Fresh Creamed Corn

Creamed corn. You might think of the canned stuff that is all milky, and think it has some cream in it based on the name.  What if I told you you can make creamed corn in 30 mins from just fresh corn? No cream. And to make it even more special, let's throw in some bacon. Everything is better with bacon right??

Fresh Creamed Corn

Ingredients

3 ears corn

4 slices bacon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 sprig lemon thyme, chopped

Salt and pepper

Chopped chives for topping

In a deep skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, until crisp. (I used center cut bacon which is less in fat, but gives enough fat to coat the corn and still crisped up like I needed.) When the bacon is cooked and crispy, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside for later. 

To prepare the corn, first shuck the corn. Using a large shallow dish as your working bowl, use a chef's knife to cut half the corn kernel off the cob. (The working bowl should catch the cut kernels.) Then with the back of the knife, carefully scrape off the remaining kernel on the cob. You'll notice that this method will extract the corn juice from the kernel and cob. This is the natural cream you're looking for. You should have about equal parts kernel and liquid. 

Turn the skillet you cooked the bacon in to low heat. Add the corn kernel and liquid to the bacon fat. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally for 30 mins. 

Then transfer to a bowl. Chop the cooked bacon from earlier. Mix in the chopped bacon and top with chives. Enjoy!

Creamy Polenta

Needed a side with our Valentine's Day steak dinner. It was last minute so I turned to the pantry. We had some yellow corn meal in the pantry. In just 20 mins we had some creamy polenta with our steak! 

Bring 2 tsp kosher salt and 4 c water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Whisk in 1 c of yellow corn meal, and cook, whisking constantly, 45 seconds. By whisking the grits into the boiling water, it'll encourage even, lump-free cooking. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot. Return to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Covering the  meal while they simmer in a pot reduces the cook time by more than half. It also allows the polenta to retain their flavor and texture as they cook to a velvety consistency. Cook 20-25 mins or until tender. For a looser consistency, whisk in 2-4 tbsp water halfway through cooking. Stir in 2 1/2 - 4 tbsp butter until melted. I also added in some cheese. I had feta around, but any other would work. Adding fat is the final ingredient to add that natural creaminess. Season with salt and enjoy!

Herbed Spaghetti Squash

I've never had spaghetti squash before. It  was actually pretty good! I tossed it in a homemade pesto made of parsley. It was a great way to eat a new veggie, and was flavorful and healthy! You know it's January and most are watching their weight. So I encourage you to give this recipe a try!

Note: be careful cutting the squash. It's pretty tough cutting down the middle from the top. I found it easier to stab it in the middle of the squash and try cutting it in half that way. Also helps to call over your strong husband to help cut it 😉

Herbed Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 med spaghetti squash

1 lg garlic clove

1/4 c pecan

1/2 bunch parsley

1/4 c olive oil, plus more for drizzling 

1/4 c San Pietro-Honeywax cheese, grated (or Asiago)

1 1/2 tsp lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

Salt and pepper for seasoning 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Drizzle the cut sides of the squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then place the spaghetti squash cut side down on the baking sheet. 

Cut the top off of the garlic clove. Place the clove in aluminum foil. Drizzle the cut clove with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Gather the foil together and place on the baking sheet with the squash. Bake for about 35-40 mins until tender. Let it cool enough until ready to handle. Taking a fork, scoop out the flesh of the squash into a bowl. It should resemble spaghetti strands. 

To make the pesto: In a food processor, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the bowl. Add the pecan, parsley, and 1/2 tsp salt. Process until chopped, then slowly add the 1/4 c olive oil. Mix in the cheese and lime juice. Toss the pesto with the spaghetti squash. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Potato Pinchos

I discovered pinchos reading through the Food Network Magazine. It's basically a Spanish appetizer served on a toothpick. This is a really easy and great idea from the Food Network Magazine. You can also customize it to your liking. 

The first time I made it I used Manchego cheese as the recipe indicated. 

