Off the Cob

I have been in a bit of a cooking slump lately. So, the other day, I just pulled some frozen corn out of the freezer. Of course, fresh corn is best this time of year, but we did not really have the time to go and get some. This settled for a close second.

Creamed Corn:

1 lb. Silver Queen Corn
1/2 stick butter
2/3 cup fat free Half & Half
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a skillet over medium heat until the butter is melted and the corn is cooked through.

Veggie Treat

Roasted Asparagus with Dijon-Lemon Sauce...

2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed
4 tsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 T chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425. Combine asparagus, 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt and garlic in a large bowl, tossing well to coat. Arrange asparagus mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes or until crisp-tender. Combine remaining olive oil, rind, juice, mustard and pepper in small bowl, stirring with whisk. Arrange asparagus on platter. Drizzle juice mixture over asparagus. Sprinkle with parsley.

It's All Greek to Me

Greek Style Chicken Salad:

1, 10-ounce can chunk white chicken, drained and cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1, 3.25-ounce can sliced ripe black olives
1 cup grape-style tomatoes
1 cup diced cucumbers
1/2 cup sliced red onion
3 cups cooked tricolor rotini pasta, chilled

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine pasta, chicken, vegetables, cheese and olives. Mix together dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over pasta mixture and lightly toss until coated with dressing. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 6-8 people.

(*) -- For variation, you can use Kraft Light Done Right Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing.

Appetizing Asparagus

This is another take on the many recipes I have for asparagus.

Asparagus in Warm Tarragon-Pecan Vinaigrette:

2 pounds fresh asparagus
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoon fresh minced tarragon (or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon)
Black pepper to taste

Slice asparagus stalks diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. Combine vinegar and sugar in small bowl and mix until sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Heat oil in large skillet. Add pecans and saute over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Do not burn them. Turn heat to medium-high and add asparagus, garlic and salt. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until asparagus is barely tender. Add vinegar mixture to asparagus and stir well. Cook over high heat for only about 30 seconds longer and then remove. Stir in tarragon and black pepper. Serve hot. Serves 4-6 people.

Side Dish With a Squishy Surprise

Everyone on my side of the family loves sweet potatoes, and we eat them quite often. Hubby is even a willing participant every time, even though he is not their biggest fan. It was no surprise when it was discovered that our oldest nephew enjoys them as much as the rest of the family.

This Paula Deen recipe is one of the many ways that we enjoy making sweet potatoes. I felt that it was appropriate to share just in time for your holiday cooking.

Sweet Potato Balls:

4 large sweet potatoes
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups shredded coconut, sweetened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large marshmallow per potato ball


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the potatoes until tender, then peel and mash them. Stir in the brown sugar, orange juice, zest and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, toss the coconut with the sugar and cinnamon. Press mashed potatoes around each marshmallow, creating a 2 to 3-inch diameter ball. Roll the balls in the coconut mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Watch carefully for the last few minutes of cooking; the expanding marshmallows can cause the potato balls to burst open.

Sensational Side Dish

This vegetable recipe could not be any simpler, or get any better. It goes with almost anything you make as a main dish. Once you make it, I would be surprised if you make it any other way ever again.

Asparagus:

1 lb. asparagus
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp. soft white bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss asparagus spears in 1-2 tsp. olive oil. Arrange them in baking dish. Sprinkle with Paremesan and bread crumbs. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake uncovered until asparagus is tender. This will take about 15 minutes.

Super Side with a Twist

This is a recipe for squash that is quite different than anything James and I have ever had before. We liked it a lot. Hope you do too. If you try it, let us know.

Squash:

4-6 medium yellow squash
1/2 medium onion
1 cup Stove Top stuffing mix-(we used a little more than this)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise (you know how I hate mayo, but I promise it turns out well)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
1 tsp. Dijon style mustard
1/4 cup milk

Finely dice the onion and slice the squash very thinly. Cover both with water and boil until tender. Lightly grease an 8x8 square pan. Place 1/2 cup stuffing mix in the baking dish. Drain squash and place on top of stuffing mix in dish. In a bowl, combine soup, cheese, milk, mustard, and mayonnaise. Pour mixture over the squash. Top with remaining stufing mix. Top with pats of butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Croquette Cooking

We like squash at our house, a lot. We have it in casseroles, in soup, cooked by itself, stewed with other vegetables, you get my drift. Until yesterday, we had never made croquettes out of it, so we decided to give it a try. They turned out well, but don't be in as big of a hurry as we were to get them cooked. Take your time with them.



Squash Croquettes:

yellow squash (2 large or 4 small), very thinly sliced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup finely shredded cheddar
1 egg
1/2 sleeve saltine crackers
1-1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

Thinly slice your squash and dice your onion. Combine both in a saucepan and cover with water. Boil until fork tender. Heat 1/2 inch of olive oil in a deep skillet. Meanwhile crush the sleeve of crackers and combine with the cheese. Slightly beat the egg in a ramekin and set aside. When squash and onion are fork tender, drain them exceptionally well and allow them to cool somewhat. You do not want to risk curdling your egg due to the heat of the squash. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. I used 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Mash squash with fork and then combine it with the cracker and cheese mixture. Stir in beaten egg. Form mixture into small, flat patties. Coat both sides with breadcrumbs. Cook in the olive oil 3-4 minutes on each side. Drain well on paper towels before serving.