I have recently developed a love for cooking. Well, maybe it is more like a “crush” on cooking. You see,
my friend, Pinterest, introduced us and I have been looking for reasons to go back for more.
Plus, I enjoy the challenge. As a type-A, task oriented working mom, I have to find ways to fulfill my
creative side while actually getting something done. Thankfully, cooking has been that outlet. Coupled
with a challenge from my husband to cook meals within a budget, I am living for the challenge. After
years of dreading the task, I can actually say that I look forward to meal planning and my Sunday
afternoon cooking sessions. It has become like a game – how much can I buy? How much did I save?
How many meals can I make?
Trust me. This is still new to me. I don’t claim to know the tips, tricks that Martha Stewart brings to the
table (yes, that pun was intended), but I have enjoyed learning. I can follow a recipe like the best of
them and it has further improved my confidence in my new found skill.
So that being said, this recipe (and I use that very loosely) can be customized to meet your tastes and
preferences. It is from Mamasita, the woman of “a little bit of this and a little bit of that”. She showed
me her ways a few weeks ago, and although I am still getting the hang of it, I will try to share her ways.
Potato, Ham and Corn Chowder
3-4 Medium/Large potatoes or 6-8 small potatoes (washed, peeled and diced)
1 medium onion, diced
2 T Minced garlic
1 -2 cups of diced ham
½ pkg of frozen corn
1 carton of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken
Salt, pepper to taste
Adobo (my seasoning preference)
In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add onion and minced garlic. You can add more or less depending on
your preference. Sauté onions until they are soft and translucent. Add diced potatoes and
ham. Sauté until potatoes start to get tender. You are just trying to transfer the flavors of the onion
and garlic to the potatoes & ham. Ham will start to brown on the edges. Add the entire carton of
chicken broth. Let pot simmer for 10- 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Depending on the
consistency of your soup/chowder, the amount of potatoes, etc, you can adjust the consistency
by covering the batch to thicken it up or leave it uncovered to keep it runny. Add the can of cream
of chicken. This is purely meant to add creaminess without the use of milk or heavy cream, for the
lactose intolerant folks Season to taste. I like a lot of pepper and Adobo, keeping in mind that my
ham will provide additional salt for flavor. Finally, add frozen corn based on preference and size of
batch. I typically add a ½ package frozen corn. Continue cooking until corn has thawed.
Enjoy!
