Battle Sweet Corn

Could anything be more appropriate in the Cornhusker state?  Actually, yes…we’ll step back and admit that attending or watching the Husker game tonight would have been more appropriate than missing it in lieu of preparing a gourmet meal as we decided to do.  Can’t say we regret the decision, though!  Corn purchased fresh at the Farmer’s Market this morning was the highlight of all our dishes. 

 

Indian Corn

We wanted to start off with corn in its purest and simplest form.  There’s nothing more satisfying than gnawing on this tasty veggie straight up off the husk. To make this variation, we combined Rick & Tom Ruf’s cooking methods with some of our favorite Indian seasonings. Soooo yummy!  And we walked away inspired to try other new seasoning combos on our grilled corn in the future.

 

 

Ingredients:

·         Fresh Corn in the husk

·         butter

·         Spice rub (ratios to follow):

o   graham masala X3

o   red curry powder X1

o   cumin X1

o   pepper X1

o   kosher salt X1

 

Directions:

1.    Prepare “Injun” corn ala Rick and Tom Ruf. I.e., soak corn with husks still on in a sink (or other sizable vessel) filled with water for at least 20 minutes.  Pat dry with a towel.

2.    Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. Grill corn for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until charred on the husk. Turn occasionally for equal cooking.

3.    Remove from heat.  Husk and spread on butter. Season with spice rub. Eat!

 

Corn Risotto & Corn-adew Side Salad

 

 

Corn Risotto

The lengthy directions list for this recipe may seem intimidating, but we promise it’s worth the work and worth the wait. The corn came through nicely in both the base of this dish and as a key player in the main event.  The sweetness of the corn contrasted well with the earthy flavors from the mushrooms and celery. At the last minute, we also added a bit of fresh sage for depth.  It was difficult to show restraint when eating this course because it was so tasty!  We had to force ourselves to put down our spoons and save room for other courses, as the risotto could have been a meal by itself. 

 

Ingredients: 

·         4 cloves garlic

·         1/3 of an onion

·         olive oil

·         2/3 cup Arborio rice

·         white wine (approx. 1/4 to 1/3 cup)

·         1 cob fresh corn

·         1 can whole kernel corn (no salt or any additives other than water)

·         2 cans chicken broth

·         3-4 stalks of celery (chopped)
6-10 mushrooms (chopped)

·         approx. 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (depending on preference)

·         2-3 green onions (chopped)

 

Directions:

1.    Chop all the kernels off a cob of fresh sweet corn, set the kernels aside and chop the cob into 3 pieces.

2.    Place the cob pieces as well as the whole can of corn (water and all) into a sauce pan.  Add 2 cans of chicken broth to the sauce pan over the corn and cob pieces.  Place the sauce pan on the stove on low heat.  Have this pan ready for adding to the risotto dish as you are cooking.

3.    Coat a large sauté pan generously with olive oil and add the garlic cloves (after mincing) and onions (after finely chopping).  Bring to a medium-high heat.  

4.    When the garlic and onions have begun to brown add the Arborio rice.  Stir the rice so that it is coated in the “garlic/onion oil.” 

5.    Once some of the rice kernels have begun to toast (brown), add enough dry white wine to cover the rice kernels.  Let the wine cook down while stirring the rice mixture.

6.    Once the rice mixture has no standing liquid (i.e. the rice has soaked up most of the wine, but it is still moist), start adding the chicken broth/corn mixture. 

7.    Add the chicken broth mixture 1/4 to 2/3 cups at a time (as needed)….(it is “needed” when the rice has soaked up most of the chicken broth mixture and there isn’t much standing liquid).

8.    After approximately 40% of the chicken broth mixture has been absorbed by the rice, place the chicken broth mixture in a blender and blend the broth and corn into a single liquid.

9.    Return the chicken broth/corn mixture to the burner on low and continue adding this liquid to the rice in small batches.

10. At this same time, add the celery to the rice mixture

11. When approximately 60% of the chicken broth mixture is added, add the mushrooms to the rice mixture

12. When approximately 90% of the chicken broth mixture is added, add the fresh corn kernels to the rice mixture.

13. After the final chicken broth mixture is absorbed by the rice and the mixture has no standing liquid, add the parmesan cheese.  Stir until the cheese is completely melted and remove from the heat.

