corn – Page 2 – The Pajama Chef

Appetizers, Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads

#HotSummerEats: Cherry Chipotle Chicken Salad with Cherry Lime Salsa

June 3, 2015June 2, 2015 Sarah

Inspired by your favorite summer drink, this tangy sweet ‘n savory Cherry Lime Salsa is phenomenal with tortilla chips or atop a crunchy chicken salad. Salads in summer just taste better. Fresh ingredients, lots of textures, veggies, fruit… what’s not to love? This is a new favorite!

Cherry Limeade is the quintessential summer drink, isn’t it? Whether you have a Sonic nearby or not, it just sounds like summer! Cherries, limes, sugar… mmm. This fantastic summer salad/salsa combo is inspired by the refreshing beverage and I’m sure you’re going to love it! Before I tell you all about it, can I let you in on a little secret? I don’t think I’ve ever had a whole Cherry Limeade of my own! Seriously. I think I just steal sips from Ben’s. 🙂 But that’s okay, this salsa MORE than makes up for it. The salsa is incredibly simple–only three ingredients. Cherries, a lime, and some Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup. “No’chup” as Ben calls it is fantastic. I’ve been able to try a few flavors, and this one is amazing. It’s sweet and smoky with a hint of spice. Thanks, Erika, for your sponsorship! The salsa is sweet, smoky, and tangy all at once. I was sampling it with tortilla chips when I had a flashback to this BBQ chicken salad I made every other week last summer and decided to shake it up with some cherry chipotle flavors.

The combination of crisp romaine, crunchy corn, and sweet tomatoes is awesome on its own. But add in that Cherry Lime Salsa and some chicken tossed in more of the Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup and you have a masterpiece! Admittedly, this salad is simple but it is very tasty and looks fancy to impress your friends and family. You can purchase Not Ketchup online or in select stores in CA, MI, and a few other states, but in a pinch I think you could get some of the same flavors with cherry jam and chipotle peppers. [Not Ketchup is awesome and I’d purchase it on my own for sure but I always like to give people options, ya know?!] This salad is full of all things delicious and I’m excited to eat the leftovers for lunch today!

By the way, making this salsa was made a zillion times easier with the help of a cherry pitter. I received one as part of #HotSummerEats from Casabella and it’s quite easy to use. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to use it to make my first cherry pie later this summer. Thanks for the gift! 🙂 You can win one and some great other prizes as part of #HotSummerEats this week. Go here for the giveaway! Good luck!

one year ago: Dark Chocolate Double Coconut Macaroons
two years ago: Blueberry Burgers

Cherry Chipotle Chicken Salad with Cherry Lime Salsa

Servings: 4
Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients:

for salsa

1/2 pound cherries [approximately 1 1/2 cups]
1 lime, zested and juiced
3-4 tablespoons Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup

for salad

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3/4 cup Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup
1 medium head romaine lettuce, torn
1 cup corn [frozen or sliced off the cob]
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
crushed tortilla chips, for topping

Directions:

Wash and pit cherries, then slice into quarters and place in a bowl. Stir in zest and juice from 1 lime, then add 3 tablespoons Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup. Taste and add another tablespoon or so if desired. Set aside while preparing salad.

In a small bowl, stir together cooked, shredded chicken and Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup. Heat on the stove or in the microwave until warm. Divide lettuce, corn, and tomatoes between four plates or large bowls. Top with chicken, cherry lime salsa, and crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

For more delicious #HotSummerEats recipes, check out the link below!

Disclaimer: Thank you to Not Ketchup and Casabella for providing samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats recipes without additional compensation. I was not asked to provide positive feedback. All opinions are my own. Please check Not Ketchup out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and Pinterest for more information on their products. You can also find Casabella on Twitter and Facebook to learn more.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

#HotSummerEats: Southwestern Cilantro Mac and Cheese

June 1, 2015May 31, 2015 Sarah

An easy, creamy baked macaroni and cheese with corn and tomatoes… and a kick of Southwestern flair!

