Guest Post - Blackened Catfish with Corn Succotash

Hi crop share members - Erin here - you may have met me up at the register or seen me on the floor obsessively adjusting recipe cards. I've commandeered this blog for a post because my family has been part of the crop share program for a long time and I wanted to share one of our favorite recipes with everyone.

The corn we've been getting in the store has been amazing recently, and we recieved beautiful green peppers and onions in our crates last week, so I knew I had to make this catfish with succotash. I discovered this recipe in New Orleans, where my sister lives. Other than Mardi Gras, the best thing to experience in Louisiana is the amazing soul food. Usually soul food does not equal healthy food, but there are enough veggies in this succotash to excuse the bacon.

You know a recipe is good when it starts with bacon. 

Best thing about the recipe? It’s easy! All you have to do is dice up your vegetables, fry them with the bacon, and cook the catfish. Dizzy Pig's Bayou-ish seasoning also gives you that great Cajun flavor, and makes it easy to blacken fish without burning it. To keep your corn as fresh as possible, refrigerate it in the husk and shuck it just before cooking. You can also be flexible with these ingredients. Use white, yellow, or bicolor corn and try substituting tilapia or any firm white fish for the catfish.

Make sure you've got a big enough cutting board for all those veggies.

Now that the weather is getting warmer, try cooking your catfish on the grill. Yeah, it's not summer (or even Spring) yet, but I can dream right? Season the fish and place it on a well-oiled grill at 100° for 3-4 minutes on each side. Also during the summer, throw in shelled butter beans with the veggies. A lot of southerners say it's not real succotash if it doesn't have lima beans. So put on some Louis Armstrong, break out the Tabasco, and sit down to this simple New Orleans-style family supper!

Most of the snow is gone, that means it's time to grill right?

Catfish with Corn Succotash

Ingredients:

• 2 strips of bacon, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds of catfish
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 bell peppers, seeds/stem removed and diced
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons of thyme
• 4 ears of corn
• 2 tablespoons Dizzy Pig Bayou-ish or your favorite Cajun blackening spice

Directions:

1. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon to the pan; cook 3 minutes or until crisp, stirring frequently. Remove bacon from the pan to a paper towel.

2. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and thyme to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add minced garlic, cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 

3. With a sharp parring knife, strip the kernels off of the ears of corn into the pan. Stir to mix all the vegetables together. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 8 minutes - stirring occasionally. Add the bacon back into the corn mixture.

4. Pat the catfish dry with paper towels. Rub spice mixture evenly over fish. Heat another large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil to the pan. Cook the catfish for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve over the corn mixture.

Servings: 4

Cook Time:  30 minutes

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming!

Guest Post: Crustless Corn Quiche

This is a guest post from KRvW.  Thank you!  We welcome crop share members to pen guest posts.  If you have something to share, please email me at burt@nallsproduce.com.  Without further adieu:

                    Crustless Corn Quiche

Here's a fun one for pulling together several summer favorites into one savory dish that is sure to please.

A long time ago, my mom shared with me an old recipe for a "crustless corn quiche". It was pretty good, but it lacked something for me. So, I decided to bump it up a notch.

For starters, it needed a bit of salty goodness from the addition of a bit of meat. Next, I felt it could use a bit of spicing to make it a bit more interesting.

After quite some experimenting, I arrived at one of my favorite summer dishes. It marries fresh summer corn with poblano peppers, onions, and one of my favorite Tex-Mex flavorings - chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I really think the chipotles are one of the unsung heroes of the kitchen. A can of them goes for about a buck at most supermarkets, and they can last in the fridge nearly forever. Chipotles are smoked jalapeño peppers, and the adobo sauce is a great spicy sauce that packages them perfectly.

Recently, it occurred to me that most of the ingredients of this recipe are available right up the road from us at Nalls Produce. I love the addition of the cream and cheese from Trickling Springs along with the fresh organic eggs from Pennsylvania -- all available at Nalls.

