California Dairy is More than a Glass of Milk!

I received a gift card to offset the expense of my ingredients.  By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Milk Advisory Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest.  I was not compensated for my time. 

California Dairy products have so much to offer.  It meets your families nutritional and budget needs, and in many cases, needs no further preparation.  A glass of California Milk, containing nine essential nutrients costs a mere quarter!  That is a deal with a huge impact on your health. An ounce of cheese makes a great snack, and butter is excellent in baking products.  It gives them a lovely color and a flavor that cannot be beat.  The key to baked products is moderation—like anything else—a little is good, a lot may not be better!  

It is important that we all have three servings of low-fat California Dairy daily.  This provides us with calcium and Vit. D that we all need more of in the winter.  Our bodies can make Vit D when we are exposed to sunshine, but I haven’t seen anyone out in the sun without a parka lately!  So tip a glass of milk for health today! 

I love to cook.   I especially love to cook recipes that I know taste great while still being healthy for my family.  I don’t know where you live, but here in Nebraska, we have spring-like weather one day, and sub-zero snow days the next.  Winter will NOT go away.  So, on nights when I come home and we are all frozen, we have soup for dinner with some sort of crusty bread and fruit.  Soup is the original comfort food!  It makes the cold go away. 

I have a favorite recipe from Kraft that I like to make, which calls for many dairy products.  It is a little higher in fat then I would like, so I thought I would work on making it healthier.  By using low-fat dairy products and less butter, and adding more veggies, it still maintains its rich flavor, with fewer calories.  A win-win situation for everyone! 

Original Recipe                                                             Creamy Corn & Turkey Soup

6 servings, 1 cup each 

Ingredients:

Directions

COOK onions and half the red peppers in butter in large saucepan on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.  ADD cream cheese; cook on low heat 3 to 4 min. or until melted, stirring constantly. Stir in turkey, corn, broth and milk.  COOK 5 min. or until soup is heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with remaining red peppers and black pepper.

Can Substitute: Prepare using Neufchatel Cheese.  Special Extra: For more robust flavor, roast and peel the red peppers before chopping. Add to soup along with the turkey. Or, use drained, jarred roasted red peppers instead.  Make Ahead: Soup can be made ahead of time. Cool, then refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat before serving.

 Nutritional info per serving:

Healthier Version!

• 1 cup chopped red onions
• 2  red pepper, roasted, chopped, divided
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp.  California butter
• 4 oz.   (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) low-fat California Cream Cheese, cubed
• 2 cups  shredded cooked turkey or chicken
• 1 can (14.75 oz.) cream-style corn
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ¾ cup  Real California Milk
• ½ tsp.  Cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• ½ cup Real California Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded to sprinkle on top

COOK onions, mushrooms and half the red peppers in butter in large saucepan on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.  ADD cream cheese; cook on low heat 3 to 4 min. or until melted, stirring constantly. Stir in turkey or chicken, corn, broth and milk.  Add spices.  COOK 5 min. or until soup is heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with remaining red peppers, a sprinkle of cheese and black pepper. Can be served with a crusty piece of bread.

Nutrition Facts Amount Per Serving: Calories 249.8 ; Total Fat 11.5 g; Saturated Fat 5.4 g ;Polyunsaturated Fat 1.7 g ; Monounsaturated Fat 2.7 g ;Cholesterol 45.6 mg ; Sodium 481.3 mg ; Potassium 437.7 mg ; Total Carbohydrate 24.1 g ; Dietary Fiber 6.0 g ; Sugars 7.4 g ; Protein 16.3 g ; Vitamin A 124.1 % ; Vitamin B-12 6.5% ; Vitamin B-6 29.1 % ;  Vitamin C 23.3 % ;  Vitamin D 3.8 % ;  Vitamin E 4.1 % ;  Calcium 8.6 %