End a long day with this soothing and slightly spicy Gluten Free Roasted Poblano Creamy Corn Chowder. And then enjoy it day after day after day because it just keeps getting better.
I can hardly move as I sit here typing. I am exhausted. Plain old pooped. I’ve been surfing three times in three days. And also running, and biking, and working out, and taking care of children, and cooking, and blogging, and…
I can’t even complain about it because it’s all my fault. I’ve done it to myself. I have a problem. It’s an addiction. A hardcore addiction.
I am addicted to activities.
That’s it. I can’t help myself. I fill my days with one activity after another. I hate to say “no” to anything and therefore I say “yes” to almost everything, especially if it is something fun.
Surfing? Sure!!!
Beach day? Why not!!!
Free rec center classes for the kids? Of course!!!
Track night? Girls’ night out? Potluck at the beach? Play date at the park? Hike? Bike ride? Kayak? Field trip? Birthday party? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!
Do you see my issue here???
Okay, but here’s the thing. Some people can live this high life, partying 24/7, and usually their children, homes, or spouses suffer because of neglect. I, however, just work on overdrive because I am OCD like that. I end up cleaning until 10:00 at night, I catch up with Ben while I blog, and I try to include my children in all the activities I participate in. So, hopefully other aspects of my life can remain intact.
Plus, I am a stickler for eating home cooked meals and sitting down as a family at the dinner table almost every night of the week to make sure that we get that ideally “uninterrupted” and “focused” conversation that apparently is essential in positive family dynamics. Yeah, we’re still working on the dinner conversation. Most days I feel like it’s dinner nagging, and scolding, and correcting with a few laughs sprinkled in between.
Once the night finally ends, I find myself going to bed between midnight and 1:00 am every night and waking up by 6-6:30 every morning to run and start the day all over again. Every. Single. Day.
I’m really not complaining here. It’s AWESOME!!! I love my life here in Hawaii.
Earlier this week I biked Braelyn to school and then continued on a bike ride to the beach with Emry. After a 45 minute loop (and noticing the beautiful waves off the shore), I returned home, took Emry to preschool, and headed out surfing for an hour. Later that evening, I joined a track group that meets weekly at the local high school and ran 400 meter intervals with short breaks in between.
I slept well that night.
As exhilarating as my days may be, I’m inevitably exhausted by the time they end. All I want is to come home to a cozy dinner, sit at the kitchen table with my yummy food and fabulous family, and just plain old VEG OUT.
And if I’m sitting there vegging out with my peeps, I wouldn’t mind doing it with a bowlful of this hearty Gluten Free Roasted Poblano Creamy Corn Chowder.
Hit the pause button right there. I have something to say. I LOVE corn chowder. That’s it. I just felt the need to say that.
I really, really do love corn chowder though. If any menu offers corn chowder, I feel a moral obligation to try it just because I love it that much. Some disappoint, and sure that breaks a little piece of my heart inside. But, most just make me happy.
Anyway, the roasted poblano flare in this corn chowder takes it to the next level. It elevates it from corn chowder to CORN CHOWDER!!!
Not only does it have roasted onions and poblano peppers, but I also threw in some diced greens chilis for another variety of spice. Yes my friends, this soup does have a kick to it. Not like it’s going to burn your mouth off. Heck, I fed it to my children. And although they took a sip of water in between each bite, they are still alive and well.
I also invited my neighbor to join us for dinner. She claimed to be sensitive to spice, yet she ate an entire bowl. Come to think of it, maybe she was just being polite. Nah!
Really, this soup has a fantastic flavor. Roasting the poblanos adds a subtly pleasant heat, and roasting the potatoes before adding them to the chowder enhances their natural flavor. In fact, I was lucky any potatoes made it into the soup. Emry kept snagging them off the roasting pan while the chowder was simmering. Little stinker.
The other perk about this soup (and almost all soups for that matter) is that it can be made in advance. Make it in the morning and throw it in the crock pot to warm all day. Or make it the night before and heat it on the stove top before serving. However you want to do it, or whenever you have time…just DO IT! The flavor only gets better the longer it sits, so you can drool over leftovers all week long if you’d like. You just might want to make a double batch to last you that long.
Aside from the soup itself being magical, you can really have fun with the toppings on this chowder. Fresh cilantro is a dream come true paired with all the southwest flavors. Bacon (for those non vegetarians) adds a salty, crispy crunch. Tortilla chips are perfect for scooping. Sour cream is nice to cool down the spice. And cheese…well, HELLO! Cheese is cheese. Enough said.
So there you go. Spice up your life a little by spicing up your chowder. It may not be the most exciting of adventures, but an adventure nonetheless.
Describe your perfect chowder.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped into about 6 large pieces
- 4 medium russet potatoes, washed, peeled (optional) and cut into bite sized pieces
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1 quart chicken stock (vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 oz. package of mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup diced celery
- ¼ cup white rice flour
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 1 small can mild green chilis
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, bacon bits (non-vegetarian), cilantro, tortilla chips, pickled jalapenos, etc.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. While oven is heating, prepare roasting veggies by chopping onion and cutting potatoes. Spray a pan with cooking spray and scatter onions and potatoes. Place poblano pepper on pan. Drizzle veggies with olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat all veggies and roast at 425 for 30 mins.
- Remove pan from oven and allow veggies to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully peel skin from pepper and remove stem, core, and seeds. Place remaining pepper, onion, chicken stock, and garlic in a blender. Blend until smooth. Reserve potatoes for later.
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Once pan is hot enough that drop of water sizzles, add chopped mushrooms and celery. Season with a few shakes of salt and pepper. Saute in butter for 5 mins. Add flour and stir until coated. Add wine and stir until a paste forms. Slowly add blended stock and stir vigorously. Bring to a boil and stir for 5 mins. Add cream, chilis, cream cheese, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Stir until cream cheese is completely melted (you may need to whisk to completely melt).
- Bring pot to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30-45 minutes until thickened. Add potatoes and frozen corn. Warm through and serve with desired toppings.