Talk about a dish with all local, fresh, and natural ingredients!

Now, combine that with the fact that this entire meal can be cooked in a single pan. I like to use my trusty 12" cast iron skillet for making the dish, but you can also make it in just about any similarly sized dish. The only other dish used is a mixing bowl. 

It is easy to make and tastes fabulous. If you want to notch up your game a level or two, grill the ears of corn on your grill and use heavy cream in lieu of the half-and-half I generally use. The smokiness of the corn will be a fabulous complement to the dish, and the heavy cream is a wonderful treat for those special occasion dishes.

Enjoy! Oh, and if you make improvements to my recipe, I'd love to hear from you. I'm always open to cool new ideas.

Cheers,

Ken

Crustless Corn Quiche

Ingredients

4 ears fresh corn, cooked, husked and kernels cut off (about 3 cups) N
1 medium onion, finely chopped N
1/2 to 1 lb. bacon, chopped
1 poblano pepper, finely chopped N
2 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Madam Pele's Heat or Emeril's Essence
1 tablespoon butter N
3 eggs N
2 cups light cream (half and half is great, or even heavy cream if you want to step it up a bit) N
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons parsley, dried, or 1/4 cup fresh N
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese N

Directions
1. Cook the corn. Steamed, boiled, or grilled is great. This can be done in advance. It's also a great use for leftover ears of corn after a big meal.

2. Preheat oven 375F degrees.

3. Sauté the bacon (Virginia country ham also works great here), browning it well, and then mix in the onions, poblano, and chopped chipotle. Continue to sauté on medium to medium-high, until the onions are well caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.  If the meat is lean, you may want to add a bit of butter or olive oil when adding the onions.  Otherwise, use the pan drippings from the meat. When the mix is well caramelized, set the cast iron skillet aside to cool. Add in the Madam Pele's Heat or Emeril's Essence to the mixture, if desired.

4. Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl beat eggs until fluffy, then add cream, chile powder, and flour and mix together.

5. Add the corn, salt, pepper, parsley, and 1-1/2 cups of cheddar cheese.  Mix (or even blend) well.

6. Pour the mix into the cast iron skillet with the meat/onion mix. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheddar cheese. Optionally put a bit of paprika in the cheese on top as well.

7. Bake at 375F degrees for about 35 - 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes. Cut and serve.

Let's have a corn roast!

Photo via Wheelhouse Restaurant

I grew up and went to school in the Midwest, so summer means corn roasts.  A big grill, ideally one made of half a barrel, hot coals, and corn husks everywhere... Butter dripping down your chin, the sweet taste of kernels bursting over your taste buds... Wow, it really brings me back.

There are many religious wars fought over the corn on the grill:  should you roast in the husk, in foil, or bare on the grill?  Should you pre-boil the corn?  We Midwesterners are very passionate over these issues.  I'll let you in on a little secret.  They all work very, very well.

Photo via foothillculinary.com

My personal preference is to not pre-boil.  If you roast the corn slowly over indirect heat, it takes longer but is worth the wait.  This also makes boiling the corn unnecessary.  Thirty minutes, turning occasionally, does the trick.  I husk the corn and put it in foil because I don't like the silk sticking in my teeth.  (There's a great trick for silk-free husking.)

So, where in this process can you be creative?  In the butters!  My fallback is to roast in foil with butter/margarine, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.  K.I.S.S. The typical Midwestern corn roast has a coffee can full of melted butter on a corner of the grill into which you dip your corn, and then various seasonings to sprinkle.

Photo via seriouseats.com

An alternative is to create flavored butters/margarines which can be brushed on the corn as it comes off the grill.  The possibilities are endless:  herb butter is a pretty basic way to start.  Indian spices are pretty fantastic too.  For corn I love flavors with a Southwestern trend.  For the brave at heart, use some habañero in chili lime butter.

What's your favorite way to season roasted corn?

