Tasting Spoons

When I spotted nice, jumbo, fresh Poblano chiles at the market I got to thinking about what would go well with them, and I remembered a dish I ate at a wonderful Pasadena restaurant, the Parkway Grill. At one visit, years and years ago, I ordered as an entrée their stuffed Poblano. I believe it was an appetizer (albeit, a hearty one), but I ordered it as my entrée. At the time I’d never had a Poblano, so was particularly impressed with the flavor, not only of the chile itself, but the fresh corn and cheese that melted out of it. I wanted to lick the plate. On the occasions that I’ve been back (not numerous, alas, since it’s about 40 miles away), it’s never been on the menu again, and likely they’ve changed chefs several times in the interim anyway. Some years ago I did try to make it, but just didn’t know what I was doing; didn’t have a recipe, so was kind of flying blind.

This time I used several internet recipes as guides (not including one that’s been copycatted all over the web that includes ½ cup of pecans), adapting it to fit what I wanted and what I had on hand to put into the chiles. We had fresh white corn on the cob, fresh red and yellow bell pepper, and I just kind of winged it from there. I tasted the mixture a few times as I went along, to see if it tasted anything like what I remembered. Well, it’s been so many years, I can’t be sure, but the combination of Poblanos (which are a very mild chile, by the way) and my addition of chipotle chile in adobo sauce, plus a little squirt of concentrated chicken broth, a little feta, a bit of garlic here, a bit of cream there really added to the flavor. I forgot to add the egg (I’d intended to) so the mixture kind of fell apart. I’m glad I took a photo of it in it’s BEFORE state, since it was quite difficult to serve AFTER. If I were going to make this again, I might try to find cotija cheese (a crumbly Mexican cheese), but the feta worked just fine. I was very pleased with the salty crumbly addition. If you like more heat, add a larger chipotle chile. If you don’t like heat at all, eliminate the chipotle altogether.

A word to the wise: if you broil the Poblanos too long, the flesh of the Poblano is somewhat compromised – it becomes too fragile to handle. So, just char the peppers until they’re black, not any longer. That means hanging around in front of the oven perhaps more than you want to, but it’ll be worth it. My recollection is that the chile I had originally was still almost chewy and crunchy, so perhaps they didn’t even char it and/or remove the skin. I simply don’t remember.

My result? Absolutely fabulous. This would make a delicious entrée – there was surely enough quantity to be one. I served it with some leftovers which didn’t exactly go with it (the Mexican chicken I made a few nights ago). I think perhaps a small green salad would have been the best thing to go with it. There really was enough another peppers so if you can find medium-sized ones, make three!

Roasted Poblano Chiles Stuffed with Corn and Cheese

Recipe By: My own recipe, but inspired by a similar dish at Parkway Grill in Pasadena, California

Servings: 2

2 whole poblano peppers

2 whole corn on the cob — cut off the cob

3 tablespoons red onion — minced

1 large garlic clove — minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 tablespoons red bell pepper — minced

3 tablespoons yellow bell pepper — minced

1 small chipotle chile canned in adobo — minced

1/2 whole lime — juice only

1 whole egg — whisked (optional)

1 cup jack cheese — or cheddar, shredded

pepper — to taste

1/2 teaspoon chicken stock base

2 tablespoons heavy cream

3 tablespoons feta cheese — or cotija if you can find it

1.  Preheat oven to broil.

2.  Wash and dry the fresh chiles and lay them on a small cookie sheet lined with foil or a Silpat.  Place under broiler and char the peppers until the skins are black, turning them over once or twice to get all the sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Do not overcook them or they will fall apart once you try to remove the charred skin.  Remove from oven and cover with foil or plastic wrap (in a bowl) and let sit for 15 minutes.  When they’re cool enough to handle, using a paring knife or a paper towel, remove all the skin.  Then slit the chile from the side (from tip to stem, but leaving stem end intact) and remove seeds.  Reduce oven temperature to 350.

