Pots and Pins

Grilled Okra with Basil Lemon Yogurt Sauce...

In a word?  Scrumptious!  I could not stop eating these.  And if you are a veggie snob, one who turns her nose up at homely green mucous filled pods, then you are in for a surprise...if you are willing to adjust - not lower - your veggie standards just a bit!  This is the third appetizer in a week long appetizerpalooza...and while it's a bit different, IF you'll try it, you'll be wondering where it's been all your life!

   

 

 

 

Okra is usually found in stews, soups or gumbos...where it's slimey insides can blend in with tomatoes or stock and not be detected by finnickety eaters (kids) or those with highly trained palettes (foodies) who think they have an aversion to the stuff!  If you are one of those people...please put your okra prejudices aside long enough to try this appetizer...because grilling the okra does something to the insides...makes them less "slimey"...and the dipping sauce is refreshing and bright and together they make the perfect summer appetizer or side dish!

 

 

 

 

 

The okra is trimmed just a bit, then brushed with olive oil, salt and pepper...it's grilled on water-soaked wooden skewers for about 5 minutes per side, until the outside is crispy-tender and the inside is warm and soft.   While the okra is cooking, you make the sauce - which is super easy!

  

 

 

 

 

If you have fresh lemons on hand, use them, they are always better than the bottled stuff, but that was all I had on hand...Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice, fresh basil, minced garlic, salt and pepper...it's the tangiest and happiest dip you'll ever have!

Fresh okra can be kind of tricky to find in the Northwest - but luckily for those of you who live around me - we can buy it at Apna Bazaar, the new Indian Market on the Plateau.  Check your local farmers markets this time of year and since I know I'll be making this again and again, I'm going to try frozen okra to see if that would be a good substitute for when I can't get it fresh - I'll let you know how that goes.

Grilled Okra with Basil Lemon Yogurt Sauce  - Adapted From Southern Living, July 2009

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

24 fresh okra  (about 1 1/2  lbs.), trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper for okra

8 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 10 minutes

Wash and dry okra, trim ends.  Place okra, one at a time, onto two skewers (see picture above).  Put six okra onto each set of skewers, making 4 sets.  In a small bowl combine olive oil and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Brush okra with olive oil.  With grill set to medium high, place skewers onto hot grill, cover and let grill for about 4 to 5 minutes, then turn and repeat on other side, adding more olive oil if necessary.  Check to make sure okra is not burning.  Remove from grill to serving plate.

Make sauce:  In a medium bowl combine yogurt, lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic and mix well.  Serve with grilled okra.  Serves 6 to 8 normal people or 4 gluttons.

 

French Radishes...

This is the view I have when I sit in the rocker on my front porch...that almost naked bush is all that's left of my once beautiful rhododendron...the Serial Shrub Killer was at it again this past weekend...he used his electric trimmer in the rain, yet I was the one who was shocked!  (I watched the mister for a bit, his electric trimmer humming along dangerously close to it's cord...at best I thought he'd blow the fuses to the house again, which broke the fridge in the garage and had me calling PartSelect, but you've all heard that saga, so let's go there, but who uses power tools in the rain?!?  My little statue (wearing her Statue of Liberty crown) was frozen with fear that her moss hair would be shaved off, but I arrived on scene just in time to save her - but too late to save my privacy screen!  This is only ONE of the plants that the mister "worked" on...I bit my tongue as I walked back into the house, screaming SERENITY NOW over and over in my head!

 

There's no recipe here...just three little ingredients that will forever change the way you look at a radish.  Crisp and peppery, the radish is great in salads, but have you ever just snacked on one?  Well, prepare to be gobsmacked...because eating French Radishes are the perfect afternoon snack, party appetizer and would make the perfect palate cleanser between courses!!  We first had these in Normandy, France when we had lunch at a beautiful little farmhouse.  Everything else we had that day, like the Cheese and Apple Loaf with Cider Cream, was so delicious that I forgot about the radishes! 

You'll need one bunch of large radishes.  Wash and dry them.  Slice them thin, put a dab of butter on each slice and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.  In a word?  Magnifique!

These would be a great addition to your 4th of July BBQ...oh, remember to vote for me today!  Click here...you'll have to "like" the Taste of Home Facebook page in order to vote...so three clicks and you'll be done!

Squash With Lime and Aleppo...

