Elote Off the Cob

Mexican street corn but make it easy to eat.
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Elote Off the Cob

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil (butter works better)
• 1 pound (about 3.5 cups) whole kernel corn or 15oz canned, drained
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• some jalapeño or serrano, seeded and finely chopped (I use about 1/2" slice of serrano)
•  
• 1/4 cup grated or crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco or even Monterey Jack
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (or labne  or crema or mayo)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• juice of 1 lime
• Salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

• Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add corn and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized.  
• Add in the onion, garlic, and chile, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant.
• Remove from heat and add the corn to a mixing bowl.  Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.  Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed
• Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to five days.

Tajin substitute

Tajin (a brand) is a mix of chili, lime, and other spices. 

I found this recipe to make your own (unfortunately don't remember source)

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon chili powder chipotle powder, or paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teasooon sugar

1 teaspoon lime zest approximately 1/2 lime

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, then use as a seasoning or a rub.

Store in a glass jar

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette from Lemonade LA

This is super delicious! Great on avocados.
I made some tweaks to the recipe from The Lemonade Cookbook, ISBN 978-1-250-02366-7

Here, I slathered it on a hard boiled egg:

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

ingredients

• 1/4 c lime juice (2-3 limes)
• 1 tb honey
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp salt

• 2/3 canola oil

• 1/4c cilantro leaves (I use 1c)

method

1. Blend first set of ingredients, 
2. Add oil slowly so it emulsifies, 
3. Add cilantro last, blend more. 
4. Store in jar in fridge.

Mushroom Bread Pudding

I first found the concept for this recipe from Susan Spungen in the NY Times Cooking website, as a suggested side dish for Thanksgiving. I wasn't totally pleased with the results and searched for another version. Which I found. But I have no record of where I found it! Here it is on Chowhound! Thank you Google Chrome!

It's pretty much an exact copy of the Chowhound recipe, with a few minor tweaks.

Mushroom and Gruyere Bread Pudding

ingredients 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced (or small onion)
5 cloves garlic, minced
marjoram, rosemary
6 cups mixed wild mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup brandy sherry, or mirin
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1½ cups heavy cream
2 eggs
1 cup grated gruyère or other cheese

1/4 cup chives
6 cups cubed bread: brioche, challah, anything soft

method

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.

• Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or PAM.

• In a large pan, add the butter over medium high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the shallots and    cook for 2 minutes, until the shallots begin to soften.

• Add the garlic and herbs and stir for 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.

• Add the mushrooms and brandy and cook for 6-8 minutes, until cooked down.
  Season with salt and pepper.
  Reserve the mushroom mixture off the heat.

• In a large bowl, Whisk the eggs and cream.

• Add the challah and stir until fully incorporated. Let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

• Add cheese and reserved mushrooms and stir until fully incorporated.

• Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and custard is baked through.
Let cool for at   least 15 minutes before serving.
Top with chives.

Linking up with Shelbee on the Edge

I've Got the Beet (Greens)

Severo brought home FIVE pounds of beet greens from his day job (produce clerk at a local independent market).
FIVE POUNDS!

They almost filled a brown bag.

 What did I do with them?

The Google gave me this recipe from the NY Times: Sauteed Beet Greens with Garlic and Olive Oil

One pound of greens, before and after blanching

I pretty much followed the recipe, so click on the link to get it.
Blanching instructions are in the second recipe below.

Blanching / draining directly over the stock pot to capture all the nutritious beet water.
(I freeze for later to use as veggie stock for beans and soups).

Sauteeing: before / after

 Deployed as a spinach substitute for Eggs Florentine

The Hollandaise and Bacon totally erased any healthy aspects of this breakfast.
It was DELICIOUS!

The blanched beet greens DO have a very spinachy flavor. I next thought of Creamed Spinach.
I was surprised to discover nary a recipe in my cookbook collection. Back to The Google:
Morton's Steakhouse Creamed Spinach (Copycat) by Dinner then Dessert

I made some minor caloric reductions and reconfigured the amounts for four servings (vs eight).

Creamed Greens
serves 4
221 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound fresh greens, blanched 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/2 medium yellow onion minced 
• 3 cloves garlic minced 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg [didn't use] 
• 2 TB all-purpose flour 1 3/4 cups half-and-half 
• 2 TB grated Parmesan cheese 

INSTRUCTIONS
Blanching:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
• Add the greens and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes. 
• Drain in a strainer or colander. 
• Chop the blob of greens into a 3/4 inch widths. 

Making the creamy part:

• In a large skillet melt the butter with the garlic and onions. 
• Cook on medium low for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. 
• Add in the nutmeg. [didn't] 
• Add in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon over low and cook for 2-3 minutes until the aroma is a bit nutty. 
• Add the half an half and cook until boiling. 
• Low boil for 6-8 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. 
• Add in the greens and the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

Enjoy!

I still have three pounds to deal with. Thinking of blanching and freezing it all.

Ramp Butter Recipe

Super simple and can be frozen. I use those 2oz deli containers.

Ramp Butter

ingredients

• Butter at room temperature
• Ramps, washed and trimmed, finely chopped. OK to use green parts.

(Ratio is your level of Ramp love)

Blend!

If you don't eat butter, I imagine this would work with Coconut Oil as well.

I Am a Ramphead. Are You?

I didn't know about ramps (aka wild leeks, scapes) until east coast friends posted about them on Facebook. 

I didn't know that they grew in the woods in my mom's backyard until April 2014. 

You see, as a kid, we always went to Barneveld in the summer -- we lived on prep school campuses during the school year. 

I had NO CLUE about ramps!
(They probably grow in Sheffield, MA and Millbrook, NY too. No clue, people, no clue!)

Two years ago, I found what looked like ramps at my mom's.

I picked a few -- oh, the aroma!
I then chopped one onto my salad and I joined the cult.
I love garlic, I love onions, OK, I love the whole edible allium family.
No going back at this point.

Ramps grow in the wild, in mature, deciduous woods, appearing in April (in Central NY).
What is the best way to extend "ramp season", since they only last for a few weeks?
I've found recipes for Ramp Jam, Ramp Butter, Pickled Ramps (which I made last year), etc.
They mellow when cooked, and can be substituted for green onions if you want a little more punch.

Me, I prefer the stinky experience of raw ramps.
(Plus I don't have the luxury of endless ramps that my mom has).

My favorite recipe so far is Ramp Pesto, which can be frozen.
A jar joined me on the second leg of my circumnavigation of the US and lasted all the way home.

Ramp Pesto on the sill, Cut Bank, MT, 2014

This year's ramps, last year's pesto.

Ramp Pesto (from Chloe)
Chop equal amounts of: • Ramps
• Parsley (Italian is preferred)
• Basil
Mince in a food processor with • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Add • Ground Parmesan or Romano or combo to taste. • Pinenuts (optional, I don't bother)
Pulse to integrate.
Store in a jar in fridge. Can be frozen.