Corn Soup

Don't let the simplicity of this soup fool you.  It is full of corn flavor.  You can kick it up a notch by using the cobs.  I give you the info at the end of this post.  

Fresh summer corn.  I could eat it everyday.  It is so sweet, and with a little butter and salt, oh my. So simple and so good.  But I digress.  Back to the soup.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter
One small onion, diced
2 cups water
4 ears fresh corn
1/2 cup grated potato
Salt
1/2 to 1 cup Milk, or other milk like product



Shuck the corn, remove the silk, and slice off the kernels.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter and add the onions.  Cook the onions over low heat until soft, but do not brown.  Add the grated potato, water, corn and salt and cook 10 minutes or until corn and potato are cooked through.   Cool briefly.  Puree 2/3 of soup in blender then add back to the pan.  You want the soup to be smooth but still have some whole kernels.  Heat through on low heat, add some milk to desired consistency, do not allow to boil.  Add salt to taste.   Serve hot.

The grated potato will help make the soup richer and thicker.

If want more potato in the soup, cut up one potato into small 1/2 inch cubes.  Boil in hot salted water in a separate pot.  When potatoes are done, drain, then add to soup.  Cooking time will be about 10 minutes.

You can also add herbs to this dish;  parsley, basil, tarragon, chives, or dill.  Take your pick.

 I have to say that I like it plain.  It's summer in a bowl.

If you want even more flavor, but a little more work,  you can kick it up a notch.  Take the cobs and put them into 2 cups of water and allow them to simmer away for about 15 minutes.  Then remove the cobs and discard and use that water for your soup.  There is so much flavor in those cobs, might as well extract as much as possible.   

Tomato sandwiches with basil mayo

Every year I wait for the heirloom tomatoes to come into season.  I don't know about you but I think the only way to get a good tomato is from your local grower, or grow them yourself if you have the room. Those tomatoes they sell in the supermarket year round are not tomatoes, they only look like tomatoes.  They have no flavor and the consistency is all wrong.  Go to the farmers market and buy fresh locally grown tomatoes and then you will know what a real tomato tastes like.  I can eat them every day, and do, because I want to get my fill while they are in season.  One of the best ways to use them up is to make tomato sandwiches.  I eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Any time of day is good for a tomato sandwich.  And since I made the basil mayo they are tomatoes on steroids.

Ingredients:
Multi grain bread, or any good quality bread, slightly toasted
Basil Mayonnaise  (see previous recipe on blog)
Sliced heirloom tomato
Very good quality olive oil
Sea Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Toast your bread slightly.  Smear with basil mayo.  Top with a nice thick slice of heirloom tomato.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Open wide! I hope you get hooked on them just like I did.

Basil Mayonnaise

I can't take credit for this.  This recipe is from Ina Garten.  That woman has some of the best recipes for basic everyday cooking but with a little twist. I have made many of her recipes and they always work. 

I made this basil mayo recently because we are eating grilled vegie sandwiches and I thought they would be so much better than using plain ol' mayo.  Oh yeah!  The recipe makes 2 cups which is too much for us to eat so I cut it in half.  1 cup is plenty for 2 people and it will last a few weeks in the refrig.  Besides sandwiches you can use this as a dip with raw vegies.  You could also use it with meat.  Use it for anything you use mayo for only kicked up a notch.  How about potato salad?  Or a tomato sandwich? Yum!

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks, room temperature
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

In a food processor:  add the egg yolks, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.  Process until smooth.  With the motor running slowly pour the oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until emulsified.  Add the basil and process until finely pureed.  Put into a seal container and store in the refrig.

Now that I have spoiled by husband with this he says he never wants to eat regular mayonnaise again!

Eggplant Gratin

This dish is for my granddaughter Jazmyn.  She was staying with us for a few days recently and she happened to mention that one of her favorite foods was eggplant and that she didn't get it very often.  I wish I had known before she came over because I would have made this dish for her. This is the next best thing, posting it so she and her Mom can make it. I bet it becomes one of her favorites!

This gratin is a layered dish, the eggplant and cheese gets layered into a gratin pan and when it cooks the cheese sets up and it gets slightly brown and toasty on top.  The original recipe was inspired by Ina Garten.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
Olive Oil for frying
1/4 cup ricotta
1 large egg
1/4 half and half
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
1/2 cup Marinara sauce
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet or grill pan heat some olive oil.  Add the eggplant and salt and pepper.  Saute the slices of eggplant until brown on both sides and cooked though.  Set aside.
In a small bowl combine the ricotta, egg, half and half. Set aside.

In two small gratin dishes place one layer of eggplant, 1/4 of the cheese sauce, 1/4 of the marinara sauce, 1/4 of the Parmesan.  It might look messy but it doesn't matter.  Repeat. Another layer of eggplant, the cheese sauce, some marinara sauce, then the Parmesan. 

Bake for 30 minutes until the sauce has set and the top is brown.  Serve hot.

I make two because I like to have one left over. I serve one for dinner with a salad and the other I keep for a couple days later or I wrap it and freeze it.  It freezes beautifully and you can take it right from the freezer into the oven to reheat.

I hope my Granddaughter enjoys this recipe!  It's sent with love!

Quinoa with black beans

 

Quinoa is one of those grains that we should all eat.  I have tried it several times and I could never acquire a taste for it. Until now. I made this recipe over the weekend, I was really just experimenting, and came up with something that actually tastes good. So besides the fact that it is good for you, it tastes great. Quinoa is high is protein which is why health foodies include this in their regular diet.    

Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa
1 15 oz can black beans
1/4 red onion, diced fine
1 mango, chopped small
handful of cilantro, chopped
1 Lime, zest and juice
2 tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper

This is so fast and simple because everything literally gets thrown into a mixing bowl and it is done. 

Cook the 1 cup quinoa according to package directions. Allow to cool slightly and put into a large mixing bowl.  Drain the black beans, add to the bowl.  Dice the red onion to a fine dice and add to the bowl.  Peel and cut the mango into a small dice and add to the bowl along with the cilantro.  Zest the lime, add to the bowl, cut the lime in half, juice it and add to the bowl.  Pour in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix well.

This can be eaten straight away but I found that it is better after it has had a bit of time.   This is a perfect dish to make the day ahead.  

Healthy Eating!