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

I actually whipped up these stuffed peppers last week as my even lighter and more veggie-tacular version of the Cream Cheese Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers, but failed miserably at actually getting this to the blog.  But we got onions and there's onions in this recipe, so hey it's still relevant!  Especially as we head into summer with all the squash and corn, this will be a great way to use it all up.

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
5 green peppers, 1 sliced, 4 hollowed and lids removed to prepare for stuffing
2 cups corn (or 1 can)
1 yellow squash or zucchini, sliced (if you have a zoodler or a julienne peeler, use that!)
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (great for leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken)
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
8 Tbsp salsa (be fancy and make your own Homemade Salsa)
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup, plus extra, shredded cheese of your choice (we use Daiya cheddar for dairy-free)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
Hot sauce, to taste -- optional


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

You'll want to prep all of your veggies first, that way this recipe goes at light-speed.  It makes a TON of filling, so you can easily freeze any extra that won't fit in your peppers and use later for enchilada stuffing or bring it up to a boil with some stock and diced canned tomatoes for a filling soup.

Prep them veggies!

In a large skillet, and I mean large, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add in garlic and saute for about 1 minute or until fragrant.  Add in onion and pepper and saute for about 3 minutes.  Add corn, yellow squash and cumin and saute for an additional 3 minutes.  Next, pour in beans, shredded chicken, broth, salsa and lime juice.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until no liquid remains.

Stir in cheese, cilantro, and any hot sauce if you'd like a kick.  Then season with salt & pepper, to taste.  Remove from heat.

Take your 4 hollow peppers and stuff each with generous portions of the filling and top each with a sprinkle of cheese.  Place upright into a baking dish and bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes, until skin on peppers starts to shrivel at top and look wrinkly and the cheese on top is nice & bubbly.

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers via Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

About a month ago, I was on the phone with my mother-in-law while she was making dinner and when I heard what she was whipping up I begged for the recipe.  I'm very pro-stuffing vegetables, especially peppers, so when she said these were like chicken enchiladas inside bell pepper, um YES PLEASE.  The report from her was they they were delicious, but she felt they could use a clove or two of minced garlic (we're all functionally Italian, we'd put garlic in pancakes if we could get away with it).  So grab those green bell peppers from this week and your spinach, because this is two for one recipe on the Crop Share goodies this week.  I'm sure you could even toss some diced yellow squash in, if you're really looking to sneak extra veggies into your meals.

Follow the link below to see the recipe on Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice, and check out the rest of her recipes.  She's got a killer looking Cheesy Spinach & Bacon Puff Pastry Quiche -- Easter brunch anyone?!

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers via Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

Estofado de Pollo: Chicken Stew

If you can somehow keep yourself from just boiling up this week's corn and not just eating piles of corn on the cob, then reserve the kernels from 4 of the ears and get ready to whip up a quick, Mexican style stew, that is perfect served with some tortillas to sop it all up.  You can add another cup or 2 of liquid and a Tbsp of tomato paste if you want to really turn this into a soup style stew, otherwise think of this as more of a pulled pork consistency but with more tomatoes and corn than you can shake a stick at.  I love to lay out some of the tortillas on a platter and spoon the stew over top to serve this family style.  You could even use this as a stuffing for any baked enchiladas or taquitos, or serve it with large leaf lettuce for some healthy lettuce wraps!

Estofado de Pollo: Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp garlic, minced

3 tomatoes, diced

4 ears corn, cooked and removed from cob

1 chipotle chili in adobo, diced

1 small can salsa verde

2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup reduced sodium chicken stock

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (great for using up leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken)

1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice (optional)

Kosher salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

1/2 lime

Corn tortillas

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add in garlic and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.  Add in diced tomatoes and corn and stir to blend.  Toss in 1 diced chipotle chili, with about 1 tsp of the adobo sauce, and then your salsa verde and the rest of your tomatoes.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes and then pour in chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer down for about 4-5 minutes.  If you're making this more of a soup type stew, add in 2-3 cups of stock plus 1 Tbsp of tomato paste, and simmer also for 4-5 minutes.

