Sudden Death I: Hearty Tuna Chowder

The first book up to the chopping block is "Healthy Winter Warmers", a cookbook specializing in hearty comfort food.  One might think that such food would not be appetizing in late May; however, given that summer weather has not yet shown itself anywhere near our city, comfort food does not sound bad at all. 

We started the sudden-death recipe judgements with a hearty tuna chowder.  My expectations were not especially high for this recipe, as many Christmas Eves' worth of my in-law's incredible seafood chowder have spoiled me.  But nonetheless, I planned to give this recipe my best shot.

First, I assembled the ingredients. 

Missing from the picture is frozen corn, which I left in the freezer until the very end.

This book was acquired during our time in New Zealand, and as such, it references some products which we don't have access to in Canada.  Some of the substitutions are obvious, and others require some guesswork. So, when this recipe called for a "tin of tuna and beans", I substituted one can of tuna and half a can of red kidney beans.
 

The recipe itself was straightforward enough, and didn't take too long.  Above is the soup before being fully cooked, and below is the finished product.

...and the presentation!

The soup was hearty, and not difficult to make.  Dave brought it to work for lunch the next day, and found it kept well and was easy to transport.  Our toddler liked being able to grab the larger chunks in the chowder, and the broth was a hit for dipping.

Despite tasting fine, it was a bit bland, even by chowder standards.  It would benefit from garlic, or cilantro, or even some chili, when I make it again. 

The verdict:  Given that I was framing the only downside in terms of "when I make this recipe again", I decided that this recipe passes.

The score for Healthy Winter Warmers: 1 of 1 recipes succeeding!  So far, so good.

Next up, a savoury muffin recipe on the chopping block!