I used to be a squash hater.  I am now reformed.  I actually buy squash for myself.  And not only that, when I open the refrigerator, looking for something to nosh on, I will reach for the bowl of cold squash...provided it's been properly doctored with lime and Aleppo!  I discovered Aleppo about a year ago and I wrote all about it here.  I'm now on my second jar.  Let me restate that...my second jar of Aleppo spice in a year's time.  That's got to be some kind of record!  I still have the original little tin of cayenne pepper I got when I was married an eon ago!  But Aleppo is much more subtle than cayenne, it adds some heat but it also brightens whatever it lands on...if you haven't jumped on the Aleppo band wagon, what are you waiting for?!?

When my mom reads this she'll probably say to herself, "See, I told you you'd like squash if you tasted it!"  It only took decades of an up-turned nose and feigned gagging, but mom was right.  I do like squash!  Let's compare how most people eat butternut squash...buttered with salt and pepper...yawn...to roasted butternut squash with a spritz of fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of Aleppo...it's like comparing a hot-dog to filet mignon!

As a side dish, this is going to enhance whatever you pair it with - might even steal the show!  So why not make it the show?!  Squash with lime and Aleppo, inside of a flour tortilla with a smattering of cheese and salsa makes a great lunch/dinner - and it's good for you, just ask your mom!

Squash with Lime and Aleppo - Pots and Pins

1 medium butternut squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

juice from one lime

1/2 teaspoon Aleppo

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel squash, cut in half and scoop out the seeds.  (To make peeling the squash easier, you can put it in the microwave for about 4 minutes, which will soften the peel just a bit.  Cut a piece off the bottom so it's flat and then run your peeler or knifed down the sides.)  Cut into bite-size pieces.  Put squash on a rimmed baking sheet, pour olive oil over squash and using your hands, toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Put in oven and roast at 400 degrees for about 35 to 40  minutes, or until squash is fork tender, but not squashed!  Remove from oven and immediately coat with lime juice.  Sprinkle Aleppo on top and serve.  Makes 4 servings.

Ham with Red-Eye Gravy, Black-Eyed Peas and Brussels Sprouts...

This is one of the mister's favorite meals - except for the Brussels sprouts.  He ate so many Brussels sprouts while in the Corp that he hates them and has ordered me not to make them.  Whatever.  I usually serve collard or mustard greens with ham and red-eye gravy, instead of Brussels sprouts, but I didn't have any.  I asked the mister to stop at the store on his way home to pick up the greens and he came home empty-handed, said they didn't have any...really?  REALLY?!?  The mister was with his good friend Jack when I called so I'm pretty sure Jack told him to just tell me that so he wouldn't have to stop...because Safeway ALWAYS has greens...nobody eats them but US!  Well...you know me, I'm nothing if not fair and balanced...so a punishment was in order...out came the Brussels sprouts!

 

 

 

Even with Brussels sprouts on his plate, the mister hardly had anything to complain about because like I said, this is one of his favorite meals.  The ham is slightly browned with some shallots and then the red-eye gravy is made in the same pan.  If you've never eaten red-eye gravy, you might be disappointed to learn it is nothing like real gravy...it's thin and watery and is more of a glaze, than gravy.  But it's dang good.  And it's made with coffee.  Strong coffee.  But, it has absolutely NO coffee taste - what it does have is a rich deep flavor that will knock your waders off!  And, as we all know, the caffeine gets cooked out...right?!?

 

This meal is Southern comfort food and it's about as Southern as it gets...which is why the mister is such a fan - it puts him in touch with this roots...takes him back to the tobacco fields, crabbin' on the Chesapeake, mowing lawns on the plantation and his alter ego...Frankly, my dear, I don't give a Damn!  Oh wait, he's no Rhett Butler and I'm no Scarlett-As-God-Is-My-Witness-I'll-Never-Be-Hungry-Again-O'Hara...but when we eat this kind of food we sort of feel like we are...Fiddledee-dee!

 

 

If you have collard or mustard greens, rustle them up and serve them along side the ham and black-eyed peas - they're great and the greens will absorb some of the red-eye gravy for a rather mmmmmm-mmmmm-good-experience.  If you don't have greens, because your store doesn't have any (riiiiiight!) then Brussels sprouts make a great replacement, especially when they're cooked in this delicious sweet and sour elixir -even the mister, who hates Brussels sprouts, ate them...and then ate some more!

