just in case...

If you only stop by to check out recipes and stuff....cuz perhaps you are not too crazy about usual day to day drivel on blogs.... and lots of folks aren't, it is no biggie... but, just this one time, you may want to check out my other blog.

It is my 100th post over there and I made a little Christmas ornie to give away.

...bits....and "edited" bits...

Found this picture somewhere on the 'net... awww... animals at the festive season! Such a little sweetie.
Nope, it is not one of the many cats that I have had in the past. Actually this little one looks so cute sitting in there; not damaging anything. Mine were not bad really...just ... well... sometimes, overly playful.. and one was far too "large" to be launching himself at trees. He grew to be 22 lbs. (his name was Tyke of all things). Some fool named him that when she saw him as a 4 week old kitten. He used to dive into the tree about 4 or so feet up it... and knock it flat. Then, just climb out and wander away...as if it was his duty or something. At least several times a season...Merry Ho Ho HO.... We tried a special spray that was supposed to keep cats off trees... what a waste of money. They didn't even notice... all they knew was... it was something different..something from outside, something to play with or ..IN...










This is Tyke, still not full grown... you can see he already knows how to read. Here he is checking the gift tag on a rather large gift .. just seems to think the biggest is reserved for him or something.










Oh, I'm sorry..... .. guess it was... looks like he is just going to sit on things 'til morning though .. oh, sure ... look all angelic for the camera lens you two; I know you better than that! Just wait til I turn my back. Brother....... you two get the cat Oscars. Honestly!!........

These are pictures I took of old photos so are not that good quality wise..but definitely give you the idea.....yep... you can definitely see through their ruse alright..... That is Tyke's sidekick, Button. A little stray that somebody found and brought to the dental office to give away to somebody...anybody... but I took him home. He is a whole other story.... what a character. You can see he had some Siamese in him... and he had the most beautiful blue eyes even though they are not discernible here.

I happened to see some of Martha today while doing my 40 minutes on the treadmill... ...Yes!! happily I am back to being able to work out! foot is all better!.. Anyway... where was I? ... Oh, yeh.... sidetracked... as usual... ahem..... to keep pets from drinking the water in your tree stand.. get ..or make of course, if you are Martha... a large enough tree skirt to come to where you can see it but .... put it OVER the tree stand to cover the water .... simple yet clever.

Today we had a great Shepherd's Pie with ground turkey instead of beef. A lovely thick topping of whipped potatoes mounded onto a variety of nice veggies...












Bake it and take it .... directly to the freezer. Okay....well, at least half of it. A great way not to eat it all...out of sight out of mind.. sort of. Cranberry Orange Loaf. I really enjoy a slice of loaf with tea, and love the flavour of this one. You can make a drizzle of orange if you like or just leave it plain. Either way it is very tasty.
I like to double wrap each slice and then put them all into a second freezer bag or tin. When I make up lunches... there they are... or for a day when I don't feel like baking or don't have time... all ready and waiting. It makes me feel so clever.... so, I keep baking and stashing...

Baking day ...

A few weeks ago Katherine posted a recipe for a fresh apple cake and I was eager to give it a try. I don't know what made me think it was a loaf... back to basics : read the whole recipe first. Probably it was just me...and the fact that I like loaves...prefer them actually, unless it is carrot cake. But this is a large cake. 9 X 13 large as a matter fact. Here is a little slice for you. I absolutely could not make myself use the 2 cups of sugar it called for.... .. I opted for only 1, and it was still plenty. I also added a few more spices.... quite yummy. Tx Katherine.











It was a baking day.... apple cake.... some banana choc-chip muffins for the freezer....












and then... pizza.

Fresh Apple Cake

Ingredients:

4 cups finely chopped, peeled apples

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 beaten eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Butter (or spray) a 13x9x2 inch baking pan.

Combine apples and sugar. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and soda. Add to apple mixture; stir until just combined. Stir in nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bakeat 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Cool completely in pan. This cake is very moist!

......jewel salad?

