Seafood Chowder

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 stalk celery, minced

1 small onion, minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

3 tablespoons flour or baking mix (I use buttermilk baking mix)

3 1/2 cups milk (or more if you like a thinner soup More milk can be added as needed after soup is completed.)

2 cans condensed cream of potato soup (undiluted)

1 1/2 lbs shrimp or scallops or clams or crab (whatever you want your soup to be I like to use shrimp, scallops and whole baby clams. I've even use)

chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)

Method

1. Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. 2. Saute' celery and onion until tender.

3. Add cayenne pepper, thyme, marjoram and flour or baking mix and stir until smooth.

4. Add milk and condensed soup and stir until piping hot.

5. Meanwhile clean and chop seafood as you like.

6. I usually halve the shrimp and then cut one half in half and leave the other half whole.

7. If using extra large scallops I usually quarter them.

8. When soup is piping hot add seafood and stir on medium heat until seafood is cooked through.

9. Serve in bowls topped with some fresh parsley along with some crusty bread or oyster crackers and a nice salad.

Weight Watchers Creamy Vegetable Chowder recipe

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 cup zucchini, diced
1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups milk
3 cups water or basic light vegetable stock
1 tablespoon canola oil or other vegetable oil
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 ounces neuchatel cheese or cream cheese
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation
1. In a large soup pot on medium heat, saute the onion in the butter and oil for about 3-4 minutes.
2. Stir in the celery, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots, water or stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes (until the vegetables are just tender).
4. With a slotted spoon or strainer, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the cooked vegetables and set aside in a blender or food processor.
5. Add the bell peppers, green beans and zucchini to the soup pot and cook for about 5 minutes (until the green beans are tender).
6. Stir in the peas and parsley, simmer for about 2 more minutes, then remove from the heat.
7. Discard the bay leaf.
8. Puree the reserved vegetables with the milk and cheeses to make a smooth sauce.
9. Stir the sauce into the soup and gently reheat.
10. Serve the soup hot.

WW POINTS per serving: 4
Nutritional information per serving: 203 calories, 12g fat, 2.9g fiber