Stir in your shredded chicken, and season with salt & pepper to taste.  You can either stir in any cheese to help thicken the sauce, or use it as a garnish over top.  Garnish top of stew with cilantro and the juice of 1/2 a lime.  Serve with corn tortillas to scoop up the stew.

Tips For Freezing Summer Corn

A few of you have asked about how to preserve all this amazing corn your getting in your Crop Shares, so here's 5 easy steps to freezing corn so that you can enjoy a taste of the summer year-round!

Step 1:  Shuck it!

Step 2:  Blanch it!

Step 3:  Cool it!

Step 4:  Cut it!

Step 5:  Freeze it!








Click through to check out the details from Organic Gardening:  Easy Guide to Freezing Corn

Baked Chicken & Spinach Flautas

If  the idea of more corn on the cob leaves you feeling lackluster, then here's a way to put this week's corn to good use in a healthy twist on a fried Mexican favorite.  No, not fried ice cream, sillies!

Baked Chicken & Spinach Flautas

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast tenderloins
16 oz beer or chicken broth (I used Omission gluten free beer)
2 cups water
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 jalapeno, minced
3 ears corn, boiled and kernels removed from cob
3 cups spinach, chopped
6 tortillas, corn or flour
6 oz shredded cheese
1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cook corn in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.  Allow to cool and remove corn from cobs.  Set aside.

Poach chicken in boiling beer and water for about 10 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.  Remove from liquid and shred with forks.  Reserve about 1/4 cup of liquid.  Toss shredded chicken in spices and set aside.

Bring 1/4 cup of poaching liquid to a simmer and add jalapeno and cabbage.  Simmer for 2 -3 minutes or until spinach is wilted.  Remove from liquid and toss with corn and chicken.

Lay out tortillas on a baking sheet and evenly spoon out chicken and vegetable mixture.  Top with shredded cheese.  Roll up each tortilla tightly and place seam side down to secure.  Brush tops with olive oil, and place in oven to bake for 10 minutes or until tortillas are golden brown and crispy.

Serve with a side of salsa and sour cream.


(Recipe adapted from: http://www.healthy-delicious.com/2012/03/baked-chicken-and-spinach-flautas/)

Grilled Vegetable Skewers via Proud Italian Cook

Pardon my lack of original content this week, I'm out of town for a wedding and my lonely share is waiting for me back at Nalls.  :(  So for all you Crop Share newbies, don't worry, cooking does actually happen in Nalls' Kitchen!

In the meantime we can all drool together with some gems I discovered thanks to Pinterest, like this Grilled Vegetable Skewers from Proud Italian Cook.  A great way to use up the corn, bell peppers, broccoli and even slice up the tomatoes into wedges to skewer.  I hear grilled cantaloupe is fantastic!  Though probably hold off on grilling the spinach, something tells me that's a bad idea.

So follow the link below to view this recipe that has me ready to fire up the grill at 9am!

Grilled Vegetable Skewers

Chorizo Stuffed Poblanos

So yeah, today I finally got around to using up the poblano peppers from last week's share.  But oh they were so worth the wait.  I had a basic idea of what I wanted to do with them -- stuff them full of chorizo  -- so I figured if I loosely based it on my Mama's stuffed pepper recipe, it should turn out pretty good.  In the end, my hunch was oh so deliciously correct and the Mister declared these as, "the best stuffed peppers I've ever had!"  So from my kitchen to yours, a spiced-up take on a comforting classic...

Chorizo Stuffed Poblanos

Ingredients:

2 lbs chorizo, removed from casing

½ cup Tropical Salsa (produced for Nalls Produce by Troyer Cheese, currently in store)

½ sweet onion, diced

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

½ cup rice, cooked

2 ears corn, cooked and removed from cob

3 poblano peppers, seeded, stems removed and lids reserved

1 lg can enchilada sauce, mild

1 cup rice, cooked

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine chorizo, salsa, sweet onion, garlic, rice and corn until mixed well.  Stuff each poblano with chorizo mixture, and re-top with the poblano lid.  Repeat with each pepper and place all into a large baking dish.  You'll have plenty of chorizo mixture leftover, so hand-roll up some albondigas (meatballs) and place those in the baking dish, as well.  Top everything with enchilada sauce and place into the oven to bake for 50 minutes.