This salad always me think of emeralds, rubies and gold. It could be a special salad for any festive occasion, but, in reality, save this jewel for a simpler time. How about a day or two after a huge meal or family gathering? When all the fuss is done. It is perfect for a day when there is more time to enjoy this little beauty paired with something simple. Perhaps a slice of chicken or a little chunk of meatloaf ... or on a summer's day when all you crave is an amazing little salad all by itself. What an ornament it makes then!!










Of course, a salad has no feelings. It is silly to consider that, but..somehow I almost feel sorry for wilted, drooping lettuce as I try to salvage an untouched masterpiece at meal's end. What a waste. It's gotta be tough to be a salad ... any salad ... on a Thanksgiving table or at a Christmas feast.... forget it! Surrounded by too much turkey, potatoes, fancy veggies.... and don't forget...leave room for dessert !!!! ohhhh, the "groaning board" of superfluity .... Let's celebrate salad, especially this salad, on its own merit.... or at least just with something kind of .. uhm... simple or lacking or clever.

Use any greens that have some daintiness to them and that appeal to you.... I usually try to find a bag of baby greens or Spring Mix...something interesting that has a bit of radiccio in it to go with the colour of the beets. Add some slices of pickled beets and arrange some peeled slices of orange on top of those (I cut the peel off after making the slices).... add some thinly sliced red onion on top. Choose a flat plate that will enhance the overall appearance. It looks fine in a shallow glass bowl...but see how much more artistic it looks on the large, coloured square?

Orange Vinaigrette

1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (I like to use Rice Vinegar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp orange zest
2 tsp Dijon mustard
optional: a little blob of liquid honey

In a two cup measuring cup or similar size container... pour the orange juice and vinegar. Add the Dijon mustard, whisk all together (the mustard is helpful as a binder to keep the vinaigrette from separating). Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking the full time.... again to prevent separation of the liquids. I like to add a bit of sweet basil, a tiny sprinkle of salt and some honey...then whisk vigorously once more. If you don't have a tiny whisk...a fork will work just fine. I don't bother taking out or cleaning my whisk for this. If you don't need this much vinaigrette...just halve it.

You will get used to adding and subtracting once you have tried a vinaigrette a few times. It is more or less half and half ...oil and acidic .... sometimes I make a great lemon vinaigrette as well.... with honey and mustard as well. You can have a bit less lemon, a bit more honey... so that it is not too "puckery". I like to play with my own versions so I can control the salt and have no preservatives. Still have not found a bottled salad dressing that I like. Okay...there you go.... play with your food. Its more fun that way isn't it?

stuffed salmon fillet

There is a small fish shop in a fun little shopping centre near where I live. As a matter of fact, it is right between the liquor store and the cheese shop ... one shop away from an amazing kitchen and cooking appliance shop; just around the corner from my fav knickknack shop which is also only one shop away from AMA and a bank.... all in all a busy, handy, little shopping center!!














oops...forgot to mention the fly fishing shop...which has all sorts of goodies for use with bear and doll making(don't have a pic of it). The guys laugh when I tell them what I am using their "stuff" for...although one of them has a wife who does crafts and so he knows how great the racks of feathers, fur and glittery things look to us.

Anyway .... oops... where was I? totally lost the plot there for a bit. Oh, yeh... fish. I often get the stuffed salmon fillets when I go to the fish shop...then one day they were out of them. So..I asked what ingredients they used and just bought fillets... the price difference is not great..but it definitely is cheaper to make my own. I picked up some wild rice on my way home and here is my effort.










The filling is mashied potatoes ( hahahah..... better make that "mashed" ... although there used to be a mashie in Scotland in the 1800's ... it was a type of golf club! Gold mine of useless trivia; that's me! ... wish I could remember the important stuff. lol )

To the cooled mashed spuds I added a bit of beaten egg white, a little drop of oil, some cooked wild rice, tiny dice of celery and carrots. The "fishman's" wife doesn't add onions and garlic...but I did... just a smidgin to give it a bit more flavour. It can sit in a covered casserole (in the fridge) like this for hours or even for the day...

