Gouda Grits with Hillshire Lit'l Smokies

This isn't really a recipe; I'm just posting pics as a reminder when I'm looking for dinner 'inspiration'! And you wouldn't have to use Hillshire Lit'l Smokies, of course. Sausage and grits -- with ANY sausage, even ground breakfast sausage, would be equally good. I had Lit'l Smokies (something I don't buy often) left over from another use and remembered a sausage & grits recipe I'd seen. I can't find the recipe anymore, but just made savory grits (pictured, top) using chicken stock and adding gouda cheese at the end along with the Smokies.

I actually made this twice more to use up all the all the Lit'l Smokies: when I'd used up all the grits I had, I made creamy polenta. Equally good, especiallly with gouda cheese melted into the mixture--substituted for the parmesan in the polenta recipe linked above).

And finally, I used up the last of the Lit'l Smokies and this time skipped both grits & polenta and substituted creamed cauliflower (pictured, bottom)...not bad with the smoked gouda, though it didn't have the same textural heartiness as the grits or polenta. 

Farro & Corn Salad

I don't fix farro very often, and I should...at least more often. Personally, I like its chewy texture, though if it's not cooked well it can be almost 'rubbery' which is NOT usually a good adjective for food!

Food Network inspired this salad. I tweaked things just a little: I have more lettuce growing in my garden than I can keep up with, so I wasn't about to go buy more greens -- specifically, arugula which isn't my favorite anyway. If you don't have fresh corn off the cob ("fresh is best!"), frozen or canned will work; if you don't have a lemon to zest, skip and just add the lemon juice from a bottle, etc.

Anyway, I tweaked it a little, but not worth rewriting a new version of the recipe. It's not like the exact ratio of farro to corn, tomato to arugula is super critical. Or leave out the scallions and throw in some red onion instead for extra color. Maybe toss in a few sweet peas for some variety. Food Network's recipe is a good jumping off point to create your personal favorite version.

Corn Cakes

This one's not original to me -- and there are lots of variations online. Closest to what I have here would be Food Network's Parmesan-Basil Corn Cakes.  I didn't have fresh corn on hand, which is too bad because it's still prett good, and easily available, this time of year. Here's what I used...

Ingredients

1 15-oz can of whole kernal corn

1 egg

¼ C flour

¼ C grated Gruyère (though parmesan would be just fine)

chopped basil

1½ tsp cornstarch

1 tsp sugar

s & p to taste

Directions

Depending on how chunky you want your corn cakes and how much texture you'd like them to have, purée or pulse some or all of the corn in a mini-blender. Stir everything together (yes, it's that simple).

Cook heaping spoonfuls (I used a cookie scoop and made about 2" cakes) in a hot skillet with a little oil until golden brown on each side.

I topped mine with romesco sauce; a little sour cream with chives would also be delicious. And they're plenty good on their own or with just a little butter.

Sundried Tomato & Herb Compound Butter

This is a great basic recipe - lots of different herbs, lemon zest, dried peppers or pepper flakes, etc. could be substituted in place of the tomatoes, garlic, and parsley to make any variety of herbed butters. Slices of compound butter can be served on hot steak, pork chops, fish,  chicken or over vegetables or smeared on dinner rolls... Lots of options!

Ingredients
1 C butter, softened
¼ C chopped fresh parsley
3 T oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes*
1 clove garlic, minced
s & p to taste

* I use my own oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, from my garden when they're in season

Directions
Whip butter until very fluffy and pale.
Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes of oil; finely chop.
Mix in chopped parsley, tomatoes and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I started with about ¼ tsp each...)

Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap on the countertop* and spoon butter into a thick strip; wrap with plastic, gently shaping, as needed, to form a log. Chill at least 2 hours until firm.

Slice into ¼ inch thick servings; Top hot fish, beef, pork, chicken or vegetables (corn on the cob!)  and serve immediately. Also delicious on bread and rolls.



* I have an olive boat that I use - line it with plastic wrap and  fill it with the herbed butter; close the plastic wrap over the 'log', grab it by the loose ends and gently lift it out of the olive boat, roll it back and forth a bit on the counter to round out the log nicely, twisting the ends to seal in the process. 
   










 You could get fancy and press tablespoon servings of herbed butters into individual molds before chilling.

Sausage Ragù over Creamy Polenta

Ingredients
2 T olive oil
2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 C chopped carrot
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
1 lb Italian sausage
15 oz tomato sauce
¼ C sugar
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper
creamy polenta
Optional garnish: grated Parmesan and chopped parsley

Directions
Small dice (or chop) onion. Mince garlic. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots, salt and pepper; cook until tender, stirring occasionally (5-7 minutes). While onion mixture is cooking, slice sausages.

