Corny Fritters

Did I ever mention to you that I love corn?

I really do. I stick it in meatloaf and in all manner of things. Nothing is better than fresh corn on the cob. Nothing is better than a corn souffle, or a corn pudding, or a kernel of corn on the ground. I will gobble it up if it’s corn.

I ran into this great recipe at Susartandfoodblog and utterly loved it. I made just one tiny little change which reflects my other love affair–sticking jalapeños into everything. Well not everything, I don’t slip them down my bra or put them in my computer ports.

I didn’t make the salsa she offered on the link above, because I made gazpacho and had these with it. It was glorious, I tell you, glorious. Okay, it was good eats. Enough said. Follow the recipe and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

• Scrap the kernels from 2 ears of corn (alternatively roast the ears first on the grill and then scrap)
• 1/2 c finely diced green onions (about 3)
• 1-2 finely diced jalapeños, seeded as you wish
• 1 c flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder or granules
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c milk
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 4-6 tbsp oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the corn, green onions and jalapeño in a bowl.
2. In a second bowl, put all the dry ingredients.
3. In a third bowl, mix the eggs, milk and butter.
4. Add the third to the second and mix lightly.
5. Fold in the corn mixture.
6. Heat up the oil in a fry pan.
7. Drop by large tablespoons into the oil and mash down a bit. Cook until browned and flip. Cook until done.
8. Remove to a cooling rack overlaying a cookie sheet layered with paper toweling. Place in a 200° oven to keep until all are finished, and then serve.

Serves: 4

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Gorgeous Gazpacho

 

 

Nothing says summer more than an icy bowl of Gazpacho.

There seem to be two schools of preparation–pureed or not. I am declaring myself the third school–in between. I puree part and then leave some chunky.

If you want to try this recipe, then do read on.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 lbs of good tomatoes (do try to get fresh ones from a farmer’s market or homegrown
• Approx 2 c of tomato juice
• 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 six-inch long cucumbers, homegrown if possible (if regular store-bought, peel)
• 2-3 jalapeños, or other hot chiles (revise number depending on heat you want)
• Approx 1 c beef or chicken stock
• 1/2 c fresh basil
• 1/4 c good quality EVOO
• 1/3 c roasted red pepper
• 1/3 c chopped red onion
• 3 slices of bread (good sourdough if possible)
• 1 tsp cumin, salt, and pepperI
• 1/3 c sour cream or heavy cream
• 1/4 c red wine vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Scald the tomatoes and remove the skin, remove seeds and dice into small dice.
2. Add the garlic, one cucumber, the chiles and red onion to a food processor or blender and puree.
3. Add to the tomatoes.
4. Dice the other cucumber, removing the seeds if you wish first.
5. Chop the basil and add along with the roasted red pepper.
6. Place the bread in the blender with the tomato juice and puree. Add to the tomato mixture
7. Add the oil, vinegar and spices. Mix well.
8. Add as much of the stock as desired to get the consistency you wish. Taste and adjust seasonings.
9. Add the sour cream or cream and mix.
10. Refrigerate for several hours to chill well.

Serves: 8 at least

NOTE: you can puree it all if you wish, or none of it.

 

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Cheeky Chimichangas

 

 

I just love to eat chimichangas.

Making them? Well they are a bit labor intensive.

But there is an upside. A pound of ground round will make you about 20 of the babies, and they freeze nicely. So it’s like instant great meal in the freezer time!

Serve it up with some green chile salsa, guacamole, and sour cream and you are just gonna moan with delight. I promise.

And I don’t deep fry because it wastes entirely too much oil. An inch in a cast iron skillet is more than enough. So you have no excuses. Go ahead and make some!

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb ground beef (or equivalent shredded cooked chicken)
• 1 15 oz can of refried beans (make you own if you desire)
• 2 chiles of your choice–poblano, Anaheim, Hatch, etc, blistered and peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 Tbsp of my Mexican seasoning (taco seasoning basically but I like my own)
• 3 c (approx) shredded or crumbled cheese of your choice (Monterey Jack, cheddar, queso fresca, etc)
• Oil for frying
• 20 or so 6″ flour tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Brown the beef, adding the taco seasonings.
2. Add the chiles and  cook until beef is cooked and chiles are softened.
3. Take a tortilla and spread a tablespoon or so of the refried beans upon it.
4. Spoon 1-2 tbsp of the beef mixture into the center.
5. Add a tbsp or so of the shredded cheese.
6. Fold in the sides, and fold and roll into a cylinder (secure with a toothpick)
7. Place in hot oil at a temperature of around 375°. Cook until tortilla is starting to brown and bit and is crunchy. Turn and do the other side.
8. Remove and place on some paper towelling to absorb the oil. Continue cooking in batches until all the beef mixture is used up.

Serves: About 18 or so.

NOTE: Serve with shredded lettuce, salsa of your choice, guacamole, and sour cream.
Freeze by letting the chimichangas cook to room temperature and then placing them in a freezer bag. Remove as many as you wish and simply lay on a cookie sheet and place in a 375° until defrosted and heated through.

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South of the Border Rice

 

 

Oh Spanish rice, or Mexican Rice, or Tex-Mex Rice, or Southwestern Rice.

