Mexican Corn Cakes

 

 

Mexican Corn Cakes

~Ingredients~

3 cups fresh corn (1-1/2 cups)

4 scallions (I used 1 T. yellow onion -minced)

1 jalapeno pepper (about 1/2 a pepper - minced)

2 large eggs (1 egg)

1/4 cup milk (2 T. milk)

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (1/2 cup)

1 cup self rising flour (1/2 cup reg. flour)

salt - to taste

Oil

~Instructions~

Dice the dark green and light green parts of the scallions and put them in a large microwave safe bowl along with the corn and the minced jalapeno pepper. Microwave the mixture for 3-4 minutes. ( I just microwaved the corn, onion, and pepper for 2-3 minutes). Let the mixture cool slightly and then stir in the milk, cheese, self rising flour, salt and eggs. Mix to combine. Heat a large fry pan on the stove with oil. Drop the batter onto the hot pan. Fry until both sides are golden brown and the centers are cooked. Serve with lime wedges, salsa, sliced tomato, sliced avocado, or sour cream.
 

I cut this recipe in half (amounts used noted above) and it made 5 cakes. I dipped them in salsa and sour cream - delish!!!

Barefoot Contessa's Oven Roasted Veggies

I love vegetables, and I really love the depth of flavor that roasting adds. Oven roasting is so easy, and just about any veggie can be used. Some of my most-used roasted vegetable recipes come from my favorite cook, Ina Garten [Barefoot Contessa]. Recently, guests staying at the b&b brought me lots fresh veggies from the farmer's market, including several varieties of squash. Squash is delicious when roasted!

For the acorn squash, I simply cut off the top and bottom, and cut in half. After scooping out the pulp, I cut in 1/2 inch slices. On a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and roast in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes (or until tender).

photo source: Pinterest

A few more roasted veggie recipes from Ina.......

Roasted Vegetable Soup

 

photo source



Caramelized Butternut Squash

 

photo source

 

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

photo source

Squash Casserole

Squash Casserole

 



 

Ingredients

 

4 tablespoons butter

4 cups sliced yellow squash

1 medium onion, chopped

2 eggs

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 sleeve Ritz crackers

Instructions

 
Preheat oven to 350º F. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add squash and onions and cook until tender.

In a large bowl, add eggs and lightly whisk. Add cheese and milk and whisk together. Add cooked squash, salt, and pepper to egg mixture; stir well to combine.

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and pour squash casserole mixture into the baking dish. Top evenly with crushed Ritz crackers. Place in preheated oven and bake 45 minutes, or until top has lightly browned.

 

 

This recipe was hit (especially with Nathan!). It went so fast, I almost didn't get a picture. A great side dish for Thanksgiving dinner or any meal!

Macaroni Salad

Macaroni Salad

 

 

1 lb. box macaroni noodles

 

Cook; drain and set aside.

 

Dressing:

 

Whisk together in bowl.

 

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup evaporated milk

2 T. mustard

1 T. vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

 

Mix together sauce, noodles, and then fold in the following:

 

cheddar cheese (cut in small cubes)

green pepper (diced)

onion (minced)

 

celery seed (garnish)



 

Macaroni salad is the perfect summer side dish.

Trisha Yearwood's Asparagus Bundles

One of my favorite cooking shows is "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" which airs Saturday mornings at 10:30 on Food Network. I love her no-nonsense approach to cooking and her Southern style. All of her recipes look amazing, but I knew I just had to try her recipe for Asparagus Bundles. If you love asparagus (and even if you don't) this is a must-try recipe. It is amazing!

Asparagus Bundles

recipe from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood 2010



2 lbs. fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
6 slices bacon, cut in half
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide asparagus into 12 bundles. Carefully wrap with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Lay bundles in a baking dish. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to boil and pour over asparagus.


Bake for about 25 minutes or until asparagus is wilted and bacon looks fully cooked. Remove toothpicks before serving.
This dish is delicious!! [Nathan rated it one of the best dishes I've ever cooked!]
I have made these numerous times since discovering them a few years ago. You must try them!

