Recipe: Creamed Corn Cakes

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

The perfect side-dish or a meal unto themselves, these cakes are amazingly comforting. Warm, from the skillet with a tall glass of milk, they will lull you into a sense of comfort. Chilled, from the fridge for breakfast with a small dollop of spicy mayo, they’re a perfect pick-me-up.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups frozen kernels, defrosted1 tablespoon unsalted butter½ Vidalia onion, diced small½ tablespoon sugar½ teaspoon turmeric1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal¼ cup half and half cream½ cup whole milkKosher SaltFreshly cracked black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley1 egg, whiskedvegetable oil, for cooking½ cup flour

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt butter on medium. Add onion and cook gently until it is translucent.

2. Add corn and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until the base thickens. Stir in sugar, turmeric and cornmeal. Add milk and cook until corn is soft, about 3 minutes.

3. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Add parsley, egg and flour and stir until just combined.

4. Heat about 1 1⁄2 – 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large skillet on medium heat. Drop ¼ cup of batter onto skillet (or more if you want bigger cakes). Flatten slightly with spatula and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side.

5. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping cooked cakes warm in oven until served. Serve with yogurt or hot sauce, depending on your taste.

Recipe Origin:

A Domestic Goddess orginal

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Savoury Cheese Muffins

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

These are delicious and perfect as a quick breakfast on the way to work. They also work well to sop up the spicy remnants of a nice warm stew.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded old cheddar cheese2 cups all-purpose flour1 cup whole wheat flour2 tablespoons light brown sugar4 teaspoons baking powder2 teaspoons pepper1 teaspoon salt1 cup milk1/3 cup butter, melted¼ cup sliced green onions1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced plus extra for garnish½ cup (125 mL) sour cream2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, pepper and salt, rosemary and all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese.

2. Whisk together milk, butter, onions, sour cream and eggs; pour over dry ingredients. Stir together just until moistened. Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups; sprinkle reserved cheese and top with a small sprig of rosemary.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch and muffins are golden.

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Asian-Inspired Chicken Wings

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

These wings are so sticky, make sure you have plenty of napkins on hand. Of course they are so delcious that you and your guests might just resort to liking their fingers rather than wiping them with a napkin!

Ingredients:

• 2 large garlic cloves1 teaspoon salt5 tablespoons soy sauce (not the light kind)5 tablespoons hoisin sauce6 tablespoons mild honey2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil¼ teaspoon cayenne3 pounds chicken wings, separated2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted2 scallions (green part only), finely chopped

Directions:

1. Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425F. Line a large shallow baking pan (17 by 12 inches) with foil and lightly oil foil. Bake the unglazed wings in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes to get a nice, crispy skin.

2. Meanwhile, mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer garlic paste to a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat and stir in soy sauce, hoisin, honey, oil, and cayenne. Cook to reduce sauce slightly. Add pre-cooked wings to ¾ of the sauce, stirring to coat.

3. Arrange wings in 1 layer in baking pan and roast, turning over once, and basting with remaining ¼ of the sauce, until sticky, about 10 – 15 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl and toss with sesame seeds and scallion.

After-Thoughts:

Cooking the wings prior to glazing them gives them that crispy skin that you want in a chicken wing, rather than that flabby, undercooked texture you often get with oven-baked wings.

Recipe Origin:

Based on a Gourmet, May 2006 recipe

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Nutri-Bars

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

These “nutri-bars” smell just like mincemeat tarts with the molasses, cinnamon and honey binding them together. They may seem like an odd combination of ingredients, but are really quite delicious. They’re also rather filling and quite healthy for you. They totally fill all of my prerequisites for a breakfast-on-the-go!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried mission figs½ cup currants½ cup dried cranberries½ cup almonds½ cup pecans½ cup sunflower seeds2 cups kasha (or any whole grain) ¼ cup ground flax seed flour ¼ cup sesame seeds ¼ cup honey 1/3 cup molasses 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon orange zest ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a food processor, purée figs, then add almonds and pecans. Pulse a few times. Add currants and cranberries and pulse once or twice. Set aside.

2. In a sauté pan over medium heat, toast kasha, flax seed flour and sesame seeds for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. In a large bowl, combine food processor contents, pan contents and all remaining ingredients. Mix well, then transfer to a greased 9 x 12-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and slice into bars. Keep wrapped or in a sealed container for up to two weeks.

After-Thoughts:

S. didn’t like these at all – he has a hate-hate relationship with figs. I did hand a few out at work though and they got rave reviews…to each his own, I suppose!

