Faux Maque Choux (Cajun Corn and Tomato Stew)

1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 slices already-cooked bacon, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2/3 cup green pepper, finely diced
1 cup frozen white corn kernels
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 ounces) petite-diced tomatoes
3 cups frozen yellow corn kernels
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, or more to taste*
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

In a 3-quart or larger pot with a lid, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add bacon, onion, celery and green pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook until vegetable are soft, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, purée white corn and chicken broth until corn is pulverized. Set aside.

When vegetables in onion mixture are tender, sprinkle flour evenly over veggies. Stirring constantly, cook about 90 seconds more, forming a blonde roux. Add tomatoes and their juice and corn-broth purée. Add yellow corn, garlic, sugar, oregano, salt, black and cayenne peppers, and thyme. Stir well, making sure to “scrape” pot bottom to remove any bits. Cover pot and bring to a low boil. When mixture boils, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors and thicken. Serve immediately or simmer until ready to serve, up to 30 minutes.

Faux Maque Choux (Cajun Corn and Tomato Stew)

Hard to believe it’s taken so long for this Cajun classic to arrive in the Desperation Dinners test kitchen since one of our favorite challenges is to take traditional recipes and “desperize” them for busy cooks. But since this savory vegetable stew called Maque Choux stretches five minutes longer than our usual 20-minute limit, we kept putting it off.

Finally we came to our senses and realized that Maque Choux, (pronounced Mock Shoe), is so delicious and complex, we shouldn’t get hung up over five mere minutes.

Faux Maque Choux (Cajun Corn and Tomato Stew)

Feel Good About: This is low-calorie, low-fat and low in sodium!

Approximate Values Per (side dish) Serving: 130 calories (27% from fat), 4 g fat (2 g saturated), 6 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 300 mg sodium

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