Creamed Corn and Basil Baked Pudding

While looking through the fridge for something to cook, I noticed there were 4 ears of sweet corn and a great big pile of fresh basil I had bought that needed to be used. So I looked for recipe ideas for corn and basil, and adapted one that I found.

It turned out great, a real summer treat! This would make a great side dish. It is also vegetarian (not vegan though). Make it for your next potluck and you're sure to get rave reviews!

Ingredients:

• 4 ears fresh sweet corn, stripped as for creamed corn (see below)
• 4 oz. fresh basil, trimmed & chopped
• 1 med. white onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 c. grated cheese (Swiss, Cheddar...)
• 3 to 4 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. dried oregano (to taste)
  
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. dried thyme (to taste)
  
• 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg if you do not keep nutmegs in for grating -- but you should!)
  
• salt to taste
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 c. milk
• 3 Tbsp. flour

Method:

Begin by cutting the kernels off the fresh sweet corn. Do not cut all the way down to the nib, just try to get over half the kernel or so as you slice down the cob. Once all the kernels are stripped off, turn the knife over and use the dull edge to scrape/press down on what is left of the corn kernels, squeezing the rest of the kernel and juice out.

Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic and toss it in with the corn kernels.

Remove the stems from the basil and coarsely chop the remaining leaves, you should have 1 to 1-1/2 cups of chopped basil.

Place the oil and butter in a large skillet. Toss in the pepper, oregano, thyme and nutmeg. Heat on high, while stirring, until the oil is hot but not smoking. Now reduce the heat to medium high and toss the onions into the skillet. Continue to heat the onions, tossing occasionally, until they are beginning to become translucent. Now toss in the creamed corn and garlic and continue cooking for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the corn is hot. Turn the heat off and allow to cool.

While the corn mixture cools, in a large bowl combine the milk, eggs and flour and whisk vigorously until the mixture is foamy with no visible lumps. Stir in the grated Swiss or Cheddar cheese. Now stir in the cooled corn and onion mixture. Add the chopped basil, stir, test the flavor and add salt if needed.

Place the mixture in a greased baking dish, sprinkle the grated Parmesan on top, and bake in a 375F oven for 40 minutes or until done.

Allow to cool for 10 or 15 minutes before serving.

Notes:

You can scoop it out with a serving spoon, or if you prefer you might want to cut it into 9 squares and set those out on plates to serve.

This could also be baked in 6 to 8 individual ramekins. This would make a very nice way to serve it when you are having company for dinner. It would probably need somewhere between 25 to 35 minutes to bake in that case -- check at 25 minutes.

You can use less oil, and skip the butter if you prefer. I just happened to use a white onion but other onions or even leeks or shallots would probably work as well. I would recommend sticking to mild cheeses: mild Swiss, mild or medium Cheddar, pepper jack might be interesting. I think that feta or blue cheese would detract from the basil flavor, but that's just me. If you try one of those and it's fabulous, please let me know!

Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I have not made that many tube style cakes, so figured this one was worth a try. This recipe was adapted from one I found on Cooks.com.

Cake:

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
3 c. sugar
6 eggs
3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour the tube (bundt) pan and set it aside.

Have the butter, eggs and cream cheese at room temperature before you begin.

In a large bowl, stir the butter until soft and smooth. Stir in the cream cheese, and stir until well blended. Next stir in the sugar 1 cup at a time, stirring each time until the mixtue becomes light and fluffy. Stir in the 2 tsp. vanilla. Now stir in the eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously. The mixture should become lighter and fluffier, with more sugar dissolved, with each additional egg.

After the last egg has been added, stir in the coconut until it is evenly distributed throughout the batter.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour this mixture into the butter mixture and fold it in quickly, just enough to incorporate it evenly without over-mixing.