Recipe Origin:

Based on a recipe by Bob Blumer

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Buttermilk-Cornmeal Pancakes

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

I like to make these pancakes small – maybe 2" in diameter; they’re more like a snacking cake than something you pile up on your plate and sit down to eat. You can eat them spread with maple butter, creamed honey or just butter. Even by themselves they’re delicious!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup yellow cornmeal (fine grind)¼ cup coarse grind cornmeal ("grits")½ cup whole wheat all purpose flour¼ cup white all purpose flour2 tablespoon sugar½ teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon kosher salt1 ¼ cups buttermilk2 large eggs3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooledvegetable oil and butter for frying

Directions:

1. Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter in a different bowl to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk until blended and smooth.

2. Lightly coat a heavy skillet with oil and then add about a ¼ teaspoon of butter. When melted pour small rounds of butter into pan. Cook until bottoms are golden, approximately 1 ½ – 2 minutes per side. Repeat (more oil and butter with each batch) with remaining flour, keeping pancakes warm in a 275 F oven if necessary.

3. Serve with maple butter in the fall or creamed honey in the spring. Fresh berries, bananas and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar is a nice touch.

After-Thoughts:

These pancakes have a nice crunch to them because of the corsely ground cornmeal – I like that crunch, but if you don’t, use only the fine grind cornmeal.

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Brown Sugar Sandwiches

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

These sandwiches were something my mother used to make for skinned knees and bumps on the head. While her nutritionist’s skills might leave something to be desired, her nursing skills were pretty much on the spot.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices whole wheat breadbutter, room temperature2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

1. Slather both slices of the bread with butter and top only one with brown sugar, spreading to the edges of the bread.

2. Put slices together and cut off crusts (eat yourself if preparing sandwich for someone else). Serve with love, affection and some cinnamon tea.

After-Thoughts:

Please, please please! Do NOT make these sandwiches with white bread…it’s just not right. And I find, the darker the brown sugar the better – maybe even a mix of muscavado with some lighter brown sugar for a variance.

Recipe Origin:

My mom (and probably her dad before her).

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Cod-Potato Fritters

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

These crispy little beauties are easy to prepare and really delicious to munch on. So much better than just potato chips, more interesting than deep-fried fish and far superior to onion rings they make great appetizers, finger foods, side dishes…you name it!

Ingredients:

• 6 small cod fillets, skin off, scaled and de-boned½ cup whole milk2 bay leaves4 – 5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely choppedZest of 2 lemons2 large eggs½ teaspoon dried chilis¼ vidalia onion, finely choppedSea salt (it will need a lot – about ½ teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper (again, a lot)2 – 4 tablespoons plain flourvegetable oil for deep-fryinglemons & tartar sauce or aioli to serve

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to375 F. Cut the potatoes into quarters and cook in boiling salted water for about 10 – 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and mash in pan.

2. Line a small baking pan with foil and cook the cod in the milk with the bay leaves for about 15 minutes. Flake cooked fish into a large bowl, picking out any remaining bones. Add the mashed potato, parsley, lemon zest, eggs, chilis, onion and salt and pepper and mix well. Add half of the flour and mix until it forms a thick paste – add more flour if needed.

3. To make a quenelle scoop up some of potato-cod mixture with one tablespoon. Work it back and forth against another tablespoon to form a firm football shaped mass. Roll in flour if still too wet. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

4. Pour enough oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot to fill the pan about a third of the way up. Heat over medium heat until a deep fry thermometer inserted into the oil reaches 360 F. Deep-fry the fritters for about 5 minutes until brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen towel, sprinkle with sea salt and serve on a large plate with lemon halves and a bowl of tartar sauce or aioli.

After-Thoughts:

While S. and I just dove in and ate a plate of these with a light aioli dipping sauce I think they would be a great side dish. Something to replace boring baked or scalloped potatoes. Next to a delicious grilled steak these would totally hold their own while complimenting the main course at the same time.

Recipe Origin:

Based on both Christine Cushing’s and Jamie Oliver’s recipes

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Watermelon & Feta Salad

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

This resplendently pretty-in-pink salad is both beautiful and delicious – and it’s so easy to make you can whip it up in minutes. Just be certain to use the saltiest of feta cheeses or it won’t be enough of a contrary taste to the sticky sweet melon.

Ingredients:

• ¼ seedless watermelon, diced (about 4 cups)1 cup salty feta cheese, broken into teaspoon-sized lumps¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsleyexcellent quality extra virgin olive oil – to drizzle on topsalt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Toss watermelon, feta and half of parsley on a platter or in a wide fairly flat serving bowl. Top with remaining parsley, oil and salt and pepper. Serve on watermelon “plates” or eat with your fingers, right from the serving dish.

After-Thoughts:

Do NOT serve this salad at room temperature. The feta goes soggy, the watermelon goes a horrible texture and everything tastes quite bland. I know that you are not supposed to be able to taste things that are cold but this salad does not taste good warm. Serve cool…trust me.

