Last spring we planted an asparagus bed, and it has really taken off. At first we only saw small tips peeping up from the soil, then they shot up to tall spears almost overnight. Now the wispy fern sways in the breeze on long thin stems and will stay around for the summer. Asparagus needs two years growing time before harvesting, so we are still a year away from gathering those tender spears from the garden, something I think about every time I inspect the asparagus bed. Gardening definitely teaches me patience. In the meantime, we have to buy asparagus to satisfy our cravings.

I adapted this asparagus recipe from Cooking Light, and it was a hit with my family. The red onions and almonds are sautéed for just a few minutes in olive oil, then the orange juice and honey go in with the raisins, which plump as they absorb the liquid. The flavor payoff is big for just a small amount of work, and it’s easy enough for a weeknight and elegant enough for guests. I changed up the original recipe and used slivered almonds instead of pine nuts, added a little extra orange juice, and used orange blossom honey.

Now I have to wait a year before I can make this with our homegrown asparagus, but it will be worth the wait.

STEAMED ASPARAGUS WITH RED ONIONS, ALMONDS, AND RAISINS

Adapted from Cooking Light.

Serves 4.

Equipment

large pan or pot
steamer basket
8-inch skillet

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup sliced red onion
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons raisins
2 teaspoons orange blossom honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Pour about 1 inch of water into the large pan or pot, insert the steamer basket, and bring to a boil. Steam the asparagus until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

2. In the skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and almonds until warm and glistening, about 4 minutes. Add the orange juice, raisins, honey, salt, and pepper. Cook until the raisins plump and soften, about 2 minutes. Spoon over the asparagus and serve.

More Asparagus Recipes

Asparagus Recipes From Other Food Blogs

Sass & Veracity – Shaved Asparagus and Pecorino Romano Salad

Gluten-Free Goddess – Asparagus with Maple Tahini Dressing

The Year in Food – Asparagus and Spring Onion Risotto

eCurry – Sesame and Balsamic Glazed Asparagus Cranberry Tart

[Disclosure: I am a member of the Cooking Light Bloggers' Connection.]

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

We’ve been growing chard for a couple years now, and fortunately our chard comes back each spring. The baby leaves are as tender as any salad bowl lettuce and full of flavor, and it’s so satisfying to see the chard sprout, then pick the small, tender leaves and have them on the table in just a few minutes. I really love that benefit of growing my own.

I like to pair baby chard with other robust flavors, and the flavor combination in this salad makes it one of my very favorites. The classic hot bacon dressing goes so well with fresh baby chard, especially when it’s updated with white balsamic vinegar and roasted garlic. That’s my kind of salad.

BABY CHARD SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, AND HOT BACON DRESSING

Makes 4 salads.

Equipment

8-inch skillet
small bowl

Ingredients

16 ounces baby chard leaves, well-rinsed
thinly sliced radicchio
12 pencil thin asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch segments
4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and thinly sliced

DRESSING (enough for 4 salads)
8 slices bacon, chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
8 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In the skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces until slightly crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel. Reduce the heat to medium low.

2. In the small bowl, stir the balsamic vinegar and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Add the mixture to the skillet and stir until it warms. Add the roasted garlic cloves and cook at a simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with the black pepper.

3. Arrange the chard leaves among 4 plates, add some radicchio and divide the asparagus spears among the plates. Top each plate with sun-dried tomato slices and roasted garlic cloves, then drizzle the bacon vinaigrette on top. Serve immediately.

More Recipes with Spring Vegetables

More Recipes with Chard From around the Blogs

Food Blogga – How to Make a Frittata Like my 100-Year-Old Italian Grandmother

Sass & Veracity – Vegetable Bean Soup

Local Kitchen – Pickled Chard Stems

Eggs on Sunday – Garlic-Roasted Garbanzos & Chard over Polenta

There’s something about whole baby carrots steamed with the tops on, fork tender and sweet. I adore that delicate flavor and crunch and think they really add beauty to a plate. They are like the little black dress of carrots. And many times they are insanely easy to prepare, like this recipe from Cooking Light.

As always, I adapted the recipe to fit what’s in our garden at the time, so instead of minced garlic I used a thin stalk of baby garlic, one of several that has popped up, and doubled the cilantro since our cilantro is flourishing right now. The flavor of the baby garlic is interesting, more assertive than our clove garlic, so I didn’t use the full stalk. If you decide to use baby garlic, you may want to taste it and decide how much to use before adding it to the pan.