3.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small skillet and saute the onion for about 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for just 30-60 seconds, then remove from heat.

4.  Remove corn from the cobs (even scraping some of the milk from the cobs too as they add good flavor) and place in a medium bowl.  Add the cooked onion mixture, both bell peppers and chipotle.  Add the lime juice, heavy cream and the chicken stock base that’s been dissolved in about 1 T.  of water.  Season with salt and pepper.  Taste the mixture to see if it needs additional seasoning.  If you add feta cheese as I did, it’s salty all on its own.  You may not need any salt in the corn.

5.  Add the egg and about half of the cheese (jack and feta) to the corn mixture, stir and spoon the corn into the chile, laying the chile open somewhat.  Mound the mixture a bit, then sprinkle with the additional cheese.  Place the two stuffed chiles on the same baking sheet you used to char the peppers and bake for about 20 minutes until cheese is bubbling.  Serve immediately.

Serving Ideas: You could also add some chopped, cooked chicken to this, to make a complete meal.  Also wild rice would be a good addition, or even regular white rice.  Some recipes suggested small shrimp too.  This could also be served (in smaller sized peppers) as a side dish with a Southwest-inspired menu.

Per Serving: 289 Calories; 17g Fat (48.6% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 140mg Cholesterol; 263mg Sodium.

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We have a restaurant chain here in the West (California, Oregon and Arizona) called El Torito. There are “regular” restaurants (maybe 20-30 of them), and also about 10 called El Torito Grill. For some years our family frequented the Grill for Sunday buffet-style brunch. It was the best bargain in town. This was when our children were ravenous teenagers and even into young adulthood. Our son could put away plates and plates of food from this place and still be hungry for more. Back then it was about $12.95 for brunch. If they even serve brunch now, am sure it’s a whole lot more money these days. One of the staples amidst the hot trays for the brunch was this Sweet Corn Cake. It’s kind of a cross between a soft cake and a savory pudding. It’s served with most of their entrees as well. It is sweet, although it’s supposed to be a side dish to an entrée, not a dessert. But, as good as it is, you could likely serve it with a bit of cream and call it dessert. The recipe was printed in the Los Angeles Times many, many years ago.

It’s made with masa harina. Shortened to the word “masa,” it’s a finely ground corn flour that’s mixed with lye - a staple of the Mexican diet. The recipe also calls for lard. Now I don’t have lard in my pantry, so I just substituted additional butter, or you could use shortening too. I also didn’t have quite 10 ounces of frozen corn, either, but once it’s whizzed up in the food processor (or blender) it hardly mattered. And the corn I did have was the scorched, roasted corn from Trader Joe’s, so it gave the cake a bit of a dark fleck. Those alterations made no difference in the scrumptious taste.

My opinion is this recipe should be made in 150% quantity (so it’s deeper in the pan), or maybe even double. You’d have to watch the baking time – naturally it would take longer. And doing it in a food processor won’t make the corn into complete mush. It takes no time at all to mix it up, but note that it takes a good long while to bake (covered with foil) and an additional 15 minutes to sit. So, start an hour and a half ahead of serving time! Serve it hot.

Sweet Corn Cakes

Recipe: El Torito Restaurant Chain

Servings: 10

2 tablespoons lard — or use additional butter or shortening

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup masa harina

3 tablespoons cold water

10 ounces frozen corn kernels

3 tablespoons cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar — or less, if desired

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1.  Place lard and butter in a mixing bowl and whip until butter softens.  Continue whipping until mixture becomes fluffy and creamy.  Add masa gradually and mix until thoroughly incorporated.  Add water gradually, mixing thoroughly.

2.  Place corn kernels in food processor (or blender) and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add a tablespoon or two of milk if it seems too thick to combine.  Stir into the masa mixture.

3.  Place cornmeal, sugar, whipping cream, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix quickly.  Add butter-masa mixture and mix just until blended.

