CORNBREAD ÆBLESKIVER

Posted in Appetizers, Small Dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

As I mentioned recently, I do love gadgets, and this pan has been sitting and waiting for too long. However, the moment I saw Karen’s post on this cool recipe, I grabbed it to play!

CORNBREAD ÆBLESKIVER
(slightly adapted from Karen’s Kitchen Stories)

140 grams (1 cup) all purpose flour
70 grams (1/2 cup) medium grind cornmeal
70 grams (1/3 cup + 1 tbs) sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
100 grams canned corn kernels
olive oil spray for the pan

Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients, plus corn kernels with a fork. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.

Heat your aebleskiver pan on medium low and spray each cavity with olive oil.
Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cavity almost to the top with the batter. Cook until the bottom begins to brown. Using a thin skewer turn the aebleskiver part way and continue to cook. Be sure to push any overflow back into the wells.

After that, add a little more batter to top them off before “closing” them, moving the opening to the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until evenly golden brown and the center is cooked through. Serve right away or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: First things first, I highly recommend this cookbook if you want to expand your Æbleskiver horizons… My main modification of the recipe was cutting the sugar by a bit more than half, and using canned corn because I had some in the pantry and got lazy to scrape fresh corn off the cob. Using the pan takes a bit of practice, I filled the cavities too much in my first batch, but the second half was perfect. I still need to perfect moving the little fritters to cook the second side, but they turned out very tasty.

Karen, thanks so much for inspiring me to finally make something with my pan…

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17Oct2023

CHINESE TIGER SALAD

Posted in Salads by sallybr

No, I have no idea why it is called Tiger Salad, but I can tell you it is delicious and you should make it… It is yet another recipe from Josette’s blog, and you can read her thoughts about it clicking here.

CHINESE TIGER SALAD WITH CORN AND AVOCADO
(slightly modified from thebrookcook)

2 T sesame seeds, I used black
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 T canola oil
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp oil from a jar of chili crisp
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
3 large ears of corn, husked, slightly rubbed with canola oil
2 avocados, cut into large pieces
1 English hothouse cucumber, seeds removed, halves sliced crosswise
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 T crumbled queso fresco or Cotija cheese, plus more for garnish

To Make the Dressing: toast the sesame seeds slightly in a dry small skillet over medium heat; transfer to a large shallow bowl. Add lime juice, oil, soy sauce, chili crisp oil, toasted sesame oil, unseasoned rice vinegar, and salt and stir vigorously until salt is dissolved. Set dressing aside.

To Make the Salad: air-fry or grill the corn and remove the kernels from the cobs, placing them in a large bowl. Add avocado, cucumber, and half of the cilantro. Add reserved dressing and toss gently to combine. Taste salad and season with more salt if needed. Top with the cheese, remaining cilantro and more black sesame seeds if you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is quite a satisfying salad thanks to the corn, and very flavorful with all the lime juice, the sesame oil and of course the heat of the chili crisp oil. I took a picture without the cheese, as Phil prefers to skip it, so I added only to my plate. I’ve made the salad again using feta and it also goes super well with all other ingredients. It is an interesting recipe, a marriage of Chinese and Mexican cuisines. It also keeps well, leftovers were great next day, even the avocado was still fine.

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16Mar2023

AIR-FRYER CORN RIBS

Posted in Air-Frying, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Note added after publication: I now tried the air-frying with whole corn cobs, and it worked great also! So if you are afraid to cut the cobs (I don’t blame you), go ahead and try it this way. I rubbed the cobs with the seasoned oil, placed at 390F for 16 minutes, turning them around every once in a while. Perfect! Not as cute as the ribs, but definitely safer.

Apparently this recipe went viral on TikTok. I can understand why – it is unusual, cute, and dangerously addictive. However, in my humble opinion, the videos showing how they prep the corn are misleading. It is a dangerous maneuver, and not at all easy to do. I modified the technique by microwaving the corn before cutting it into “ribs”. It did not harm the final product and made a very tricky step a little more user-friendly.

AIR-FRYER CORN RIBS
(adapted from several online sources)

3 ears of corn
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Southwest spices
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
salt to taste
squirt of lemon juice
grated Parmigiano to serve

Wrap the corn cobs in plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes. Allow it to cool until you can handle.

Cut the corn cob lengthwise in ribs – you will still need a large knife and maybe use something to bang on the top of it to make it slice through. I have a lower-quality knife with a large blade that can take that abuse.

Whisk the oil, spices and lemon juice in a small bowl, then drizzle all over the ribs of corn in a large bowl. Make sure to rub the mixture well. Place in the air-fryer and set at 400F (or as high as your machine will go) for 10 minutes, moving them around half-way through frying time. Season with more salt if you like, and sprinkle cheese on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is a real keeper of a recipe! The corn gets a perfect texture, and you can vary the spice mix to take it in any direction you like. Many versions will serve it with a sauce, often mayo-based, but we liked it plain. I don’t think you can pull the exact same quality without the air-fryer, but maybe if you roast it at 450F it might get close. Super delicious. Trust me. Prepping the corn is not fun but once you bite into these little morsels you will feel it was all worth it.

