Veggie Wednesday: Grilled Corn with Garlic and Chive Butter

The farmers' market is my favorite place to be in the summer - stalls are full to bursting with ripe and delicious vegetables at their peak flavor. We are in the throes of fresh corn season and corn on the cob signals summer like no other vegetable. Grilled over a fire and topped with a flavored butter, it's pure summer perfection and one of our family favorites!

Grilled Corn with Garlic and Chive Butter

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 40 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6 ears of corn with husks and small length of stalk intact
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter - at room temperature
2 Tablespoons snipped fresh chives
2 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine butter, chives, garlic and salt and mash until completely
blended.
2. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and spoon butter into the center to form a log
approximately 1-inch in diameter.
3. Roll parchment paper around the butter making sure the log is uniformly shaped. Pinch
ends tight and set in the refrigerator to firm up until ready to serve.
4. Pull husks down from the corn, leaving intact, and remove corn silk and any debris
that may remain. Pull husks back up over the corn to cover completely. Soak corn in cold
water for 5 minutes. Remove and drain well.
5. Heat grill over high heat. Cook corn directly on grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning
every 5 minutes to keep from burning Keep grill covered between turning. Peel back husks
periodically to check the corn. Kernels that are still milky looking are not done. Pierce
a kernel or two to check for doneness.
6. Remove corn from grill, strip husks away and snap off stalk. Cut butter into even
slices and serve a slice with each corn cob.

Veggie Wednesday: Maque Choux

This traditional Native American dish is very popular in Cajun country (and pronounced 'mock SHOE'). It's so simple that it's easy enough for every day meals. Fresh corn is the usual for the 'milk' leached from the kernels, but frozen will do in a pinch. The colors are beautiful and the sweetness of the corn plays very well with the flavors of the peppers and onions. This is a great side for summertime meals.


Maque Choux 

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ears fresh corn
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced peppers - red, yellow and green
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 cup seeded and diced tomato
2 Tablespoons light cream
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions:

1. Remove corn from cobs and set aside
2. Heat butter in a medium skillet. Add onion, peppers, corn and celery. Cook for 10
minutes, or until onions and celery begin to soften.
3. Add tomatoes, thyme, cream and salt. Stir and cook for 5 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Butternut Squash, Potato and Cheddar Mash

In my family we have mashed potato lovers and butternut squash lovers, and those who love both. This dual mash with sharp cheddar is so good you'll want to make it for more than just holidays. It's savory-sweet with a tang from sour cream and cheddar that just puts it over the top on flavor. Serve with your favorite protein and a heaping serving of green veggies.

Butternut Squash, Potato and Cheddar Mash
Serves 8

2 pounds potatoes - peeled, cubed and cooked until tender
2 pounds butternut squash - peeled, seeded and roasted until soft
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 stick butter
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cups finely shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

1. Drain potatoes well and combine with cooked squash in a large pot. Add butter and once it melts, mash well.
2. Add milk, sour cream, salt and pepper and mix with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy.
3. Fold in cheese, mound in a serving dish, sprinkle with extra cheese and serve immediately.

*To cook butternut squash, peel and seed and cut into 1-inch chunks. Lay on a roasting pan and sprinkle with olive oil. Roast at 450 degrees F for 20 - 25 minutes or until soft and just beginning to caramelize.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

It doesn't get any easier than this ... really. When it comes to simple recipes with just a handful of ingredients, I'm all ears. With so much going on in my life daily it helps to have tried and true recipes with few ingredients  that are frugal to boot.

I make this for the kids fairly often and it never fails to disappear completely within minutes. As soon as they realize it's being stirred together they're waiting with tortillas in hand to scoop up and devour. I've made it in different ways before, but this is the one we all like best.

You don't need to rinse the black beans, and feel free to use your own beans cooked from dry and freshly cooked or thawed frozen corn, as well. I've also made this with fresh salsa that I make myself. The cumin and garlic are optional depending on the seasoning used in the salsa.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Makes 6 cups
Printable Recipe

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (or two cups cooked from dry)
1 can whole kernel corn, drained (or two cups fresh or thawed frozen)
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa (or two cups fresh)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all and stir well to blend. Eat right away or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Watch it disappear!

Favorite Summertime Meal

Someone elsewhere on the web today asked what my favorite Summertime meal was and this was my answer.

