New England Clam Chowder

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/new_england_clam_chowder.html

From EatingWell:  September/October 2008

Chopped clams, aromatic vegetables and creamy potatoes blended with low-fat milk and just a half cup of cream gives this chunky New England-style clam chowder plenty of rich body. Serve with oyster crackers and a tossed salad to make it a meal.

6 servings, generous 1 cup each | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 medium red potato, diced
• 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice, (see Makeover Tip)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces fresh clam strips, (see Shopping Tip), chopped, or 3 6-ounce cans chopped baby clams, rinsed
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer half of the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add onion, celery and thyme to the pan; cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add potato, clam juice and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Whisk milk, cream, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the pan and return to a simmer, stirring, over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add clams and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams are just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
3. To serve, discard bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the reserved bacon and scallions.

Nutrition

Per serving : 253 Calories; 13 g Fat; 6 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 59 mg Cholesterol; 20 g Carbohydrates; 16 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 585 mg Sodium; 392 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 low-fat milk, 1 lean meat, 2 fat

Tips & Notes

• Makeover tip: Check sodium carefully when using clam juice because the amount of sodium can vary dramatically between brands. We use Bar Harbor clam juice with only 120 mg sodium per 2-ounce serving.
• Shopping tip: Look for fresh clam strips at the seafood counter.