4.  Pour into an 8-inch baking pan and cover with foil.  Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until corn cake has firm texture.  Allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before cutting.  Cut into squares or use a small ice cream scoop.

Cook’s Notes: I recommend you increase the recipe by 50%, and still bake in the 8×8 pan. Test for doneness starting at 60 minutes.

Per Serving: 149 Calories; 9g Fat (50.7% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 115mg Sodium. 

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I remember, back in the mid-1990s, when chicken chili arrived on the food scene. We were in the thick of trying to revamp our old favorites (mostly with beef, veal, even lamb) into more healthy versions featuring chicken (ground or cubes) or turkey. The first time I made turkey meatloaf let’s just say that I was under-whelmed. But many creative cooks have figured out ways to give ground chicken and ground turkey a lot more flavor, yet look like those old beef favorites. For awhile I tried mixing half chicken/turkey and half beef in things like meatloaf. Then I got fed up with the lack of texture and flavor and went back to all beef versions. We just didn’t eat them very often.

But chicken chili is an altogether different animal, so to speak. It’s really not exactly chili. At least this one is almost more like a thick soup or stew, but with all the trappings of chili. This has all the stuff we like – beans, meat protein (chicken instead of beef), chiles, chili powder, cumin, then you serve it with all the usual garnishes (in this case: sour cream, grated cheese, cilantro and salsa). I even added a bowl of crumbled-up Fritos to the chili garnishes to add some crunch. There is more than an average amount of butter in this dish. I used what was called for, but wonder if it would taste just as good with less. As our friend Bud says, fat is the sled on which flavor rides. Maybe because there are so many sort-of bland things in this, the butter becomes a necessity. Next time I will try it with less. I also think this will serve more people than the recipe indicated. Although, the crew eating this were all very hungry from a hard day’s work (see below).

The recipe was in the February, 1996 issue of Gourmet magazine. It’s from “The Kitchen for Exploring Foods,” (a catering company) in Pasadena, right in our neck of the woods. You can find the recipe on epicurious.com easily enough, and read the 186 reviews (the 10-12 I read all raved about it). If you have made any of my recipes, just trust me on this. The chili is gosh-darned good. I made a double batch (I was feeding a crowd) so purchased 3 very large, whole chicken breasts, bone and skin attached, roasted them in the oven (400 for 35 minutes), then cut off the meat and into small chunks. The chicken does NOT get simmered in the chili for any length of time – you don’t want the chicken to give up its flavor and moisture to the soup, so add at the last minute and just heat through.

Our son and his wife were moving back into their house a few days ago (it’s been about 13 months for the major remodel to be completed). My DH was there to check off the boxes and furniture as the movers brought them in the door. I offered to bring a meal for the family helping – Karen chose dinner. But, the caveat was they have no cooktop or oven yet (the wrong one was delivered, and now they must wait another week or two for the right one to arrive) so I had to bring dinner in a crock pot or something else that could be plugged in. Chili seemed like the easy choice. Basically a one dish meal with a salad and dessert. See cook’s notes at the bottom of the recipe for more details. My changes are marked in RED.

White Chicken Chili

Recipe By: Gourmet Magazine, Feb, 1996

Serving Size: 6 -8

1/2 pound dried navy beans — picked over

1 large onion — chopped

1 cup celery — chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 cups fat free half-and-half

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce — or to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt — or to taste

1/2 teaspoon white pepper — or to taste

8 ounces canned whole mild green chilies — drained and chopped

2 pounds chicken breast, no skin, no bone, R-T-C — cooked and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese — grated, about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 cup sour cream

8 ounces corn kernels — canned or frozen [optional]

1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder [optional]

1 1/2 teaspoons New Mexico chile powder [optional]

Garnish: fresh cilantro, more grated cheese and sour cream

Accompaniment: tomato salsa, Fritos

1. In a large kettle soak beans overnight in cold water to cover by 2 inches.  Drain beans in a colander and return to kettle with cold water to cover by 2 inches.  Cook beans at a bare simmer until tender, about 1 hour, and drain in colander.