Anne's Lime Ranch Chicken
Pasta Salad or Grill Roasted Herbed Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Sliced ripe tomatoes
Sliced cucumbers
No-Bake Cheesecake (I forgot to add this there! Can't forget dessert.)
Anne's Favorite Lemonade


Anne's Lime Ranch Chicken

Per pound of chicken mix 1 packet of ranch salad
dressing powder and 1/4 c lime juice. Smear on chicken
pieces and let stand several hours. Broil, grill, bake,
or saute as desired.

Tastes very close to Tostitos Hint of Lime tortilla
chips.
That was the catalyst for my coming up with this.


Grill Roasted Herbed Potatoes

I don't have a clear-cut recipe for this but this is close.

Wash several pounds of red bliss potatoes (about 20 for my family) and cut each into
quarters.

Combine 1/4 c olive oil, 1 minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon or so of fresh chopped rosemary. Pour over the potatoes and toss well to coat evenly. You can also set a fresh sprig of rosemary on top of the potatoes instead of using the chopped.

Lay out a large square of heavy duty tin foil and mound the potatoes in the center. Fold up on all sides and pinch closed well.

Lay on the grill and roast for 35-45 minutes until done-turning once during grilling time.


No-Bake Cheesecake

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed
1 prepared graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz.)

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk or electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spoon into crust.
Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Garnish as desired.


I saw a photo in a magazine about 12 years ago with what looked like this mixture in it. It was such a pretty picture and the drink looked so refreshing I had to come up with my own.

Anne's Favorite Lemonade

1 gallon lemonade (any brand)
2 kiwi peeled and sliced thickly
6 ripe strawberries hulled and cut in half
1 lemon sliced
1 lime sliced
3 or 4 fresh mint leaves

Combine all and let stand refrigerated for 24 hours
before serving. Serve in tall clear glasses with lots of
ice and let the fruit fall in also. Very pretty and
VERY yummy!

Working on a post, taking care of baby (OK, kids), life in general

Busy with life...

Called Dad yesterday and he is gaining on life one day at a time. Keep him in your prayers!

Here's one to tide you over and a teeny hint; one of the ingredients here is in the post I am currently working on.

Yes, this is BAD for you, but man, it's so good, who cares?

Pierogi CasseroleServes 12
Printable Recipe

9 lasagna noodles
2 eggs
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 c mashed potatoes
pepper, to taste
garlic salt, to taste
onion powder, to taste
1 stick butter
1 small chopped onion

1. Cook lasagna noodles al dente, drain well and line the bottom of a well greased 9x13 pan.
2. In a large bowl mix mashed potatoes, cheese, egg, and seasonings spread half over noodles. 
3. Cover with another layer of noodles and mashed potatoes. End with a layer of noodles.
4. Melt butter or margarine in a small frying pan. Sauté onion until clear and soft. Pour over noodles. Top with extra cheese if desired.
5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes in 350 degree F oven.
6. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

You bought WHAT?

Last night I bought a 4 pound jar of peanut butter. Not odd really considering I have 6 kids. I don't think it's the healthiest thing on the planet, and I prefer all-natural for myself but, the kids love the stuff and it goes way beyond PB& J and PB Cookies in usefulness. Of course, we don't have any peanut allergies here so we're lucky in that respect.

I'll bore you with a standard PB cookie recipe down the line here but, for now, let's look at some different things about the all-American favorite goo.

Nutritionally speaking, peanut butter isn't so bad. Look at the stats:

2 Tablespoons of PB give you 13% of your daily requirement of protein, 8% of your needed fiber, 22% of vitamin E, 24% of niacin (way important for neurological health!), 7.5% of folate (pg women, this is VERY necessary to keep neural tube defects like spina bifida at bay!), plus a host of other nutrients~all in a tiny package. Good deal, I think.

There's peanut butter history here~please give it a read, it's quite interesting. It isn't all George Washington Carver either!

History and nutrition aside, my favorite part of any food are the recipes.

This first one is odd, yes, please don't balk though. I must admit, my initial reaction was just flat out "Ew!" and then I tried it, not as the recipe states but, I had a bowl of steaming tomato soup, I was pregnant so my taste horizons were limitless, and I dropped a spoonful of pb into the soup and was hooked. Campbell's is usually pretty on the mark even if they do make cream-of soups. Be adventurous.