Michael loved the flavor and the boys came along and wanted to snack on the carrots like finger food as I finished the photos. Can’t beat that for getting the kids to eat their vegetables.

STEAMED BABY CARROTS WITH GINGER-GARLIC BUTTER

Adapted from Cooking Light.

Serves 4.

Equipment

steamer pan and insert
large nonstick sauté pan

Ingredients

1 pound (454 g) baby carrots with tops, peeled and all but 1/2-inch of the tops removed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 thin stalk baby garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation

1. Steam the carrots, covered, for 10 minutes.

2. In the nonstick skillet, melt the butter and sauté the baby garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the carrots, cilantro, lime zest, juice, and sea salt.

Variations

The original recipe calls for 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro.

More Easy Vegetable Recipes

More Carrot Recipes From Around the Blogs

Cooking on the Side – Vanilla Glazed Baby Carrots

Food Blogga – Roasted Rainbow Carrots

White on Rice Couple – Vietnamese Style Pickled Carrots

The Wicked Noodle – Carrot Soufflé

[Disclosure: I am a member of the Cooking Light Bloggers' Connection.]

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

It was a warm winter. Each time there was snow in the forecast, I would get excited and get my camera gear ready to set out early in the morning to visit the farms, hoping to catch some snow on the ground, clinging to the trees and vines, and resting on the fences. Instead, it would melt as the sun rose each time, dripping off the trees, the sound of each drop a disappointment. Then one Saturday morning late in February we woke up to a dusting of snow that seemed to stick. The temperature hovered at 35° F, so we jumped in the car and raced to the the closest Farm Project location, Chrysalis Vineyards, hoping to make it before the thermometer went any higher and another snow opportunity was lost.

The temperatures were slightly colder out in the hills, and I had to wear fingerless gloves while shooting. The snow was still gently falling, sometimes barely a flake here and there, and sometimes the snow was swirling in front of the lens. It was a magical day to photograph the vineyard. The canes have been cut back, which is common practice in the winter, and as the temperatures start to warm up in the spring the new growth will begin.

During my previous visit I learned that visitors can purchase eggs from the heritage free-range hens that are raised on Locksley Estate, the location of the vineyard. The owners have eight different breeds, including Delaware, New Hampshire, Ameraucana, Welsumer, Heritage Leghorn, Ancona, Black Copper Marans, and Rhode Island Reds, and I have to say that the eggs they produce are both beautiful and delicious. Our boys were fascinated with all the different colors and their comments were so cute. “Mommy, are these Easter eggs?” “Did the chickens paint these?” It was a teaching moment.

Recipe Notes

The eggs said breakfast to me, so I made a puff pastry braid filled with sautéed new red potatoes, mushrooms, shallots, ham, scrambled eggs, green onions, and a little goat cheese. The filling can really be whatever you want, swap the vegetables, use bacon, change the cheese, go vegetarian, whatever sounds good or is in your frig. Just be careful not to overstuff the braid. Brush it with a little egg wash before baking so it gets nice and golden and crispy, then serve it with fruit and a cup of tea or coffee or mimosas and you’ve got weekend breakfast.

PUFF PASTRY BREAKFAST BRAID WITH EGGS, HAM, POTATOES, MUSHROOMS, AND GOAT CHEESE

Serves 4 to 6.

Equipment

large skillet
small bowl
baking sheet lined with parchment

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 small new red potatoes, scrubbed clean, diced
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
3 white mushrooms, diced
4 eggs
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water

Preparation

1. Place the oven rack in the middle and preheat to 375° F/190° C.

2. In the large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the potatoes until they start to soften, about 3 or 4 minutes, then add the shallots and mushrooms and continue cooking until the all the vegetables are tender and browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. In the small bowl, whisk the eggs and green onions together, then pour into the skillet and add the goat cheese. Scramble the eggs with the vegetables, just until the eggs are set, not dry. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. Remove the puff pastry from the package and lay out on a floured surface. Roll into a rectangle 10 inches by 12 inches. Fold the puff pastry in half and transfer to the parchment on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make angled cuts all the way down the edges of the pastry evenly spaced approximately 1 inch apart. (This is approximate, as you can see below, mine aren’t perfect.) The center of the pastry should be about 4 inches wide. Trim the triangles from the top edges and the triangles from the bottom edges, leaving a short rectangle at the base about 4 inches wide. Transfer the parchment to the baking sheet.

