Street Corn Pasta

When I got home from work I turned the grill on, let it heat up, and then put my "training" to work grilling corn. I didn't even have to call Ross and ask him questions. Weird. I learned that corn takes way longer to grill than I thought it would. But grilled corn is the only way to go when making this Street Corn Pasta.

Please head over to this blog for the recipe and pictures:
https://ohsweetbasil.com/elote-mexican-corn-pasta-salad-recipe/

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Roasted Grapes is a Thing?

I didn't know you could roast grapes up until last weekend when I took a Sur la Table cooking class with my friend Katrina. I mean who would've thought? They add a delicious sweetness to a savory dish without being over powering. And the pork tenderloin itself was quite tasty too; the longer the herbs sit on the meat the more intense the flavor is. Rosemary has been my herb of choice lately (thanks to Ross's newfound hobby of homemade popcorn and toppings) and this recipe really highlights the herbs.

Very unprofessional photo of Ross's plate, but you get the idea.

And here's how to re-purpose your meal for kids. Add some cheese to the plate, pull avocado and oranges out of the salad and wellla!

I used red and green grapes...

Try it out next time you want to make pork!

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Sick Little Baby

After one week of (very part time) daycare, we have a sick little baby. Claire got pink eye (again) and she has an upper respiratory virus consisting of coughing, sneezing, and a fever. It's so hard seeing your lil boo all snotty and in pain. Also, bye bye sleep... it all goes out the window when you have a sick baby on your hands. Come on breastmilk anti-bodies, do your magic!

Before Claire got sick, here are some pictures from Memorial Day:

Ross smoked ribs and made a BBQ sauce and baked beans. Charles and Kelley brought a delicious pear & celery salad, see below for a similar recipe.

Noelle, with Ross, Erik, & Charles staring at the food.

Eddie

The crunchy pear and celery salad was right up my alley. I google'd and found this recipe, similar to the one they made! We had the blue cheese/walnut variation.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 stalks celery, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
• 2 tablespoons cider, pear, raspberry or other fruit vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 ripe pears, preferably red Bartlett or Anjou, diced
• 1 cup finely diced white Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (see Tip)
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 6 large leaves butterhead or other lettuce

• PREPARATION

  1. Soak celery in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
  2. Whisk vinegar, honey and salt in a large bowl until blended. Add pears; gently stir to coat. Add the celery, cheese and pecans; stir to combine. Season with pepper. Divide the lettuce leaves among 6 plates and top with a portion of salad. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

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Remembering how to Cook

So it's been a really really long time since I've cooked anything. Babies will do that. But inevitably you gotta come out of hibernation sometime right? Well here are the recipes that we chose for our first "couple cooks together" meal in months. You may be able to tell that I picked these recipes... but they have been tested and approved by Ross too!

Turkey Burgers and Quinoa Caprese salad.

This caprese salad is a great twist on the basil+mozzerella+tomato classic with the addition of quinoa and peppery arugula.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes - halved or quartered depending on size
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella - either bocconcini or ciliegine - small round cheese - quartered
• 2 Tbs red onion - minced
• 2 Tbs minced herbs - I used a combination of parsley and basil
• ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups arugula
• 1 large handful of walnuts
• 4 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove - finely minced
• 8 twists of pepper from a pepper mill

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
2. While quinoa is cooking, slice cherry tomatoes and add to a bowl.
3. Slice mozzarella balls in quarters so they are roughly the same size as the sliced cherry tomatoes.
4. Add sliced mozzarella, minced red onion and minced herbs to the tomatoes and toss gently.
5. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, finely minced garlic and pepper. Pour half of the dressing over the tomato and mozzarella mixture and toss gently.
6. Once quinoa is done cooking, strain if necessary so there is no water left in the pan, let the quinoa cool on a baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Give the arugula a rough chop and add to a separate bowl.
8. Once quinoa is cool, toss with the arugula and the remaining half of the dressing. Once combined, add the tomato mozzarella mixture and walnuts. Toss gently to combine and serve.

I didn't get a picture of the burgers, but here's the recipe. See link above for pictures:

Turkey Burger with Feta

Ingredients

•     1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
•     2 Cloves garlic, minced
•     1 Egg
•     1/2 Cup breadcrumbs
•     1 Cup crumbled Feta Cheese
•     1/4 Cup drained, chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
•     1/4 Cup diced onions
•     2 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
•     2 Tsp. dried oregano
•     salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Method

1. Pre-heat barbecue grill to high for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine burger ingredients and mix to combine, being careful not to over mix. Shape into 6 patties, each 1/2–inch (1 cm) thick.
3. Reduce heat to medium and place burgers on lightly greased grill, cover and cook for about 8 minutes.
4. Serve with tzatziki on the bottom and topped with some baby arugula
5.  Enjoy!