The second time I made it, I used Chile Jack with Hatch Pepper cheese made by Great Midwest that I found at Sam's Club. It's a Monterary Jack cheese with Habanero, Hatch, and Chipotle Peppers with added smoke flavor. I loved it and so did the party guests. The cheese added more flavor and a slight kick to these easy appetizers. 

Unfortunately Food Network Magazine didn't list out ratios for this recipe. Below is approximately the ratio I used so hopefully you will give these a shot as well! 

Potato Pinchos

In a pot, add a couple of Yukon potatoes, cover with water, and salt the water with some kosher salt. Bring to a boil until fork tender. Not too tender. You do not want it where it’s too soft. You want it to be able to pick them up and eat.

When cooked, drain the boiled potatoes and let cool enough to handle. Peel the potato skin. Then slice into about ¼  inch thick rounds. Then slice each round in half (it makes it easier to eat, otherwise it’d be too big).

In a small mixing bowl, mix together about ¼ cup of mayo, 1 tablespoon chopped capers, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, salt and pepper to your liking. Spread some of the mayo sauce on each sliced potato round. Then top each with a slice of the Chile Jack with Hatch Pepper cheese, slice of dried chorizo, and a piece of sliced green olive with pimento. Skewer with toothpicks and enjoy! 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/potato-pinchos-recipe.html

Jalapeño Poppers

It's Saturday and there's lots of football on TV for Matt! One of my best friend also came over and since we love food I decided to whip up a snack! I wish I bought 10 jalapeños to make 20 jalapeño poppers! Shouldn't have listened to Matt. Now they're all gone and I just want more of this delicious, cheesy goodness!

On another note, Go Dawgs!!

Jalapeño Poppers

5 large jalapeño

4 oz cream cheese, room temp

1 ear corn

1 c fontina cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Cut the tops off each jalapeño and discard the tops. Cut each jalapeño in half. With a small spoon, scrape out the seeds and discard the seeds. Place the halved jalapeños on a baking sheet. 

Cut the kernels off the ear of corn. 

In a small mixing bowl, mix the corn kernels, both cheeses, season with salt and pepper. If you mix it well the corn and shredded fontina should be incorporated into the cream cheese, and will allow easy scooping. 

Scoop a spoonful into each jalapeño. Bake for about 30-45 mins until the jalapeños are tender and the cheese is golden brown. Enjoy!

Chipotle Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes

Creamy, cheesy, spicy scalloped potatoes. It was delicious!!

Chipotle Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes

3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c whole milk
1 c half n half
1/2 c Mexican Crema
2 c smoked cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c Cotswold cheese, shredded
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
5 large russett potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp chives, chopped
1 garlic clove
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Then rub with a garlic clove.
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for a couple mins. Whisk in the milk, half n half, and crema. Bring to a slight simmer. Then add in 1 c of each cheese a little at a time and the chipotle. Salt to taste. When the cheese is melted, mix in the potatoes. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake for 30-40 mins. Sprinkle the remaining 1 c cheddar and chives over the potatoes and bake for another 5 mins.

Twice Baked Leek Potato

Oh, this is not your ordinary twice baked or stuffed potato. This side dish could even serve on its own as a main dish. The idea for this came from a steak dinner Matt prepared. He grilled up some steak with this leek cream sauce served over it. There was a surprise in that sauce though. Whiskey! I thought this cream sauce would dress up a baked potato very nicely. And it did...

Twice Baked Leek Potato

6 russet potatoes
8 slices bacon
2 leeks, chopped
1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 c cream
1/4 c whiskey
1 bay leaf
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tbsp chives, chopped
3 tbsp grated asiago cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pierce the potatoes in some spots with a fork. Rub some olive oil, salt and pepper on the outside of the potatoes. Bake directly on the middle oven rack for about an hr or until fork tender.

In a deep skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Set the cooked bacon aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the leeks to the bacon dripping and saute until tender, about 5-10 mins. Set aside until ready to use.

In a small saucepan, simmer the chicken broth, cream, whiskey, and bay leaf. Keep it warm on low heat until you're ready to use.