Grilled Soft Shell Crabs

Normally, we deep fry soft shell crabs, but a friend told me about cooking them on the grill, so we gave her recipe a try!

Line a grill pan with foil, brush the foil with olive oil. Put crabs on tray then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Old Bay, salt, and pepper.

 

Grill on low heat, turning once.

 

 

YUM!!

 

Yellow Squash and Onions [on the grill]

 

 Brush a foil pan with olive oil. Slice squash and onion and put in pan. Drizzle with olive oil and put a few pats of butter on top. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat. Turn frequently with tongs until tender.

 

 

Roasted Parmesan Zucchini

 

Roasted Parmesan Zucchini

2-3 zucchini (wash, cut in half, then half again, making 4 wedges)
2 T. olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 cups freshly grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Line baking pan with foil and arrange zucchini wedges (not touching). Mix olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Brush on zucchini, salt and pepper, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake @450 degrees for 15 minutes, then broil for several minutes until cheese is golden brown.

how to cook corn on the cob.....

Peter wanted to try a new recipe he saw for cooking sweet corn.

Put water in pan (enough to cover corn) with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 stick butter. Bring to a boil, add corn (we did 3 ears), then simmer low for about 8 minutes. You can double the amounts if cooking more corn. Put in corn trays with a little butter (optional), add salt & pepper. Yummy!

Cumin Roasted Carrots w/Lemon

I made this delicious side dish today - Cumin Roasted Carrots w/ Lemon.

 

 

 

Ingredients

10 medium-sized carrots - peeled
1-lemon cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices - seeds removed
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley - chopped

 

 

 

Directions
 

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

2. In a bowl, toss the carrots with olive oil. Sprinkle with mixture of cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Add the sliced lemon and toss with the carrots.

 

3. Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt over the carrots and lemon slices.

 

 

4. Roast for 20 minutes.

5. Rotate carrots and flip lemon slices. Roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until carrots are golden brown.

6. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with Kosher salt, ground black pepper, and chopped parsley.

Mastering the art of French cooking?

I adore Julia Child and I'm a little obsessed with French food, but French recipes just seem so intimidating. My sister gave me a copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" awhile back and while I marked lots of recipes that I hoped to make, I still haven't mastered any of them. I recently came across this recipe on Pinterest and today I made my first official French dish. It was AMAZING!!


Mini Herbed Pommes Anna

You can find the recipe on Bon Appetit, although, I have tweaked it just a little. Here is my version:

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2-3 large potatoes (I used russet- but Yukon Gold were suggested)
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon butter into muffin tin and brush sides generously. Sprinkle each cup with rosemary.
• Add rosemary and garlic to remaining butter in saucepan. Remove from heat.
• Slice potatoes into very thin rounds. (Use a mandoline if you have one, otherwise, slice VERY thin.)

• Layer potato slices in muffin cups. Drizzle remaining butter over potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

• Cover pan tightly with foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are fork tender, about 35 minutes. Remove foil; invert a rimmed baking sheet over pan. Turn over and lightly tap, releasing potatoes onto sheet. Using a spatula, carefully turn cakes over and put on platter.
 

They were delicious! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. My family raved about them and asked me to make them again....SOON! A simple recipe, yet full of flavor.

"Pommes Anna or Anna potatoes, is a classic French dish of sliced, layered potatoes cooked in a very large amount of melted butter. The recipe calls for firm-fleshed potatoes and butter only. Potatoes are peeled and sliced very thin. The dish is generally credited with having been created during the time of Napoleon III by the chef Adolphe Dugléré, a pupil of Carême, when Dugléré was head chef at the Café Anglais, the leading Paris restaurant of the 19th century, where he reputedly named the dish for one of the grandes cocottes of the period. There is disagreement about which beauty the dish was named after: the actress Dame Judic (real name: Anna Damiens), or Anna DesLions.^"