Potato Leek Soup

We love this soup! My kids really like it and I am glad because it is really good for them. Leeks are full of folate, manganese, vitamin K & more. Now for this recipe, you will need a wand blender (aka immersion blender or stick blender). You could try it with a regular blender or food processor but I would imagine that it could be a more difficult process. So here is the recipe:

3 leeks

4 Tbsp butter (or 2 Tbsp butter & 2 Tbsp olive oil)

4 medium potatoes

6 cups chicken or turkey stock (homemade is best)

thyme (fresh: a few sprigs tied together. Dry: 1-2 teaspoons)

salt

pepper

1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche

Directions: Clean and chop leeks then sautée in butter & oil until soft. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, thyme, salt & pepper and cook until potatoes are tender. Let it cool a bit. If you're using fresh thyme, remove the thyme. Using the wand blender, purée the soup. Add sour cream & blend once more until mixed in & a bit frothy. 

Tip: I make chicken stock whenever I cook a chicken, then I keep the stock in yogurt containers in the freezer. For this recipe, I use 2 yogurt containers. I try to remember to take out the frozen stock ahead of time, but if I forget, that's okay, this recipe can be made using frozen stock. It'll just take longer to bring to a boil. 

Corn Chowder

I made some delicious corn chowder tonight. Here is what I did:

Melt about 1 tbsp of butter in large saucepan

Add minced onions and cook until onions are clear

Add a tbsp of flour and stir

Add about 3 cups of broth or water (I used some leftover juice from cooking mussels the other night + water)

chop some potatoes and carrots and add to the mix. (2 big potatoes, 2 medium carrots)

Cook until veggies are tender over medium high heat

Add a can of creamed corn

Add some whole kernel corn (canned or from frozen)

Add salt & pepper to taste

Heat through

Add 1 1/2 cups of milk and heat through while stirring occasionally

Done! Serve with warm biscuits :)

*You can also add some cooked crumbled bacon to add more flavour.