2. In a 6-8 quart heavy pan cook onion and celery in 2 tablespoons butter over moderate heat until softened.  Remove mixture and set aside.

3. In same pan melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour.  Cook roux, whisking constantly, 3 minutes.  Have broth and half-and-half ready beside the stove before beginning next part (otherwise lumps will form in mixture).  Stir in onion mixture and gradually add broth and half-and-half, whisking constantly.  Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thickened.  Stir in Tabasco, chili powders, cumin, salt, corn and white pepper.  Add beans, chilies, chicken, and Monterey Jack and cook mixture over moderately low heat, stirring, 20 minutes.  Stir sour cream into chili. If chili is too thick, just add chicken broth to thin it down a little bit.

4. Garnish chili with cilantro and serve with salsa, cheese and more sour cream. 

Cook’s Notes: I made a few changes to the original: (1) I used fat-free half and half instead of the real stuff. In this kind of preparation, nobody would possibly know the difference; (2) I added corn, just because; and (3) I like using a mixture of chile powders (ancho for flavor but no heat and New Mexico specifically) so I changed the amounts there and I added one more teaspoon of cumin just because I like the stuff.

Per Serving: 707 Calories; 33g Fat (43.1% calories from fat); 52g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 11g Dietary Fiber; 167mg Cholesterol; 616mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain (Starch); 6 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 5 Fat.

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Oh, yum. Oh yes, another winner of a soup. I think the recipe came from Gourmet Magazine, but am not sure, since I made no note on the clipping. (These food mags change their format so frequently lately that I no longer recognize the arrangements or layouts anymore.)  I wasn’t able to find it online, so can’t confirm, however the paragraph with it says the origin of the recipe is Estela Salas Silva who runs a Mexican cooking school in Puebla, Mexico. If you search for her name online, you’ll find mention of her in several places.

One of my very favorite vegetable combos is Southwestern Calabacitas. I wrote up a post about it last year. I like it so much I could easily make it my entire dinner. So when this recipe went across my radar as a soup, well, I thought, how perfect. Calabacitas (cal-a-bah-see-tas) is/are actually a Mexican squash, very similar to zucchini, but normally smaller, a bit more squat in shape, and have a more mottled green and yellow skin. But taste-wise, they’re almost the same. However, when you say “calabacitas” in Southwestern cuisine, it means a mixture of corn, the squash, probably onion and poblano chiles. They’re one of those combinations that represent a food marriage, to me anyway.

Ideally you’ll make this in the summer when zucchini and corn are in season, but surely it would be good with frozen corn, especially the frozen grilled corn sold at Trader Joe’s, for instance. You will need access to the poblano (also known as pasilla) chiles, and at least some kind of hotter type like Serrano or jalapeno. I used jalapeno because the serranos at my market didn’t look all that great.

There is a bit of chopping and mincing, but if you don’t care about the size of the chopped stuff, do it in the food processor, and it would take no time at all. I was experimenting with my new Alligator chopper. It’s immensely cool. And easy. Love this new toy (except for finding a home for it in my kitchen since it’s a tad bulky). I took a photo of it - with a small red onion inside. First you peel the onion and I only put in a half an onion at a time, but with the slam of the chopper you have a bunch of perfectly chopped vegies. I’ve used it for onions, small celery stalks, squash, shallots, garlic, peeled fresh tomatoes, radishes, bell peppers and apples. As you chop, the chopped stuff goes up into the clear plastic box on the top. Once you’re done, or it’s full, you turn the whole thing over and flick the box off and empty the container into your pot, or salad, or whatever. In case you wonder - why do you need one of these? If you want perfectly cut minced squares of things, this is it. As wonderful as a food processor is, it doesn’t chop things up uniformly, which is fine in most cases, but if you want exactly 1/4 inch cubes, the Alligator is your answer.