4. Arrange the filling on the puff pastry in the middle section, leaving space at the top and bottom of the pastry for folding. Fold the top edge over the filling and begin braiding the strips, laying them across the middle. When you reach the bottom, fold it over the filling and tuck the last braids under, trimming away any extra. Brush the braid all over with the egg white wash.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes, then slice with a sharp knife to serve.

More Farm Project Recipes

More Brunch Recipes with Eggs from around the Blogs

Cooking on the Side – Crab, Scallion & Tomato Quiche

Gluten-Free Goddess – Gluten-Free Potato Frittata

Pinch of Yum – Parmesan Baked Eggs

Two Tarts – Baked Eggs with Crispy Hash Brown Crust

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Two springs ago I planted parsnip seeds in the garden, hoping for a good harvest of parsnips in the autumn, but that first year was disappointing with only one pitiful parsnip to show for it. Not deterred, I tried again last spring, planting in a different location and found that the parsnips were much happier. They liked the extra warmth of the sunnier spot, the deeper soil, and extra compost we added to the bed, and they thrived. We had plenty to roast in the late autumn and plenty to test for overwintering in the bed. Yes, I learned that you can indeed leave parsnips in the ground during the winter and pull them out as you need them, just make sure you mark off where they are and keep them covered with a few inches of soil. They actually got sweeter with successive frosts.

So when I pulled the last of the parsnips earlier this week I decided to make a little snack, some healthy chips which can go with sandwiches, soup, or a party appetizer. They are super easy, just slice the parsnips thin on the diagonal and toss them with a little olive oil and some kosher salt and your favorite spices, then bake in the oven. That’s it, just a little work and no messy frying. And for the record, Michael is particularly fond of the Cajun parsnip chips.

So if you still have some parsnips hanging around in your garden, or if your neighbor does, give this a try. It might just convince you to plant more parsnips this year.

SPICY OVEN-FRIED PARSNIP CHIPS

Serves 2 to 4.

Equipment

baking sheet, lined with foil
medium bowl

Ingredients

4 parsnips, scrubbed clean, sliced thin on the diagonal
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 to 3 teaspoons spice mix, to taste

SPICE SUGGESTIONS
Cajun spice mix
curry powder
chili powder

Preparation

1. Place the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 400° F/200° C.

2. In the medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, kosher salt, and your chosen spice mix. Toss with the sliced parsnips, then lay the parsnip slices on the prepared baking sheet, spreading them out.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until chips are golden brown and crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Removed from the oven and transfer chips to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain, then serve.

More Recipes From Our Garden

More Recipes With Parsnips From Around the Blogs

Food Blogga – How to Talk Turnips to Firemen: Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Sage Glaze

Soup Chick – Curried Carrot Coconut Soup

Food Gal – Parsnip Buttermilk Pie

Sprout & Pea – Root Vegetable Salad With Pickled Garlic

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

I have a few new recipes at Moovision.com, and if you cook lactose-free, you should check out all the recipes in their collection. There’s a lot of great dishes, many that are easy to prepare. Here are the newest ones I’ve added.

Sweet Potato Souffle, a dish I love for Sunday supper, along with a roasted chicken.

Butternut Squash Pie, made with a roasted butternut squash, a delicious and easy alternative to pumpkin pie.

Creamy Chicken Marsala, a classic dish that works well for Sunday supper or for company.

And if you haven’t seen the videos that started it all, check out the Gourmoo cooking series.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Polenta isn’t typically the first dish I think of for Thanksgiving dinner, but after tasting this baked polenta with the roasted butternut squash and smoked Gouda, I’ve changed my mind. This dish would make a delicious substitute for traditional stuffing and has a lovely rustic appearance. The combination of the roasted squash, smoked Gouda, and Grana Padano cheese with the herbs makes for a beautiful dish for special meals.

I found the original recipe in Food & Wine and made several changes. I roast the squash halved with the skin on instead of peeling and slicing it before roasting because its easier. I used Grana Padano instead of Parmigiano cheese because it’s a little less expensive and has a nutty flavor that I really like. I also added extra sage and made a light vegetable broth to add more depth of flavor rather than plain water. And I used leeks instead of onions in the polenta.

