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Quick Dinner: Charred Corn, Zucchini Slaw, Black Bean, and Feta Tacos

1 Aug


Last night I made some quick tacos for dinner. I think my go-to summer vegetable this year has definitely got to be corn. I’ve been using it in everything I make from savory to sweet. For the tacos, I charred the corn over and open flame on my stove-top. It sizzled and popped and suddenly there were beautiful char marks all over my corn. It was the perfect addition to my vegetarian tacos.

(blurry photo, delicious charred corn, about to be sauteed into an oniony garlic mess)

I love the crunchy zucchini match-sticks and the salty cheese. I love the “grilled” corn and onions and the creamy black beans. And the hot sauce definitely makes the tacos complete.

SmittenKitchen has got some nicer photos than I and she also has a nice array of mis-en-place and step-by-step photos for you to gawk at. Check her out!

These tacos are an easy throw-together dinner that you could make for 1, 2, 3, 4 people or a huge crowd. These won’t overheat your kitchen in the summer time (no oven necessary, just a quick saute and you are done) and are super filling (you won’t miss the meat).

Throw together some margaritas or a fruity Pimm’s cup to sip alongside your tacos, and you’ve got yourself a party.

And if you are left with loads of extra corn tortillas, you could make migas, which I am sooo wanting right now.


Quick Charred Corn, Zucchini Slaw, Black Bean, and Feta Tacos

adapted from SmittenKitchen

1 small zucchini

1-2 limes

salt

2 ears corn

a dollop of butter and a splash of olive oil

1/2 large onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

feta cheese, crumbled

black pepper

hot sauce

corn tortillas

1. Slice your zucchini into thin match-sticks. You can take a peeler and peel thick ribbons down the long side of the zucchini. Stack the ribbons and cut them crosswise into thin matchsticks. Toss in a bowl with the juice of half a lime and some salt. Set aside.

2. Take the husk off your corn. Heat an open gas-stove flame and char the two ears of corn until well-blackened but not completely burnt. You will probably, quickly, notice that corn likes to pop and snap, occasionally spraying you with splats of corn. It will all be okay, and the char-taste is worth it. Remove cobs from heat, and when cool enough to handle, shave off kernels using a large knife. Set aside.

3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Melt a small dollop of butter and splash of oil together and once hot, add the onion. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the corn kernels and sauté until corn is just cooked through, about three to five minutes. Season with salt and chilli powder. Squeeze more lime over it.

4. To heat the tortillas: Coat the bottom of a cast-iron skillet with olive oil and wipe it out so on the thinnest slick remains. Heat the skillet on high. Once hot, cook a tortilla for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side, until lightly blistered. Repeat with remaining tortillas but if your skillet is well-seasoned, no need to repeat the oiling process.

5. Fill each taco with a bit of the zucchini mix. Fill with a few small spoonfuls of the corn mixture. Top with a spoonful of black beans and crumbled cheese. Add some fresh ground pepper. Serve with an extra lime wedge on the side and whatever fixings you like (sour cream, avocado wedges, hot sauce…).

Comfort Food, The Theme of the Week: Honey Glazed Spago Corn Bread

25 Jul

In the head-note of the recipe for her Honey-Glazed Corn Bread, Sherry Yard talks about how she made this Southern-style classic for the San Antonio Spurs. The corn bread accompanied a meal made by Spago’s executive chef, Lee Hefter, which included smothered pork chops, fried chicken with collard greens, macaroni and cheese, ribs, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, green beans, and brisket. My stomach yearns and hurts for this meal so bad!

Craving some Southern soul food, last night I took the easy way out and made a dang-good dinner of Kraft Mac-n’-Cheese from the box (I added my own gourmet touch with a grind of fresh black pepper…oo ahh) and sauteed balsamic kale.

Ooo, and this past weekend I ate a fried chicken (and smoked bacon) sandwich between two buttery biscuits from the King’s Crumb vendor at Williamsburg’s Smorgasburg market.

Apparently I’m making it a week of Southern comforts. I’ve had my fried chicken n’ biscuit, my mac n’ greens, and today it was time for some soaked-in-honey butter corn bread. This is a very wet and sweet corn bread recipe. Super soft. It is so deliciously decadent that you don’t even need to add extra butter and honey on the side. You could eat it with chili or alongside some mac n’ greens. Or you could just go corn-crazy and eat your bread cake with some buttermilk sweet corn ice cream. Ooooweeeee!

Did I mention that tonight I am going out to eat at The Meatball Shop? Meatballs are more Italian comfort food than Southern soul, but hey, once you pop you just can’t stop!

