Michael Symon's Pasta with Corn and Feta and Tomatoes

This was the most amazing dinner.  We all gave this a perfect 10, and we couldn't believe how amazing it was.  I found this recipe in Michael Symon's 5 in 5 cookbook, our family's favorite, and this recipe just spoke to us.  The feta with the corn and tomatoes, what an amazing combination.  I made some Italian seasoned ground beef for Aaron to put on his, which is why he also gave it a perfect 10 :).  Anyway, for 8 servings, the calories were 290, and here's what to do:

12 oz pasta
2 T olive oil
salt
3 ears sweet corn, kernels cut from the cob
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t red pepper flakes (can use more)
3 T fresh oregano leaves
2 c cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 T olive oil
1 c crumbled Feta cheese

Cook the pasta in very well salted water.  Reserve 1 c of the pasta water, then drain and set the pasta aside.
Heat the olive oil and corn in a large skillet until the kernels start to brown, then add in the garlic and oregano and salt.  Cook about 1 minute.  Stir in the red pepper flakes and the reserved pasta water and cook for another minute.
Add the pasta to the pan, stirring the noodles into the sauce.  Remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes, olive oil and feta.  Serve immediately.

Michael Symon's Flank Steak with Bacon Corn Salad

Sorry about the late posting the last few times, I keep losing track of days :).  This was a delicious meal, and I loved the salad.  We actually had salad left over, and had it for leftovers the next day.  Each serving was 340 calories, for six servings, and Noah and I gave this a perfect 10, and Owen and Aaron gave it a 9.  Here's the easy recipe from Michael Symon:

Flank Steak (about 1 lb)
salt and pepper
4 T olive oil
1/2 lb bacon, diced
4 ear sweet corn, kernels cut from the cob
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 c loosely packed arugula
1/2 onion, sliced thinly

Season the steak with salt and pepper.  In a pan, heat 3T oil, then cook the flank steak on both sides until cooked to desired doneness.  Cook the remaining bacon with 1 T olive oil until crispy.  Add the corn and cook until the corn starts to brown.  Add the red pepper flakes and 1/2 c water to deglaze the pan.  Stir in the vinegar.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper.  Cut the steak thinly against the grain.  Top with the bacon, corn, arugula, and onion.

Absolutely Avocado's Mexican Chopped Salad with Crab

This was going to be a side dish salad from the Absolutely Avocados cookbook, but the recipe I was going to make with the Krab didn't happen because I forgot one of the main ingredients, sigh :).  Anyway, I changed this recipe a little to make it a main dish, and it was super delicious.  We all gave this a 9, it was super great.  Each serving was 578 calories, and it came together really quickly.  Here's what I did:

2 avocados, peeled and chopped
4 ears corn, cooked and cooled, then cut off the cob
3 scallions, chopped
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 bag romaine lettuce, chopped
chopped cilantro, to taste
1/2 c olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 t honey
1 T mayonnaise
1/2 t salt
5 oz pepper jack cheese, grated
1 lb Krab (fake crab meat, use the real stuff if you can :))

Mix together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, mayonnaise, and salt.  Set aside.  Mix together the avocados, corn, scallions, black beans, bell pepper, lettuce and cilantro.  Add in the cheese and Krab, then toss with the dressing and serve.

Yum, yum, yum!  This was a great, cool salad, and a really good summer meal, even if we had it in October :).

Picky Palate's Smoky Black Bean Pasta

This Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Pasta in Fire-Roasted Tomato Cream Sauce from Picky Palate is one of those meals that is better the next day.  The day of, the flavors were rather bland, but they developed over night and it was better the next day.  We didn't love this meal, but it was easy and not bad, so Aaron and I gave it a 6, and the boys gave it a 7.  For eight servings, each serving was 336 calories, and here's what I did, which is a little different from the original recipe.

1/2 lb bow tie pasta, cooked and drained
1 T olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 T minced garlic
3/4 lb chicken breast, diced and seasoned
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 14 oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/4 c heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1/4 t garlic salt
1/2 c Monterey Jack cheese

Heat the oil in a large pot, add the onion and stir until tender.  Add the garlic, and the seasoned chicken, and cook until chicken is no longer pink.  Add the beans, corn and cilantro, stirring until heated through.  Add the tomatoes and pasta to the chicken mixture, then the cream, salt, pepper and garlic salt.  Add the cheese and stir.

Pioneer Woman's Grilled Corn Dip

This wasn't a big hit around here, I liked it the best, but the cotija cheese was kind of off putting in this recipe for most of the family.  I changed it just a little, and I think it would be good for a big party, but it made sooooo much, and it had a funky smell.  Aaron gave it a 6, Owen gave it a 7, and Noah and I gave it an 8.  No calorie information because I couldn't figure out how many serving there were, it was so much food :).  Here's what I did:

1 can creamed corn
1 can corn
8 oz cream cheese
4 green onions, sliced
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz monterey jack cheese
4 oz cotija
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t paprika
dash of cayenne pepper
salt
juice of 1 lime
dash or 2 of tobasco

Mix everything together, then serve with chips.

