This is a recipe that I got out of the book The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen. Since this book was recently #3 on the New York Times best selling list and he was the chef who helped Oprah with her 21 day vegan cleanse I figured this book was worth taking a look at. The photographs in the book are stunning and every recipe has a picture with it which I think is a big plus for every person looking for recipes.
Everything in the book looks amazing and is worth trying. He does use a lot more oils and fat filled foods than I prefer but I will just alter the recipes to use less or no fats where I can while keeping as much of the recipe in tact as possible. That is what I did with this corn chowder. I did not use any oil what so ever and I think it turned out wonderfully.
I would however suggest organic frozen (already off the cob) corn be used. Fresh corn can be not so fresh and if that is the case it can ruin the entire soup and I don’t think it is worth the risk. One other tip I would give is cooking one potato in the microwave and mashing it and add it half way through instead of mashing some on the side of the pan since that gets very hot.
I am typing the recipe exactly as it is in the book and will make side comments where I changed something.
Corn Chowder from The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen
serves:6
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I steamed in water-no oil)
2 cups diced Vidalia onions
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, de-ribbed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 dried chipotle pepper
5 cups faux chicken stock (try Better Than Bouillon brand)
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 fresh thyme sprig
Kernels from 6 ears of corn, plus 2 ears roasted or grilled corn (as I stated above I used frozen corn at eyeballed amount that looked good-roasted 1 cup in the oven)
1 1/2 cups thick Cashew Cream (see below for recipe)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives
1/2 cup diced tomato
- Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect. (As I said above I just steamed my veggies in the water using no oil)
- Add the onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and chipotle pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the stock, potatoes, and thyme, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- With the back of a spoon, smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the soup. Add the raw corn and Cashew Cream, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the chipotle pepper and thyme sprigs. Garnish with the chives, tomato, and roasted corn kernels.
Cashew Cream
2 cups whole raw cashews (not pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water.
- Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
- Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place in a blend with enough fresh cold water to just cover them. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth.
That looks divine! I’m also mad at Peta for installing him with Oprah. She has always struggled with her weight and his dishes are too complex and filled with fat. 21 days of eating out at a restaurant is not what people need. Our biggest shot at converting the most influential woman and he blew it! (ok I know I’m being too hard on him!!!) Imagine if Oprah did 21 days with Dr. McDougall. Our world would be saved!
OH Lex, that would be AMAZING if Dr. McDougall could get on Oprah. I don’t think Tal Ronnen ruined our chances to help the world see. I actually think for people like her who have super rich tastes his type of food might be a good start and then if Dr. McDougall slipped in now she would better be able to handle the change (would not feel so drastic to her since she is now familiar). How can we make this happen!!!?? If we could get any of the big doctors or the whole panel of them from Dr. M, Dr. Barnard, Dr. Furhman, and so on to get on there wow what a change we might see! Lets brains storm and make that happen!
Kim
I think one major shortcoming of Tal Ronnen’s recipes is that you don’t know their nutritional value. It would help a lot if he listed these details …especially the saturated fat content. A lot of people look to vegan food as a healthy alternative – but if it’s full of saturated fat you may not be getting a nutritional benefit at all.