…Oh, and I put coffee ice cream into my French-press cup o’ joe today.

I’m a bad girl.

Honey Glazed Spago Cornbread

From Sherry Yard’s Desserts by the Yard

makes one 9-x-13-inch pan

1 cup yellow cornmeal (I only had white for some reason, so I just used white cornmeal…either will do)

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup cake flour (I just used all-purpose)

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 large eggs, at room temperature

3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used Canola…same dif.)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup buttermilk

GLAZE:

3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup honey (I used some local New York’s Catskill Provisions Honey)

1/3 cup water

1. Place a rack in the midle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-x-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with pan spray.

2. Sift together the cornmeal, flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs. Melt the butter and immediately whisk into the eggs in a slow stream. Whisk in the oil, milk, and buttermilk. Whisk in the dry ingredients just until combined.

4. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan from front to back and continue to bake for 10 minutes, or until a tester insterted in the center comes out clean.

5. MAKE THE GLAZE: While the corn bread is baking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the honey and water and whisk until blended.

6. When the corn bread is done, remove from the oven and poke holes all over the bread, about 1/2 inch apart, with a toothpick. Brush with the glaze and allow to cool.

 

Sauteed Balsamic Kale

olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1-2 heads of kale, ripped off the stem

splash of water

dash of  balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat some oil in a pan. Add the garlic and saute for about 2 minutes, until fragrant and barely browned.

2. Add the kale and a small splash of water. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until soft.

3. Turn the heat to low, add a dash of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and cook about 1 minute more.

Quiche Me!

28 Jun

WHAT?! I used heavy cream, butter, and cheese all in one dinner dish? Yes, yes I did. I managed to throw in some dark leafy greens and mushrooms to balance out my heart attack give this dish a nice color/texture/flavor/vitamin boost (I also roasted some asparagus to serve as a side).

This savory pie is called a quiche.

You’re house will smell amazing. You are going to have all the neighbors knocking at your door. You are going to (want to) pick at the cheesy top and buttery crust. You are probably going to go back for seconds. You can totally use whatever veggies you want and you can totally add bacon or salami or sausage to this. You can eat this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and/or a snack. You can bring this to a party. You can make it for yourself.

Pie crust. Cheese. Deep colorful vegetables. A meal for the gods.


Quiche Me! Crust (Pate Brisee)

From SmittenKitchen, originally from Martha Stewart

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cold and cut into small cubes

2-3 tablespoons ice cold water

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Form dough into a single ball, flatten it into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Quiche Me! The Filling: Onion, Mushroom, Kale

Makes 1 8-inch tart pan

1 recipe pate brisee (see above)
1 onion, sliced thin
balsamic vinegar, to taste
about 6 white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
2 eggs
1/4 cup grated Gruyere, Swiss, and/or Jarlsberg cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll out your chilled crust as quickly as possible on a lightly-floured surface until is about 2 inches large all around than your pie pan. Either reverse the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it over the mold or fold it into quarters and lay it over the mold, unfolding it. Press the dough lightly into the bottom of the pan, lifting the edges and working it gently down into the mold. Trim off excess dough and press the edges into the pan. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

Bake your crust for about 9 minutes in the oven. Pull it out, sprinkle with a bit of cheese and let it cool while you prepare your filling.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Saute your onions in some olive oil and add some salt. Add a dash of balsamic then set your sauteed onions in a bowl. In the same pan you just used, add the mushrooms. Add a tiny pat of butter and saute until starting to get golden brown. Add the kale and stir. Add back the onions.

Mix together your cream and eggs. Add some black pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg. Add your sauteed veggies. Pour into your pan and top with more grated cheese.

Set on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until puffed and golden.

CHECK OUT MY CHEESY VEGGIE PIE, WITH SALAMI, HELD TOGETHER BY EGGS AND A SPLASH OF MILK

Espinacas con Garbanzos [Spinach and Chickpeas]

16 Jun

IMG_0859

Last week I moved across the country to New York City. In addition to all of the clothes and shoes I lugged with me, I carefully managed to wrap up and bring along: my cast-iron skillet, ice cream maker, mixing bowls, knife case with knives in tow, ramekins, whisk, spatula, and a few other miscellaneous kitchen utensils. Also included in my suitcase was a beautiful photograph poster of Julia Child: Lobster Thermidor and a 1500 piece puzzle of a vintage world map.

After weighing my 2 bags of luggage making sure that no bag was more than 50 pounds heavy, I was off. Well, ok, I had a minor stint with security because I put my ice cream maker in my carry-on bag and they had to double and triple check my bag before letting me through. Alas, I am now here in New York, unpacked and in full use of my new kitchen.