Picky Palate's Salmon over Garlic Corn

This is a superdy duperdy delicious meal ;).  We loved it, Noah and Aaron both saying it was their favorite fish ever.  Way to go Picky Palate!  This was such an easy dinner, as well as great tasting, we will have this again, and I love that it was such a hit.  Aaron and I gave it a 9, Noah gave it a perfect 10, and Owen gave it an 8.  We used a smaller piece of salmon than the recipe called for, so the calories for our dinner were 288 per serving.  Here's what I did:

salt
Tobasco Sauce
3/4 t paprika
2 T maple syrup
about 1 lb of salmon
2 T olive oil
1 can corn, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T cilantro

Preheat the oven to 450.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Mix together some salt to taste, and the paprika.  Coat the fish with the salt and paprika, then put on a little tobasco sauce and then top with the maple syrup.  Place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet and then add the garlic and cook for about a minute.  Add in the corn, cilantro, some more salt, and tobasco.  Stir, then serve with the fish.


Easy and delicious!

Left Over Soup

This is a good way to use leftovers, but it wasn't an all out hit.  I call it left over soup because I used our left over Thanksgiving food to make it.  Aaron gave it a 6, Owen gave it a 7, I gave it an 8, and Noah gave it a 9.  The problem was the broth and the ham didn't go well together.  I don't know if I should've cut up the ham into smaller pieces, ours were bite size, or what, but it wasn't great together.  Aaron and I and the boys all loved the actual soup, it was delicious, it was just the ham that wasn't quite right.  Anyway, here's what I did.

2-3 c mashed potatoes and gravy
2-3 c ham, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
4 green onions
chives
1 can creamed corn or left over corn
1/2 c or so cream
1 T tapioca

Put all ingredients except cream in a crockpot and cook on low for as long as you would like.  A half hour before serving, add the cream, stir it, turn temperature to high and remove the lid so the sauce can evaporate a little and thicken up.  Serve.

Enchilada Casserole

Happy Birthday Aaron!  I'll post his treats next week :).  We had another family favorite this week, and this is again one of my recipes that is super easy.  It's similar to Sonia's Lazy Man Enchiladas, but I do things a little differently, and our family loves it.  Owen and Noah gave it a perfect 10, and Aaron and I gave it a 9.  Here's how I make it, and again, everything is estimated so there isn't any calorie information.

1/2 lb ground beef
cumin
coriander
garlic salt
onion powder
canned corn
corn tortillas
1 large can enchilada sauce
a lot of cheese, I like a mixture, like Monterey jack, pepperjack, and cheddar

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 pan.  Brown ground beef with spices, then add in the drained canned corn.  Pour a little bit of sauce to the pan, then take corn tortillas and rip them in pieces and submerge them in the enchilada sauce.  Lay them in the bottom of the pan, covering the entire bottom.  Top with 1/2 of the ground beef mixture, then some sauce, then lots of cheese.  Repeat this again, ending with the cheese.  Cook for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.  We serve ours with avocado, tomatoes, and sour cream.

Pastor Ryan's Mexican Lasagna

This Mexican Lasagna recipe is from the Pioneer Woman, and I love this recipe because it makes tons of food, we cut it in half and still get three freezer meals out of it, and it is easy and delicious.  Aaron actually made this for us this time, which is such a treat, I love my hubby :).  Aaron and Owen gave it a 7, and Noah and I gave it an 8.  It's just such a great family meal, and if you want to do lots of freezer meals, this is the way to do it.  This stuff is great after being frozen, so we'll be having this after Jonah baby comes ;).  I also add less meat, and I often like to add an extra can of beans, just suggestions.  Here is the recipe and the calories/serving are 350 for 24 servings.

4 c Unprepared Rice
6 c(to 8 c) Low Sodium Chicken Broth/stock
4 whole (to 8) Tomatoes (up To You)
2 whole (to 3) Onions (up To You)
8 cloves (to 14 Cloves) Of Garlic (up To You)
Butter (I usually don't add this, but Aaron did)
Taco Seasoning (or Chili Powder, Paprika, And Cumin, I use this, not the packet stuff) To Taste
1 can (to 2 Cans) Black Or Pinto Beans (up To You)
3 pounds Lean Ground Beef
2 jars (16 Ounce) Salsa Verde
Flour Tortillas (I used 20 for the whole recipe)
3 packages (16 Ounces) Mexican Cheese Blend
1 jar (16 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
3 cans Corn, Drained

 