Remove onion mixture to bowl, add sausage to pan and cook until browned. Return onion mixture to pan, Add tomato sauce, sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to boil; reduce heat, simmer at least 10 minutes. Season with additional salt or pepper to taste.

Serve over creamy polenta; if desired, garnish with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.

White Chocolate Popcorn Balls (or...Easter Eggs!)

This is an adaptation of a recipe some of my Culinary Arts students tested and promoted for the "Good Citizens" treats we make and send to the elementary school at the end of each month (http://www.marthastewart.com/339168/popcorn-balls  ...with a few adaptations). Since Easter comes early this year, we added some food coloring, substituted some rainbow nonpareil "sprinkles" instead of the almonds (one of the 8 common allergens, and generally avoided in school snacks for groups of students). Achieving a true egg-shape is a challenge, especially working fairly quickly to get the entire batch shaped before the marshmallow-chocolate mixture cools too much. But I think the elementary students -- who are not severe critics to begin with -- will enjoy them!

Yield: about 56 (or so says Martha...but only if you make bite-sized tiny balls)

Ingredients
4 quarts popped popcorn
oil for popping
 tsp salt
3 Tbls unsalted butter
10 oz marshmallows
6 oz white chocolate
1/3 C sliced almonds (we used rainbow nonpareil 'sprinkles')
non-stick cooking spray
optional: food coloring

Directions
Pop popcorn in a large sauce pan or stock pot (with a lid): Using jut enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, add corn kernels over medium-high heat; swirl and shake frequently to avoid burning. Sprinkle popcorn with salt. (Remove unpopped kernels.)

Melt butter in large pan over low heat. Add marshmallows and chocolate, stirring until melted. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring.

Remove from heat; quickly stir in almonds and popcorn and then nonpareils. Shape into balls (or semi egg shaped oblongs!) J  Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper; let stand 30 minutes. We didn't find the parchment paper to be necessary, but it does make for easy clean-up.

Can be stored airtight up to 1 day.

Spicy Corn & Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed pepper recipes...round 2!
(See 'round 1' recipe here.)

Ingredients:
2 Tbls olive oil
1 15-oz can corn 
½ bell pepper, diced 
½ onion, diced 
½ lb pork sausage
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz cream cheese 
¹/₃ C chopped fresh parsley
1-2 Tbls hot sauce
C bread crumbs
12-15 Anaheim or Poblano peppers
   I'm really a weenie about hot peppers (or hot anything). Neither Anaheim or Poblano are all that hot, relatively speaking; however, I still had some of the sweet mini peppers from my last stuffed pepper post. I used the rest here and was perfectly happy with the results. You can also vary the heat significantly with the type and amount of hot sauce you choose.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°.

Pulse the corn in a food processor so that it's still chunky, but not whole kernels. Heat 1 Tbls olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn, bell pepper and onion; cook, stirring frequently until tender (about 5 minutes). Add sausage and garlic; break up sausage with a wooden spatula and cook until well browned. Add cream cheese and stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Remove from heat. Add parsley and hot sauce, stirring to combine.

Halve the peppers lengthwise and remove seeds. Toss peppers with remaining olive oil to coat lightly. Set halved peppers into baking dish cut-side up; fill each pepper with corn and sausage mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cover loosely with foil and bake until peppers are tender, about 25 minutes.

Serve peppers drizzled with extra hot sauce.

Breaded & Fried Vegetables

The original recipe was for fried zucchini & mozzarella, with marinara sauce for dipping. Although I love fried mozzarella, I was asked to bring a vegetable dish to Easter dinner, and -- knowing that mac and cheese was also on the menu -- I opted to skip the mozzarella and include zucchini, mushrooms, baby corn, asparagus and broccoli instead. In addition to the marinara sauce, I still had some sweet & spicy Asian sauce from another recipe that was a sapid alternative, but they were also delicious just plain and seemed to be a hit with kids and adults alike.

Ingredients: (10-12 servings)
1 C flour
4 eggs
1½ C bread crumbs
4 Tbls finely chopped parsley
½ tsp each, salt and pepper
oil, for frying (1-2 cups)
zucchini, broccoli, baby corn, mushrooms...(some vegetables will obviously work better than others)

Directions:
Beat the eggs in a bowl with ½ cup water. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Slice zucchini into sticks; slice mushrooms, broccoli into bite sized portions. Dredge vegetables in flour (tapping off excess), then dip in egg, then in bread crumbs. In a large skillet, heat ½" oil over medium-high heat to 350°.  Working in batches, fry vegetables until golden, turning once (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil, then to serving platter. Season with salt. Serve with marinara or your choice of dipping sauce(s).

