Corn Chowder and had somewhere to start. With a few modifications (I don’t have any onions or coriander), this recipe turned out delicious and filling and quick the impressive adventure if you ask me. Enjoy and feel free to modify it to what you have in your freezer/fridge pantry.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream (I used heavy whipping cream I had left over from Fondue a month ago. score)
• 1 can (10 oz) Cream of Mushroom Soup (or any other Cream of Chicken/Celery would work)
• 5 small red potatoes, cubed
• 2-3 ribs of celery, sliced
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 cup diced carrots
• Kielbasa or other smoked meat, cut into thin slices ( I didn’t use the whole package and wish I did)
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp ground pepper, or to taste
• Dash of Parsley
• Dash of Cumin
• Dash of Onion Powder
• Dash of Garlic Powder
• Dash of Thyme

As you can see, the spices are really up to you and what you like. Don’t overdue it, since you can always add more at the end.

Put everything in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Test it and add additional spices as needed. ENJOY!

Sorry my picture doesn’t look very appetizing, I am not a photographer. This soup was delicious and I am excited to eat it for lunch tomorrow. 🙂

Gourmet Portland Pizza

This weekend I was in Portland visiting my dear friends down there. I showed up just in time for dinner on Friday. Kylie made this pizza using Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza dough. The toppings included salumi, roasted red peppers (that they roasted themselves!), I think basil and mozarella and had an olive oil sauce instead of tomatoes. Delicious!

If you haven’t picked up the pizza dough from Trader Joe’s, its a must. For $1.29 you get the base for a delicious and homemade gourmet pizza!

Thanks Coco, Kylie and Trevor!

Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo

I have been craving something with shrimp for exactly one month. At my birthday party at the end of March, my grandma prepared a baked potato bar complete with pan seared shrimp. Don’t get me wrong, I love baked potatoes, but I could have taken the whole bowl of shrimp and been happy. After a quick call to my grandma, I soon discovered shrimp was easier to cook than previously thought. If you have not cooked with shrimp before, have no fear. This recipe has been adapted from Myrecipes.com and feeds two people. You can easily double it if you want left overs or to feed more people.

Ingredients

• Linguine pasta (enough for two people)
• 1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup half-and-half (or whipping cream)
• 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, Drain pasta in a colander and place back in pot. Mix in a small drop of olive oil to keep pasta from sticking to itself.
2. Combine shrimp, onions, and garlic in a small bowl and mix. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter; swirl to coat. Add shrimp mixture, and sauté for 4 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove from pan; keep warm.
3. Reduce heat to medium. In a 1 quart pot combine Parmigiano-Reggiano, half-and-half (or whipping cream), cream cheese, and pepper to pan. Cook 2 minutes or until cheeses melt. Add more half-and-half if necessary and whisk in flour to enhance thickness. Combine pasta, cheese mixture, and shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with parsley.
4. Enjoy!