14. Let stand for 2-3 minutes.  Serve and garnish with chopped green onions and additional parmesan cheese, if desired.

 

Corn-adew Salad w/Peppadew Corn Dressing

One of our new favorite items from the olive bar at HyVee—peppadews!—play a leading role in this interestingly sweet, yet vinegar-forward dressing.  You can also find them in jars near the roasted red peppers and other marinated veggies.  For this dish, we accented the flavors of the dressing by incorporating its components in their original form in the salad itself.  This was an excellent pairing with the risotto. 

 

Ingredients:

·         ½ cup cooked corn for dressing

·         1 Tablespoon brine from jar of peppadews

·         1.5 teaspoons sherry vinegar (or you can use a combo of sherry cooking wine and regular vinegar)

·         Dash of cayenne pepper

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         Peppadews

·         Mozzarella pearls

·         Additional cooked corn for salad (frozen or shucked from the husk)

·         Cherry tomatoes, halved

·         Arugula

·         Spinach or other mild mixed greens

 

Directions:

1.    Prepare dressing. Puree ½ cup corn, peppadew brine, sherry vinegar, cayenne, and black pepper in a blender w/a few tablespoons of water.  Process until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.  Whisk in additional olive oil to smooth texture, if desired. Marinate in fridge for at least ½ hour (preferably longer) before serving.  This will intensify the peppadew flavor and allow seasonings to meld together.

2.    Prepare salad.  Toss arugula and greens together. Stuff mozzarella pearls into peppadews and place on top of greens. If you are left w/additional pearls, simply throw on top of salad.  Alternatively, if you have too many peppadews, slice remaining peppadews into strips and add to salad.  Add tomatoes and corn to your salad and garnish w/freshly ground black pepper.  Serve with dressing.

 

Corn & Green Onion Turkey Burgers

w/Chilled Corn Salad

 

Corn & Green Onion Turkey Burgers

Thought we’d do a spin-off on our favorite turkey burger recipe that has colored bell peppers and Vidalia onion chunks in it. Ours turned out a little on the dry side, so be careful to not over-cook them when grilling. In the end, this mistake was a nice way to highlight the barbeque sauce and corn-relish salad, since they added the moisture missing from the burgers themselves.

 

Ingredients:

·         Corn (frozen or shucked off the husk)

·         Lean ground turkey

·         Green onion, chopped

·         Eggs or egg substitute

·         Corn meal

·         Cornflakes, crushed

·         Worcestershire sauce

·         Smoked paprika

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         Kosher salt

·         Barbeque sauce (preferably spicy to accent the flavors of the sweet corn. We doctored ours up with mix-ins, ratios to follow):

o   BBQ sauce X4

o   Katsup X3

o   Frank’s hot sauce X1

o   Louisiana tobacco hot sauce X1

o   Spicy/sweet mustard X1

 

Directions:

1.    Lightly cook corn in the microwave with water. Drain water and place corn in a medium sized bowl.

2.    To the same bowl, add turkey, green onion, egg, cornmeal, crushed cornflakes, Worcestershire, paprika, pepper, and salt.

3.    Combine with your hands.  Consistency should be moist and sticky, so that mixture holds together.  If too wet, add additional cornmeal or cereal.  If too dry, add egg as a binding agent.

4.    Press mixture into patties and grill.

5.    Serve with barbeque sauce for dipping or atop a toasted bun, if you prefer sandwich style.

 

Chilled Corn Salad

Here’s a quick and easy side that is tangy and refreshing for the hot summer months.  Turns out similar to relish or pickled veggies, which adds a nice cool element to BBQ meats. Perfect for picnic-ing or as a potluck side, since you don’t have to worry about keeping it warm and can do all the prep work in advance.

 

Ingredients:

·         2 cups cooked corn (frozen or shucked off the husk)

·         1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

·         1 medium-sized cucumber, diced

·         1/2 medium-sized red onion, diced

·         juice of 2 limes + zest of 1 lime

·         1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

·         1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and finely minced

·         salt and pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

1.    Toss all ingredients together.  Marinate in fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving.

 

 

(mini!) Corn Dogs

 

 

Thanks to Alton Brown for the recipe and techniques!  We hardly changed anything from his original and agreed that these truly were the best corn dogs we’ve ever eaten.  In particular, we liked how thin and crispy the layer of batter was.  Not super-doughy like many corndogs end up being.  What a fun late night snack or game day munchies. They’re especially addicting in miniature form because you always feel like there’s room for one more in your tummy.  We’ll for sure be making this recipe again soon.