Anyway, this is a simple soup, really: onions, zucchini, poblanos (that have been grilled, skins removed), garlic, corn, cilantro, some cream at the end, and a tad of dill. And, if you happen to have them, some squash blossoms to garnish the soup bowl. I made this full recipe - which says it serves 8 - well, maybe 8 small servings. We had it for dinner last night, and with our hungry son-in-law Todd on hand, the entire pot of soup disappeared. My DH said - please make this again. Soon. Okay by me, but I’m going to double the recipe and freeze half.

Sopa de Calabacitas (Mexican Zucchini & Corn Soup)

Recipe By: Estela Salas Silva, and I think via Gourmet Mag.

Serving Size: 8

1/2 pound poblano chiles — 2 or 3

1 1/2 pounds zucchini — or calabacitas squash, cut in 3/4 inch cubes

1 cup onion — chopped

2 small leeks – chopped [not in the original recipe]

3 whole garlic cloves — minced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

2 cups fresh corn kernels — about 3-4 ears

3 tablespoons cilantro — or more to taste

2 tablespoons fresh dill — or epazote leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon serrano pepper — minced, or 1 jalapeno, minced, seeded

1 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste — or to taste

1 cup squash blossoms — coarsely chopped, optional

1.  Roast poblanos: roast on their sides on racks of gas burners, 1-2 chiles per burner, on medium-high heat (or on rack of a broiler pan 2 inches from broiler), turning frequently with tongs, until skins are blistered and lightly charred all over, 4-6 minutes (6-8 if broiling).  Transfer to a large bowl, then cover with a plate and let stand 20 minutes.  Peel or rub off skin.  Slit poblanos lengthwise, then stem, seed and devein.  Cut poblanos in 1/2 inch squares.

2.  Soup: cook zucchini, onion, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in butter in a wide 4-6 quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened.  Add broth, water, poblanos and corn and simmer, partially covered, until corn is tender, about 5 minutes. 

3.  Puree 2 cups soup in a blender with cilantro, epazote (or dill) and serrano or jalapeno chile until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids).  Return to pot.

4.  Stir in cream, the squash blossoms (if using, using remainder for garnish), salt and pepper to taste.  Return to simmer, then serve garnished with blossoms.

Per Serving (based on eight 1-cup servings): 200 Calories; 15g Fat (60.3% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 49mg Cholesterol; 29mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat.

Cook’s Notes: Usually poblanos (also called pasilla) are not hot, but in some months of the year they may be warmer than usual. Likely any hotter chile will work for the Serrano or jalapeno, but this is not supposed to be a truly spicy hot vegetable. Leeks were added by me, just because I had them on hand but they’re not typical for this dish. I’d add them next time anyway. I didn’t have epazote, or squash blossoms, so used dill, and added crushed up tortilla chips on top to give the soup some added texture.

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If you’ve never had Gulliver’s corn. . . Well, what can I say. You’re missing out. Uh, yea, missing out on a whole lot of calories and fat, I suppose. But missing out on undoubtedly the best creamy corn you’re ever gonna eat. We’re lucky to still HAVE a Gulliver’s Restuarant here in the county where I live. Although I can’t say that I’ve been there for at least 4+ years. They do make some mighty fine prime rib. But it’s the corn - only the corn - that I’d go there for - just to have seconds.

The recipe was printed in the Los Angeles Times Food Section, back in the 1970’s. I’ve made it dozens of times since. I can remember, really I can, the day it appeared in the Times. My face lit up like a lightbulb. I never thought I’d get the recipe! What’s funny is that it’s nothing fancy. No unusual ingredients - just rich cream, a little sugar and Parmesan cheese on top. And likely, back in the 70’s it was that green canned Parmesan, not the real thing.