When the potatoes are done, remove potatoes from the oven, and turn the heat down to 375 degrees F.
Hold the potato with an oven mitt, trim off the top of the potatoes to make a canoe-like shape. Carefully scoop out most of the potato flesh into a bowl. Take care to leave enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together.

Mash the potato flesh with the sauce (discarding the bay leaf). Crumble in the bacon. Stir in the leeks, butter, parsley, and chives. Salt and pepper to taste. Refill the shells with the potato mixture mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the potato filling. Bake for about 10 mins, or until warmed.

Roasted Artichoke with Herb Yogurt Dip

This yogurt dip was delicious! I couldn't get enough of it. Very light, refreshing and better for you than most dips!

Roasted Artichoke with Herb Yogurt Dip

1 12 oz bag frozen artichoke hearts
1/2 c nonfat, plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c sour cream
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp chives, chopped
2 tsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the artichoke with some salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 30-40 mins.
Meanwhile, mix the yogurt, sour cream, thyme, chives, parsley, and garlic powder together. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to eat. Serve with the roasted artichoke hearts.

Crispy Zucchini Fries

These zucchini fries are super crispy. And all the flavors in the crispy coating eliminates the need for a dipping sauce.You could make this even healthier by baking them instead of frying. Just spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, lay the coated zucchini fries out in a single layer, spray the fries with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown.

If you ever make zucchini fries, do not, I repeat DO NOT use a wet batter! All that moisture from the wet batter and zucchini will just cause your oil to bubble up and over, and create a disaster. I might be talking from experience here *ahem*...

Crispy Zucchini Fries

Ingredients

1 large zucchini

1 c. flour

2 eggs

1 c. panko

1 t. Italian seasoning

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 lemon
oil for frying

1. Prepare the zucchini: Slice your zucchini in half. Then slice the zucchini lengthwise into about 1/4 inch thick strips. Then cut into fries.

2. Prepare your workstation: In one bowl, add the flour. In another bowl, beat the eggs. In a third bowl, add the panko, Italian seasoning, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper.

3. Working in batches, first dredge the zucchini fries in the flour. Shake off any excess flour and then dip in the egg wash, making sure the egg sticks to the flour-dredged zucchini fries. (This will ensure your panko coating sticks nicely.) Let the excess egg drip off. Then coat in the seasoned panko. (Press it into that panko coating if you have to. You want the fries nicely coated with the seasoned panko. This will give you your crispy zucchini fries.)

4. Fry for a few mins in 350 degrees F oil.  Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with more salt. Work on frying the rest of the batches. When ready to serve, squeeze lemon juice over the fries. The lemon ties it all together very nicely. Enjoy!

Macaroni Salad with Every Color Bell Pepper

Lots of produce have been in season, including bell peppers. So when I saw all the different colored bell peppers on sale, I bought each one of them. It made this simple macaroni salad so much more colorful and fresh. Plus, it allowed me to taste each one to see if there was a difference in taste. I swear there's a slight taste difference. The orange bell pepper might be my favorite...it has a touch of sweetness to it.

Macaroni Salad with Every Color Bell Pepper
Ingredients
1 box elbow macaroni
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 stalk celery, diced
1/2 c red onion, diced
1 c mayo
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp Mexican crema
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package. When it's done cooking, drain and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients together with the cooled macaroni. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Anniversary dinner: Veal, Risotto, and Truffles

When you cook every night, what do you do for a special occasion? Cook a very fancy, expensive meal! That's what I surprised my husband with on our 3rd wedding anniversary. This meal turned out perfect. If I had a restaurant, I would definitely serve this.

This veal dish is very similar to a Veal Marsala. Instead of using Marsala though, I used Cognac.It was a nice touch, not overpowering. The mushroom cognac sauce paired so well with the veal. And the risotto was so creamy and delicious. You really get that nice, fragrant mushroom aroma from the fresh summer truffles. We really, really loved this dish and I hope you will give it a try to see why...