The recipe requires several hours to make, including resting time in the refrigerator before baking, but some of the steps can be done a day ahead, such as roasting the squash and making the vegetable broth. If you want to make this for Thanksgiving, I recommend making it first thing in the morning to allow for the 3 hours rest time in the refrigerator. Yes, it takes time, but Michael and I both agreed that it’s so worth it. And if there are any leftovers, a warm wedge of this polenta makes a delicious breakfast, too.

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours, and may you enjoy this special time with family and friends.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH POLENTA WITH SMOKED GOUDA AND SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

Adapted from Food & Wine magazine.

Serves 8 to 10.

Equipment

baking sheet, lined with foil and lightly coated with sunflower oil
8-inch skillet
medium bowl
5-quart saucepan
12-inch cast iron skillet, well buttered

Ingredients

1 (2-pound) butternut squash, washed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
5 large leaves fresh sage, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups water
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/4 medium onion
2 cups coarse polenta
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted and chopped
4 ounces smoked Gouda, shredded (1 cup)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Grana Padano cheese

MUSHROOMS

2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces baby bella or white mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup white wine (chardonnay)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F/200° C.

2. Remove the stem, cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on the prepared baking sheet and roast until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Scoop the cooked squash into a bowl and mash coarsely. You should have about 1-1/2 cups.

3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet. Add the leeks and sage and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat until golden, about 25 minutes.

4. In the saucepan, combine the water with the carrot, celery, and onion and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for about 15 minutes. Strain out the vegetables. Whisk the polenta and kosher salt into the broth. Cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter along with the mashed squash, pine nuts, leeks, Gouda, and half of the grated Grana Padano cheese.

5. Pour the hot polenta into the buttered cast-iron skillet and flatten the top of the polenta slightly without spreading it to the edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C. Rub the surface of the polenta with 1 tablespoon of softened butter and sprinkle with the remaining grated Grana Padano cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until the top and side are lightly browned and crisp, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Cut into wedges.

7. While the polenta cools, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet. Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they begin to soften. Season with sea salt and pepper and continue to stir. Add the wine and continue cooking until the wine cooks down and the mushrooms are fork tender. Serve spooned over the polenta wedges.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

More Polenta Recipes From Around the Blogs

What We’re Eating – Smooth and Dreamy Baked Polenta

The Perfect Pantry – Polenta with Wild Mushroom Ragout

Cookin’ Canuck – Bacon Polenta with Sautéed Crimini Mushrooms and Thyme

Gluten-Free Goddess – Roasted Vegetables on Broiled Polenta

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

Country Captain sounds like such an unusual name for a chicken dish, but once I learned the origins it made sense. A “country captain” was a captain of native troops paid by England in the colonial days, and it’s very likely that this dish or something very similar was introduced to England by a native officer. The dish spread to the American south which has claimed country captain chicken as its own.

It’s a curry at heart, with plenty of spices and vegetables in a tomato sauce with pork of some kind, often bacon, and dried currants. I researched quite a few recipes and found many similarities, even right down to the measurements, but one thing that varied was the preparation of the chicken. It can be poached for stock, then deboned and chopped and added to the sauce, or it can be fried then nestled in the top of the curry to finish cooking on the stove or in the oven. You can even make another version of this in a slow cooker. No matter which method you choose, this makes a delicious autumn meal.

Traditionally the dish is served with white rice in the south, but in keeping with the Indian flavors, I serve it with savory yellow rice spiced with turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves.

COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

Adapted from The Lee Brothers Southern Cookbook, by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and Bill Neal’s Southern Cooking.

Serves 8.

Equipment

small saucepan
2 small bowls
platter
5 to 6 quart enameled cast-iron pot or Dutch oven
aluminum foil

Ingredients

1 cup (120 ml) chicken broth, divided (homemade or purchased low-sodium, gluten-free if possible)
1/2 cup (80 g) dried currants
1 tablespoon curry powder (We recommend S&B for best flavor.)
1 tablespoon garam masala
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces (113 g) slab bacon or thick-cut bacon, diced
parts of 1 whole chicken or 8 thighs, skin on, trimmed
1 pound (454 g) carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
2 medium yellow bell peppers, diced
2 medium yellow onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled
28-ounce (822 g) can crushed tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

SERVE WITH
rice, spiced or white
slivered toasted almonds
bacon pieces (See ingredients list.)
chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350° F/175° C.

2. In the small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to a boil, then remove from heat. Add the dried currants and let them to soak for about 15 minutes.

