Corn Chowder

12/14/10 Trader Joe's total: $42.67

12/16/10 Fresh & Easy cash total $16.82

Jamba Juice cash total: $7

Colder weather calls for warmer food. Like I said earlier this month, I'm all about soup. The Lentil soup I made went quick. It was a clear broth based soup. But now I'm wanting something a bit more substantial.

When I started into making a corn based soup, I had a real reason. I like corn chips, but for some reason I tend to abandon a bag with about 1/5 remaining. Maybe its the effort to getting through the broken chips and crumbs, but I just don't finish the bag. I hate that waste, so I figured I'd make a corn soup and add the chips to it, kind of like chili and saltines. The more I went on mixing this chowder, the more I realized it was going to be a big meal!

Corn Chowder
**If using fresh corn, I'd recommend 10-15 stalks shucked. 1/3 should be creamed (water, corn starch and blend in a blender) and the rest set aside.

1lb frozen corn
2 cans whole corn
2-3 cans creamed corn

2lb potatoes cut into cubes
1lb yellow split peas
2 bricks silken tofu
1 cup corn meal

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash and drain yellow split peas and start to cook in 6 quart pot 1/3 filled with water.
Cut and wash potatoes and when peas half cooked, add potatoes and 2 tsp salt. Allow to cook until potatoes are tender.
Add frozen corn. Add more water if needed. Cook for 20 min before adding canned corn. If you are using fresh corn, add non creamed corn in 2 parts and allow 20min of cook time between additions.

(Chowder before creamed tofu.)

Take creamed corn and tofu and blend in blender.

Add corn meal to pot and cook for 10 min.
Add blended tofu and creamed corn to pot. Add 2tsp salt and dust with pepper.

Allow to simmer until corn meal thickens chowder and potatoes become grainy.

This turned out so well and I made it on the fly!

The bad news is it tastes terrible with the corn chips, but aw well.