Ham With Red-Eye Gravy and Black-Eyed Peas  - Inspired by Bon Appetit

(Brussels Sprouts recipe below)

4 slices country ham

1 to 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons shallots, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup strong black coffee or espresso

2 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons Golden Syrup or honey

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 cans (15 oz.) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

salt and pepper to taste

Brussels Sprouts - Pots and Pins

3 cups Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, outer leaves removed, rinsed and cut in half

2 teaspoons bacon grease or butter

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

To make Ham and Red-Eye Gravy:   In a large skillet over medium-high heat add vegetable oil, ham and shallots.  Saute until ham is slightly browned on both sides and shallots are soft, about 6 minutes.  Stir in coffee, stirring up any browned bits from bottom of pan.  Add broth, syrup or honey and vinegar; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half and sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes.  Add black-eyed peas to the pan, bring heat up to medium and cook until peas are heated through.  

To make Brussels Sprouts:  In a large skillet, heat bacon grease or butter until hot, add Brussels sprouts, cut side down.  Cook over medium-high heat until Brussels sprouts are browned, about 4 minutes.  Stir in chicken stock, sugar, chili flakes and vinegar.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for an additional 6 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are fork tender. Remove from pan with a slotten spoon, discard the liquid. 

To serve:  Plate up the ham, black-eyed peas and Brussels sprouts and spoon the red-eye gravy over all.  Serves 4.

 One year ago:  My Valentine Gift

Two years ago:  Quilt Group Friday

Three years ago:  Orange and Brown Butter Tart

Four years ago:  Buttermilk Oatmeal Scones

Provencal Tomatoes...

When we were in the South of France...love how that sounds...we would have lunch each day at some little sidewalk bistro...and maybe because the Mediterranean Sea was lapping at the shore or the palm trees were swaying in the breeze or the promise of macarons for dessert were before us...maybe that's why everything we ate tasted so good...delicious...Heavenly.  It's nothing short of miraculous that we both lost weight in France - even though we ate our weight in food every day, we walked for hours at a time...from one bistro to another.

Pictured above is the harbor of Marseille...it's a very old city (founded in 2600) and it was in the middle of a face-lift while we were there - jack-hammering and bull-dozing every where we went...but behind all the scaffolding and piles of debris (seriously, the entire city was a construction zone!) we managed to find fabulous food...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking a picture of the main part of our meals was easy - but I often overlooked the side dishes - and Provencal Tomatoes are a side dish - so I didn't get a photo of any authentic Provencal Tomatoes...but lucky for me (and you) they are very easy to make ...all you need are some really nice tomatoes...

This time of year it's not easy to find great tasting tomatoes...which is why Provencal Tomatoes are so good - a bland, tasteless tomato turns into something quite fabulous with just a little help.

 

 

 

And it turns out that Provencal Tomatoes look fabulous on a Christmas buffet because they're red and green...Ho-Ho-Ho!  But they'd be great for a New Year's buffet, too...or any other buffet...I like the word buffet.  And I like buffets.  Duh.

(My apologies for not knowing how to type Provencal with that little dohickey under the c - I do what I can with what I've got!)

Provencal Tomatoes - Adapted From Les Meilleures Recettes de Provence by Christian Etienne

15 medium to large tomatoes, washed and dried

1 cup chopped fresh parsley, firmly packed, divided

10 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups fresh bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut tops off tomatoes and make a very small slice on the bottom, just to tomatoes will sit straight.  Very carefully, scoop out the insides of the tomatoes, leaving about 1/4-inch all around.  Turn tomatoes upside down on paper-toweling to dry for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl combine 3/4 cup parsley with garlic, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Mix well.  Stuff tomatoes with bread crumb mixture, stuffing firmly.  Place each tomato onto a baking dish or in a cupcake tin, which works great.  Top each tomato with a sprinking of the remaining parsley and a sprinkling of the remaining Parmesan cheese.  Drizzle olive oil over the tops of each tomato.  Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened a bit and the tops of the tomatoes are lightly browned.  Serve as a side dish.  Serves 15, one each.

Think of these as a bite of Provence...they are colorful, delicious and a nice addition to any meal.

Sagaponack Corn Pudding...

