Favorite Fall Recipe - Savory Corn Crumble

Weather wise I am truly a summer person, always telling people that the happiest day of my life was the day I sold my snow blower and moved from Boston to Georgia, thus leaving the snow and super cold weather behind.  Fall though is my favorite time of year when it comes to cooking because I enjoy heating up the house making delicious smelling recipes which warm both the body and soul.  Soups, curries and casseroles are my favorites to make as they generally take little work, feed us for days and are the perfect comfort foods. 

On my Moments with Maisie blog I have spoken numerous times about our garden and though we don’t plant a fall garden it’s late in the summer season is when we get our butternut squash harvest and some years it’s crazy huge so we’re always looking for delicious ways to enjoy the squash like in my Roasted & Curried Veggie Soup.  Ever since I was a little girl I have loved butternut squash so when I was asked by Foodie Blogroll to participate in their Favorite Fall Recipe promotion*** and that it was Savory Corn Crumble with Butternut Squash, Spinach and Feta from Ivy of Kopiaste, well I just had to join in.  I hope that you’ll check out Ivy’s recipe, my easy Roasted & Curried Veggie Soup and though it doesn’t contain butternut squash, one of our favorite comfort food casseroles…just click on the casserole picture at the bottom of the post.  Oh and with our large butternut squash harvest, I’d love if you’d share some of your favorite butternut squash recipes, leave your recipe and or link in the comments. 

 

Savory Corn Crumble with Butternut Squash, Spinach and Feta, recipe by Ivy Liacopoulou of Kopiaste…to Greek Hospitality

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Baking time: 1 hour

Serves: 1 baking dish (about 12 pieces)

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 2 lbs butternut Squash, grated
• 1 lbs spinach, squeezed
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 lbs feta, crumbled
• ½ cup parsley, finely chopped
• ½ cup fennel fronds, finely chopped
• Salt (with caution) and freshly grated black pepper
• A pinch of cumin

Crumble:

• 1.5 lbs corn meal
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 200 ml Greek yogurt 2%
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp salt

Additional ingredients:

• 3 tbsp margarine divided (to grease the baking tin and to add on top)

Directions:

1. Grate the pumpkin and mix all the filling ingredients.
2. In a large bowl add the crumble ingredients and mix using your hand until the ingredients are well blended to form the crumble. If you still see corn meal, add more olive oil, if necessary.
3. Grease a 35 x 25 cm baking tin with 2 tbsp margarine. Add half of the crumble on the baking tin.
4. Add the filling on top and sprinkle the remaining crumble on top of the filling.
5. Add the remaining margarine in small pieces scattered all over the baking tin.
6. Preheat oven to 180o C / 350o F and bake for about 1 hour or until the crumble is golden on top.

Serve as a main dish, a side dish or a snack.

Below is one of our favorite fall comfort foods though it doesn’t contain butternut squash it’s totally delicious!  Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole, click on the picture to be taken to the recipe.

 

***This sponsorship is brought to you by GLAM Media who we have partnered with for this promotion.

Enjoy!

Creamed Corn with Cheese and Cilantro

Over the top, off the charts and outrageously delicious is the only way to describe this creamed corn  Oh my word, to say that we enjoyed this corn would be an understatement because I think I may have licked the bowl clean…okay, I did lick the bowl clean.  When I wrote this months Secret Recipe Club post I stated that I would be making and posting more recipes from Si’s A Bountiful Kitchen and here I am, true to my word.  I made Si’s Cheesy Creamed Corn with Cilantro the same night that I prepared her Texas Grilled Chicken with Lime Butter and what a delicious meal we had.  My poor little Maisie Miao Miao, who can’t eat this anymore, gobbled this corn up and I’m so sad that I can’t make it again for her exactly like before because she loved it.  I’m going to have to make this corn when she’s not around…or maybe not as I could eat the entire bowl, it’s just that good.  Since there are only three of us, I halved the original recipe which was good and bad…good because it created some form of portion control and bad… well because it created some form of portion control.  I honestly could have over-eaten myself sick on this and even now just typing up the post and seeing the pictures, I’m craving this corn.  Run, don’t walk and make this recipe, you won’t be sorry!