3. In the small bowl, whisk together the curry powder, garam masala, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

4. Sauté the diced bacon in the pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, just until golden brown. Transfer the bacon plus all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings to a bowl. Brown the chicken pieces in the remaining bacon drippings over medium-high heat until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Add another teaspoon or so of bacon drippings if the pot becomes dry. Transfer chicken to a bowl or platter.

5. Add the carrots, bell peppers, onions, and garlic to the hot pot and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, spices, ginger, currants with their broth, plus the remaining chicken broth. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the sauce cooks down to a puree and coats the vegetables, not too dry, about 8 to 10 minutes.

6. Turn off the heat. Arrange the browned chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and sauce, skin side up above the surface of the sauce. Tent the pot loosely with foil and place in the oven.Bake until the sauce has a rolling boil going around the chicken, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking until the chicken skin begins to crisp, about 15 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and skim excess fat from the surface. Serve a piece of chicken along with the rice and vegetables with each plate or bowl and top with garnishes.

More Chicken Recipes

More Chicken Recipes From Around the Blogs

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Baked Pesto Chicken

What We’re Eating – Spicy Tequila, Chipotle and Citrus Marinated Smoked Chicken

Kitchen Parade – Fast Roast Chicken

Use Real Butter – Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

I’m very excited to be part of the new cookbook Good Bite Weeknight Meals: Delicious Made Easy, created by the contributors to GoodBite.com and photographed by the super talented Matt Armendariz. The recipes are all about helping you get delicious healthy food on the table with less fuss on busy weeknights. Most of the recipes have between 5 and 10 ingredients and can be prepared within 15 to 30 minutes using widely available ingredients. With dishes such as Chicken Tinga, Five-Spice Pork Chops with Hoisin Glaze, Baked Salmon with Seville Orange Marmalade and Wasabi, and Spicy Bean-Stuffed Bell Peppers, plus a number of slow cooker recipes, you’ll have plenty of flavorful options to choose from when planning your menus.

To celebrate the release of the book, I created a video to share with you one of my favorite recipes to make for weeknight meals, a pasta dish with zucchini, mushrooms, fresh lemon basil, and white wine.

Giveaway

I have five copies of the book to give away, courtesy of Good Bite and Wiley. For a chance to win a copy for your collection, tell us about your favorite easy meal for busy weeknights in the comments below.

Please make sure your email address is correct so I can contact you if you are one of the five lucky winners, and winners must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen. The books can be shipped to any U.S. or Canadian address. The giveaway closes at 8 P.M. EST on Monday October 10, and Random.org will select the winners. Look for the announcement of the winners in this post soon after.

UPDATE: The winners have been selected and announcement emails sent. Please check your email for the announcement.

Thanks for sharing your dishes, and be sure to check out the blogs of the rest of the contributors.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.

There’s still time to enter The Real Women of Philadelphia recipe contest. This week the theme is Veggie Revival with vegetable side dishes. I make this creamy and spicy baked corn with a can of diced tomatoes and green chilies for plenty of spicy flavor, and the lowfat milk and cream cheese gives a rich, baked corn texture. This dish also works well with fresh corn in season, just shave corn from about 8 cobs. It’s easy to make, just precook the ingredients on the stove, then bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Be sure to check out the recipe contest at The Real Women of Philadelphia for a chance to win $500, and check out more of the Good Bite contributor videos for The Real Women of Philadelphia at GoodBite.com.

SPICY CREAMY BAKED CORN

Serves 4 to 6.

Equipment

3-quart pot
9-inch baking dish, lightly coated with cooking spray

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes & green chilies, drained
16 ounces (454 g) frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup (120 ml) lowfat milk, room temperature
2 ounces (57 g) cream cheese at room temperature, cut into small chunks
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup (28 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Place the baking rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. Melt the butter in a 3-quart pot. Sauté the onion in the melted butter until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the drained diced tomatoes and chilies and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are warm, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the corn kernels and milk and cook over medium heat until the mixture is thoroughly warmed, about 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese chunks and cook until melted, about 5 more minutes. Add the sea salt and pepper and stir the mixture well.

4. Pour into a 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray and spread evenly. Sprinkle the grated cheddar over the top. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese melts and is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then serve.

More Recipes with Cream Cheese

Disclosure: I am a paid contributor for The Real Women of Philadelphia.

Thanks for subscribing to this blog! Copyright © 2005-2012 Andrea Meyers: making life delicious.