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Easter Pictures

Here's what our Easter looked like! Sorry, no egg hunts here...

Ross cooked a smoked turkey (which is one of my favorite ways to eat turkey), Mom Huebel made a Kale salad, and Noelle brought an onion casserole. Here are the recipes, which were both delicious!!

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Chipotle Corn and Caramelized Onion Potato Salad

Ross smoked a big brisket last weekend, so we needed to find a good 'ole American side to accompany it. I really like mustard-based potato salads (not the mayo ones!) and in my online searching I found a potato salad recipe which used chipotle peppers. Got to try that one!

Who knew grilled corn, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, chipotles, and a bit of dijon mixed up together would taste so good?!

Chipotle Corn and Caramelized Onion Potato Salad
From Barefeet in the Kitchen, recipe adapted from Kompromised Kitchen

4 ears fresh corn, shucked with silks removed
6 medium size baby red potatoes, chopped very small into 1/4" pieces, about 2 1/2 cups
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, very thinly sliced and then roughly chopped into shorter lengths OR 1 cupcaramelized onions
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large chipotle peppers, finely minced
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to broil or preheat the grill to medium high. Lightly oil the ears of corn and then grill until lightly charred in places, rotating on the grill throughout the process. If using the oven, broil for 3-5 minutes until the corn begins to darken slightly on the tips. Remove the corn from the oven, flip each ear over and broil for another 3-4 minutes, until both sides are lightly browned. Set the corn aside and let it cool before removing the kernels from the cobs. When cool, remove the kernels and place them in a medium size bowl.

Set the oven to 425 degrees. Place the diced potatoes on a silpat lined baking sheet, or lightly grease a baking sheet with oil. Drizzle lightly with oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring the potatoes once or twice while cooking.

While the potatoes are in the oven, caramelize the onions. In a large flat bottomed skillet, warm 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onions and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper and let cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring every so often. When the onions are tender and lightly browned, add the minced garlic and stir for a couple minutes while it cooks. Once it is fragrant, remove from the heat and add the skillet mixture to the corn.

In a small bowl, stir together the chipotles, the mustard, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and about 1/2 a teaspoon black pepper. Add this mixture to the corn and onions and stir well to thoroughly coat. When the potatoes are lightly browned and slightly crisp, add them to this mixture and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

4 years ago: Deutschland Countdown

3 years ago: South American Paradise

2 years ago: Bye Bye 27

1 year ago: Wild Rice Salad

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Twice Baked Potatoes

Sometimes you just gotta have meat and potatoes; nothing less will suffice. On those kinda days, you may want to think about preparing these twice baked potatoes. There's even some nutritional value in the form of sweet potatoes aka a superfood. Cheesy healthiness? Sounds like a win!

Next time, I think I'll use a mixture of cheeses on the top so you can actually see the cheese. Afterall, you eat with your eyes first :) Cheddar is just a little too similar in color to the sweet potatoes!

Ingredients

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 5 scallions chopped (reserve about a tablespoon of green portion for garnish)
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1-2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• Optional: ½ pound bacon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place russet potatoes and sweet potato on center rack of oven and bake 30 minutes. (Place sweet potato on a small sheet of foil to catch drips). Open oven, flip potatoes and prick with a fork. Bake for another 30 minutes. Sweet potato may need another 15-30 minutes - bake until soft. Remove potatoes from oven to cool.
3. Turn oven down to 375 degrees.
4. In a bowl, mix together scallions (except for reserved tops to be used later for garnish), butter, shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.
5. Lay baking potatoes flat and cut in half horizontally. Scoop out each potato down to the skin (but leave enough potato so it keeps its shape) and place the filling in a large mixing bowl. Remove skin from sweet potato (you can also leave skin on!) and place in the bowl with the scooped-out russet potato filling.
6. Roughly mash both potatoes with potato masher. Add cheese mixture and stir until smooth.
7. Fill each potato with mixture, dividing evenly between the four halves.
8. Sprinkle additional cheese on each filled half and place on sheet pan.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot and just golden brown.
10. Top each with chopped scallion greens and serve immediately.

4 years ago: LakeHouse Trip

3 years ago: Hot day needs ice cream!

2 years ago: Milne Point Camp

1 year ago: Ptarmigan Lakes Pt 2

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Watermelon Feta Salad

You know those recipes where you throw a bunch of ingredients together and the whole time you're wondering, "Is this going to work?"