Welcome to day 1 of #HotSummerEats! Don’t forget to read all about the event and check out the giveaway here. There are lots of great items up for grabs and I’d love for my readers to win. 🙂 </end plug> When I first started thinking about the concept of hot summer eats, barbecue foods were the first to come to mind. And thanks to the sweet lady who served as our cook in my sorority house in college [shout out to RV!], when I hear barbecue, I also think “mac and cheese.” She’d always serve BBQ chicken with mac and cheese, and that combo is fabulous!

There are several mac and cheese recipes that I love–a stovetop version and a baked version–but both can be kind of fussy and time consuming. In the summer, especially when preparing food for a party or barbecue, speed is imperative. So when I found a recipe for a baked mac and cheese dish that used sour cream and shredded cheese for the sauce, I was pumped! That is SO easy and sounded fabulous. I also stirred in some of my kitchen staples–canned tomatoes and frozen corn–to kick up this dish a notch.

For flavors, I used some Gourmet Garden stir-in pastes: cilantro and chili pepper. I’ve used these so much in the past and am so glad to say that they’re a sponsor of #HotSummerEats! They’re so easy and convenient to use, and add a ton of flavor in one easy package! The result? This mac and cheese was super cheesy, super flavorful, and super delicious! The easy sauce was just as tasty as some of its more fussy counterparts, though you do have to give it a good stir after baking to evenly distribute to cheese. Small problems though, when this dish is so good! I hope you love it as much as we do. 🙂

one year ago: Black Bean and Rice Soup
four years ago: Lemony Kale Pasta

Southwestern Cilantro Mac and Cheese

Servings: 8
Time: 60 minutes
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adapted from Good Cheap Eats

Ingredients:

1 pound cavatappi pasta
8 ounces Jalapeno Light Cheddar Cheese, cut into chunks [I used Cabot; a pepperjack would also work]
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded – divided
1 cup sour cream
1 – 10 ounce can diced tomato and green chiles, drained
1/2 cup corn, from an ear of cooked corn or frozen works too
1/4 cup Cilantro Paste – from Gourmet Garden [or about 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro]
2 tablespoons Chili Pepper Paste – from Gourmet Garden [or other spice like red pepper flakes or hot sauce, to taste]
Lightly Dried Cilantro – from Gourmet Garden, for topping [or chopped fresh cilantro]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees while a large pot of water comes to a boil. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook pasta until just under al dente, since it will cook further in the oven. In a large bowl, stir together Jalapeno cheese, half of the shredded cheddar cheese, tomatoes, corn, cilantro, and chili pepper paste.

When pasta is done, drain and add pasta to the sauce in the bowl. Stir together to combine, then transfer to the baking dish. Note: there will not be tons of extra sauce, just enough to coat the noodles. Place in preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Stir pasta and sauce together in baking dish to recombine and then serve with additional cilantro.

For more #HotSummerEats recipes, click the link below:

Disclaimer: Thank you to Gourmet Garden for providing samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats recipes without additional compensation. I was not asked to provide positive feedback. All opinions are my own. Please check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more information on their products.

Beans, Main Dishes, Recipes, Rice, Sides

Southwest Veggie + Taco Rice Casserole

January 9, 2015December 14, 2015 Sarah

This simple, healthy casserole is filled with lots of vegetables, black beans, and a delicious taco rice. It’s perfect for dinner and makes enough for lunch leftovers too. Mmm!

Once upon a time, when we were first married, our go-to dinner was tacos, spaghetti, or some sort of seasoned chicken dish. There’s nothing wrong with any of those dinners, but unless you are using assorted boxed or packaged ingredients they aren’t that easy. Well, if you don’t buy that stuff on a regular basis, that is. [For the record, I do buy that stuff sometimes. I just don’t keep it at home regularly. My pantry is too full of seventeen kinds of grains, pastas, mustards, and sauces. Seventeen EACH that is. :)]

Now, my go-to dinner is much simpler. Black beans and rice. Directions: Open freezer, remove black beans that I make by the pound in the oven. Defrost in the sink while making some rice on the stove. Heat black beans up on the stove with some homemade taco seasoning. Serve together, with assorted toppings like avocado, cilantro, green onions, hot sauce, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, etc. It’s rare that I have all those toppings on hand at once, but when I do… it’s parrrtytime! [Yes, I realize that if black beans and rice with toppings is my definition of partytime, I’m probably not very exciting. Ha.]