Before I get to the best tasting Corn Pudding you'll ever eat, I need to share the boy's big news with you...The boy needed a pie...his church group was having a pie night and he asked me to make him a really, really good pie - bragging rights were at stake!  The boy only likes chocolate pie so I figured that's what he would want but when he told me HE was supposed to make the pie and it was going to be judged, well, there is only one pie that can stand up to that kind of pressure! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For his efforts, the boy came home with the certificate for the Best Tasting pie...and the remnants of what pie tasters do to a pie!  I was not a bit surprised as I/He made Dixon's Famous Lemon Cream Cheese Pie and it's famous because it's dang good!!  5 dang's on the Dang Meter, my friends, FIVE!  Don't wait until you need a pie for a pie contest to make this pie - this should be added to your Thanksgiving Dessert Menu - it's that good!

 

 

 

Now, speaking of that T-day menu, this should be on the list, too!  I came across this recipe several years ago, and if I could just have a moment of silence, I'll tell you where I got it...take a few deep breaths...okay, here goes:  Ina Garten.  I think her name should be typed/spoken with reverence.  I've never had one of her recipes fail - ever.  Can't say that about Martha or Emeril (God bless him) or Giada or even (heartbeat) Tyler Florence and Anthony Bourdain...Ina's recipes are perfect every time.  So when I came across her recipe for Corn Pudding, I knew I would love it and so will  you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aside from loving Ina's recipes, I adore her and her kitchen! (House Beautiful's 2009 Kitchen of the Year no less!)  In my next life I plan to be Ina, with all her perfect recipes in my head!  Now, having said that, I have to confess that I altered her recipe just a bit.  Instead of using fresh corn, I used frozen corn and it worked/tasted the same...plus it saved me about $15 as fresh corn is dang expensive this time of year!  This has a heady mixture of half-and-half, corn, cheese and fresh basil...creamy and rich enough to make you sigh with every bite.  Make it and see...I would not lead you astray when talking about a possible Thanksgiving day side dish!

Sagaponack Corn Pudding - Adapted from Ian Garten

1 stick butter

5 cups frozen corn

1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 large onion)

4 extra-large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 cup ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter the inside of an 8 to 10-cup baking dish.  Melt butter in a very large saute pan and saute the onion over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.  Stir in the corn and continue to saute for an additional 5 minutes.  Cool slightly. 

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half.  Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and then the ricotta.  Add the basil, sugar, salt and pepper.  Add the cooked and slightly cooled corn mixture.  Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheddar cheese.  Pour into the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese evenly on top.

Place the baking dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake the pudding 45  to 50 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.  Serves 8.

Kale Salad with Apples and Gorgonzola...

Kale.  Yes, that's right.  Kale...I did not mean to type Lake, I meant Kale, it's not a typo.   Let's play a round of True Confession, shall we?  You start...okay, I'll start.  I walk four miles a day and I eat Kale.  Your turn.  I know, I know, I know...you're wondering if this is really me or is someone else writing this post?  I even had to stop and think and remind myself that YES, this IS the new me...but wait, you say, didn't you just post a recipe a few days ago for Milky Way Pound Cake?!?  Umm...yes...and it was delicious, and that's just ONE of the many reasons I walk four miles a day!  It's taken years for me to get this through to the inner sanctum of my cranium...if I exercise then I can eat what I want and as much as I want...it's the closest thing to magic that I know. And turning Kale into something tasty enough that you'll WANT to eat it is the next closest.

A while back I was invited to a cooking class/demonstration - and I almost didn't go - the mister had some imaginary pain and I was torn between putting on my Florence Nightingale Hat or my Cooking Class Hat...one phone call to a friend helped me choose the right hat...I said goodbye to the mister and hello to Kale...and Ashley and Lisa. 

 

 

 

The class was at Ashley's home - which was like walking into the pages of House Beautiful or Country Living. Ashley and Lisa, two of the nicest people on the planet, are enthusiastic and talented cooks who are also vegetarians...except for the occasional piece of bacon...and this recipe was among the many they made and shared with us that night.  When Ashley first came across this recipe she said she and her family liked it so much they even had it for breakfast the next day!  When she said that I could almost feel my eyes about to roll, I mean, it's one thing to eat kale (something I had never done) for dinner, as a side, a very teeny, tiny side but to eat it for breakfast!?  So brace yourselves...I can now say I, too, have eaten kale - willingly - for lunch, dinner AND breakfast!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Besides the kale, this salad contains dried cherries, red onions, apple chunks, Gorgonzola cheese crumbles and dry-roasted sunflower seeds...(and occasionally, bacon!)  I have fallen in love with this salad - it's fresh and clean tasting, with a simple dressing of olive oil and apple cider vinegar, it's the perfect side to any meal or the perfect meal all by itself.