I cannot express how much I love them! I ate four, and went back for two more, which was pretty much half the amount prepared. We had no leftovers. I don’t think I ever consumed as much corn in a single sitting. Plus, I smiled and oohed and aaahed all the way through it.

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21Jul2020

CORN FRITTERS

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

I have deep aversion for frying things, and since getting the air-fryer I almost never do it on top of the stove. This recipe appealed to me, and I could not quite see it working in the air-fryer, so I took a deep breath and embraced the job. Absolutely worth it. And since it is shallow frying, it was not that bad at all. It all starts with a can of corn. Yes, corn from a can. Trust me, it works beautifully…

CORN FRITTERS
(adapted from Tin Can Magic)

1 can (340g) corn in water, drained
about 1/4 cup parsley leaves, minced
zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
grapeseed oil for shallow frying

Stir together the corn, minced parsley, flour, eggs, zest and salt in a large mixing bowl. Reserve.

Heat a wide, non-stick frying pan over high heat, then pour in enough oil to coat the pan. When the oil is almost starting to smoke, spoon the corn mixture into the pan, leaving enough space between the portions. You will have enough for about 8 fritters, so eye-ball the amounts.

Allow the fritters to cook on one side for 3–4 minutes, then carefully flip and fry for another 4 minutes. Transfer the fritters to a plate lined with paper towels, and keep warm in a low oven as you fry the second batch.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is one of those recipes that I thought could have a high chance of failure. Most batters for fritters get some type of leavening agent for extra lift, this one did not. I was pleasantly surprised by the resulting texture. My only advice is to leave it alone as you pour the portions on the hot oil. You need that beautiful brown crust to form, that will set the cake and allow the interior to get all creamy. Could you use fresh corn? I am sure you could, but the beauty of this recipe is the simplicity. Plus, using canned corn makes this simple recipe easy to make the whole year. We had it with shrimp in a spice tomato-based broth. A very tasty dinner.

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21Oct2017

SOUP SATURDAY: REGIONAL SOUPS

Posted in Soups by sallybr

Third Saturday of October, I’m joining the fun event hosted this month by Ashley from Cheese Curd in Paradise. She picked Regional Soups as theme, hoping we would all feature a soup that is typical of our state. Google is one of my best friends, but this time it let me down. No matter how hard I tried to trick it into giving me some variety for recipes from Kansas, it was set on…. Steak Soup. For someone born and raised in Brazil, the words steak and soup cannot be present in the same sentence. Unless the soup was a first light course for that juicy steak grilled medium-rare. But, in the name of joining the party, I asked Phil how he felt about it. His reaction: No, thank you. I like my steak grilled. Medium-rare. See? We are very compatible, in case you did not notice. I had two options, decline to participate, or be a bit more flexible with definitions. Since you are reading this post, you already know my choice. Kansas has great corn. And after hitting “publish” on this post, I might need a great lawyer.

KANSAS CORN CHOWDER
(inspired by Cookin Canuck)

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 shallot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
2 + 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup + 1/2 corn kernels (from about 4 corn cobs)
3/4 teaspoon of salt, divided
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-fat milk
3 cooked chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, shredded
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
fresh cilantro leaves

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the shallot, celery and red pepper and cook stirring very now and then until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the green chiles and cook briefly. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Pour in the chicken broth, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat add the corn and simmer for 5 minutes. Place the flour in a medium bowl and slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the soup, along with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Cook, until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken meat and the Cheddar cheese. Serve right away when the cheese melts, with some cilantro sprinkled on top. Adjust seasoning.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Since I had already pushed the envelope coming up with a chowder as a recipe for Kansas, I went even wilder and cooked the chicken sous-vide. How about that for breaking all rules? You simply cannot beat the perfect texture sous-vide does for boneless chicken breasts. Of course you can use leftover roast chicken, or regular top of the stove poached meat, it’s all fine. The shredded chicken is added just at the end, right before serving. You can also omit it for a full-veggie version, using vegetable stock or even water instead of chicken stock. I had a lot of fun making this soup, even if the corn husk attacked me.

Felt very virtuous with my prep work!

I bought fresh corn and shucked it myself, to collect the beautiful kernels for my Kansas Soup. As I was shucking the very first corn, while pulling the husk back, it caught the fingernail of my little finger. Pulled it upwards and back almost breaking it midway into the tip of the finger. Have you ever done that? I tell you, it hurts. I saw many of the constellations of the Milky Way passing fast in front of my eyes. Or so it seemed. Stuck my finger in an ice bath, cut the fingernail as close as possible to the finger, and moved on.

Corn 1 x 0 Sally

This soup turned out quite amazing! I think next time a little cayenne pepper will be added, I’d like slightly more heat. I swirled a little Sriracha over my bowl, just because. You can do the same. Compared to many corn chowder recipes around, this one is a little more restrained in terms of calories, as I used a lot less flour to thicken the soup, and also opted for low-fat milk instead of a load of heavy cream. Trust me, this was luscious enough the way I made it. We were very happy with it, and the chicken makes it a full meal.

If you’d like to see what my virtual friends prepared for their Regional Soups, click on the link at the very bottom of the post. Ashley, thanks for hosting!

Guess what, folks? Next month yours truly will be hosting the event! I can hardly wait!