This casserole is the kicked up version of black beans and rice, except everything is all mixed up together and baked til it’s ooey gooey. MMM! If you like regular black beans and rice, you’ll LOVE this version. It’s from the Budget Bytes cookbook so you know it has to be good. Probably what makes it so freakin’ awesome is that the rice isn’t just normal… it’s taco rice! If your family isn’t comfortable with meatless meals yet, I think this would be a great way to introduce the concept. There’s tons of flavor in one lil casserole dish! We loved this meal and hope you do too! 🙂

one year ago: Oreo Ice Cream Pie
three years ago: Spaghetti and “Meat” Balls
four years ago: Caramelized Onion Dip

Southwest Veggie + Taco Rice Casserole

Servings: 6
Time: 50 minutes
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from the Budget Bytes cookbook

Ingredients:

for taco rice

1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups long-grain white rice

for casserole

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium jalapeno, diced [deseeded if desired]
1 bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, sliced and quartered – or 1 cup mushrooms, another bell pepper, or an extra cup of corn
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 – 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 – 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups prepared taco rice [from above]
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

In a saucepan, whisk together chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, tomato paste, and 3 cups water. Whisk together then stir in rice. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is fully cooked. Then fluff with a fork and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 inch dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Then, add rest of the veggies: jalapeno, bell pepper, zucchini, and chili powder. Stir to combine and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until soft and all liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and stir in corn, tomatoes, and black beans. Add the taco rice [you will have extra rice left] and the cheese and stir well. Transfer to prepared pan, then bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.

Serve with green onions and cilantro.

Note:

Recipe can also be doubled [casserole portion–do not make extra rice] and baked in a 9×13 pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Recipes

Earthy Frittata

August 15, 2014August 14, 2014 Sarah

This frittata combines earthy mushrooms, yellow squash, and oregano with sweet corn for a wonderful savory summer meal. The cheesy, crunchy topping will make you come back for seconds and thirds!

I first fell in love with frittatas a few summers ago when we got a CSA through a vendor at our local farmer’s market. Man, I miss that farmer’s market so much. I just haven’t found one in Nashville that compares! :(But that’s alright, Nashville wins in plenty of other ways [read: BBQ. beautiful parks. our awesome church. our cats getting along. I could go on and on and on.]. Maybe someday I’ll find a farmer’s market I adore. But back to this frittata. It is gooooooood! And chock-ful of all your summer favorites, ready to eat hot or cold for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Though I still make this kale frittata more often than a certain husband of mine might like, I do try to branch out in my frittata-making. Aside from this pizza frittata, I think this one is the most different, simply because of the crunchy topping. I usually finish off my frittatas with a sprinkling of cheese on top but now I know the secret for impressing Ben with a frittata: add cheese AND panko! Seriously! It sounds weird to add bread crumbs to an egg dish, but it works! It almost makes this healthy meal into a hearty comfort food casserole, and almost keeps him occupied enough not to notice the mushrooms [which aren’t his favorite thing ever]. I used shiitake mushrooms because Ben likes those more than traditional white mushrooms, but either can work.