It’s a staple at Thanksgiving dinner for some dear friends of ours (yes, Maggie, that’s you!). They hosted our family many a holiday and I made a triple batch to serve the multitudes on one of them. When I went to look for the recipe today, it wasn’t there, so I turned to a book, given to me by a dear friend, Linda T., when she worked at the Times. She was the outside sales rep for the Times, we were the customer, our ad agency, Ad Masters. Linda kindly brought me a Rose Dosti autographed copy of the book in 1994, when it was published. Dear SOS was the column in each week’s Food Section with requests from readers for “special” recipes, or more often, ones from popular restaurants, bakeries, even some dives, in and around Southern California. Restaurants like the Brown Derby, Chasen’s, Benihana, Bullock’s, Clifton’s (a venerable old cafeteria), El Cholo, Lawry’s, Love’s Barbecue, Marrakesh, and the Velvet Turtle. Dear SOS: Thirty years of Requested Recipes, by Rose Dosti. It’s a treasured book in my collection; one I refer to occasionally. It’s particularly fun to see the restaurants mentioned in it, many no longer in business. The book was printed just once in 1994- it’s long out of print. I was so pleased to get one. In doing a Google search, ebay has one for $12.99 plus shipping. In case you always wanted one.

Back in those days I took different clients of our ad agency on a tour of the Times, probably about twice a year. It was a perk for our clients - the management at the Times would kindly entertain the client, the actual advertiser - we were just the middle man, the encourager, the ad writers and designers. (Because then, and even today when newspaper advertising is down, the Times charges an arm and a leg to advertise.) The tour included a lovely lunch in their executive dining room (not open to the public, not even to most employees). In taking the tour, we always walked past the test kitchen. It was all enclosed, with a big window. And a wide shade. In all the years (17), only once was I able to peek in the kitchen - the shade was UP. But alas, nobody was in there. No tasty goodies being prepared. No Rose Dosti popping in or out of an office or door. I’d heard stories about the aromas wafting in and out of the halls. Oh well.

So this recipe came from that book, and I am sure it’s an authentic one pried from the owners of Gulliver’s. Otherwise it wouldn’t be in the book under the Gulliver’s name. Gulliver’s Creamed Spinach is on the same page. Also very good. But it’s the Creamed Corn that is a favorite around our house. Made only on very, very special occasions. And although the recipe indicates it serves 8-10 people, if you have hearty eaters, or people who like seconds (ah-hem) this won’t feed but about 6-7 people is my guess.

Gulliver’s Creamed Corn
Recipe By: Gulliver’s Restuarant via the Los Angeles Times
Servings: 8-10
8 ears corn
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Cut corn from the cob and place in saucepan with whipping cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in salt and sugar.
2. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in flour. Do not brown. Stir this roux into the corn and cook until slightly thickened. Turn corn into oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with additional butter. Brown under the broiler and serve.

NOTES : You can use frozen corn, but make sure it’s a superior quality. Defrost before proceeding with recipe.
Per Serving: 166 Calories; 11g Fat (56.8% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 37mg Cholesterol; 504mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
To print a PDF recipe, click title at top.

(photo treklens.com)
My notes say I made this in 2000. It came from Cooking Light. I’d been to a grilling cooking class in the previous month and the instructor had talked about how easy it is to grill corn. I’d grilled corn before, but when I read this recipe it sounded so different. Worth trying, I thought.

Here’s what you do: you pull the husks down - but you don’t pull them off. Some nearly always fall off anyway, you just can’t help that, but you want enough husks to completely cover all the corn. No kernels peeking through if at all possible. You remove all the silk, spread with a little butter or olive oil spray, season the cobs with this herb and spice combination, very gently pull the husks back into place covering the corn and carefully take a loose, long piece of husk and tie the husks at the top, like a topknot, a ponytail. Grill about 15-20 minutes. Remove all the husks and EAT. Really, really delicious.

There’s nothing hard about making this. But it does take a bit of time to make up the dry rub. Since I’ve made this so many times now, whenever I’m out of the rub I make up another BIG batch. Well, usually enough to last the summer season. They say that once spices are combined with others they tend to lose their effectiveness, their flavor. So just make up enough so you’ll use it up in a couple of months. It’s just as easy to make this for 2-3 batches than for one. As long as you like seasoning and lots of it, you’ll be certain to like this corn.

