Dear friends,
Cod is the answer to my lean-protein quest. Cod chowder is how I make it delicious without adding fat. And my secret weapon in this nutrition double play is miso.
Consider this: A big, 6-ounce chunk of cod has 38 grams of protein and just 180 calories. That’s mind boggling. I haven’t found a better protein-to-calorie ratio in readily available foods. Have you?
Cod is snowy white and mild-tasting. I like it better than Chilean sea bass. It won an informal fish and chips taste test I conducted one summer in London among fried plaice, haddock and cod, the three species commonly used in British chips shops.
The problem is, when you dip fish in batter and fry it, it’s no longer a nutrition powerhouse. All that oil. All those calories. All that tartar sauce. That’s why I began tinkering with other ways to cook cod. I want to eat a lot of protein to prevent muscle loss, yet watch my calories to keep from packing on pounds.
But you don’t have to be nutrition-conscious to try this chowder. It simply tastes good, and white miso is one reason why. The fermented soybean paste, available in many stores and almost all health-food and Asian markets, amplifies the richness of the soup without tampering with the flavor. It’s like a booster shot for creamy chowders.
Yes, I still want a lecheroon (Google it). But until someone invents a calorie-free version, a bowl of this soup is a luscious way to tame the hangries.
MISO COD CHOWDER
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 large carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Sprig of fresh thyme
5 cups water
2 cups cubed potatoes
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup white miso
1 lb. cod fillets in 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup half and half
Heat olive oil in a soup pot. Sauté onion and carrot until onion begins to wilt. Add salt and thyme. Add water and potatoes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Stir in sherry. Place miso in a ladle and dip up some of the hot broth. With a spoon, stir the miso in the ladle until it is dissolved in the broth, adding more hot broth when necessary. Stir dissolved miso and broth into the soup. Add the cod, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in half and half and heat through, adding more salt if necessary. Makes 8 servings.
GUT CHECK
What I cooked recently:
Japanese pork curry and steamed rice; a frozen pizza from Sam’s Club; kielbasas and baked beans; grilled rib steaks, baked potatoes and roasted butternut squash; miso cod chowder; chicken fried rice; choripollo (sauteed chicken and chorizo), tomato rice, beans and corn tortillas; horseradish cheese quesadillas (I got the horseradish cheese at Drug Mart); hamburger-mushroom casserole.
What I ate in/from restaurants:
Shredded pork tacos, pinto beans, rice and cinnamon sopapillas from Casa del Rio Express in Fairlawn; pepperoni thin-crust pizza from Big Star in Copley; ham and cheese sub from Subway (twice); Korean pork belly nachos (incredible) from the Funky Truckeria in Norton; mango-guava smoothie from Clean Eatz in Cuyahoga Falls.
THE MAILBAG
From Linda C.:
Oooooh, the lentil stew (in the last newsletter) sounds fantastic! Thanks so much for a vegan recipe. I’ve been looking for a good stew recipe this fall.
I noticed you didn’t put “rinsed” after the lentils in the recipe. I’m sure you always rinse yours to get rid of any bitterness but someone who has never used lentils might not know that info.
Dear Linda:
Yikes. I not only forgot to mention rinsing, I forgot to rinse. I usually do so because god knows where those lentils have been on their way to the grocery store. I didn’t notice any bitterness, probably because I used brown lentils, not the red lentils that can exhibit this characteristic. Either way, thanks for reminding me to rinse.
See Jane Cook 