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I love to create tasty dishes in my kitchen. OK, so that may have been a no-brainer for those of you who've been inside the walls of this blog before, but it's a true statement nonetheless.

Personally speaking, cooking and baking are therapeutic and help me to keep my sanity…And unless I'm cooking with black truffles or braising my food in a Romanée-Conti, it's far less expensive to cook than to see a psychiatrist!

…Unless I'm trying to make the perfect soufflé. That may be a bit less therapeutic and a bit more of an exercise in futility, but when my soufflés fall, I keep plugging along and promise myself I'll try again. I'm sure I'll produce a beautiful one SOMEDAY. When it happens, I hope it looks just like this one, because… well…it's beautiful and perfectly elegant. Just like the woman who created the recipe. Vous êtes merveilleux, l'Ina

There's one small problem with my love for cooking, though. Many of the ingredients I buy at the store are meant to feed families of 4 or more. Since I'm just cooking for Brian and myself, we have leftovers in the fridge. At times, it borders on obscene amounts. We've even had produce that has grown fuzzy, iridescent colored growths in the back of the fridge before I have a chance to use them in a recipe. That's why I adore "clean out the fridge day". Also known as "use it or lose it" day! I get to be creative with ways to use leftovers and aging produce AND I get to don my geeky looking apron (Dear Santa: I've been very good this year. Please bring me this)

Here's a sampling of what I had to work with after I cleaned out the fridge this morning:

• Leftover pulled pork (That will become Brian's lunch tomorrow)
• A couple of honey BBQ'd chicken wings – (Those became my lunch today)
• Half of a large white onion
• Half of a green bell pepper
• A to-go box full of wedge fries
• Some homemade chicken broth that I forgot to freeze for later use.
• 3 Johnsonville smoked chicken and pepperjack cheese sausages, one of which was left over from when we grilled out on Thursday. Frankly, I'm surprised it lasted that long in the fridge. They're so smoky and cheesy and delicious, I could have a love affair with them. Shhh…please don't tell Nutella.

Since it's a great comfort food and it's quite easy to whip up a batch of, I decided to make a pot of chowder. FOOD FACT: Traditionally, soups are known as chowders when chunks of potato are used as one of the ingredients.

NOTE: I have readers who are novice cooks and who would like to learn more about the methodology behind cooking. Therefore, you will notice cooking definitions and explanations throughout my recipes. I apologize if you are an experienced cook and find them a distraction.

CHICKEN SAUSAGE CHOWDER

A smoky, hearty, flavor-filled chowder that is sure to stick to your ribs!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 6 ounces of smoked chicken sausage, diced
• 1/2 large white or yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 medium potato, diced medium
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2.5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2.5 Cups (20 ounces) chicken stock or broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium heat until it shimmers.
2. Add the chicken sausage and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned and some of the fat has rendered from it.
3. Add the diced vegetables and continue sautéing over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. (This is called "sweating" the vegetables. You don't want to brown them.) Add the garlic during the last minute of cook time so that it doesn't burn.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the meat/vegetable mixture and stir to coat. (By combining the flour with the fat that is in the pan, you are creating a "roux". A roux is defined as equal parts fat and flour. This will act as a thickener for your chowder.) NOTE:
   If the flour doesn't seem to dissolve, you can add another 1/2 Tablespoon of butter or oil to the pan.
5. Slowly whisk the chicken stock into the pan. If you pour it all in at once, the roux will not incorporate into the liquid.
6. Add all of the seasonings except for the salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a slow, rolling boil then add the potato and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. NOTE:
   If you are using cooked potatoes like I did, you will only need to simmer for about 10-12 minutes.
   
7. Remove the bay leaf and add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into crocks or soup bowls. Serve with bread or crackers of your choice and enjoy!