You can smear the raw corn with some butter if you’d like. I usually spray it heavily with olive oil spray instead. Then you sprinkle on the spice and herb rub, covering it very liberally. You need the butter or olive oil spray so the spices will stick to the corn. And if you’re just too weary to do all the tie-up-the-husks routine, you can put the corn in foil packets instead. Maybe not quite as good, but nearly so. Before corn is totally gone for the season, I recommend this.

North African Grilled Corn on the Cob
Recipe: Cooking Light, 2000
Servings: 9
4 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/8 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/4 dashes ground cloves
9 each corn on cob, whole
4 1/2 teaspoons butter — or olive oil spray
1. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Pull husks back from each cob, leaving most of the husks attached. Remove silk and discard. Lightly spray the corn with olive oil spray, or use softened butter and lightly rub on the corn (so the seasoning will stick to it). Sprinkle with the herb & spice combination. Gently tug husks back into place over the cob, leaving the top tassels if at all possible. Tie with a long strip of husk just at the top of the ear to keep husks intact. Or, use cooking string (regular string most likely will burn off).
2. Place on the grill and cook until just done, turning at least once. Estimate: 15 minutes - maybe 20 at the most.
NOTES : This corn is absolutely sensational. When corn is in season, fresh from the garden, this could be a meal (well, not really). I always serve this with jerk chicken, and adding a salad, it makes a complete meal. I do combine the dry rub mixture in advance - in a larger quantity - and put into small plastic bags (labeled) so I don’t have to mix up the mixture every time I prepare this. It is really worth the effort and although the corn is spicy, it isn’t “hot,” as there’s nothing in the mixture to give any chili type heat.
Per Serving (this assumes you use butter): 103 Calories; 3g Fat (26.0% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 302mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat.

To view a printable recipe, click HERE.

(photo from piercecollege.edu)

Ever heard of Calabacitas? I hadn’t until a few years ago when DH and I traveled to New Mexico and the mountains of Colorado. Dear friends from England joined us and we took a late September driving trip. We met up in Denver, rented an SUV and headed out. It took us 10 days to do the mountains of Colorado, then we headed south to New Mexico, ending up in Santa Fe. Our last night there we had dinner at the restaurant in the Inn at the Anasazi, and with my entree came this vegetable side. of zucchini, corn and poblano chiles. I was in heaven. I nearly licked the plate. Asked the waiter to tell me all about it, which he did.

So once I reached home I started searching around the internet for recipes for Calabacitas. It’s quite common in southwest cuisine - it’s just a combination of some typical vegetables of southwest but the seasoning and chiles from Mexico. Found several recipes, and have made a couple of different versions. But once I found this one from Rick Bayless (from the internet, but it’s from his cookbook Authentic Mexican), I’ve reverted to it more times than not. Most calabacitas versions are served without cream - traditional calabacitas just combine those three vegies -corn, zucchini and poblano chiles (that have been blackened over the gas range or under the broiler). But with the addition of the cream (or fat-free half and half as I’ve used also) it’s just meltingly delicious in the mouth. I really do plan to make this as my full meal one night. It’s that good. Or, I could just add to the dish some chicken broth and make it a great soup. The calories come from the cream, so really, do use the fat-free product instead and it’ll be nearly healthy.

Poblano chiles are quite mild - don’t be tempted to use any kind of hot chile in this recipe. If you can’t get poblanos, you could use a hotter chile but in very reduced quantity. Adding poblanos is not about heat, but about the depth of flavor poblanos bring to any dish. Since corn is on the wane these days, I want to enjoy this one more time before the season is completely gone.