Espinacas con Garbanzos. A Spanish snack, a picnic pick-me-up, a light lunch or dinner. Healthy and tasty. Perfect with toast, or homemade croutons, or rice. Smoked paprika should be in your spice cabinet. It will become your secret weapon for wowing your fellow eaters. It helps make this dish pop. Do it.

Espinacas con Garbanzos [Spinach and Chickpeas]

adapted from SmittenKitchen, originally adapted from Moro: The Cookbook and Lobstersquad

makes about 3 dinner-servings worth (double if you are feeding more people or want more leftovers)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

9 oz. bag of spinach

1 hefty slice of bread from a country loaf or sandwich bread, crusts removed and cubed

2 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1/4 cup of tomato sauce

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

salt and pepper, to taste

squeeze of lemon, to taste

Heat half of your olive oil (1.5 tablespoons) in a pan over medium heat and saute your spinach in batches with a pinch of salt and stir well. Remove when leaves are just tender and set aside in another bowl.

In the same pan you just used, heat up 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Add your bread and fry until lightly browned on all sides. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Add the remaining half tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, cumin, and pepper flakes. Continue cooking for about one minute more.

**NOTE: You do not have to put everything in the blender. I bet this dish would still taste great with the rustic bread cubes instead of a blended sauce.

Transfer the bread mix to a blender with the red wine vinegar and whiz until it becomes a thick-ish paste. Return it to the pan with the tomato sauce, garbanzo beans, and spinach. Add the paprika, salt, and pepper, and serve with lemon juice.

Serve with bread toasts or rice.

 

WANT MORE CHICKPEA RECIPES?

Garlicky Roasted Chickpea Salad with Feta, Herbs, and Lemon

Pumpkin Chickpea Quinoa with Haricot Vert and Almonds

 

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Ricotta Blintzes, From Scratch…with Homemade Lemon Curd

10 Jun

Remember when I started to tell you about the Shavuot feast that my pal Sara and I put on? Well, the real star of the meal was ricotta blintzes that we made from scratch.

With 2 pans going to make our thin crepe-like pancakes, and the oven on to finish and keep warm the filled blintzes, Sara and I were hard at work.

While this was indeed a fun experience, making blintzes from scratch is quite labor-intensive and in my opinion, not worth the sweat. Next time I would opt for the easier yet equally delicious route by making Ina Garten’s Baked Blintz Casserole from her cookbook Back to Basics.

Alas, biting into a homemade blintz filled with a sweet but not too sweet ricotta cheese and dolloped with homemade lemon curd was really like nothing else. The fruits of our labor were worth all of the sweat. It was a fun process with a delicious outcome. All in the name of love, family, and celebration.

The meal: Ricotta Blinzes, Lemon Curd, Veggie Fritatta Casserole, French Bread

Click HERE for my recipe for Homemade Lemon Curd

Sweet Ricotta Blinzes From Scratch

from Picture and Plate

serves 5

**NOTE: Check out my tips for crepe making HERE as a good base to compare methods and techniques.

Blintz Batter:

1 1/2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp powdered sugar (don’t use for savory fillings)

4 eggs

1 1/3 cup of milk

2/3 cup of water

2 tsp vanilla  (don’t use for savory fillings)

Sweet Filling:

1-2 cup ricotta mixed with a little bit of cinnamon or lemon zest

½-1 cup Strawberry Jam (optional) **You can also make some lemon curd and serve on the side

2 tbsp butter reserved for baking

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the blintz batter, put all the wet ingredients in the blender and blend them for 10 seconds and then pour in all the dry ones and then blend that for 20 seconds. Let the batter sit for a half an hour to relax. It helps the texture get smoother.

When you make the blintzes it’s all about having the right pan and the right heat.  A big wide non-stick frying pan works best if you don’t have a crepe pan. Set the heat to medium high on the stove. I find it easier and healthier to use cooking spray rather than butter to cook the blintzes in. The batter should be thin and spread evenly but just barely cover the bottom of the pan as you tilt it around to spread it. Watch for the bubbles to start to pop on the first side before flipping them over. It takes about 45 seconds on the first side and roughly 30 seconds on the second side. We had two pans going to make it go faster.

**NOTE: I think it is a rule of thumb that your first pancake will always be a mess-up. Just keep on trucking, the pan needs to get to the right heat and then you will be fine.

Fill each crepe with ricotta filling and put in a baking dish. If you are using strawberry jam, spread the ricotta first and then do the jam. Melt the reserved butter and brush it lightly over the top of each blintz. Bake for ten minutes. Eat them.

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