Recipe Origin:

Based on both Christine Cushing and Nigella Lawson’s recipes

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Québec-Style Poutine

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

This definitive Québecois dish is so rich and greasy, it’s often referred to as a "heart attack in a bowl", but hey, there are worse ways to go.

Ingredients:

• 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and soakedvegetable oil for frying1 cup cheddar cheese curdsGravy3 tbsp butter3 tbsp flour1½ cups beef stock2 tbsp soy sauce1 tsp dried parsleyfresh cracked peppersaltTabasco sauce to taste

Directions:

1. To make gravy, melt butter in deep skillet. Once liquid, mix flour until it reaches a nice semi-solid consistency. Add beef stock and continue to mix. Add soy sauce and spices and let simmer at medium-high for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit aside.

2. Pour enough oil to deep fry the potatoes into a suitable pot. Let it heat on high. Meanwhile, slice potatoes into fries. Once oil is hot, fry them until golden brown. Let dry on a paper towel.

3. To serve, start by reheating the gravy. To a serving bowl add a layer of fries followed by a generous layer of curds. Repeat to make another fries/curds layer. Finally, pour piping hot gravy over it all.

After-Thoughts:

• Gravy is what makes a great poutine. It has to be hot, hearty and full of flavour. If you like your poutine lighter, you can always use vegetable stock.

• Poutine is great next to a side of Toronto hot dogs. Quick, tasty comfort food.

Recipe Origin:

Based on S.’s memories of Montreal poutine

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Panini Sandwiches

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

We make these sandwiches so often it’s almost embarrassing. Any time you’re short on time and creativity, just stop by the supermarket, pick your the rye and stuffings of your choice (anything goes really, but we have our favorites), and away you go!

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bread (like a light rye)olive or grapeseed oilthinly sliced meat (salami, pastrami, turkey breast…anything, really)tomato slicesthinly sliced cheese (mozzarella and emmenthal or havarti)thin slices of vidalia onionthinly sliced hot peppersalphalpha sproutspesto (I used sun-dried tomato pesto)mayonnaisesalt and pepper

Directions:

1. Turn on panini grill (or George Foreman Grill) to preheat. Brush one side of bread with olive oil and put (oil side down) on plate. In a small bowl, mix pesto and mayonnaise together; spread on the side of bread facing up.

2. Add one type of cheese. Stack meat, tomatoes, onion, peppers, sprouts and second type of cheese on top. Spread pesto-mayo on second slice of bread, add salt and pepper and put sandwich together. Brush top with olive oil.

3. Place on preheated grill and close or put panini weight on top. Grill until cheese starts to melt and bread has grill marks. Serve with salad or home made chips or onion rings.

After-Thoughts:

· These sandwiches can be made with any combination of many different kinds of meats, cheeses and vegetables; we really liked the taste the sprouts added, but you don’t have to use them.

· A combination I really want to try: boconcini mozzarella with tomato, spicy Italian sausage, or proscuitto with a bit of basil…mmmm…

Recipe Origin:

A Domestic Goddess original recipe

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Corn Cakes

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

Corn cakes are the perfect side dish to anything barbequed – these would be even better if you grilled the corn on the cob first, then removed it to use in the fritters…add a nice smoky flavour to them.

Ingredients:

• 1⁄2 cup flour3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt1⁄2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper1 large egg1/3 cup milk2 cups corn kernels1⁄2 Vidalia onion, chopped finely3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, egg and milk until just combined. Fold in corn, onion, chives and parsley.

2. Heat about 1 1⁄2 – 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large skillet on medium heat. Drop 1⁄4 cups of batter onto skillet (or more if you want bigger cakes). Flatten slightly with spatula and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side.

3. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping cooked cakes warm in oven until served. Serve with maple syrup or hot sauce, depending on what they are accompanying.

After-Thoughts:

· These also could have used a bit of spice to them; perhaps some red pepper flakes or horseradish next time!

Recipe Origin:

* adapted from a martha stewart recipe

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

Toast-Sticks

May 16, 2012 by jennifer

My grandfather had this crazy toaster that had no button to press the toast down with; you had to jiggle the bread a few times to make it work. I have that toaster now but it just doesn’t work without his hand there to jiggle the bread…of course though, I will never get rid of it.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bread per person, sliced as thick or thin as you likebutterpeanut butter (or honey, if you don’t like peanut butter…)

Directions:

1. Toast bread in toaster until done the way you like it.

2. Butter toast and put a medium-thick layer of peanut butter on top of melting butter (too little and it’s not worth it; too much and you’ll have a huge mess).

3. Cut peanut butter and buttered toast into narrow sticks. Eat with tea, preferably in the company of someone you love very, very much.

Recipe Origin:

A Fidler family recipe

Related Posts

Tags

Share This