Cook up remaining 1 cup of rice to serve with the stuffed poblanos & albondigas.  Serve each with a spoonful or two of the pan sauce.

Guest Posts from Crop Share Members: Janet Dwire & Natasha Scott

We LOVE knowing what's cookin' in your kitchens, so I'm super excited to bring you two guest posts today from Crop Share members Janet Dwire and Natasha Scott.  I know several of you have started your own food blogs, and many more of you are coming up with delicious recipes of your own each week, so send those guest posts our way as we'd love for this blog to be a shared collective from our Crop Share family.  E-mail me any recipes or helpful tips you'd love to share at tara@nallsproduce.com.

Corn in Husk in Microwave

1. Check silks end of ear for worms.


2. Use a heavy knife to cut off stalk end, about 3/4 of an inch up the cob.


3. Leave husks on and lay 2 ears in microwave.  Two ears take 5 minutes -- on a rotating tray -- with no turning.


4. Grasp husks at silk end using and oven mitt.  Gently sake the corn from side to side, or in a circle until the cob starts to slip out of the husks.


5.  Grasp the corn cob carefully (it's hot!) and pull hands apart to separate the cob from the silks and husks.

6.  Compost the husks and enjoy this summer's corn!


Cheers,
Janet Dwire

Strawberry Rhubarb Overnight Oatmeal

Pop on over to Tash's Noshes to view Natasha Scott's healthy take on strawberry-rhubarb deliciousness!

Keep That Corn Husky!

All my life I thought the only way to prepare corn-on-the-cob was to shuck it first.  I have fond memories of sitting on the back porch with my Mama and Grammy, trash cans or buckets between our feet, as we shucked away for summer cookouts.  And then last month the Mister and I went to Captain White's and beheld corn boiled and steamed IN the husk.  It was pure magic, and despite what I thought would be a mess of silk to pick through, it all effortlessly peeled off.  Since then, we keep keep that corn husky!

So whether you're planning to boil up the bi-color corn this weekend or throw it on the grill, here's our two favorite ways to prepare corn-on-the-cob in the husk.

Boiled Corn In The Husk

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add in your corn with husks on, and boil for about 6 minutes.  Remove from water and allow to drain on a plate.  The silk will pull back with the husk when you peel into the corn.

Perfectly Grilled Corn On The Cob

Ingredients:

4 ears of corn

Kosher salt

Herb butter, recipe follows

Herb Butter (combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth):

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/8 cup fresh herbs (basil, chives or tarragon)

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

To view the rest of the recipe, please visit: Perfectly Grilled Corn On The Cob

The Versatility of Corn

If the mere mention of corn leaves you feeling like this...

"YES!  Corn, corn, corn, corn...."

Then have I got a trio of corn goodness for you.  Corn on the cob may be great, but with recipes like these, you'll want to step away from those cute little cob holders.  Click the recipe names below to view each recipe.

Rosemary-Corn Muffins

Corn & Chorizo Fritters

Smoky Corn Chowder with Shrimp

Zucchini, Corn, and Tomatoes, oh my!

Hope you are ready for a taste of summer! It's what we need after a cold, cutting day like today. Really, who would have thought it would be so darn cold the 21st of March?!

You are getting some summertime type goodies this week. Don't forget you can type the name of a vegetable or fruit into the search bar in the upper left of the window and it will pull up recipes that were used in previous Crop Shares.

To save you some time, here are some highlights for you: Roasted Corn & Zucchini Salad , Seared Skirt Steak with Balsamic Grape Tomatoes ,and Skillet Corn Medley .