Calabacitas con Crema
Source: Rick Bayless, restaurateur, from his book Authentic Mexican
Servings: 8
1 lb zucchini — (about four small)
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh if possible
1/2 whole onion — thinly sliced
2/3 cup heavy cream (or use fat-free half and half) - optional
1 whole poblano pepper — roasted, seeded, peeled and cut in thin strips
1 tsp salt
1 Tb butter
1 Tb vegetable oil — or vegetable oil
1. Chop the zucchini in large chunks (about 3/4 inch to 1 inch) and set aside. Prepare onions ahead and set aside. Grill the poblano chile directly on a gas flame, cool, remove skin, then cut into small strips.
2. Using a very large skillet, heat butter and oil until very hot. Add zucchini and toss until tender. Remove the zucchini from the pan with a slotted spoon, allowing it to drain well. In the remaining oil and butter, fry the onion slices until soft and sweet, then add the corn and pepper slices. Add the zucchini and cream and cook until nice and hot. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

Per Serving: 449 Calories; 46g Fat (89.9% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 395mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 9 Fat.
To view a printable recipe, click HERE.

Since the 5th was Cinco de Mayo, I should have posted this then. Ah well. It’s really okay, because this salad could be made any day or month of the year in my book. This is the last recipe I’ll post from the Mexican cooking class Cherrie and I attended a couple of weeks ago. We agreed this salad was the stand-out of the dinner (Cherrie made it, I photographed it surreptitiously while our dinner guests were sitting in the dining room and we were plating up the dinner in the kitchen - this is a tricky thing I’m finding in foodie blogdom - how to photograph company meals while the guests are hanging around).

But, back to business - you need to love cilantro if you’re going to make this one. It could be a side salad, but ideally it would be best as a main dish salad. The instructor, Phillis Carey, suggested fresh shrimp or chicken as a protein add-in.

What’s different about this salad is that the dressing contains the cilantro, which is whizzed up in the blender, so you don’t know there’s cilantro there except that the dressing is nice bright greeny hue. But, because it’s pulverized in the blender, you need to use up the dressing within a day as cilantro begins to turn slimy within that time. So only make enough to use for the one salad. The salad itself could be your own combination of lettuces and fresh vegetables, but the instructor particularly talked about the corn, the jicama and the Feta cheese as important ingredients. The jicama gives the salad such a nice crunch. The corn is great for color, and the sheep’s milk Feta (not cow Feta, she said) gives a wonderful lightly salty taste. Cherrie added some crispy radishes to the mix also. Phillis indicated it’s the lime juice that makes this salad. Try it!

Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro
Recipe By : Phillis Carey

Serving Size : 6

Preparation Time :0:40SALAD DRESSING:

1/2 cup cilantro — coarsely chopped

2 whole garlic cloves — minced

1 teaspoon chipotle chile canned in adobo

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

SALAD MIXTURE:

1/2 cup green onions –

2 1/2 cups Romaine lettuce — chopped

2 cups green cabbage leaves — chopped

3/4 cup roasted red pepper — diced

3/4 cup jicama — peeled, diced

3/4 cup corn kernels — fresh or frozen

1/2 cup Feta cheese — sheep’s milk, not cow’s milk

2 cups blue corn tortilla chips

1. In a blender combine: cilantro, garlic, Chipotle chiles, lime juice, mustard, sugar and salt. Puree until smooth. Whisk in the oil and green onions. Cover and chil until serving time.

2. In a large salad bowl toss together the lettuce, cabbage, red peppers, jicama, corn and Feta cheese. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Serve topped with tortilla chips for garnish.
Description: “This is unusually good. It’s ordinary ingredients, but put them together and WOW.”

NOTES : The dressing will keep just one day (because of the cilantro). It’s the lime juice that makes this dressing so special.

Serving Ideas : You can make this with grilled shrimp or chicken also. You could also add some drained and rinsed black beans and tomatoes also.

Per Serving: 559 Calories; 24g Fat (38.1% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 75g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 11mg Cholesterol; 740mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 4 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Printer friendly recipe.