Whatever you wish to call it, it’s good.

I make mine a bit simpler than most, but I do have a reason for doing so. It’s because I love to add a tablespoon or so of fresh green chile salsa as a garnish on the plate, and that really livens it up! So if you don’t want to use salsa as a condiment for this dish, just include your favorite chile chopped up to the sauteing of the onion and green pepper and you’re good to go.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c regular long-grained rice
• 1/2 c of diced onion
• 1/2 c diced green pepper, or red
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/3 c chopped cilantro
• 1 15oz can of tomato sauce
• 2/3 c chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• canola oil for sauteing

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat up about 2 tbsp of canola oil in a skillet and saute onion and green pepper until softened. Add the rice and saute until it is browned.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed.
3. Serve with green chile salsa on the side.

Serves: 6

NOTE: Diced fresh or canned tomatoes can be used instead of tomato sauce if you desire. Adjust the liquid so that you have a total of approximately 1 2/3 c. Corn is also a possible addition. I’d say about a cup of kernels, frozen or fresh.

 

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Gorgeous Guacamole

Guacamole. What can one say.

Some people detest avocado, and others love it.

I love it.

And truth be told, and we always try to, there are numerous ways to make guacamole, and probably all of them right. It’s what you like.

I often change mine up depending on what I’m using it for, but his is my favorite.

There are no good ways to preserve guacamole so try not to make more than you can eat at one sitting. There is the old wives tale about putting the pit back in, but that is phooey. Air is the enemy which causes the avocado to turn brown. So the best way to keep it for a few hours at least is to cover it with Saran wrap and make sure it is in contact with the surface of the guacamole.

So here’s my version.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Haas avocado, split, scored and scooped out.
• 1 lg clove garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp very finely minced red onion
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 – 1/3 c chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• juice of 1/2 lime plus zest

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mash about 1/2 of the avocado and leave the rest in small chunks
2. Add the balance of the ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed.
3. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure that contact is made with the surface.
4. Serve relatively soon.

Serves: 4 as a condiment to tacos, enchiladas, etc.

NOTE: many liked to add chopped tomato to their guacamole. I like it that way, but I prefer it this way.

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Green Chile Salsa

Oh I just love salsa. Mostly I have made red salsas with tomatoes.

But coming to New Mexico leads you to the hatch green chile and the wonders of green chile sauces and salsas.

This one is my own creation, and can be adjusted to the heat you desire.

It is a perfect accompaniment to all sorts of things, such as enchiladas, tacos, tostados for starters. But it is lovely as a drizzled on condiment to Mexican rice, or dribbled over some grilled chicken or shrimp. Think of it as a ketchup for grown-ups.

Ready to jump into a new taste sensation?

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 green chiles, charred on the outside, seeded, stemmed and cut up into chunks
• 2 TBSP grated onion
• 1 lg clove of garlic, sliced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1/3 c cilantro
• 1/4 c chicken stock

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Either char your chiles on a gas range or slather with some oil and put under the broiler, turning as needed to get them blackened nicely. Place in a plastic bag immediately and seal, leaving until cooled. Remove and cut off top and peel off the skin (no need to get it all). Then cut open and remove the seeds. Cut into chunks and place in a blender. *
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender, adding about 1/2 of the stock at first and then whirring it up. Add more stock to get the consistency you wish.

* There are many chiles to choose from. The chiles I used were about 6 inches or better long. If you use shorter one’s use a couple more. You can use Anaheim, Ancho, Hatch, Jalapeño, etc. Most stores have their chiles with instructions that tell you how hot they are. I would say that you need about 3/4 of a cup of chopped chiles to offset the rest of the ingredients listed. This is not rocket science. A bit more or less won’t hurt.

Serves: about 3/4 c

NOTE: most people also put tomatillos in their green chile salsa. That’s fine too. But I find this is excellent and quick to make.

Magical Cookie Monsters

Nothing really magical about these delectable bites but they are sinfully good, and so easy that you can study nuclear physics with one hand and mix these up with the other.

Seriously. Quick.

The recipe is supposedly on the back of Eagle Brand sweet condensed milk, but I couldn’t swear to that. It’s a very common bar, so I suspect that is so.

I didn’t measure like you are supposed to, and I think that is fine. That speeds up the process actually. So follow along and I’ll give you the size of the ingredient.

Ready?

Get set.

Go!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 sleeve of graham crackers (about 1 1/2 c, crushed)
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• enough nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc) to cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan.
• one regular size 12oz of so, bag of chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, etc) again, enough to cover the bottom generously
• 1 regular size bag of sweet flaked coconut (enough to cover the bottom–getting this now?)
• 1 regular can of sweetened condensed milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Grease the bottom and sides of your pan with shortening.
2. Melt and then pour the butter over the bottom, covering it all.
3. Pour the graham crackers over and press lightly.
4. In no particular order, layer the nuts, chips and coconut.
5. Pour the can of condensed milk over the entire thing.
6. Bake at 350° for 25-30 or until top is getting lightly browned.
7. Cool for a few minutes before you attempt to cut and remove.

Serves: oh a trick question right? 10 if you are a skinny type. 4 if you are a pig.

NOTE: some folks add marshmallows instead of coconut, or dried fruit.