Creamed Corn with Cheese and Cilantro (adapted from here)

1 1/2 TBS butter
3/4 cup chopped scallions
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
4 cups frozen corn
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch
3 ounces queso fresco, crumbled, plus a little extra for garnish
1/2 cup grated extra sharp white cheddar, plus a little extra for garnish
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus a little extra for garnish
2/3 cup cilantro sprigs, chopped.  plus extra leaves for garnish

Heat butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides.  Cook scallions stirring occasionally until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is softened a bit.  Add the corn, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes.
Stir together the cream and cornstarch in a small bowl until thoroughly combined and then add to the corn and simmer, stirring until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Using an immersion blender, place it in the pan and pulse in several places blending about a third of the corn mixture. Stir in the queso fresco, grated white cheddar, Parmesan and chopped cilantro and stir to mix.  Transfer corn to a large shallow serving bowl. Sprinkle on additional cheese and garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy!!

Southwest Pasta Salad

I was asked to prepared the meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner for all the home & visiting team Coaches as well as the Judges for today’s Metro Retro Meet at Maisie’s gym.  I decided that lunch would include my Fire Roasted Tomato and Chicken Tortilla Soup with homemade tortilla strips, a fresh garden salad with a copycat of Chili’s Honey Lime Dressing* and a pasta salad.  I am not a big pasta eater and I generally find pasta salads, well…just boring and blah.  So, I set out and searched the internet looking for something that I thought would complement the flavor profile of the soup and salad and also be kick @ss wonderful. 

I have to say, I found that absolutely kick @ss wonderful pasta salad recipe on Our Best Bites and it’s their Southwest Pasta Salad.  Both my test taster Lisa and I thought that the flavors were just wonderful and the salad was oh-so simple to make.  The Judges and Coaches all really liked the pasta salad as well as all the other lunch items too.  I stayed pretty true to the original recipe with just a couple of minor changes so now, no more boring and blah pasta salads in this house as this recipe is a keeper!   

Southwest Pasta Salad (Adapted from here)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb pasta
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 each, medium yellow, red and orange bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup frozen fresh corn
zest from 2 limes, minced
1/2 cup Queso Fresco, crumbled

Dressing:
6 TBS fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
5 large cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp dark chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander 
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
3 tsp sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro

Directions:

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. 

While the past is cooking, prepare dressing. Zest the limes directly into a large salad bowl.  Juice the limes into a blender and add the vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar.  Process until smooth.  With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated.  Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool.  Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest.  Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn (no need to thaw the corn).  Toss with dressing.  Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving.  Right before serving mix in the crumbled cheese.  Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.

*  Chili’s Honey Lime Dressing

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
3 Teaspoon sugar
2 Teaspoon sesame oil
3 Teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 Teaspoon lime juice

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Cover and chill.

Enjoy!

Grilled Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

I have been craving all things avocado and even though they’re wicked expensive this year (what’s the deal with the price this year?) they’ve still been finding their way into a lot of our salads and meals.  The other night I was perusing some cooking blogs and saw a recipe on Jehan Can Cook for a wonderful salad which contained not only avocado but also grilled corn, another favorite in our home, so I just had to make it.  WOW did we adore this salad, so many of our favorite summer time flavors with nice contrasting textures, a bit of sweetness and just a bit of heat…wonderful!!  The best thing, it took mere minutes to make this salad and we enjoyed it as a “dip” eating it on nacho chips as we sipped summer drinks, Watermelon Frosty for me and a more “adult” beverage for Eammon. 

Grilled Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing  (adapted from here)

2 ears fresh corn, husk & silk removed
Juice of 1 lime
3 TBS vegetable oil
1 TBS honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in halves
1 ripe Hass avocado, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Grill corn over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes turning as necessary.  The corn should have some brown spots and be tender but not mushy.  Cut the corn off the cob and scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices.  Set aside and let cool. 

In a large bowl whisk together the lime juice, oil, honey, salt, pepper, garlic & cayenne.  Add the grilled corn, tomatoes and cilantro and mix well so that everything is coated with the dressing,  Carefully mix in the avocado being careful not to mash it as you mix.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and serve. 

Enjoy!

Grilled Corn & Bacon Pudding

Maisie absolutely adores grilled corn and will eat it hot or cold and day after day.  I love using grilled corn in recipes like my Super Simple Summer Shrimp Salsa Salad which I eat all summer long so I generally have extra ears of grilled corn in the house.  The other day I saw a recipe for Bacon & Corn Pudding and I thought with a few minor changes and with using the grilled corn that I had on hand, that it would be a winning recipe for us. 