Veal Scallopini with a Mushroom Cognac Sauce

4 veal scallopini

flour

1/2 c cognac

1 c beef stock
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pint bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Lay the veal in saran wrap and gently pound the veal out a bit. Then lightly coat with some salt, pepper, and flour. In a deep skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp butter and olive oil. Brown the veal, about 3 mins on each side. Transfer to a plate while you make your sauce.

2. Deglaze the pan with the cognac. Scape up the browned bits, and let the cognac reduce by half. Add the beef stock, garlic, and mushrooms. Let the sauce reduce by half. Finish with a tbsp of butter. Spoon the sauce over the veal and serve alongside these creamy risotto:

Risotto with Asparagus and Truffles

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 shallot, diced
1 1/2 c arborio rice
1/2 c white wine
6 c chicken broth
1 bunch asparagus
0.3 lb brie
3 whole black summer truffles (1.4 oz jar)

1. Prepare your asparagus: Snap off the lower woody ends of the asparagus and discard it. (It will naturally break where it should.) Then using a vegetable peeler, peel off the outer layer on the bottom of the asparagus. (If you've never peeled your asparagus stems, I encourage you to do so. Ever since I discovered the tender taste of peeled asparagus I haven't prepared my asparagus any other way.) Cut your asparagus into your desired bite size. (Mine was about an inch long.) Blanch the asparagus in gently boiling water for 1-2 mins. Drain in a colander and run cold water over them to stop the asparagus from cooking. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, heat up the chicken broth. When it's warmed, keep the broth over low heat.

3. In a large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Cook the shallots until translucent. Then add the rice and cook for a few mins. Add in the wine and cook until all the wine is absorbed. Then slowly add in a ladle of the warm chicken broth. Stir and cook until all the broth is absorbed. When the broth is absorbed, add another ladle of broth. Repeat process with the rest of the broth. (It will take about 30 mins.)

4. When you have a cup of broth left to add, go ahead and add your asparagus from earlier into the risotto. After all 6 cups of broth has been absorbed into the risotto, add 3/4 or all of the brie. (I, of course, added all the brie because we love cheese. But depending on your preference you can add as much as you'd like. I also tore the brie into smaller pieces to make incorporating easier.) Then with a microplane or grater, grate/slice the truffles into the risotto. Also add the truffle oil from the jar...you don't want to waste that flavor! Serve and enjoy your restaurant worthy meal at home.

Note: You can prepare your asparagus the day before like I did. Because the peeling can take some time and it was a workday, I wanted to prep the asparagus beforehand. And yes, do peel your asparagus. Even though it's time consuming it's very much worth it!





Matt surprised me with our wedding cake from Cecilia's Cakes...mmm!



And surprised me with flowers at work..so sweet :)



Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Matt took a bite of these scalloped potatoes, turned to me and said, "You're going to love this, it's so cheesy." If you know me, you'll know my favorite food of all is fries. Next is cheese. My dream is to go to Paris, and enjoy a bottle of wine and plate of cheese. Don't ask me why. But if there's cheese and fries together, oh boy I'm in heaven. Scalloped potatoes are similar to cheese fries, right? So of course I enjoyed eating this.

These scalloped potatoes are not only cheesy but creamy as well. I added mexican crema that we had left over, which I think added to the creaminess. There's also some smoked paprika in there, and if that's not enough, smoked gouda cheese as well. Then it's topped off with cheddar cheese, yes more cheese. It was cheesy, smoky, and creamy. Can you say yummy?

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

2 lbs yukon potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

3 tbsp butter, plus more for greasing

1 garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp flour

1 1/4 c half n half

1 1/4 c mexican crema

1 c milk

2 c smoked gouda cheese, shredded

shredded cheddar cheese for topping
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.

In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tbsp of butter. Add the garlic and shallot and cook till translucent. Next, add the paprika and flour, stirring for 1 min to allow the flour to cook. Slowly whisk in the half n half, mexican crema, and milk. After that cooks for a few mins, add in the potatoes. Simmer for about 5 mins. Add in the smoked gouda cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then transfer the mixture to the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the top evenly with cheddar cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 mins. Remove the foil and bake for about 10 mins, or until golden brown and fork tender.