 

Ingredients:

·         1 gallon peanut oil for frying

·         1 cup yellow cornmeal

·         3/4 cup all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon kosher salt

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/4 teaspoon baking soda

·         1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·         2 tablespoons (approximately 1 large) jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced

·         1 (8.5-ounce) can cream-style corn

·         1/3 cup finely grated onion

·         1 1/2 cups buttermilk

·         4 tablespoons cornstarch, for dredging

·         8 beef hot dogs or a package of mini cocktail wieners

 

Directions:

1.    Pour oil into a deep fryer or large heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F.

2.    In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cayenne pepper.

3.    In a separate bowl, combine the jalapeno, corn, onion, and buttermilk.

4.    Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once, and stir only enough times to bring the batter together; there should be lumps. Set batter aside and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

5.    Scatter the cornstarch into a dry pie pan. Roll each hot dog in the cornstarch and tap well to remove any excess.

6.    Transfer enough batter to almost fill a large drinking glass. Refill the glass as needed. Place each hot dog on chopsticks, and quickly dip in and out of the batter.

7.    Immediately and carefully place each hot dog into the oil, and cook until coating is golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes (or less, if making minis). With tongs, remove to cooling rack, and allow to drain for 3 to 5 minutes.

8.    Serve with ketchup, mustard, and cold beer!

 

Corn Bread Pudding w/Sweet Corn Ice Cream

 

 

We’ve ventured to make cornbread bread pudding in the past, but this time decided to infuse the corn flavors into the soaking mixture instead.  Both ways yielded positive results.  We topped today’s version off with some home-made sweet corn ice cream and a few CORNflakes cereal for additional crunch. 

 

Ingredients:

·         Challah bread (really any kind you have on hand will do, but this kind paired very well with the corn)

·         1/4 cup creamed corn

·         1/2 cup buttermilk

·         1/2 cup milk

·         1 egg

·         1 tsp. ground cinnamon

·         1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

 

Directions:

1.    Slice bread into approx. 1-inch cubes and place in a greased baking dish (or ramekins, for individual serving portions).

2.    In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together creamed corn, buttermilk, milk, egg, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3.    Pour liquid over sliced bread and stir to coat.  Be sure bread is entirely (or at least mostly) submersed in the liquid. Cover and store in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, preferably longer to allow bread to soak up liquid and flavors.

4.    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread pudding uncovered until top begins to brown and liquid is largely absorbed/evaporated.  Cooking time is dependent on the size of you baking pan and amount of pudding you’ve made.  Allow mixture to coagulate and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

5.    Top with ice cream &/or Cornflakes just before serving.

And it was all... YELLOW!

And it was all…..YELLOW!

It was a colorful weekend of eating!  For a new kitchen challenge, we were each randomly assigned a color to serve as a focal point for a multi-course meal.  Here is a copy of the yellow menu items Michelle served up on Friday.  The recipes can be found below the menu in their “ideal” form.  That is, they may be missing some of their yellow ingredients for the sake of better tasting versions to prepare on normal, non-yellow-themed nights of eating. 

Waldorf & Yellow Apple Endive Boat

Yellow Delicious Apples play a starring role in this traditional favorite from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.  Yellow endive leaves serve as supporting actors that make this dish utensil-free and bite-sized.  Yellow curry seasonings add a bit of zip to contrast with the sweetness of yellow raisins.  This should prepare your palate for many yellow foods to come!

 Yellow Squash & Yellow Pear Soup

Yellow Squash and yellow-skinned Bartlett pears transport us back to the days of Dennis’ first savory-sweet cooking endeavors.  Although there are certainly more yellow onions than in the old days!  Summery, refreshing, and topped off with a crunch from yellow carrots.

 Hungarian Stuffed Yellow Pepper

Thanks again to Henry’s (one of our favorite Lincoln restaurants) for inspiring another yellow menu item!  Yellow (although not the ideal Hungarian sweet yellow wax) peppers are stuffed with Hungarian spiced ground turkey.  Additions of yellow sweet corn, yellow baby potatoes, yellow tomatoes, and yellow onions fit the color theme. 

