Feb. 1 - Corn Chowder & Bread

Today I made a new bread in my bread machine! I was super excited to try something new - a beer cheese bread...and, boy, was it FANTASTIC! It was a cinch to make (I adore that machine) and I could have easily eaten the entire loaf if I had the appetite. I paired it with a low-fat/low-cal corn chowder for a pretty healthy dinner.The soup was a little bland, but with some extra salt and pepper, it made it a lot better. And at 205 calories/serving, and filling after just one bowl, you can't get much better than that! Lindsay and the boy enjoyed the soup and bread, too, and even Luke devoured little bites of the bread. Here are the recipes:

Corn Chowder
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons finely diced celery
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
2 tablespoons finely diced green pepper
1 package frozen whole kernel corn (10 oz.)
1 cup peeled, diced, 1/2" raw potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups low-fat (1%) or skim milk
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

Directions

1.  Heat oil in medium saucepan. 
2. Add celery, onion, and green pepper and saute for 2 minutes. 
3. Add corn, potatoes, water, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium; and cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 
4. Place 1/2 cup milk in a jar with tight fitting lid. Add flour and shake vigorously. Add gradually to cooked vegetables and add remaining milk. 
5. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

Beer Cheese Bread
Ingredients
1 package yeast
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter
10 ounces beer, flat
4 ounces American cheese
4 ounces Jack cheese, cut in 1/4" cubes

Directions

1. Warm beer and American cheese over low heat on top of stove or in microwave. Cheese doesn't need to melt completely. Stir. 
2. Add all ingredients in the order listed. 
3. Use basic bread cycle for 1.5 lb. loaf.