Over the last several weeks I have probably made this a half dozen times...I'm nuts about it, even though I know it's good for me, has no added sugar or cream or butter, and except for those rare days when I add bacon, it's about as healthy as it gets around here!  Try this, with or without bacon, it will surprise you!  I will be posting the other recipes from Ashley and Lisa's wonderful class soon...they are all keepers! 

Kale Salad With Apples and Gorgonzola - Adapted from Cookus Interruptus via Ashley Serafin and Lisa Sharp

1 bunch kale

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup dry-roasted sunflower seeds (original recipe calls for toasted sunflower seeds or candied walnuts)

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup dried cherries (original recipe calls for 1/3 cup currants)

3/4 cup diced apple (about 1/2 of an apple, I like to use Fuji apples)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, crumbled - optional(!)

De-stem kale by pulling leaf away from the stem.  Wash leaves.  Spin or pat dry.  (You need to get as much moisture off the leaves as possible so the dressing will stick to the leaves, it doesn't stick to wet leaves.) Stack leaves, roll up and cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade).  Put kale in a large mixing bowl and add salt.  Massage salt into kale with your hands for 2 minutes.  (If using plain sunflower seeds, toast them by putting in a dry skillet over low to medium heat and stir constantly for a few minutes until they change color and give off a nutty aroma.  If using dry-roasted you do not need to toast them.)  Put kale in a fresh bowl and discard any leftover liquid.  Stir onion, currants, apple, sunflower seeds and bacon, if using, into kale.  Dress with oil and vinegar and toss.  Taste for salt and vinegar, adding more if necessary.  Toss in cheese crumbles.  Serves 6.  (IF you have leftovers, this will taste even better the next day.)

Garlic Green Beans...

So we didn't win the lottery...bummer...the bald eagle who stopped by on July 4th turned out to just be a big bird who flew into our cul-de-sac to dine on a squirrel from our yard and not a sign/omen/signal from on high that we were destined to be filthy rich.  Hate that!  So real life goes on...and at a breakneck pace - in the last week I did the following... made two trips to girls camp (after having sewed a banner and a flag for camp), instructed girls on how to pull pranks at camp and not get caught then took them shopping for "supplies", gave quilting lessons to a young friend, hosted a luncheon, baked 5 dozen cookies for a scout trip, made food for two pot-lucks, taught a lesson in church, burned two loaves of bread,  babysat 3 small boys for 7 1/2 hours which included a fairy hunt (no success with catching a fairy but very successful in brainwashing), worked for the mister (not a picnic I promise, he either fires me or I quit, and there's no signing bonus either!) and did all the usual stuff around the manse...yard work, housework and wedding flowers!  (I put all that in here for me, so when I'm bouncing around the padded cell that's in my future, I can look back on posts like this and realize WHY!)

Three large arrangements, one small, one bridal bouquet, 4 boutonnieres...and all of this for a RE-newing of vows!!!  And that fascinated me....this couple, who I don't know, has been married for TEN years and the husband decided to SURPRISE his wife on their tenth anniversary with them renewing their vows - got the minister, flew in the fam from Singapore, ordered the food and flowers and his wife/bride, wore her wedding dress from ten years ago...a short maroon number that she could STILL fit in...Who does that?!?!?  And who would remarry their husband?!?!?  Oh I suppose many of you would...and given enough drugs I just might remarry the mister, but today, being sober and of reasonably sound mind, I would not...he's in the dog house, where he is quite comfortable as he's spent so much time there recently.  I'm just saying, in case he asks, the answer will be NO!  Not until he i$ $ufficiently $orry.

 

 

 

 

Years ago I had these beans at a wedding reception and they were unlike anything I had ever had before - crisp tender, sprinkled with sesame seeds, tossed with toasted cashews and covered in a light coating of oil...and then there was the garlic.  I've had garlic green beans in Chinese restaurants but they have always been served hot...and these are similar except they are not limp and the color has not been cooked out of them.  These are one of our very favorite summer-time sides...they are perfect on a hot summer eve and they are great to snack on!

Garlic Green Beans - Adapted from Michael Barnes

(When I asked the mom (Barbara Knudson) of the bride (Kylee) about the beans she emailed her friend who made them and he sent me the recipe and said, "Nothing makes someone who enjoys cooking feel better than when we are asked for a recipe."  Amen.  And thanks Barbara and Kylee and Michael!)