 Fried Yellow Wax Beans

Deep-fried yellow wax beans encrusted in yellow cornmeal are served alongside a yellow honey and yellow mustard dipping sauce.  Crunchy and irresistible! 

Yellow Lemon Sugar Loaf

Yellow raspberries (use your imagination here...the proper colored berries were not in season) served atop a slightly sweet, yellow lemon pound cake.  Dress your slice with zesty yellow lemon curd composed of yellow egg yolks and yellow butter-- that is if Dennis doesn’t eat the entire jar by the spoonful first!

 

Waldorf Endive Boats

Ingredients:

·         1 granny smith apple, cubed w/skin on

·         1/2 small honeycrisp apple (or other sweet variety), cubed w/skin

·         1.5 tablespoons cider vinegar

·         2 tablespoons mayonnaise

·         1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

·         1 pinch kosher salt

·         Cracked black pepper

·         1 scant teaspoon curry powder

·         1 stalk celery, thin bias cut

·         1/4 red onion, julienned

·         endive (or you can substitute with Romaine, although you will lose a bit of the zesty endive’s crunchy flavor)

·         walnuts, toasted and chopped

·         golden raisins

Directions:

1.    In a bowl, toss apples with the cider vinegar.

2.    Fold in mayo and yogurt thoroughly.

3.    Season with salt, pepper, and curry.  Add celery and red onion.

4.    Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

5.    To serve, arrange endive or lettuce leaves on a plate and spoon salad on top. Top w/toasted walnuts and raisins.

(Serves about 3)

 

Pear & Summer Squash Soup

Ingredients:

·         1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

·         1 stalk celery, finely chopped

·         yellow carrots, 1/4 cup finely chopped + additional bite-sized coins

·         2 cups chicken brother

·         2 cups milk

·         salt

·         pepper

·         nutmeg

·         oregano/thyme/or other herb-y flavors of your choosing

·         1 medium-sized yellow squash, peeled and cut into chunks

·         2 medium-sized pears, peeled and cut into chunks

·         diced mushrooms (optional)

Directions:

1.    Sautee onion, celery, and finely chopped carrot in olive oil until lightly browned.

2.    Add chicken broth and milk.  Season lightly with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and other spices.  There will be plenty of time to add more seasonings later as soup simmers and flavors continue to mature.

3.    Add pear and yellow squash.  Simmer until these elements begin to soften.

4.    Transfer to a blender and process until smooth.  You could also use and immersion blender.  Return soup to low heat.

5.    Stir in carrot coins, and continue to simmer until carrots are soft.  If you are in a hurry, you can pre-cook the carrots in a bowl with water in the microwave to speed this part of the process along.  If desired, add chopped mushrooms about 10 minutes before you plan to serve soup.

6.    Sample and adjust seasonings to your liking.  Serve with additional fresh chopped herbs. 

 

Hungarian Stuffed Yellow Peppers

Ingredients:

·         4 yellow bell peppers (you can use orange as well, but I would not recommend green or even red, as they will change the flavor profile that was so delightful about this dish); you may need 5-6 peppers, if they are smaller ones

·         olive oil

·         6-8 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 medium sized onion (1/2 finely minced, and 1/2 roughly chopped)

·         1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce

·         paprika

·         cayenne pepper

·         Kosher salt

·         freshly ground black pepper

·         sugar

·         1 lb. ground turkey

·         2 small Yukon gold potatoes

·         1 medium sized tomato, chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes)

·         1/2 cup frozen corn (or fresh corn, removed from the husk)

·         1/2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

·         sour cream, or Greek yogurt

·         fresh oregano and/or parsley (optional, for serving)

 Directions:

1.    Cut off the tops of the peppers, and use a melon baller to remove the membranes.  Precook peppers in boiling water for about 4 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold water.

2.    Pre-cook your potatoes.  You can do this by boiling or using Judy Ruf’s famous baked potato bag in the microwave!  Cut into small chunks.

3.    Make the sauce.  In a medium-sized sauce pan, sauté approximately 3 cloves of garlic with the finely minced onion over medium heat.  Once lightly browned, add tomato sauce.  Season generously with paprika and freshly ground black pepper.  Add a dash of cayenne and some salt.  Add sugar to cut the acidity of the canned sauce and enhance the sweet paprika taste.  Bring sauce to a boil, and then reduce heat to low.  Simmer and sample.  Adjust seasonings to your liking.  If sauce is too thin, you can add some tomato paste as well.