Smoked Gouda Potato Cakes

So I still had some frozen hash browns left over even after making those Peas and Cream Cheese Potato Cakes below lol! So I decided to make more potato cakes. We still had some smoked gouda cheese left over so I decided to grate some of that in with the hash browns. Added a handful of chopped chives and salt and pepper. This time I did use egg and flour to bind the potato cakes. It sure made the potato cakes stand up better. Took a handful of the mixture and shaped it into a ball, then flattened it to form a potato cake. Heated some butter in a skillet over medium high heat and cooked the cakes until a nice golden brown crust set. The smoky flavor of the gouda was very good. And the chives really came out in the potato cakes too.
Which of the two potato cakes did we like more? I liked the one with the peas more and Matt liked this one more. I really loved the texture the peas gave; and Matt really liked the smokiness the gouda gave. We enjoyed both regardless. Potato cakes can be kinda addicting...they're so easy and yummy!

Peas and Cream Cheese Potato Cakes

I had some frozen hash browns and frozen peas still sitting in my freezer. I thought it was about time to get rid of it. Saw we also had some whipped cream cheese left in the fridge and thought potato cakes! Instead of adding egg and flour to bind the cake, I wondered if cream cheese could act as a substitute. Only one way to find out. I mixed the hash browns, peas, cream cheese, onion powder, salt and pepper together. Took a handful and formed it in a ball, then pressed it flat to form a potato cake. The cream cheese wasn't a very strong binder for the potato cakes. But it was do-able. Heated some butter in a skillet over medium high heat and cooked the potato cakes until a nice golden brown crust set. Be careful flipping them over though. Even though the cream cheese wasn't a strong binder compared to eggs and flour, it sure was yummy though. I loved the cream cheese in it and the burst from the peas added a fun texture.

Gravy frites

On Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate, they showcased gravy frites once aka this pile of fries smothered in gravy and cheese. It looked delicious and such a good idea in my eyes. I finally made some one day and loved it! I fried up a batch of french fries. I prefer to make my own. It's cheaper and doesn't take that long to make. This time I used canola oil for frying, which I must say is better than my past experience with vegetable oil. The oil doesn't get dirty quite as fast. Then I made my own gravy. I've never made gravy before so just threw some things together. I threw some butter and minced garlic in the pan along with 1 tbsp of flour. Stirred until the flour was incorporated. Then added 1/4 c of red wine and a small can of beef stock. I also whisked in 1 tbsp of cornstarch. If your cornstarch clumped in the gravy you can always strain your gravy. Brought it to a boil and then let it simmer until thickened. I piled the fries I made earlier in a baking pan, poured the gravy over them, along with some smoked gouda cheese I had grated. Baked it at 350 degrees F until the cheese melted. Yumminess. Especially if you love fries and cheese - my weakness...

Potato Salad

I wanted to make potato salad one day. When I told my husband Matt this he immediately was like "I don't like potato salad." I knew why. He doesn't like mayo, and we all know the typical potato salad is smothered in mayo. Some of them are sweet too, which I personally don't like.

I ended up creating a red potato salad recipe that Matt loves. And have been messing around with it and trying different ingredients. I just made a potato salad with some leftover russet potatoes I had laying around. I cooked up some bacon then set it aside for later. I added some diced celery and red bell peppers to the bacon fat. I also grilled some yellow corn and cut it up and added it to the pan. Cooked the veggies until it was a little tender and added it all to the diced potatoes I had already boiled and drained. I added a teeny bit of mayo - like less than 1/4 cup for 2 lbs of potato. I also decided to try adding a couple tbsp of dijon mustard, which gave it a little kick. Combined everything with some salt, pepper, smoked paprika, chopped parsley, and crumbled bacon.

My secret is adding that bacon dripping to the potato salad. It adds so much flavor. You'd think the bacon dripping would make the salad greasy but it doesn't. It soaks into those potatoes, making them softer, and have this kind of binding-like consistency. It works really well as a substitute to all that mayo you would have used. I wonder how well olive oil would work for a more health conscious meal. And I really enjoyed the grilled corn in this particular potato salad.