At baking time... preheat oven to 375F, 190C ..... coat room temperature baking dish (I just hesitate to put a cold glass baking dish in a hot oven) with vegetable oil..... place a dab of butter on top of each fillet, salt and pepper to taste.... and bake for about 10 to 5 minutes, uncovered. Better to check early than overcook your salmon... you can gently turn it on its side... and slightly part the center to have a little peek. If it is not cooked to your liking just bake a minute more..

Serve with a side dish of some veggies or a beautiful salad and you have an easy wonderful meal. Bon appetit !

... a rat in the kitchen....

... but such a cute rat!

Some of you may visit my other (supposed to be bear and doll making) blog and some don't... and vice versa... so today ... same post, different blog for each of them. Not that the recipe is "to-die-for" ...although it is very tasty... but I think the situation is a fun one.






Have you seen Ratatouille yet? I love it; have watched it several times already. The wine in the glass moves like the real thing....... ..the looks on little Remy's face are priceless, his brother Emile is hilarious, .... maybe it is because I like to cook and know a few things about ingredients, herbs and recipes that it really strikes a chord...who knows. All I know is...I love it. And the thing of it is.... it definitely seems to have spurred me on this past few weeks. I have not done any bear or doll making at all... just having some fun in the kitchen.

::: aside to Judi...... I, did, however, find some parka material and some "liquid silver" fabric to use for my mermaid's tail!! }}}

Ratatouille is a common dish ... very common actually; it is a French peasant dish. Almost every cook book sports at least one and sometimes two different versions. None of them looked like the exquisite version served to the food critic in the movie. They all looked like a soup or stew and not all that appetizing to my eye.... although the ingredients were lovely veggies. But, you know how most veggies look after cooking... nyeh.... ...... and some of the recipes wanted them cooked for hours. Kept looking..... and found the original recipe used as the basis for the look of the dish in the movie. Printed in The New York Times of all places. However, it was one of those that seems pretty confusing and more than a bit time consuming. I decided to wing it and invent my own version making it look a bit more appetizing. Then, the other day, while blog hopping, I landed on the Smitten Kitchen ... and ....this! Okay...this is more like it. Simple, yet probably tastes just as great...looks very nice and the veggies still look like veggies. Copy, print, and cook.

I don't own a mandoline as she does..so the cutting takes a bit of time...but the layering is the most time consuming it seems. And... because my zucchini and my eggplant were miles apart in size...I had to compensate a bit to make it look appealing. I used two little zucchini rounds for each layer.... and cut the whole eggplant in half to begin with and then in quarters for some of the layering especially around the curves. Yes, yes...a lot of fiddling..but for the first go round..I wanted to see if I could make it look similar to the original. I like my effort.... Greg loved my effort...and it disappeared in a single sitting.



Before baking.





I served it over couscous with a few small chunks of Feta cheese sprinkled on top; a thick round of sourdough bread and lovely glass of Mouton Cadet.... who knows if it is recommended as a pairing for such a peasant dish .. lol ... but, after all, it is French as well... maybe the Baron wouldn't mind. All in all...a wonderful combination for us. I was happy about the couscous under our little layer of Ratatouille ... as the sauce is pretty flavourful and would have been almost too overpowering on its own. I still wouldn't mind trying some of the other ingredients called for in the original recipe and perhaps combining the two somehow.... ... hmmmm.......










The finished dish...over couscous...still maintaining some semblance of the original veggies even though they have been baked for 45 minutes. (sealed under parchment paper)

Check out this guy's recipe too if you are interested in other options...think I might like this one as well.

UPDATE: I have discovered that Johnny has a "other half" .... her name is Mel... check out their site...

Pork and mushrooms in gravy.....

I get to this point and somebody walks in the door and says..... something smells good already!! I love cooking for this guy. He is so easy to please.... lol .....

Brown some country style pork chops in a large skillet. I like to use my electric frying pan actually...it is big and I can control the simmering heat perfectly in it. I like the "big" part because, as many of you know, I always plan on leftovers .. I want them; I need them. For freezer lunches and for lazy days or for busy days, or for when I forget what time it is and am in the middle of a bear head or a doll arm or ... .. well, whatever happens I am prepared with great lunches/suppers in a pinch.










.... ... add onions... move things around to coat with the juices and brown bits.