Enter this "perfect for summer" Watermelon Feta Salad:

Watermelon, feta, cucumber, mint, basil, onion, cilantro, lime juice, olives, bell pepper, jalapeno... What?? But somehow, all together it tastes so good!

Give it a try!


Recipe from therightrecipe

Herbed Watermelon Salad

For the salad:

4 cups cubed seedless watermelon (small bite-sized pieces)

2 cups cubed baby cucumber

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red or yellow pepper

1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives

1/4 cup finely minces red onion

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 cup diced feta cheese

For the vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

zest of one lime

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

sea salt and pepper to taste

Place watermelon, cucumber, sweet pepper, olives, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, mint and basil in a large bowl. (you will add the feta cheese later)

For the vinaigrette:  whisk together lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, and honey in a small bowl,  Season with salt to taste and set aside.

Just before serving, drain excess liquid from watermelon mixture, then add vinaigrette and feta to the salad and toss lightly to coat. Taste and correct seasonings if needed.  Serves 6

note:  Can be made 1-2 hours ahead but keep in mind that the watermelon and the cucumber will start to release their juices and will water down the salad.  If you make it ahead, you will want to drain some of the juices before serving.

********************************************

s

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Corn Bread and Black Bean Panzanella

We made this Jalapeno Cornbread and Black Bean Panzanella recipe last week and really enjoyed it. Yes, it takes about an hour to whip up the cornbread, bake it, then let it cool but it was oooohhh so easy to make. I mean, seriously, it's not like you're getting fitbit steps from the bake time in the oven... 

The black bean salad was a nice twist on a classic, with the addition of lots of spinach. The lime juice you add actually "cooks" and wilts the spinach some, so don't be afraid. My only complaint about this recipe was that my chopped Jalapeno all ended up rising to the top of the cornbread during cooking, so there wasn't even distribution throughout. You should try this recipe out, great for summer!

(I added a side of some smoked salmon for additional protein).

Recipe from Eats Well With Others:

Jalapeno Cornbread
Makes 1 9-inch loaf, adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 cup soymilk (or buttermilk, or regular milk)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped finely

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan (or just line with parchment).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and eggs. In a second bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the jalapenos. Pour into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Cornbread and Black Bean Panzanella
Serves 4-6, adapted from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients

• 1 batch of jalapeno cornbread (see above)
• 10 oz baby spinach
• 8 oz dried black beans, soaked overnight and boiled until tender
• 12 oz frozen sweet corn, thawed and drained
• 2 medium jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• juice of 4 limes, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp honey

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spread the cornbread cubes on a parchment lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6-7 minutes. Toss and cook for another 6 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, black beans, corn, jalapenos, red onion, cilantro, half of the lime juice, salt and pepper.  Let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Toss in the avocado and grape tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, honey, remaining lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add to the salad and toss to combine. Stir in the cornbread cubes and serve.

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Quinoa Cakes

Have you discovered quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) yet? I'm particularly fond of this grain/seed superfood. I like to keep a bag of quinoa in my pantry, mostly as a back up side-dish or salad topper. I've had my eye out for more substantial quinoa recipes and this one jumped out.

Hello delicious little quinoa cakes.

The combination of green onions, melted cheese, and tender quinoa makes these a real winner-- I will definitely make these again.

It's even better if it's served like this:

Recipe taken from MarinMommaCooks:

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (14 oz/440 g) quinoa
• 1 1/3 cups (11 fl oz/345 ml) vegetable stock or water - I used vegetable stock as it adds more flavor
• 1 cup (5 oz/155 g) all-purpose flour
• 5 ounces (155 g) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (6-mm) - 5 ounces is about half of a standard sized mozzarella rectangle, or 3 1/4-inches by 21/4-inches if you want to be exact. If you go over or under a bit on the cheese, it's totally ok!
• 1/4 cup (1 oz/30 g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (optional)
• 4 green onions, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks - only use large eggs here, not extra large
• canola oil or olive oil for frying - You can use any high heat oil of preference here. I used olive oil.

Instructions

Heat up a heavy-bottomed saucepan (I used my Le Crueset Dutch oven) over medium-high heat and add the dry quinoa.

Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until lightly toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. You will hear the quinoa make a crackling sound almost like popcorn popping as it's cooking. You will also smell a nutty aroma.

Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Mine boiled right away as I used my cast-iron Dutch oven.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until all the water or broth is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, but with a bit of a bite remaining at the center, 10-12 minutes. You should take a peek at the quinoa at the 7 minute mark just to see how it's coming along, and give it a quick stir as well. Once the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from the heat and pour it into a large bowl to cool completely. I use the same bowl that I'm going to make the patties in. If you want it to cool faster, throw it in the fridge for a bit.

