Lenten Corn Chowder & PB Banana Smoothies

I’m participating in the Faith & Family Lenten recipe swap. I also plan on hosting a feature I’ve dubbed Meatless Mondays throughout Lent where I’ll share my family’s favorite vegetarian/seafood recipes. As a former vegetarian, I routinely serve up meatless dinners two to three times a week and am always looking for meat-free recipes to add to my meal rotation.

At any rate, enjoy this simple corn chowder. It can easily be doubled. The recipe below serves about four people. To pack more protein into dinnertime, I often serve smoothies with my veggie recipes. Thus, I’ve included the recipe for a peanut butter banana smoothie that’s a family favorite. Turn leftovers into frosty treats by freezing them into Popsicle molds.

Be sure to stop by Faith & Family Live! for more Lent-friendly recipes, and stay tuned for my Meatless Mondays.

Lenten Corn Chowder

2 tablespoons butter
2 scallions, green and white parts thinly sliced and separated
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder (reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if your family doesn’t like food with a little kick)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 10-ounce packages of frozen corn kernels
2 14.5-ounce cans of vegetable broth
2 cups whole milk (you can substitute 2 percent milk if you’re watching your waistline, but don’t use skim; the soup will lose its creaminess)
Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the white parts of the scallions, carrots, celery, garlic, chili powder, and oregano. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Stir contents occasionally until the scallions soften, about 3 minutes.

Add potatoes, corn, broth, and milk.

Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes soften, about 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with green part of scallions. Season with salt and pepper.

This soup can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to one day.

PB Banana Smoothie

2 bananas
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 to 2 cups skim milk
Two heaping spoonfuls of PB (I eyeball this and often taste the smoothie to make sure it has enough PB. We love PB around our house.)
2 tablespoons ground flax meal
2 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon (again, I eyeball this; I’m guessing I add about 1 teaspoon)
About 4 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients together. Taste and add ingredients to suit your family’s taste buds.