As I was making the recipe I thought that it was quite similar to another recipe that I make, Corn Soufflé and in many ways it is but the taste is completely different.  My Corn Soufflé is creamy and mild in flavor and while not sweet per se, sweeter than this recipe.  By using grilled corn, onion, bacon and cheese, this recipe is much more flavorful.  The corn and onion really stand out and the cheese, though there, just adds to the richness as a background flavor.  The bacon adds a nice smokiness to the dish and a little extra crispness to the top crust.  One thing that is very similar between the two dishes is the overall  they’re both very light and have that soft “pudding like” texture.  This recipe was easy to make, a winner taste wise and pieces reheat beautifully in the microwave so I will definitely be making it again.

Grilled Corn & Bacon Pudding (Adapted from here)

6 large eggs
2 cups half & half (I used fat-free because that’s what I had)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 TBS sugar
4 TBS flour
1 tsp each, or to taste, salt & pepper
4 ears of fresh corn, grilled until some of the kernels are charred and then kernels sliced from the cob (I used bi-color corn)
1 medium Vidalia onion, minced (or other sweet onion)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used Fiesta blend cheese because that’s what I had on hand but cheddar or Colby Jack could be used.)
6 slices pre-cooked bacon, julienned (divided 4 slices & 2 slices)

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together the eggs, half & half, melted butter, sugar, flour, salt and pepper.  Once fully blended add the corn kernels, minced onion, shredded cheese and the 4 slices of julienned bacon.  Stir to blend and then pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking or casserole dish.  Top the mixture with the 2 remaining slices of julienned bacon.  Bake for approx. one hour or until golden brown. Once removed from the oven allow the pudding to stand for at least 10 minutes before serving so the pudding can set up well.

Enjoy!

Caribbean Clam Chowder with Corn

I go to this wonderful local sandwich shop and the lunch that I always order is their Fried Green Tomato Sandwich.  With your sandwich you get your choice of a side and my absolute favorite is their Caribbean Clam Chowder.  The problem is, while they always have the fried green tomato sandwich on the menu, the soup and side options change.  Though all their soup and side offerings are wonderful and delicious, just knowing that I’m going there makes me crave the chowder so when it’s not offered I’m disappointed.  Sometimes I really crave the chowder so the last time I was there I brought my portion home so that I could recreate it and have it any time I wanted.

Caribbean Clam Chowder with Corn

6 medium potatoes, peeled and quarter-inch dice 
12 oz. sliced bacon
3 TBS butter
6 jalapenos, seeds removed and finely minced
2 medium onions, finely minced
6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
3 - 12 oz. bags frozen sweet corn, thawed
3 - 8 oz. bottles clam juice
6 - 10 oz. cans whole baby clams
1 scotch bonnet pepper, stem and seeds removed but kept whole
3 - 14 oz. cans lite coconut milk
1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp fresh ground pepper or to taste
Fresh cilantro for garnish

In a large stock pot add enough water to boil your potatoes.  When the water reaches boiling, add your diced potatoes and boil until just tender.  Drain and set aside.  In the now empty stock pot, fry up the bacon until it is crispy.  Remove the bacon from the pot and dice it finely and set aside.  Leave the bacon fat in the pot and add the butter, jalapenos, onion and garlic and saute until all the vegetables are soft but do not allow them to brown or caramelize.  In a blender or food processor add one bottle of the clam juice and two bags of corn and process until quite smooth.  Once all the vegetables are soft add the processed clam juice & corn mixture, the two remaining bottles of clam juice, the juice from the cans of whole clams, the scotch bonnet pepper and the coconut milk.  Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the diced bacon, the remaining bag of corn, all the clams, the roasted red peppers, cayenne, salt & pepper and allow to return to a simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove the scotch bonnet pepper and discard.  Adjust cayenne, salt & pepper to taste.

Enjoy!!

Corn Soufflé

Not a fabulous picture but this this Corn Soufflé is absolutely delightful and it makes an appearance on our table each Thanksgiving, Christmas and any other time I want a special corn dish.  What I love about this dish is that the taste is light, creamy and just a bit sweet, like the best fresh picked corn of the summer.  I also love that I can mix everything up a day or two ahead and just pour it into my prepared dish and bake it when needed.  Even better, it reheats beautifully so make this dish, you and your guests will be delighted.

Corn Soufflé

• 5 lg. eggs
• 2 c. frozen white baby corn kernels, thawed & well drained
• 1 (15-oz.) can cream style corn
• 1 1/4 c. whole milk
• 1 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 

Preheat oven to 375F. Position rack in the center of the oven. Butter an 8"x8"x2" glass baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk eggs then add remaining ingredients mixing until well blended. Pour into prepared dish. Bake until top is golden brown and knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes.

Enjoy!