Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

This little number is adapted from something Ricardo, everyone's favorite Quebecer, made. When it's finished, it tastes like the cheddary base of cheese n' broccoli soup. Next time I'm going to steam some broccoli, toss it in, and see how it goes. 

• 1 head cauliflower
  
• 1 c leek (one medium leek)
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1 potato (peeled)
  
• 2 Macintosh apples (peeled)
  
• 6 c "chicken" broth

Slice leeks, mince garlic. Sautee them in a soup pan. Cut up potato, cauliflower, and apples. Add potato, cauliflower, and broth to leeks/garlic. Cook for a bit. Add apples. Puree when all cooked up.

Southwest Corn Cowder

Ingredients:

• 1 can of corn (drained)
  
• 1 can of creamed corn (or another can of corn + some cornstarch dissolved in cold water)
• 3 medium potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 can of beans (pinto or black, drained)
• 1 can of green chilies
• 2 cups broth (or 2 cups hot water + one bouillon cube)

Awesome optional extras: sauteed garlic, red bell pepper, carrot, celery, pickled jalapeño, or nutritional yeast.

Utinsels: nothing fancy

Directions:

1. Cut potatoes into bite sized pieces and start cooking them with too little water.
2. Sautee onion (and any optional vegetables you're adding).
3. Add corns, broth, beans, and chilies.
4. Once potatoes are mostly cooked, drain half of the water and mash them up a bit.
5. Add potatoes to rest of soup, cook until chowdery.

Extra notes for keeners:
Do not ever, under any circumstances, add a flour, cornstarch, potato starch, whatever, directly to your soup to thicken it. The outside of the balls of flour will cook instantly and you'll have soup that looks like bubble tea (in a bad way).