1 small green pepper, diced
2 jalepeno peppers, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can creamed corn
1 small package of frozen corn niblets
1 fresh salmon fillet (about 3/4 lb) skinned and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Diced Smoked fish to taste (don’t overdue it, a little goes a long way, but it adds a nice smoky flavor, and takes the place of smoked bacon or fatback called for in many chowder recipes)
1/2 cup Skim Plus milk (or milk of your choice)
A little half-and-half, maybe 1/4 cup — add more or less milk and/or half-and-half to achieve the consistency you desire in the chowder. I wanted it kind of thick.
1 Tbs olive oil for sweating the vegetables
1 Tbs sherry (just for the nice flavor it imparts — leave it out or use more as you desire)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes for a little more kick
2 Tbs butter
salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
Saute the potatoes, celery, onion, green pepper, jalepeno pepper, and garlic in a little olive oil in a large pot over medium heat to soften them and give them flavor. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatos are cooked. Drain the water and add the creamed corn and corn niblets to the pot, followed by the milk, half-and-half, sherry, butter, and red pepper flakes. Add the cubed salmon and smoked fish and then salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for about 20 minutes to be sure the salmon is cooked. Serve and enjoy with any bread of your choice, but if you have access to sourdough french baguettes, try the toast below.
Sourdough French Baguette Preparation:
Slice a sourdough french baguette on a diagonal making slices about 1/2 inch thick
Arrange slices on a baking sheet
Liberally coat each slice with olive oil and rub the oil in
Top each slice with fresh ground black pepper to taste
Place in a toaster oven or under the broiler of an oven until nicely browned
The thing that is so refreshing about Mama Dip is that she never follows recipes. She learned from an early age the process of “dump” cooking – dump in a little of this, a little of that, a pinch of seasoning, a palm full of sugar. And then taste. By trial and error a dish was created. Mothers passed the recipes to children by hands on cooking and observation. When Mama Dip was asked to write a cookbook she was forced to measure for the first time in her life in order to be sure that all of us who lacked her innate sense of taste would not fail. Another feature of her dishes is cooking with what you have- no fancy ingredients required. It is good down home cooking and usually seasonal in its approach. Since this time of year we are relying more on canned tomatoes, Mama Dip’s tomato casserole is a winner. I have to warn you, you may think you are eating dessert when you try this because it is a little sweet. But what better way to get non-lovers of tomatoes to eat what is good for them. This recipe was printed in Southern Living magazine.