Here's a new one, too. If you put on a few pounds during winter hibernation, give this a try. Tastes so good it's hard to believe this is good for you

Weight Watchers Zucchini Fries

Ingredients

	4 sprays  olive oil cooking spray
	1 tsp Italian seasoning
	1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
	3/4 tsp table salt
	3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
	2 medium uncooked zucchini
	2 large egg whites, whipped until frothy (almost soft peaks)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, flour and salt. Place bread crumbs in another small bowl.
• Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise and then each half into 2 pieces widthwise. Next slice each zucchini chunk into 4 fries. Dredge a zucchini fry in flour mixture and then dip into egg whites; dredge in bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients; liberally coat with cooking spray.
• Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 12 minutes. Yields about 8 fries per serving.

Notes

• Use this technique with any summer squash or eggplant. It also works great with thick-cut onion rings or even green tomatoes.
  
  For extra crispy fries, increase the oven temperature to 500ºF and knock 2 minutes off the cooking time.

Enjoy! Weight Watchers has a great list of recipes on their website, whether you are a member or not.

(Source: http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeid=142501)

Hot Corn Dip

This week, we were able to get more beautiful and delicious yellow corn from Florida. Love that they have all summer produce available this time of year. I could have corn for dinner every night in some way, shape or form. This scrumptious-looking dip will be a must-have for your Super Bowl gatherings! It's simple and it's made by one of our favorite bloggers and also crop share member, Baked Bree. Make sure to check out some other delicious recipes from her.

(Source: http://bakedbree.com/hot-corn-dip)

Corn & Chickpea Fiesta Salad

Lunch is served. This is a nice and light dish that stays fresh. It's packed with protein from the chickpeas and filled with vitamins from all the colorful vegetables.

See ingredients and instructions for the corn & chickpea fiesta salad here: http://www.ateaspoonofhappiness.com/2012/07/27/corn-chickpea-fiesta-salad-with-cilantro-lime-vinaigrette/

Mexican Grilled Corn

So the weather isn't quite grilling weather. You can always use your grill pan or panini press. I've had different versions of this corn a few times. We call it "elotes locos," which means crazy corn. Usually they're smothered in mayonnaise and ketchup along with parmesan. This version is a little bit lighter.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan
4 ears corn, husks and silk removed, cut in half
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon chili powder, preferably chipotle
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving




To view the rest of this recipe, please visit: http://www.marthastewart.com/331722/mexican-grilled-corn?czone=entertaining/game-day/game-day-tailgating&center=276962&gallery=275651&slide=260685)

Potato Corn Bake with Bacon and Roasted Peppers

Talk about comfort food! These corn cakes have all the right ingredients in them. Make them smaller for a great appetizer.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 green bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and sliced* (see instructions below if you’ve never roasted a pepper)
2 yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cooked, and mashed
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1 (11 ounce) can Whole Kernel Sweet Corn Niblets, vacuum packed, (or
15.25 ounce can regular packed, drained)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled Queso Fresco
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided in half
5 slices bacon, crisp cooked and crumbled
Shake of Cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 scallions, sliced for sprinkling on top

To view the rest of this recipe, please visit: http://www.wherethecookiesare.com/2012/01/02/potato-corn-bake-with-bacon-and-roasted-peppers/

Deconstructed Chicken Fajitas

Fajitas are a lot easier to make than you think. I always wonder why we don't have them at home at least twice a month. I just have to get down the serving on a sizing plate down... 

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon fajita rub
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
16 ounces boneless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 large sweet or yellow onion, sliced
4 roasted bell peppers
1/2 cup fresh corn
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
16 grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Click through to view the rest of the recipe at: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2094040

Chili Lime Corn on the Cob

As the corn season will soon come to an end, we hope that you've been freezing your corn and enjoying its wonderful season. We can't get enough of it (and neither can our chickens!)  This recipe can be done using grilled corn and broiled corn.

Ingredients:4 ears of corn
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
optional: lime wedges for serving



To view the rest of this recipe, please visit: http://barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/08/broiled-or-grilled-chili-lime-corn-on.html