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Sweet Potato Corn Cakes with Yogurt Sauce

February 20, 2013 1 Comment

This past summer I took the abundance of corn from our crop-share, cut it off the cobb and froze it for mid-winter cooking. I socked away so many bags that I ended up with a freezer full of corn, ice cream and lamb (from our lamb share). I’ve been trying to clear out the stock (though we keep acquiring more ice cream, which I don’t see as a problem), so I’ve been putting corn in just about everything. I used the corn for several batches of chili, quesadillas, succotash, warm black bean salad – and still have several bags left. Making sweet potato and corn cakes was a nice change of pace and made for a satisfying vegetarian meal that the whole family enjoyed. This recipe is inspired by the recipe from Budget Bytes, which I adapted and made gluten-free by using more corn meal and omitting the bread crumbs. These corn cakes are lightly seared in oil, rather than fried, to keep them healthy. The creaminess of the sweet potatoes provides a nice contrast for the toothsome corn kernels and the yogurt sauce gives the dish a little tang. I made my standard (very simple) yogurt sauce using Greek yogurt, lime juice rather than the usual lemon, salt and pepper. For those without a freezer full of corn, use any store-bought frozen corn in this recipe. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, healthy recipes, Local Menu, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: corn cakes recipe, frozen corn, gluten-free appetizer, gluten-free corn cakes, gluten-free recipe, inexpensive winter dinners, sweet potato corn cakes, sweet potato recipe, vegan dinner, vegan recipe, vegan sweet potato corn cakes, vegetarian corn cakes, vegetarian recipe, yogurt sauce

Vegan Roasted Corn Chowder

August 14, 2012 1 Comment

With plenty of fresh corn coming in from my CSA crop-share, I decided to use it all at once by making a vegan corn chowder. The recipe, inspired by Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Roasted Corn Soup, uses the corn stalks to make a rich broth. It isn’t a quick soup to make, but the recipe can be made in stages (I made the stock and roasted the corn one night, and put it all together the following day) and is worth the effort. The soup comes out creamy and rich without a hint of milk. I used a little butter to give the soup a bit of richness, but you can easily use a “buttery” spread in equal proportions to make this soup truly vegan. My corn was super sweet, but if it’s towards the end of corn season or the off season, you may want to add a little agave nectar or sugar to sweeten it up a bit. This soup makes great leftovers and the taste actually improves after a few nights in the fridge. Serve it with some warm sourdough bread and a salad tossed with basil vinaigrette for a light late-summer meal. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dairy-free, Garden Party, Gluten-Free, healthy recipes, Local Menu, Recipes, Soups, Vegetarian Tagged With: bobby flay corn soup recipe, gluten-free corn chowder, gluten-free recipe, healthy corn chowder, roasted corn chowder recipe, summer corn soup recipe, vegan soup recipe

Grilled Corn, Tomato & Basil Salad

September 5, 2011 1 Comment

This recipe came about when I was cooking for a crowd but only had 4 ears of corn from my crop-share. Cutting corn off the cobb is a great way to make a little corn go a long way and mixing it with other complimentary ingredients, such as basil and tomato, adds a burst of summer flavor.

Grilling the corn makes the natural sugars caramelize and creates a nice charred flavor. This salad is a great use for late-summer corn, which generally has larger kernels that aren’t as tender and sweet as early-season corn.

Use the best ingredients you can find – super ripe tomatoes and fresh basil make this corn salad amazing.

Grilled Corn, Tomato & Basil Salad
4 ears of sweet corn
2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
½ C. fresh basil, chopped
salt & fresh-ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat grill. Shuck corn by removing husks and silk. (To remove pieces of clingy silk use a moist paper towel and wipe in a downward motion, from stalk to tip of cobb). Grill corn until slightly charred. Set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, stand corn vertically in center of large bowl and using a sharp knife, cut corn from stalk, allowing cut corn to fall into bowl. Squeeze any “milk” from empty husk into bowl and continue with remaining pieces of corn.

2. Add tomato and basil to corn and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. Can be made up to 2 hours in advance and served at room temperature.

Serves: 6-8 as a side

Filed Under: Argentinean Grill, Backyard BBQ, Dairy-free, Fourth of July, Garden Party, Gluten-Free, healthy recipes, Local Menu, Picnic, Recipes, Salads, Sides, Vegetarian Tagged With: basil recipe, corn, corn off the cobb, corn recipe, corn salad, crop-share recipes, local recipes, summer recipes, summer salad recipe, summer salads, tomato basil salad, tomato recipe

Beet & Apple Slaw

September 24, 2010 1 Comment

Beet and apple slaw is as delicious as it is healthy. This simple slaw is the perfect side dish for a picnic; it can be made up to 2 days in advance and it travels well.