This week because I seem to have been on a great roll food wise...my freezer container drawer is almost empty! Yaaay.... silly me, I love little things like that. Makes me happy to know I have a cushion and can still have a great dinner even if I don't feel like cooking.

now...where was I? ....oh, yes.......










Toss in chunks of celery ( I like to use some tops as well) and pour in about a cup or so of chicken broth. I add a few teaspoons or so of white wine, or vinegar, or lemon juice.
Use a large spoon to mix it all up well. Add some spices ... your choice, of course. I like Herbs De Provence and a bit of sweet basil and fresh black pepper. Use some salt if you like but check for flavour as the chicken broth can be salty if it is not home made. Look for " sodium reduced" if you are watching salt intake. Mix again ... and let simmer for half an hour or so. I leave the lid on to maintain all the flavour.

If you would like to add other veggies do so now... simmer a bit longer ... another half hour? You don't really have to stand over this but just come back every so often to add or stir just to check on whether you need to add some liquid and give it a taste. You could probably add all the veggies at the same time, but I prefer not to overcook mine, especially the mushrooms..so I am a bit picky as to when I add things. As usual.... your choice...as with all cooking.

How about those mushrooms? sure... add as many as you like. For me they are fairly good size and quartered. Mix it all up once again and simmer some more ..... I find that the longer I simmer this type of chop..the more tender and tasty it becomes. When it has simmered for a total of about 2 hours add some more chicken broth and a cup of water in which about 2 tablespoons of flour has been thoroughly mixed. Thicken and you have a lovely gravy with your chops. You could serve it with creamy mashed potatoes. Almost as good as Sunday Chicken Dinner.

a busy week of food ...

Chicken and Rotini ....



Apple Cobbler...with my favourite McIntosh apples.












Tonight I started a soup from the sprout water, some tomatoes.. celery, onions, tossed in some Chick peas... spices.. veggie broth... not sure yet what I will add tomorrow to finish it off.




Sometimes it seems like I am on a roll with the meals...other weeks, I don't feel like doing as much. But, isn't it just the way... with life and food as well. I went through so many things this week, that I forget what the heck I actually did with some of the recipes...so won't even attempt to remember them this far after the fact. Luckily I did get the halibut recorded right away..it was sooo tasty. Today I did the little lemon chicken for supper ... one of our favs ... and the gravy was the best yet. It gets so much flavour from the onion, garlic and lemon wedges in the bird. I think I got a bit more daring with my spices today... perhaps even more so than other days. It was yummy....

Oh, hey! and I finally found a new pepper mill that I like. The old one just gave up the ghost. How I have missed freshly cracked black pepper. There are too many grinders, mills and shakers to choose from though ... and the price range... ack! I admired one made by Peugeot...but I think they thought they were still selling cars ...I couldn't justify paying that much. Besides... they seemed a bit top heavy...and I wanted the reverse..so it won't fall over when bumped. I already put a dent in my floor with the other one doing that.










This week I want to do some canneloni..so will be looking in my recipes for a tasty one... and Barm Brack. ... love that loaf. A very moist loaf, supposedly of Irish origin... with raisins....

just for the halibut ......

Well, maybe not just for halibut ... maybe it could be for any fish .. but in this case it was definitely halibut. $28.95 worth! Yikes! The price of fish is scary. It used to scare me right away from even attempting to cook fish in my younger days. I was afraid to ruin that much money. I think it took several months of watching the cooking channel til I got brave enough. But, then, I found a couple of recipes and started with a small but delectable piece of fish and I was on my way. Today I was doing 4 good sized fillets so that we could have plan overs as well. Ohhhhh.... and am I glad I did. This recipe is one of Christine Cushing's. Now, don't forget... recipes are just more or less guidelines.... so substitute or leave out spices or anything else you don't particularly like. I have to say here that I have used the sourdough bread for the crumbs as she suggests...but also have used regular bread....and to me, there is absolutely no difference in taste or texture.