Now spoon the batter, about 1/2 c. at a time, into the prepared tube pan. It should fill the pan about 2/3 full to 3/4 at most. Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Cake is done when a skewer comes out clean. When it is done, remove it from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto the serving platter by placing the platter upside down over the tube pan, then turning both over. The cake should fall out of the pan, ideally... :-) If it does not, then try and rescue any big pieces that may have stuck, so you can place them back onto the cake and hide them (and hold them in place) with the glaze we are going to add.

Glaze:

1/4 c. butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 4 Tbsp. coconut milk
1/3 c. sweetened flaked coconut

Melt butter in small saucepan. Remove from heat and add cream cheese, stirring until they are mixed and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar 1/4 c. at a time, whisking or stirring so as to remove any lumps. Add vanilla. Put the mixture into the refrigerator to cool while the cake is baking and while it cools.

When the cake is cool, remove the glaze from the refrigerator. Add 1 to 4 Tbsp. of coconut milk, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until the glaze is the right texture to drip down the sides of the tube cake without being runny. Pour the glaze over the tube cake, then sprinkle with the 1/3 c. coconut.

This is one Yummy!! coconut flavored cake!

Variants:

1 - This cake is very sweet. You can make it less sweet by using unsweetened flaked coconut. You will have the same big coconut flavor while cutting down on the sweetness factor.

2 - Try using brown sugar instead of white sugar, or a blend of half white / half brown sugar, and toasting the coconut to give a different coconut flavor hit altogether.

3 - Coconut and lime go great together. I'm thinking the next time I make this, I'll add the zest of 1 lime to the cake, and make a lime and cream cheese glaze to sprinkle the coconut on.

Enjoy!

Cherry Almond Cupcakes

As I was rummaging around in the pantry, I ran across a can of sour cherries. As soon as I saw them, I remembered the sliced almonds in the fridge. So it seemed only natural to create something using this classic pairing of flavors.

These cupcakes have a great texture to go along with wonderful flavor. I especially like using sour cherries rather than sweet, as it adds a tangy accent to the sweetness. But I expect sweet cherries would taste great as well. Here's the recipe:

Cupcakes:

1 can (14 to 16 oz) sour cherries (not pie filling)
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. + 1 Tbsp. sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3/4 c. sliced almonds
6 Tbsp. milk and/or cherry juice

Preheat oven to 325F.

Drain the cherries, reserving the juice.

Cream together the softened butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Stir the eggs in, one at a time, thoroughly mixing each one. When you are done the mixture should be light and fluffy, with the sugar granules almost totally dissolved. Add the almond extract and mix thoroughly.

Fold in the flour alternately with the liquid.

Now fold in the drained cherries and 1/2 cup of almonds.

Spoon the batter into paper-lined cupcake tins. Bake at 325F for about 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes from oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove from the baking tin onto a rack to cool completely.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

While the cupcakes are in the oven, make the glaze:

Glaze:

1/4 c. butter
1-1/4 c. powdered (confectioner's) sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 Tbsp. cherry juice

Melt butter in a dish in the microwave, 30 to 45 seconds should be sufficient. Stir in 1 c. of powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add the almond extract and cherry juice, again stirring until smooth. Now add the remaining powdered sugar 1 Tbsp. at a time until the glaze is the right consistency -- not runny, but thinner than regular icing. Cover and set aside in a cool spot.

When the cupcakes are completely cool, spread each one with glaze. Sprinkle the glazed cupcakes with the remaining 1/4 c. or so of sliced almonds.

Tip 1: Save 2 Tbsp. of the cherry juice for the glaze. Then use what is left for the liquid in the cupcake recipe, adding milk to bring it up to 6 Tbsp. altogether. The cherry juice will give pink cupcakes with a more intense cherry flavor, and a slightly coarser texture than if you use just milk.

Tip 2: This can also be baked as a loaf cake. Put the batter in a 9x5" pan, greased and floured or lined with baker's parchment, and bake for about 1 hour. When it is cooled, drizzle it with the glaze and sprinkle almonds on top.