This original Hip Hostess recipe was published in Rochester Healthy Living Magazine (June 2010, page 19)

http://www.rochesterhealthyliving.com/past_issues/RHL_June2010.pdf

Beet & Apple Slaw

2 raw beets, peeled and shredded (2 cups)

1 large red apple, shredded (1 cup)

½ red onion, chopped (1/4 cup)

juice from 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1 ½ Tbs. Dijon mustard

1 Tbs. agave nectar or 2 Tbs. sugar

1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)

½ tsp. salt

Fresh-ground black pepper to taste

2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

1. Toss together beets, apple and red onion in bowl.

2. Blend lemon juice, oil, vinegar, mustard, agave nectar, garlic, and salt in food processor until smooth. Add to beet mixture, and toss to coat. Garnish with green onions, if using.

Serves 6 (serving size = 3/4 cup)

Filed Under: Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Harvest Party, healthy recipes, Local Menu, Recipes, Rosh Hashana, Salads, Sides, Vegetarian Tagged With: apple recipe, apple slaw, apples, beet slaw, beets, fall apple picking recipe, fall apple recipe, fall beet recipe, fall picnic recipe, fall slaw recipe, picnic recipe, simple slaw recipe

Ouzo Lamb Meatballs (Kaftedes)

September 3, 2010 1 Comment

The best lamb burger I ever had was prepared by a Greek man at a farmer’s market in Kinsale, Ireland. The secret ingredient, he told me, was the addition of ouzo – a Greek anise-flavored spirit (similar to Italy’s Sambuca). So I decided to make lamb meatballs using ouzo and they were phenomenal! Don’t be afraid of the anise flavor – it isn’t licoricey. Ouzo gives depth of flavor and keeps the meatballs deliciously moist. No dipping sauce is needed for these flavorful lamb meatballs.

To make-ahead for a party, prepare the meatballs up to 2 days in advance and undercook them. Reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes, adding an additional minute at a time if needed.

Ouzo Lamb Meatballs

1 lb. ground lamb

3 Tbs. ouzo

½ yellow onion, chopped

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium garlic clove, minced

3 Tbs. fresh mint, finely chopped

1 ½ Tbs. fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 Tbs. capers (rinsed), finely chopped

1 large egg + 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

½ tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 lemon, zested

1. Place meat in medium bowl, add ouzo and let sit. Sautee onions in 1 Tbs. olive oil until soft and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add onion to meat mixture.

2. Add remaining ingredients to meat mixture and knead until well combined and smooth. Using moistened hands or a small spring-loaded scoop, form meat mixture into 1” meatballs and place on a baking sheet.

3. Heat 2 Tbs. olive oil in large skillet, cooking meatballs in batches until browned on all sides (size of batch depends of size of your skillet – keep the skillet hot by leaving plenty of room for each meatball). Keep cooked meatballs warm on a baking sheet in a pre-heated 200-degree oven. Sprinkle meatballs with lemon zest before serving.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Cocktail Party, Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Local Menu, Main Course, Mediterrannean, party food, Recipes, Tapas, Theme Parties Tagged With: cocktail party good, cocktail party meat recipe, cocktail party menu, cocktail party recipe, greek lamb recipe, healthy lamb recipe, hip cocktail party, hip hostess recipes, hip tapas party recipes, kaftedes, lamb meatballs, lamb recipe, lamb tapas recipe, meatball recipe, meatballs, ouzo, red meat, tapas party, tapas recipe

Spring Pea & Parmesan Pasta

May 24, 2010 3 Comments

Spring is in the air in my kitchen, even if the weather isn’t showing steady signs of the season. Although peas aren’t generally my favorite vegetable, I am always drawn to their perky color come spring. Peas and mint are a classic combination because the bright green color and creamy texture is complimented by mint’s equally bright and fresh flavor. I’ve combined them here to form a pasta sauce, which is really a very comforting and healthy dish. I like to think of this as a green mac-n-cheese, minus the copious amounts of cheese. The pea sauce has a really cream, rich texture that evokes the same comforting quality in your mouth. If you like a thinner pasta sauce, add additional chicken stock or olive oil as you puree the peas. And if mint isn’t your thing, try substitute fresh basil instead.

I used brown rice pasta in this dish, but regular semolina pasta or whole wheat pasta would be equally delicious.

Give this dish a try – it’s really a celebration of the season. Enjoy!

Spring Pea & Parmesan Pasta

1 lb pasta

1 Tbs. olive oil

½ medium red onion, chopped

1 Tbs. agave nectar or honey

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

16oz fresh or frozen peas (2 cups)

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

½ Cup low-sodium chicken stock

¼ Cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Fresh-grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.

2. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sauté onion until softened. Add peas, agave nectar, salt and pepper. Cook until peas are tender, 8-10 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and reserve ½ cup pea mixture. Puree remaining pea mixture in food processor with chicken stock until mostly smooth. Return pea puree and reserved whole peas to pan.

3. Add drained pasta and chopped mint to peas toss to coat pasta. Top with fresh-grated Parmesan and serve immediately. Garnish with grated Parmesan and whole mint leaves, if desired.