Lemon Thyme crusted Halibut with Orange and Tarragon Emulsion.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
4 x 6 oz. halibut fillets (I leave skin on as it tends to fall apart if you take it off)
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh lemon thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
4 tbsp fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Emulsion

1 tbsp butter
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp white wine
2 cups orange juice
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
optional... onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, dab of honey

(I often use dried spices and usually cut down on the tarragon and add some Herbs de Provence or Tuscan Herbs instead)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Heat olive oil and butter in medium skillet. Sear both sides of halibut fillets until caramelized. Cool and set aside.
Put chopped basil, lemon thyme, olive oil, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs in food processor. Pulse until emulsified.
Brush one side of halibut with Dijon mustard. Press herb mixture onto the mustard to form the crust. Repeat with other pieces of fish.
Bake the fish in lightly oiled casserole or baking sheet for 6 to 10 minutes or until it is cooked through.

(Last time I seemed to have more crumbs and coated more than one side of each fillet). the coating keeps the fish soooo moist. If Dijon is not your thing... try half and half mayo and mustard) ... each time you try this if you change things it will be a bit different, but always amazing.

For the emulsion....

Here I go again...changing things... I like to add some finely chopped onion, a tbsp. of lemon juice and just a little bit of honey to my mix. Make sure to taste as you go...

Saute onion in butter in the pan in which you seared the fish. Add chopped ginger (or some ground ginger spice) the white wine, orange juice, tarragon, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and reduce... it will thicken slightly and you may need to add a bit more juice. Taste test... add a bit more seasoning if desired. You should have just enough for a nice spoonful on each fillet.... it will be quite flavourful..you should not need more than this amount.

We like it with Basmati rice which I usually make with half and half veggie broth and water.











When I looked at the "plan-overs" in the containers...they look too bland...so I quickly steamed some carrots to add and now...they look colourful and taste tempting.

don't hold the garlic .....

I have always loved poring over recipes; especially those with wonderful pictures of how a particular dish should look when completed. I have some beautiful large cook books in which I have happily spent many drooling hours. However, I also clip and tear out pages from magazines. Sometimes my magazine piles become a nuisance..... and I have to go through them.... be ruthless and toss most of the recipes. It has to be done. I have to say things like.... I'll NEVER make this.... I better NOT make this.... why did I save this one? So, the other day I was purging old mags and books after having a ripping good time.

I found this in a little 1997 Homemaker's digest. Honestly, I don't have stacks of mags all over the house from that year forward!! Hahahah... it just happened to catch my eye in the little pile of loose papers to which I was consigning the new "loose" guys. I like to try them before I add them to my binders and boxes of recipes that will definitely be used again. If they don't pass muster... they are passed over and tossed for the final time.

On a page devoted to Pesto I found this:...... on the day they were using it with some grilled veggies including eggplant, zucchini, yellow and red peppers, Portobello mushroom caps and red onions. Cut vegetables how you like them ... Grill or broil turning once, until tender crisp and lightly browned ...about 6 to 8 minutes.

Pesto Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. basil pesto
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients (may be made ahead, covered and refrigerated up to 3 days) Toss hot vegetables with dressing.



In the side bar there was this....

Other uses for pesto

* Spoon onto baked potatoes or stir into mashed potatoes.
*Spread on halved tomatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan.
*Add a dollop to omelettes, frittatas or risottos.
*Spread or dot on pizza.
*Stir into minestrone or lentil soups.
*Stir into sour cream, yogurt or mayo for dips, spreads or dressings for potato or pasta salads.
*Stir a spoonful into vinaigrette for salads or marinades for chicken or lamb.
*Brush on refrigerator crescent rolls, roll up and bake.
*For pesto bruschetta, brush toasted crusty bread with olive oil, spread with pesto and top with diced tomatoes.

There you have it.... what the gals were doing in 1997 ..... lol ..... and still are. I love it.

finally...got this recipe on here !!

Lemon Cranberry Muffins

1/2 cup of butter

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Grated zest of about ½ a big lemon

Juice from the lemon..about ½ to ¾ of a cup

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

2 good tbsps. of plain yogurt..or milk, to make dough less dry

Small handful (about ½ cup or less…up to you) of dried cranberries

….. For drizzle….