While the quinoa is cooling, lets prep the rest of the ingredients. Cut up your 5-ounces of mozzarella cheese into small 1/4-inch pieces. The cubes by no means have to be exact in shape and size, (it's not baking here) you just want them to be small enough as they are going to be in the quinoa cakes and you don't want huge chunks in there.

Wash and thinly slice your green onions.

Separate your two egg yolks.

Lastly, measure out your flour and Parmesan cheese. Don't have grated parmesan on hand but have shredded? Here's a quick and easy trick to get some grated parmesan. Measure out your shredded cheese and then get out your mini food processor, process the cheese and presto, it instantly turns into grated cheese. I do this often as I usually don't have grated cheese on hand. You can also do this trick with solid parmesan cheese.

Add to the cooled quinoa the flour, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Toss gently to mix, using your hands or a rubber spatula. I just use a spatula here and make sure that I scrape up from the bottom and mix well. The mixture will resemble a whole-wheat flour mixture.

Add in the green onions, whole egg, and egg yolks.

Stir until the mixture comes together and resembles a soft dough. I used a spatula at first to mix everything around and to get the eggs blended in, and then I just went in there with my hands so that it all got mixed together well. I mean you're going to be making the patties next with your hands, so why not just get them messy.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the mixture into 10 cakes, each about 2-inches (5 cm) in diameter and 1 1/2-inches (4 cm) thick. It's truly like making burger patties. You just press down and mold the patties in the palm of your hand. The dough actually mixes together very easily, almost like play dough. Your hands will get a bit sticky and by the end of making these cakes, your hands will be covered in a somewhat sticky flour and quinoa mixture.

Set each cake on the prepared baking sheet as you finish.

After all of the cakes have been made, place them in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set.

Line another rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Get out a large non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, and pour in the oil to a depth of 1/4-inch (6 mm). I don't measure out 1/4-inch exactly, I just put in enough to cover the bottom of the pan and then some.

If you don't want to use that much oil, then I will show you another way at the bottom of the post. I do have to say that I prefer the cakes when cooked this way.

Heat the skillet and oil over medium-high heat until the oil is simmering, but not smoking. You will hear some pops and then you will know the oil is ready.

Take 5 cakes and put them in the hot pan.

Fry the cakes, turning once with a spatula or a pair of tongs, until golden brown and crisp, 2-3 minutes per side.

Transfer the cooked cakes to the prepared baking sheet to drain.

Repeat the process with the remaining 5 cakes. Remember, the second batch cooks up much quicker than the first, so keep an eye on those cakes. I love how the cheese oozes out of the cakes as they're cooking ,and then it gets all brown and crisp, almost like a grilled cheese sandwich. Yum!

Now, I really prefer to cook the quinoa cakes the above way because I feel like the cakes get crispy and all gooey and melty in the center and the sides of the cakes seem to get browned up as well, but if you feel at odds with using so much oil, I get it. I cooked up this below batch with just 2 tablespoons of oil. I did add a touch more when I flipped them over. They are great this way as well! It's all about personal preference here. You can try and cook them both ways and see which you prefer.

Serve these up warm alongside a nice kale salad or soup.

Got leftovers? Just throw them in a 250-degree oven to warm them up.

3 years ago: Cold Weekend for Camping

2 years ago: Date Night

1 year ago: Boys will be Boys

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Wild Rice Salad

Don't you love it when you stumble upon a really awesome, simple recipe??

I made this wild rice salad last week and it's hands down one of my favorite rice dishes I've had. It tasted like Asian Thanksgiving. There's a small amount of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, but there's also toasted pecans and dried cranberries (I omitted the parsley, bleeeck!)

Check out the recipe below.

http://www.foodess.com/2012/09/wild-rice-salad/

wild rice salad

Author: Jennifer Hill

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 4-6

To toast pecans, spread on a cookie sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 6 minutes, shaking occasionally and watching closely.

ingredients

• 1 cup dry wild rice
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• Salt and pepper

instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine wild rice, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Drain in a fine meshed sieve, and run under cold water to cool completely. Let stand in sieve for 5 minutes to fully drain.
2. In a medium bowl, combine wild rice, green onion, pecans and cranberries.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, combine oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and parsley. Pour over salad and stir well to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.
4. May be made up 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until serving.

3 years ago: Duetchland Countdown

2 years ago: South American: Food

1 year ago: Bull Moose

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