Easy Corn Chowder

One thing about living in a hurricane prone area: canned foods are your friend. A lot of people criticize or even refuse to eat canned foods, but let me tell you, when you lose power for days or can't get out of the house because of flooding, those canned goods come in vveerryy handy.  They are also a fairly cheap staple for families with limited finances.

Canned goods aren't without risk, of course. I never, ever buy a can with a dent, for instance. There are other things to watch for when buying canned goods. Here is a list of things to watch for when using canned goods:

Leaking
Bulging
Denting
Cracking
Discoloration
Foul odors

If you see any of these signs, toss. Don't use it. Food poisoning still happens.

Another concern, and the biggest one really I think, is canned foods may contain trace amounts of BPA. Unless you have been living under a rock or a long time media blackout, you will have heard about the dangers of BPA. The trace amounts in canned foods come from internal coating of cans to prevent canned foods from coming in direct contact with the metal of the can. While the potential is, again, trace amounts, I recommend rinsing the contents of the can before cooking, and, let's be honest, limiting the use of canned goods, especially in immune compromised individuals.

Now that you are completely freaking out and wondering why, why, WHY would I use a recipe that uses food coming out of can, well, like I said, there is that convenient factor. Also, research shows that the commercial canning process not only destroys bacteria that can cause food spoilage, but also can eliminate as much as 99% of the pesticide residues occasionally found in fresh produce. So, pretty much unless you are growing your own food, there is always a risk, whether it be canned, frozen, or bought fresh from the grocery store. I'm not being flip, but I'm not going to flip out, either.

Now, on with the recipe.

Easy Corn Chowder

One can of corn, drained
One can of creamed corn, undrained
One can of diced potatoes, drained
One onion, chopped
1/4 t. celery salt
2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. non-dairy milk
1 T. cornstarch mixed with 2 T. water

Add everything but the cornstarch mixture to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5-10 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir to mix well and let thicken slightly. When serving, sprinkle on some freshly ground black pepper.

You can see the black pepper flecks and the corn kernels peeking. We had no leftovers.