2 tbsps. lemon juice

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

I use my mixer but by hand is fine too. Beat butter well…add sugar and beat ‘til fluffy; add eggs, one at a time; beating after each addition. Add vanilla, grated lemon zest and lemon juice.. mix well. Measure and mix together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. If you like a bit of extra salt add it to this mix…I find enough salt with just the butter. Add flour mixture all at once and mix ‘til just incorporated…(too much mixing will make the texture too fine; more like cupcakes!)…if you don’t get enough juice from the lemon..it may seem a bit dry so gently fold in the yogurt…I always add it to mine as I like them nice and moist (but not so moist that they don't hold some shape when I put the mix in the cups) Toss in some cranberries at the same time.. gently fold in….

I use giant muffin cups..so I only get 8 of what I like to call MY size! It probably makes 12 for most folks. Bake at 350F. or 180C for about 20 to 25 mins… check with toothpick … when it comes out clean they are done. If you want to add drizzle…now is the time…. Mix the lemon juice and sugar….poke a few holes in the top of each with a skewer or something similar and drizzle a bit of lemony sugar over each while they are hot. Wait a few minutes if possible..and then…give ‘em a taste!

To make these into Blueberry Muffins... just add some fresh or frozen blueberries instead of the cranberries. Try to toss thawed berries (hopefully they were frozen separately and are not just mush) ick.... with a tiny bit of flour or some sugar and then fold in very gently, just near the end of mixing. Don't over mix..as they will turn the whole muffin streaky blue. Remember, over-mixing also takes away the rustic texture .. ... unless of course, you prefer that ... then... by all means, just mix away. I prefer muffins with a rustic appearance.

by noon it felt like a soup day ....

We had this a couple of days ago, but it melted right away ...










Today began as a pretty benign type of day ... some sun, some cloud ... but, then the wind kicked up and must have been gusting to about 60 or 70 kph ! All of a sudden a huge black cloud rolled right over our heads; it looked so ominous ... but,.... nothing. The wild wind blew it away in about an hour. That was it... but, meanwhile, I had decided it would be a cool evening and perfect for soup. Hahahah... we could have had sandwiches on the patio.... but seriously, it is not quite that warm and the soup was deeelish !! Greg said as soon as he came in the door.... oh, yum... I smell soup ...aaaanddddd... no, no.... don't tell me.... mmmm... apple cobbler!! What a nose that guy has! Sure can't fool him.

This is a combination of two different corn soup/chowder recipes with a few of my own flourishes, as usual. You know how it goes right? a recipe is just yer basic guidelines don'tcha know? Sometimes you have all the ingredients..sometimes ya don't. So, feel free to improvise (especially with soups...they are absolutely perfect for that) This recipe is fairly spicy and I like to serve it with a whole wheat or multi grain bun or bread... no need for extra spicy breads or overly flavorful sandwiches if you are having accompaniments for a hungry man! don't forget though..if you are not into spicy...just leave out some of the peppery stuff... make it a bit more subtle.... but...do make it okay?












Corn and Sausage Chowder

2 Tbsp. butter

1 small onion (sliced or diced .. your preference)

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

2 medium to large potatoes

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

2 – 2 1/2 cups chicken broth or bouillon

1/2 tsp. each of paprika and salt

1/4 tsp. crushed pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (optional)

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Sprinkle of sweet basil or some other spices of choice (like Herbs de Provence)

12 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained or

1-1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

2 cups homogenized milk

1/2 to 1 cup grated cheese (optional)

One cooked spicy sausage cut into slices or diced.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and half the sweet pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, peel potatoes, if you wish, and dice.

Stirring constantly, slowly sprinkle onion mixture with flour, then mustard. Continuing to stir, gradually pour in broth. Then, add seasonings. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Then, stir in potatoes and corn. Cook, stirring often, just until mixture comes to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, ‘til potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 mins. Add diced sausage soon after adding potatoes so it has time to infuse the soup with extra flavour.

Increase heat to medium. Stir in milk and remaining sweet pepper. Do not let chowder boil. When hot, sprinkle in cheese if using, and stir ‘til melted. Serve immediately, sprinkle with thinly sliced green onions for an attractive garnish.