This comes from "A Campbell Cookbook, Easy Ways to Delicious Meals" last revised in 1970.

Creamy Peanut Butter Soup
Printable Recipe

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 1/2 soup cans milk.

Stir soup into peanut butter, a little at a time, until well blended; add milk. Heat, but do not boil; stir occasionally. 3 to 4 servings.

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In Africa peanuts are refered to as "groundnuts" and some of the best recipes I've seen come from that continent.

West African Chicken and Groundnut Stew
Printable Recipe

2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon peanut oil or oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 can whole tomatoes, (28-oz.) undrained, cut up
1 can Great Northern beans, (15.5-oz.) undrained
1 can corn, (11-oz.) drained
1 sweet potato, peeled, chopped
1/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 cups hot cooked rice

Cut chicken breasts into 1/2-inch pieces. In 4-quart Dutch oven
over medium-high heat, cook chicken in oil until chicken is lightly
browned and no longer pink, stirring frequently. Add onion and
garlic; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or unti l onion is tender.
Add remaining ingredients except rice; mix well. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 30 minutes or until sweet
potat o is tender, stirring occasionally. If stew becomes too thick
add additional water. Serve stew over hot rice.

**********
When I owned a small cafe in Allentown (for about 2 minutes) an older patron asked if I could serve peanut butter soup. I didn't have a recipe then but I quickly came up with one and he was more than satisfied.

Peanut Butter Soup
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T Butter
1 T Flour
1 c Peanut butter
4 c Chicken stock or vegetable stock
Salt, pepper
1 c heavy cream

Cook onion, celery and garlic in butter until soft in 2-quart saucepan.
Add flour and cook, stirring, until smooth. Stir in peanut butter, add chicken
broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, over low
heat until thickened and smooth. Add cream and blend well.

**********
Bangkok Beef
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 pound boneless beef sirloin steak
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large carrots, julienned
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
3 cups cooked rice

Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, cilantro,
lemon juice, garlic powder, black pepper and red pepper
flakes in small bowl; set aside. Partially freeze steak;
slice across grain into 1/8 inch strips. Stir-fry beef in
oil in large skillet or wok over high heat 1 to 2 minutes.
Add carrots, onions, red pepper, and peanuts; cook 1 to 2
minutes. Add rice and peanut sauce; heat thoroughly. Serve warm.

Note: For Shrimp Bangkok, substitute 3/4 pound cooked and
de-veined shrimp for beef strips.

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Baked Peanut Butter Chicken
Printable Recipe

1 chicken-2-3 lb-cut into pieces.
1/4 c flour
1 egg
1/3 c peanut butter
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/3 c milk
1/2 c bread crumbs,dry
1/4 c peanut oil

Wash and dry chicken pieces-dip in flour. Blend egg
with peanut butter, salt, and pepper. Gradually add
milk, beaten with fork to blend. Dip floured chicken in
peanut butter mixture and then in crumbs. Place on oiled
baking pan. Drizzle remaining oil over chicken pieces
and bake 375'F 45 minutes or until tender.

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Cold Sesame Noodles
Printable Recipe

4 T peanut butter
3 t warm water
2 t sesame oil
1 dash soy sauce
1/2 t sugar
1 dash Tobasco-to taste
3 c cooked spaghetti noodles

Cook spaghetti-drain and rinse with cold water
Mix peanut butter with water until creamy and light in
color. Add remaining ing. Pour over spaghetti. Toss well
to coat.

**********


Cinda's Peanut Butter Cookies
Printable Recipe

1 c Peanut butter
1 c Sugar
1 Egg

Mix ingredients together-form into balls-flatten with
fork. Bake at 350 until edges are lightly browned.

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Melt-in-Your-Mouth Peanut Butter Cookies
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup butter (don't use margarine - butter is best)
1/2 cup solid shortening (I use butter-flavored Crisco sticks)
1/2 cup peanut butter (I use creamy - but crunchy would be good too)
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 beaten egg
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Cream butter, shortening and peanut butter. Add sugar and beat until mixture
is fluffy. Blend in vanilla and egg until creamy. Combine remaining
ingredients and add to creamed mixture; blend well. Roll into 1-inch balls, roll the balls
in granulated sugar, and put them on a cookie sheet; then flatten with a fork.
Bake at 350° for 12 minutes.

Also check out:

National Peanut Board
and
Peanut Butter Lovers