1 lb. green beans

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 cup cashews, whole or pieces, toasted

Clean and cut ends from green beans.  You can leave whole or cut in half.  In a large pan, with a steamer basket, steam beans for 3 to 5 minutes, or just until crisp tender.  Remove and immediately plunge into cold water to stop cooking, then drain well.

In a large skillet, toast cashews and sesame seeds, over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until lightly browned.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large Zip-lock style bag, combine, oils, vinegar and soy sauce.  Add green beans, cashews and sesame seeds.  Seal bag and turn several times to coat.  Allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour - but overnight is best and these are always better the next day, if you have any left!  Pour entire contents into serving bowl to serve.  Serves 10.

Corn-on-the-Cob...Like You've NEVER Had It Before...

I will boldly predict that this will be the ONLY way you'll eat corn-on-the-cob from now on...it's better than any grilled-Bobby-Flay-corn, better than any wrapped-in-foil-dipped-in-herbed-butter corn, too...it's better.  Than anything.  And good news...it's CORN SEASON!

 

 

 

 

This corn is boiled in milk with a bit of brown sugar...it's creamy and sweet - like creamed corn only fresher and on the cob!  Your tribe will storm the picnic table like Godzilla to the fleeing Japanese for more and more...so buy plenty, cook plenty, and then - stand back!  It should be illegal that's how good it is!

Corn-On-The-Cob - Pots and Pins

4 ears of corn

4 cups of milk

4 cups of water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

In a large pot mix milk, water, brown sugar and salt together and bring to the boil.  Add corn, cover pot with lid and boil for 6 minutes.  If eating corn right away, drain and serve; if not, drain the pot and leave corn in with the lid on.  Serve with butter (you've already cooked it in sugar and milk, why withhold the butter?) 

For all of you corn purists and/or sugar police:  There's nothing wrong with adding sugar to fresh corn and eating it once in a while (like every day during corn season) ...even if you're diabetic...a small piece will only kill you with joy, so simmer!   

 

 

 

Avocado Spring Rolls...

Because it's spring, because avocado's are on sale everywhere, because Heaven forbid MY (abdominal)  ROLLS should have a chance to shrink ...and because it's the last day of the Adaptable Avocado Recipe Challenge, I made these addictive avocado spring rolls...betcha can't eat just one!  (Yes, I've entered about a gazillion recipes for this contest but THIS one is certain to win...it's got everything the judges will be looking for...it's creative, different, easy, and DELICIOUSLY FUN!

Did I mention they're healthy?!  Well they are...but more importantly, they are good - down to the last bean sprout!  I made a dozen for the mister and me...an hour later I was back in the kitchen making a dozen more!  But who's counting?  

Spring roll wrappers are not the same as wonton/eggroll wrappers...they are much thinner.  I purchased my spring roll wraps from an Asian specialty store, but most grocery stores carry them.  The ones I bought are made with tapioca rice...and they are stiff as a board when they come out of the package - no kidding, you could use them as Frisbees!  But don't.  Soak them for about 20 seconds in warm water, then they're good to go.  Layer on the avocado slices, jicama and green onion that has been julienned, bean sprouts and a good bit of cilantro...then roll 'em up and let the wild rumpus begin!  And if you just can't eat a spring roll without dip...like me...whip up an avocado/yogurt dip to go along side.  The Dang Meter is ringing loud and clear on this one...4 dangs worth for sure!  (Didn't rank 5 dangs because these are healthy and good for you they which means you won't fall into a coma after eating them.)

Avocado Spring Rolls - Pots and Pins

4 green onions, julienned

1/4 small jicama, peeled and julienned

1/3 cup bean sprouts, rinsed

1/3 cup, tightly packed, fresh cilantro, chopped

3 to 4 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced

12 spring roll wrappers

Dipping Sauce - Optional:

1 cup yogurt

1/4 cup, packed, fresh cilantro, chopped

zest from one lime

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted

To make spring rolls:  Soften spring roll wrappers in warm water for about 20 seconds.  Begin with avocado slices, about two per roll and top with a few green onion pieces, jicama pieces, sprouts and cilantro.  Tightly roll, folding ends in towards center, and continue rolling.  The wrap will secure itself.  Place on a serving plate.  I had a bit of difficulty at first with the wrapping but after the first couple I got the hang of it and you will, too!  Makes 12 spring rolls.

To make dipping sauce:

Put all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.  Pour into a serving dish and serve alongside spring rolls.