CREAMY CORN PASTA WITH BASIL
This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “There’s no cream in this wonderfully summery pasta dish, just a luscious sauce made from puréed fresh corn and sweet sautéed scallions, along with Parmesan for depth and red chile flakes for a contrasting bite. Be sure to add the lemon juice and fresh herbs at the end; the rich pasta really benefits from their bright, fresh flavors. And while this is best made at the height of corn season, it’s still quite good even with out-of-season supermarket ears, or with frozen corn.” Yield: 3 to 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes.
This was featured in “To Get the Most Out of Corn Season, Reach for Your Blender”. You can also view this online here.
Ingredients
Fine sea salt
12 ounces dry orecchiette or farfalle
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 bunch scallions (about 8), trimmed and thinly sliced (keep the whites and greens separate)
2 large ears corn, shucked and kernels removed (2 cups kernels)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, more for serving
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, more to taste
1/3 cup torn basil or mint, more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Fresh lemon juice, as needed
Preparation
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until 1 minute shy of al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat; add scallion whites and a pinch of salt and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and all but 1/4 cup corn; simmer until corn is heated through and almost tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, transfer to a blender, and purée mixture until smooth, adding a little extra water if needed to get a thick but pourable texture.
Heat the same skillet over high heat. Add butter and let melt. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. (It’s O.K. if the butter browns; that deepens the flavor.) Add the corn purée and cook for 30 seconds to heat and combine the flavors.
Reduce heat to medium. Add pasta and half the reserved pasta cooking water, tossing to coat. Cook for 1 minute, then add a little more of the pasta cooking water if the mixture seems too thick. Stir in 1/4 cup of the scallion greens, the Parmesan, the herbs, the red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Transfer to warm pasta bowls and garnish with more scallions, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper.
CHARD-WRAPPED GREEK YOGURT PIES
When I read this recipe, I was totally blown away. This yummy recipe is from David Tanis, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “These little Greek-style pies are traditionally wrapped in grape leaves, but chard leaves make a fine alternative. Served warm, the texture is akin to a fresh cheese, perfumed with dill, mint and olive oil.” Yield: 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
This was featured in “For This Greek Pie, You Don’t Need a Crust”, and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
6 large chard leaves, washed
2 cups plain full-fat Greek-style yogurt
Salt and black pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon chopped mint
2 teaspoons chopped dill, plus more for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup cornmeal or rice flour
A handful of lightly toasted pine nuts
Greek olives, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cut stems from chard leaves and save for another use. Blanch chard leaves just to wilt, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cool water and squeeze dry.
Put yogurt in a mixing bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in garlic, scallions, mint, dill, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest and the cornmeal. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Brush six 1-cup ramekins with olive oil. Line each ramekin with 1 chard leaf, allowing edges to drape over the mold. Fill each leaf with 1/2 cup of yogurt mixture. Fold the edges of the chard leaf back over the top and brush generously with olive oil. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
Let cool slightly, then turn ramekins over onto a plate to unmold. To serve, peel back top layer of chard to expose the filling. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with dill, a few toasted pine nuts and some olives if desired.
Tip:
Pies may also be served room temperature or baked in advance and reheated briefly.
HERBED CARROT SOUP
From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett
2 pounds of carrots, chopped
1 large onion, diced
6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbs of butter
6 C of vegetable stock
Freshly grated mace or nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.
Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.
ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA
This came from the July 2015 issue of Better Nutrition, which I picked up at my favorite store, Rollin’ Oats in St. Petersburg, Florida. It begins, “Serve this fresh dip with organic chips. Two great options: Organic Summertime Blues Multigrain Tortilla Chips and Beanitos Original Black Bean Chips.” Makes about 2 cups (8 servings).
To view this online, click here.
1 lb. tomatillos, husked and rinsed well
2 small serrano chilies
4 garlic cloves
1 small yellow onion, quartered
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. salt
Preheat broiler and move rack to top position. Arrange tomatillos, serrano chilies, garlic, and onions on large baking sheet. Broil 5–7 minutes, 6 inches from heat, until softened.
Remove pan from oven and let cool until vegetables are easy to handle. Pull stems from chilies and remove skins from garlic.
Combine vegetables in food processor with lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Process into a coarse purée.
Season with salt and pepper, and serve with chips.
per serving: 25 cal; 1g pro; 1g total fat (0g sat fat); 6g carb; 0mg chol; 290mg sod; 1g fiber; 3g sugars
TERIYAKI TOFU KABOBS
Yield 4 servings
Serving Size: 2 skewers
Source: The Diabetes Food and Nutrition Bible
Author: Hope Warshaw and Robyn Webb
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/330.shtml
Ingredients
8 bamboo skewers
3/4 pound extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 32 cubes
1 red pepper, cut into 16 squares
1 cup canned pineapple chunks, reserve 1/2 cup juice
1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
Directions
Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes to keep them from burning as you cook the skewers.
Meanwhile, put the tofu, red pepper, and pineapple chunks in a plastic bag or container with a lid. Add reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Drain, reserving marinade to baste. Thread the tofu, red pepper, and pineapple on the skewers.
Prepare an outdoor grill or oven broiler with the rack set 6 inches from the heat source. Grill or broil the kabobs about 5 minutes per side, basting with the marinade. Serve with brown rice.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 107; Protein: 7 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 147 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Exchanges: 1 Carbohydrate, 1 Very Lean Meat
WATERMELON PUNCH
Years ago, I was a bride’s maid at a friend’s wedding. A friend of the couple held the reception dinner; this punch was served with the hors d’oeuvres. I’ve added ginger ale to the recipe; it’s good either way. Also, this is in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 watermelon
6 oz. can orange juice, undiluted
1 T honey
1 liter bottle ginger ale
Put watermelon (excluding rind and seeds) in a blender—and blend. Pour juice through a strainer into a large bowl. Add orange juice and honey, stir, and add ice. Add ginger ale just before serving.