The best thing with frittatas is that they are totally customizable, so feel free to play around with the mix-ins. Use zucchini instead of squash, or tomatoes instead of corn. Use another herb or a different type of cheese. But don’t forget about the topping… it’s what really makes this frittata stand out! Enjoy!

two years ago: Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread
three years ago: Pillow Cookies
four years ago: Tomato Pie

Earthy Frittata

Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes active + 30 minutes for squash to rest
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Ingredients:

1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
salt
1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced [white mushrooms also would be fine]
kernels from one ear of corn
crushed red pepper
8 eggs
2-3 sprigs Greek oregano [or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano]
2 tablespoons water
2 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan Herb Panko breadcrumbs [or add a little Italian seasoning and a dash of Parmesan to regular toasted breadcrumbs or Panko]

Directions:

Place sliced yellow squash in a large colander in the sink. Sprinkle with salt and let rest for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Roll in a clean kitchen towel and gently press squash to dry and draw out moisture.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a 10 inch oven proof skillet, melt butter over medium heat. When hot, add squash and mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften. Add corn and season with crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Cook another minute or so.

Whisk eggs, oregano, and water together, then pour into skillet, taking care to distribute vegetables evenly throughout egg mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until eggs are starting to set.

Next, top frittata with cheese and breadcrumbs, then bake for 10-15 minutes or until eggs are fully set and cheese is melted. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Mystery Dish: Sweet Corn Soup with Peaches

June 30, 2014August 28, 2014 Sarah

Sweet Corn Soup with Peaches is a twist on a classic corn chowder and is a perfect soup for summer since it can be enjoyed hot or cold!

When I saw corn on this month’s Mystery Dish ingredient list I was SO excited because this Indiana girl loves her corn! If you’ve ever been to central or northern Indiana, you may have heard the jingle: “there’s more than corn in Indiana, it’s the best part of Americana, and it’s right within your reach… it’s Indiana Beach!!” [on beautiful Lake Shafer, Monticello, Indiana… proving once again there’s more than corn in Indiana.] C’mon, I’m sure you guys all have commercials/jingles memorized. Hearing that song was always a sign that summer was coming because Indiana Beach, a local amusement park, was opening. I haven’t been to Indiana Beach in years, but every time I think about corn, Indiana Beach pops into my head too. Successful marketing? I think so! But that’s not where we’re going today.

Meriam of Culinary Couture is this month’s hostess for Mystery Dish, and her list of ingredients for us to work with included: peaches, cheddar cheese, green beans, corn, chicken, nectarines, butter, pecans, heavy cream, pesto, and coconut milk/cream. We were supposed to use three ingredients. At first, I wanted to make something with peaches and cheddar cheese! You know me… I like to try interesting flavor combinations. But then I decided that might be a little too odd, even for me. 🙂 So I did what I usually do: consulted my good friend Mr. Google. An obvious thought I had was making some kind of salad with peaches, nectarines, corn, and green beans. An even more obvious thought was baking! But somehow I landed on this soup: a twist on corn chowder using peaches, corn, and coconut milk off the list. And it was fabulous!

I’ve made a Mexican Corn Soup before, but this version is different. It’s a sweet soup. There’s no sugar or sweetener of any kind added, but there is plenty of sweetness from the corn [and the cobs that cook in the soup for a bit], peaches, and coconut milk. I know that sounds a bit odd, but it just works! It’s a taste of summer in a bowl, and you can serve it hot or cold depending on your preference. This is a great soup to enjoy for a light meal with a side salad and some cornbread, or it could be an awesome first course to serve with some bbq + fixings. I hope you enjoy this unique soup!

one year ago: Coconut Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Crumb Cake
two years ago: BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad
three years ago: Lemony Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Sweet Corn Soup with Peaches

Servings: 8
Time: 45mins
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adapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients:

6 ears sweet corn
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of cayenne pepper
3 large ripe peaches, pitted and chopped [peel them if you want–I didn’t]
1 1/4 cups coconut milk
large handful Thai basil, chopped + more for garnish

Directions:

Cut kernels from corn cobs and place both kernels and cobs in a large soup pot. Add broth, onion, garlic, cayenne, and 2 cups water and stir together. Add two thirds of the peaches to the pot too, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Then, use tongs to remove corn cobs from soup pot and discard. Add coconut milk and Thai basil. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. [A blender or food processor can also be used but you may want to let it cool first.] Simmer for another 5 minutes or until hot. Garnish with remaining chopped peaches and chopped Thai basil.

Check out what the other Mystery Dish girls made this month!