Enjoy!

Chicken With Pineapple

Here's a meal that is easy to make, is not expensive, and is very delicious. We just had this last night, and it was definitely a hit!

1- 1/2 lbs. chicken breast, cubed
1 large sweet bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 large red onion, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 20-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice.

Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, grated fresh ginger, black pepper, ground ginger, thyme, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and corn starch in a bowl. Whisk until well blended, then set aside.

Sauté chicken with about 1 Tbsp. olive oil until it is a little browned, about 4-5 minutes on medium high heat. Remove chicken and sauté the pepper and onion in another 1 Tbsp. olive oil, until the onion pieces are translucent and the pepper pieces are cooked but still crispy. Add the chicken back into the pan with the pepper and onion, then add the pineapple chunks, maintaining a medium high heat. Stir and heat until everything is hot, including the pineapple. Now give the sauce a whisk (corn starch tends to settle) and then pour it into the pan, over the rest of the ingredients. Continue cooking and stirring, deglazing the pan while you go. When the sauce is thick and clear, the dish is ready to serve.

Serve over rice. Serves 4. Mmmmm!

Enjoy!

Portobello Mushrooms With Leek, Garlic and Tomato Sauce Over Noodles

This is an easy dish to prepare and makes a very tasty, very satisfying vegetarian meal. The recipe below makes 4 servings.

Portobello mushrooms are a great meat substitute in vegetarian dishes. They have their own rich mushroom flavor, they have a nice firm texture, and they will take up the flavors of whatever they are cooked with.

In this dish, we sauté up the mushrooms first with butter, olive oil and seasonings, then set them aside. They are then added to the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Here's the recipe:

4 medium sized Portobello mushrooms, sliced into 1/4-inch thick strips
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 small leeks or 1 medium to large leek, chopped (*)
1 16-oz can chopped tomatoes (**)
2/3 cup vegetable stock
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp rubbed sage (***)
2 tsp thyme (***)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt
8 oz. wide egg noodles
Fresh shaved Parmesan cheese

(*) Use only the white and tenderest green part of the leeks; don't worry about having too much leek as it has a very mild flavor so there's lots of leeway.

(**) These days cans are running 15 oz or eve 14.5 oz -- don't worry about that either, just use a can, it will be fine. Also you can get different varieties of canned chopped tomotoes these days -- I used one with garlic and basil this time.

(***) If the sage or thyme are fresh, double or triple these amounts. If they are dried and getting old (i.e. losing their flavor), go ahead and use more too.

Place about 1 Tbsp each butter and olive oil in a frying pan, adding about 1/3 of the black pepper, sage and thyme, and heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is thin and slides around. Place 1/3 of the mushroom slices in the pan and sauté them gently, first on one side and then on the other side, until they have absorbed the butter and oil -- about 2 minutes in all. Remove them from the pan and do the same procedure with the rest of the mushroom slices.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter and olive oil to the frying pan, and tently sauté the chopped leeks and garlic, until the leeks start to become transparent and break up. Now add the canned chopped tomatoes, the vegetable broth, and the balsamic vinegar to the sauce and bring it up to a boil, then turn it on low to simmer.

While the sauce is simmering, prepare the noodles.

Now while the noodles are boiling, remove the cover from the sauce and allow the liquid to simmer on medium heat to reduce it.

When the sauce is reduced and the noodles are ready, add the mushrooms back into the sauce and stire them gently in -- we don't want to break them up, we want nice big robust mushroom slices in this dish. Let them simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Test the flavor, adding salt to taste if needed.

To serve: place a bed of noodles on each plate, spoon mushrooms and sauce over the noodles. Top with fresh shaved Parmesan cheese. With bread, a green salad, and wine or sparkling juice, this makes an elegant and satisfying vegetarian meal, suitable for company.

Enjoy!