Corny Mac & Cheese

(Maybe not the best picture...but we couldn't wait to dig in!) :)

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can cream style corn
2 C milk
2 Tbls cornstarch
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp each: nutmeg, salt, pepper
¼ tsp cayenne
4 C elbow macaroni
2 lbs grated cheese(s)*
½ C butter
1 egg, beaten
Toppings (optional): extra cheese, crushed croutons or potato chips, crumbled bacon, chives, crisp fried onions, etc.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Optional: Pulse the corn in a food processor if a smoother consistency is desired.

Cook and drain the macaroni; cover to keep warm, and set aside.

Add cornstarch to cold milk and stir until well mixed. In a saucepan combine corn, milk and cornstarch, and onion powder; bring to a simmer. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper and cayenne; continue to simmer and stir until the mixture thickens (2-4 minutes).

Pour this over the macaroni and stir to combine. Add cheese(s) -- reserve some cheese for topping, if desired -- butter, and egg, stirring until well combined; butter and cheeses should melt and get creamy. (Mmmmm!) Pour the mixture into a large casserole or baking dish (or a large skillet). -- I had to use two...one for now, one for later!

Top with extra cheese, croutons, bacon, herbs, etc. as desired. Bake on top rack until golden (typically about 30 minutes).

* A combination of cheddar and mozzarella works well for a basic, creamy mac & cheese. I used smoked gouda recently for my nephew's birthday dinner. Variations are delicious...choose cheese according to your taste! :)

Creamy Polenta

Here’s a fairly basic recipe for polenta (with a little parmesan). :) Pictured…I had a handful of mushrooms I sautéed, sliced very thin, and added to the mix, topped it with Italian parsley and a little basil (chiffonade), and some extra grated parmesan. Delicious!

Ingredients

2 C chicken broth (more if needed)

1 C milk

2 Tbls butter

1 tsp salt

1 C polenta

½ C grated parmesan (or similar)

Directions

Bring broth, milk and butter to boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt, and sprinkle in polenta while whisking. Whisk constantly for 3-4 minutes to prevent lumps. Simmer for about 40 minutes, partially covered, stirring about every 10 minutes. Polenta should be thick, but smooth and creamy (use a little additional broth if needed to maintain creamy consistency while cooking).  Add grated parmesan, stirring until melted and thoroughly combined.

Corn Fritters & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1¾ cup fresh corn kernels
¼ cup milk
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 C ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1 C flour
¼ C cornmeal
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 tbsp oil

In a food processor, purée ¾ cup of the corn kernels and milk until smooth; add scallions and pulse until finely chopped. Add ricotta, eggs, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and pepper; pulse until combined. Transfer batter to a bowl; stir in the remaining 1 cup corn kernels.

Heat oven to 225°; place a large baking sheet in oven. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet. Drop corn batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into the hot skillet. Cook 2 1/2 minutes per side, until puffed and golden. Transfer to oven to keep warm while making remaining corn cakes.

Serve warm, with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (or Avacado Sauce*)

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
1 lg roasted red bell pepper, (either fresh or from a jar), peeled and seeded
1 slice white bread, crusts removed, torn into small pieces
1 Tbls mayonnaise
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Purée bell pepper, bread, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. Pour into a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving. Serve with corn fritters. I didn't have any bread, so I substituted bread crumbs; worked fine. :)

The original recipe also had an avacado sauce option. I don't do avacados, so I never saved that part of it. Improvise...avacado, lime juice, mayonnaise, salt & pepper...a guacamole type thing.

Corn Bread

2/3 C butter
1/2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 16 oz can creamed corn
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1/2 C grated jack cheese
1 C flour
1 C corn meal
4 tsp baking powder





Cream butter and sugar; beat in eggs. Stir in corn and cheeses. Gently combine remaining dry ingredients. Pour batter into a greased 9x13" baking pan or dish, or into muffin tins (greased, or use paper liners). Bake at 350°; 30 minutes for 9x13" pan, about 20 minutes for corn muffins.



Serve with honey butter.

Corn Pudding

This is a recipe I've adapted from an original from chef Craig Miller at The Willows Bed & Breakfast. Fresh ingredients are, of course, best; but since everything's not available year round...

2 15 oz cans of whole kernel corn
1/4 C sugar
dash salt
2/3 C heavy cream
4 eggs, seperated
vanilla bean, split & scraped
1/4 C butter
6 oz chevre*
2 Tbls flour
1/2 C minced shallots
chives*

I've found an herbed chevre at Trader Joe's that works for the chevre and chives together, though you can add more/fresh chives if you like.

Pulse 1/2 the corn in a food processor until creamed, but still chunky. Stir together corns, sugar & salt. Melt butter and chevre. Whisk together cream, egg yolks, vanilla seeds (or use 2 tsp vanilla if you can't get a bean); whisk into butter and chevre mixture. Add shallots and corn. Beat egg whites to soft peaks; fold in corn mixture. Pour into buttered ramekins or casserole. Bake at 350° 30-45 minutes until just set. Garnish with chives.