Green Chile Creamed Corn

Creamed corn has always been one of my favorite side dishes. Actually, I could eat it as the whole meal. There is something comforting about it. Maybe it comes from a memory of shucking corn with my grandparents when I was young. They had this little wooden box with metal spikes on the end and we would take a freshly husked ear of corn and scrape it across those spikes. This would rip the kernels from the cob and shred them into pieces.All of the shredded corn and the juices went into a bowl and were either eaten for dinner or jarred for later use.  I can still see the corn cooking in a pot with flecks of black pepper through-out and I can still remember the rustic taste and texture of the corn.

When I decided to make my own version of creamed corn I knew I wanted it to a more old fashioned style dish. I didn't want a runny, tasteless, canned creamed corn type thing. I wanted it to be comforting. Something that would make you think "Wow". I looked through old cookbooks, scoured the Internet for old family recipes and put together what I say is the best creamed corn I've ever had.

Ingredients:

8 large ears corn in the husks
2 Poblano Or Anaheim/Hatch Chiles
1 medium white onion, finely diced
2 cups heavy cream or half/half
1/2-3/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1 tsp fresh course ground pepper  (more if you like)
1 tsp salt (salt to taste)
1 cup grated/chopped Oaxacan cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

Chiles

Set your oven to broil. Cover a sheet pan with foil and spread the chiles out on the sheet pan. Roast the chiles under the broiler until the outside starts to turn black.
Turn the chile's over and repeat.  Once all the chiles are dark brown/black on the outside remove from the oven and place in a large seal able plastic bag (or a brown paper sack).
Seal the bag and let sit for 30 minutes. This will steam the chiles and make it easier to remove the skins. You can also fire roast the chiles on your gas stove or grill.  Put them directly over the flame and follow the same method as the oven roasting.

Remove the stems, seeds and blackened skin from the chiles. Dice up the chiles and set aside.

Corn

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Peel back husks on the corn but do not detach.  Remove all silks, rinse corn and husks with cool water. Fold husks back down and place corn on a foil covered sheet pan and place in the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the husks are starting to brown and the corn has softened just a bit. If using a grill, place the prepared corn on the grill over hot coals. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the corn is tender to the touch and starting to char the kernels. Set aside to cool.

Once corn is cool enough to handle, remove the husks (shuck the corn) and cut the kernels from the cob. 

In a large sauce pan heat butter & olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft.  Add in the flour to make a roux. Cook for a few minutes until the flour smell is gone.
Stir in the corn, chiles and cream. You may not need all the cream, use your own judgement.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in the grated Oaxacan cheese and add the salt, pepper and nutmeg (Freshly grated nutmeg is key to this dish). 

Place in an oven safe dish, dot with a little butter on top and place under the broiler until butter melts and starts to bubble. Serve hot.

Garlic Spinach with Goat Cheese

Ingredients

1 lb fresh spinach, rinsed
1 whole red onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed, chopped
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper


Method

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  

Add the onions and saute until they start to soften.

Add in the garlic and cook until the onions are completely soft.  If the
garlic starts to brown then reduce the heat.

Add the spinach.  Only do a couple of handfuls at a time or as much as
you can fit in the skillet. Use tongs to mix and fold the spinach so that
all leaves get coated and the onion/garlic gets mixed in. Continue until all
the spinach is incorporated.  Cook until most of the leaves are dark green
and a bit wilted. 

Stir in the goat cheese.  Cook until the cheese is melted in.

Serve immediately.

Should make 4-6 servings, depending on your portion size.

Pearl Couscous with Roasted Butternut Squash

I decided to go way out of my usual box this time and make a couple of things I've not done before.  I have never cooked or even eaten Israeli couscous before but it looked interesting and I do enjoy regular couscous even though the wife doesn't care for it.  It's a texture thing for her.  I have cooked butternut squash only once before and that was to make a puree for another dish so this was something new.

I have to say that this dish turned out way better than I had expected.  The couscous was tender and had a great texture.  The squash was earthy, slightly sweet and tender but firm. The two also went very well together.  Give this a try and let me know what you think.


Couscous

Ingredients

1 cup Israeli Pearl Couscous
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon of butter
1 pinch of salt

Method

Add the chicken stock, butter and salt to a medium sized pot.
Bring to a boil. Add the couscous and cook for a 1 minute.
Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-12 more minutes.
Stir half way to prevent any sticking.
Set aside.


Oven Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1-2 tablespoons of agave nectar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Spanish Paprika

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and peel the outside
with a vegetable peeler.  Cut the squash into 1/2" to 3/4" cubes
Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet, add the squash, onion, garlic,
salt & pepper. Toss in the pan to mix the ingredients and coat everything
with the butter & oil.  You just want to get everything mixed together
and heated up.  While this is in the pan line a sheet pan with foil.  Pour
the contents of the skillet on to the lined pan and spread it out evenly.
Sprinkle the paprika over the top.

Bake this at 400 for about 35-40 minutes or unit the squash is fork
tender.


Final Preparation

In a large serving bowl add the couscous then add the squash a little
at a time, tossing as you go until all the squash is mixed in.  Season to
taste with salt and pepper.

Candied Roasted Carrots

Carrots are one of those things that I like cooked but not raw. I usually throw them into a pot with whatever meat I am roasting but this time I wanted to try something different.  There is a steakhouse near us that serves these huge roasted/candied carrots on the side of their steaks. I've wanted to try and copy that flavor for some time. I think I got close enough because these were excellent.

I bought a bag of the biggest carrots I could find. There we some in there that were 10 inches long and 2 inches thick. Exactly what I wanted.  I peeled 5 of them and cut them into 2-3 inch long pieces.  The recipe was just something I threw together using my limited knowledge of candied carrots.  Next time I might add in some honey or agave nectar and more nutmeg.

Ingredients

5 very large carrots, peeled, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon of fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 cups of water

Method

Using a  large sauce pan that is oven safe (and has a lid), melt the butter over medium heat.
Add in the brown sugar and cook until its dissolved.
Add the carrots and toss in the butter/sugar mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the water until the carrots are just covered.  Bring to a boil and cook at a low boil for 5 minutes.
Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cover and place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until
the carrots are soft but not mushy. 
Remove from the oven and serve right out of the pan.

Serves 4-6