Smothered Pork Chops

Well as you can see, we're eating well again here at Maison Mundy. Tonight it was pork chops, smothered in onion, apple and sweet yellow pepper. Yes, we've been on a bit of a sweet pepper kick lately!

So here's the recipe:

Place three pork chops (about 1 lb.) in a marinade consisting of:

1 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme leaves
2 Tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
2 cups vegetable stock



Now while the pork chops are marinating, start trimming:

1 large sweet yellow bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium Granny Smith apple

Don't forget to save the trimmings for stock -- but not the green stems or seeds or the apple core! You can peel the apple or not -- if you do not peel it, be sure to wash it to remove the wax coating.

Chop the pepper, onion and apple into bite sized pieces and set aside in a bowl.

Rinse 1-1/2 cups long grain white rice
Heat 2-3/4 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp oil to boiling. Add the rice, turn down to low, and set the timer for 20 minutes.

Heat 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, along with 1-2 tsp fresh chopped thyme, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1-2 tsp rubbed sage. When the butter has melted and the pan is hot, add the vegetable mixture (add only enough to cover the bottom, leaving some space in between -- in other words, do not crowd the pan). Sauté until the onion pieces break apart and start to become translucent. If you are doing the vegetables in more than one batch, remove the first batch into a bowl leaving as much of the oil as you can, and just add and cook the next batch until you are done.

Now add a little more butter and oil and the same seasonings, heat it up again, remove the pork chops from their marinade and place in the frying pan. Leave the heat on medium high, and sauté each side until brown, about 3 minutes per side.

Now add back the vegetables and cover the pan, putting it on medium low heat. Cook for another 7 or 8 minutes, until the pork chops are just done.

Remove the pork chops and vegetables into an ovenproof baking dish. If it does not have a cover, cover it with aluminum foil and place it in a warm oven while finishing up the sauce.

Turn the heat off the rice when the 20-minute timer goes off.

Deglaze the frying pan with the marinade liquid. Cook on high heat -- we're going to reduce it. After it starts to reduce, taste and adjust. The lemon and vinegar will have made it a bit tart. I added: 1 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp reduced sodium Soy Sauce (the reduced sodium Soy Sauce is not only less salty, but also milder than regular Soy sauce -- but be careful -- we don't want the soy flavor to really stand out here, just to provide some background), a little more thyme, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Keep reducing until the sauce is about one quarter of its original volume and is rich and dark looking.

Now remove the baking dish from the warm oven and pour the sauce over them.

To serve, place a bed of rice on the plate, place a pork chop over it, and spoon the vegetables and sauce over all. Garnish with a sprig of fresh time.

Enjoy!

Let's Start Cooking!

Although I love going out to restaurants and sampling foods from around the world, there is nothing so comforting as cooking a nice hearty meal at home and enjoying it at the dinner table with family and friends. The aromas of the kitchen remind me of growing up on the farm -- hey wait, I didn't grow up on a farm! Even so, for me the wonderful smells of homestyle cooking evoke a simpler time when people's lives were not so fast and furious as they are today for so many of us.

There is no reason that home cooking can't be wonderfully tasty and, yes, even gourmet, without spending lots of money or hours in the kitchen. Remember the movie "Ratatouille"? What finally prompted the snooty food critic to give a rave review was a simple meal that brought him back to his childhood. There's a reason for those favorite comfort foods -- they were good, they were made with love, and they sustained us. What more could you ask?

These days we are all looking to economize. But there is no need to sacrifice flavor. Following is a very simple recipe, that is wonderfully tasty, filling, and inexpensive, and it takes about 45 minutes from start to finish. It's a recipe that came to me while wheeling my shopping cart past the meat section in the supermarket -- I spotted those 1-pound Kielbasa sausages, for about $5 each, and somehow knew just what I wanted to make with one. Click on the link to see slides that will take you through this recipe step by step:

Kielbasa and Cabbage

I promise you, this is a very tasty meal! Enjoy!

--Linda