Recipe: Gwen's Seafood Chowder (blender)

GWEN'S SEAFOOD CHOWDER

"Rich-tasting but surprisingly low in calories, this seafood chowder combines carrots, onions, and chunks of potatoes with an assortment of shrimp, scallops, and whitefish. It is then seasoned and served as a creamy soup. It can be a main dish when accompanied by green salad and a loaf of dark bread. It can be made up to four days ahead of time and frozen."

2 cups minced onion
2 teaspoons olive oil (or butter)
2/3 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup minced celery
1 cup diced red potato, skins intact
1 cup clam juice (or fish stock)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups fat free milk
1 cup half and half
1/2 pound cooked shrimp meat
1/2 pound bay scallops
1/4 pound red snapper fillets, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
herbal salt substitute and pepper (optional)

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, saute onion in oil and sherry until soft.

Add carrots, celery, and potato and saute 2 minutes.

Add clam juice and cover. Simmer until potatoes are soft (about 15 minutes).

Puree half of the mixture in a blender until smooth, then return to pot.

Add tomato paste, cayenne, nonfat milk, half-and-half, shrimp, scallops, and snapper. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, and cook 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt substitute and pepper (if desired).

Makes 6 servings
Source: the California Culinary Academy