4.    Make the filling.  In a skillet, brown remaining garlic and onion along with ground turkey.  Use the back of a spoon or spatula to break up meat as you would for sloppy joes.  Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and a bit of cayenne to compliment your sauce flavors.  You might also want to add some of the sauce into your meat mixture to make it extra juicy and moist.

5.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6.    Remove meat mixture from the heat.  Fold in potatoes, tomato, corn, and Worcestershire sauce.  Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.  It is likely that you will need to add additional spices at this point, as the taters, maters, and corn will dilute the seasonings you previously added to the meat.  And yet, be careful not to over season as you will be eating it with the paprika tomato sauce too. 

7.    Spoon mixture into peppers.  Top each stuffed pepper with a couple tablespoons of the paprika tomato sauce.  Save remainder of sauce for dipping when you serve the peppers.  Place peppers in a lightly greased casserole dish.  Bake covered for approximately 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. 

8.    Serve with remaining sauce and sour cream/Greek yogurt.  Garnish with fresh oregano or parsley, if desired. 

 (serves 4)

 

Fried Green Beans

 

Ingredients:

·         green beans (for yellow night, we used wax beans, but in hindsight the flavor of green beans is likely to hold up better to the cornmeal.  if you're feeling crazy, you could even do both or use other veggies cut into sticks!)

·         buttermilk

·         salt

·         cayenne pepper

·         freshly ground black pepper

·         1/8 cup plain Greek yogurt

·         approx. 2 Tablespoons mustard (I combined Dijon, whole grain, yellow, and spicy brown)

·         1/2 tablespoon honey (or more, if you’d like a sweeter sauce)

·         cornmeal

Directions:

1.    Zap green beans in the microwave until they are slightly under-cooked.

2.    Allow beans to return to room temperature. 

3.    Meanwhile, in a small/medium-sized bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, freshly ground black pepper, and 1 cup of buttermilk. 

4.    Soak beans in buttermilk mixture for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour. 

5.    While beans are soaking, prep honey mustard dipping sauce.  In a small bowl, combine greek yogurt, mustards, and honey.  Let stand in fridge as you fry the beans. 

6.    In another bowl, prepare your crunchy coating for the beans.  Season 1 cup of cornmeal with additional salt, cayenne, and pepper.

7.    Dredge beans in the cornmeal.  Deep fry in 2 inches of vegetable oil until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes). You can also use a deep fryer.  Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

8.    Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce. 

Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients:

·         3/4 cup all purpose flour

·         1 tsp. baking soda

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 cup sugar

·         1/2 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

·         1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

·         1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil

·         1 large egg

·         1/2 teaspoon vanilla

·         milk, if needed to thin batter

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.    Lightly grease a loaf pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray.  Dust with flour and tap out excess.

3.    In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.

4.    In another bowl, use your fingers to rub together sugar and lemon zest until sugar is moist.

5.    Whisk yogurt, oil, egg, and vanilla into lemon-sugar mixture. 

6.    Combine wet and dry ingredients just to blend.  Batter should be a little thicker than brownie or traditional cake batter, but if it’s too thick, add some milk to thin it out to desired consistency.

7.    Bake until top of cake is golden brown and tooth pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. 

8.    Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Invert onto rack and cool completely.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, if it lasts that long!  Top with lemon curd (see below) and fresh berries. 

 

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

·         3 egg yolks

·         1/3 cup sugar

·         2 lemons, zested and juiced

·         1/3 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Directions:

1.    Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

2.    Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.

3.    Add lemon juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth.

4.    Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water to create a double boiler system.)

5.    Whisk until thickened in viscosity and you see curd begin to change to a deeper yellow color.  The curd should coat the back of a spoon when you dip it in.  This process will take at least 10 minutes, and maybe more, if your lemons are extra-juicy.  If needed, add a bit of cornstarch (combined with cold water first) to thicken further. 

6.    Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.  Mixture will continue to set and thicken a bit more as it cools.

 

Meanwhile… Dennis the mix-ologist invented a tropical (and yellow!) rum and Bailey’s-based drink.  He blended together bananas and pineapple with a toasted coconut simple syrup.  Cheers!