GF: Chinese Chicken & Corn Chowder

GF: Chinese Chicken & Corn Chowder, originally uploaded by Kate Chan.

Somethings happen more quickly than anticipated. Like the dinner hour approaching on a school/work night. Seriously. I never knew how fast one hour could fly until now. Life is so much fun with the Chicklet that I quickly lose track of food plans and before I know it, I’m a crabby mess in the kitchen scrounging for dinner.

Zoe is much easier to feed than am I, apparently. Give the babe some cut up mandarin oranges and she’s good to go. And while I am snacking right along with her on the oranges…. they just don’t cut it when it’s dinner time always!

Thankfully, we’ve gone back to menu planning (save money…. have a dinner plan… you know… good things!!!) and my life has gotten a bit easier again. It still hasn’t saved me from myself when I forget to pack an after school apple or snack, but that’s a different issue.

The other day – sans after school snack – I was contemplating just munching on whatever I could lay my hands on (like those brand new Vans mini gluten-free waffles with some cinnamon peanut butter… OMG, YUM!). As soon as my crabby-tummy growls started to push me to the edge of reason, I decided that it was a night for speedy Chinese Chicken & Corn Chowder.

Have you ever had this?

It’s a staple on most of the Chinese restaurant menus that I know of…. and it’s typically gluten free as there is no soy sauce added – *USUALLY*. (WARNING: Ask before eating, people. If you didn’t make it yourself, you never know. Ok?)

This was one of the first soups that I fell in love with when going out for dinner with my Love and his family. It is so satisfying and perfect for cool weather. And what makes it even better? Oh yea – it’s a SNAP to make!

So.. the next time the Gotta-Eat-Something bug gets to you, try this soup. Or better yet, learn from my mistake. Don’t wait until you are that hungry, make some tonight for dinner. (It makes a great lunch from the leftovers too!)

Chinese Chicken and Corn Chowder
Serves 4 as a main dish/soup
Ingredients:
3/4 cup rice wine
4 cups GF chicken broth
3 chicken breasts
1 can GF creamed corn
1 cup frozen corn
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cold water
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup minced sweet onion or 1 medium-large cioppino onion, minced
1 Tablespoon high-quality sesame oil (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Mince the onion. Heat your stew pot/dutch oven and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the onion. Saute until it just begins to brown.
  2. Add the cream corn, frozen corn, rice wine and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
  3. While you are waiting for the broth to boil, mince or cut the chicken breasts in to small pieces. Add the chicken to the boiling broth.
  4. Simmer until the chicken has cooked through.
  5. In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of cold water and whisk in the 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Add this to the simmering broth. Stir well.
  6. Working quickly (you want to add the egg whites to the broth before it gets too thick!), whisk together two egg whites. Drizzle the egg white in to the swirling broth or along the edge of the pan and then stir well.
  7. Allow the soup to thicken slightly before turning off the heat (about 3 – 4 minutes or so, depending on you heat source.)
  8. Drizzle with sesame oil (optional) and stir. Then season to taste with salt & pepper.

Serve!

And pack up the leftovers for lunch!
Even the Chicklet has this soup for lunch today – she couldn’t get enough last night!

Happy Gluten-Free Eats, All!
~Kate

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