Begin by preparing rice with chicken broth/stock. Once prepared, salt to taste.
Chop up tomatoes, onions, and garlic as small as you prefer. Saute in pan with a tablespoon or so of butter. Add approximately 3 tablespoons chili powder, and 1 ½ tablespoon of both paprika and cumin. Stir until nicely combined.
Feel free to add beans if you like them… no need to drain. Mix cooked rice together with tomato/onion/garlic mixture.
Brown the ground beef using about 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 ½ tablespoon, paprika and 1 ½ tablespoon of cumin and salt to taste with about 4-6 ounces of water to create the taco beef.
Spread one container of salsa verde in the bottom of a large casserole or baking dish. Layer on tortillas covering salsa verde. Some overlapping is expected.
Divide your rice mixture in half and spread it over the layer of tortillas. Divide cheese in half and layer it on top of the rice layer. Approximately 24 ounces of cheese per layer.
Add another layer of tortillas on top of your cheese layer. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas and spread it out evenly.
Add layer of browned ground beef. Add 3 cans of corn (drained) on top of beef layer. Then the remaining amount of rice mixture on top of corn layer followed by the remaining jar of salsa verde, on top of which you will add the remaining cheese (approximately 24ounces) to the top…this is our final layer of ingredients. Sprinkle top with some taco seasoning or cayenne pepper.
Bake at 375º for 25-35 minutes until cheese has melted and begins to brown a bit.

Corn Crepes with Barbecue Duck Confit

This recipe was great.  The crepes were delicious, the barbecue sauce was very interesting, and using already prepared duck confit was very easy.  The difficult part of this recipe was making the barbecue sauce.  You first had to make some spicy ketchup from scratch (ketchup from scratch, a first from me and so fun!), then make the barbecue sauce.  I'm not going to post those recipes, buy Michael Symon's cookbook Live to Cook if you're interested.  It was a little spicy, but really good.  Aaron and I gave this recipe a 9, and the boys gave it a 7, because it was spicy.  I used 1 ear of corn for the crepe batter, but everything else I just followed the directions.

Crepe batter:
1/2 c fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels ( I used 1 ear, boiled)
1/2 c all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 c whole milk
1/4 t kosher salt
pepper
1/2 c coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 c coarsely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 c coarsely chopped scallion, white and green parts
canola oil, for sautéing

Barbecue Duck Confit:
1 c shredded duck confit or alternate filling of your choice (I picked up some duck confit at my grocery store)
1 c coffee barbecue sauce
1/2 c sour cream for serving

Combine the flour, corn, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, bell peppers, and scallion in a food processor and puree until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours.

Oil a pan, and warm over medium heat.  Ladle in some batter and cook over medium heat, then flip and continue cooking until cooked through.  Repeat.

Preheat oven to 400.

Wrap 2-3 T of duck confit with a T of sauce in each crepe to make a cylinder.  Arrange the crepes seam side down, in a baking dish.  Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes.  Garnish with sour cream.

We also added the corn salad to the crepes, and I didn't use the sour cream, because I don't like sour cream :)

Grilled Corn Salad

We had this grilled corn salad the other night, along with some delicious crepes.  I will post that recipe tomorrow.  Anyway, this comes from Michael Symon's Carnivore cookbook, his newest cookbook.  This is a great, fresh corn salad, but we didn't grill it since we don't have a grill, and it's cold right now.  I just boiled the corn on the cob like normal.  We liked this, Aaron and I more than the boys, we gave it an 8, the boys gave it a 6.  Here's the recipe:

4 ears of corn
salt
1 anchovy, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
grated zest and juice of 3 limes
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
1 ripe Hass avocado, diced
1 c halved cherry tomatoes (I used 2 roma tomatoes)
6 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
3/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

Cook the ears of corn.  In a large bowl, combine the anchovy, garlic, jalapeno, and a large pinch of salt.  Add the lime zest and juice and whisk in the olive oil.  Add the avocado, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro and gently toss.  Over the bowl, cut the kernels from the cobs and add them into the salad.  Toss to combine, and season to taste.  (I liked mine with more salt, Aaron thought it didn't need anymore salt.)

I'm a dork, but I think it is so cool how an acid and an oil emulsify and make a really cool dressing.  I love that :)  Anyway, this salad would be better in the middle of the summer or late summer when all the veggies are super fresh, but this was still great.

Roasted Corn Salad

Today we had Pioneer Woman's Roasted Corn Salad and we had high hopes for this.  You can find the recipe in her first cookbook.  Our high hopes were not fulfilled.  We scored this lower than anything we've ever had, only a 2.  We grilled everything just like the recipe said, the only change I made was to cut everything in half, and it was just not enjoyable.  We had to make ourselves force it down.  We couldn't even taste the corn, and the onions overpowered everything, as did the balsamic vinegar.  I'm not going to post the recipe, because I don't think anyone should make it.  Sorry PW, I love almost all of your recipes, this one just didn't cut it for me. :( 
For 1/6 of the total, the calories were 208.
Tomorrow we're having a pasta bake.

Burritos and Taquitos

Let's start with lunch. Aaron made lunch for us today, hooray! He did a great job and it was nice to have someone else make food for us. We had beef and bean burritos from the Pioneer Woman, and her Grilled Corn Guacamole as well.

These were both really good, they both got perfect 10's!!!  We love when that happens.  We cut the burritos recipe in half, and made 6 burritos, so the calories were 520/burrito.  Too bad, because they are so delicious!  The guacamole was also great, the corn adding a really nice touch of sweetness.  The guacamole was split into 16 servings, with 71 calories per serving.  We had plenty of guacamole left over for dinner, and we served it with these Creamy Chicken Taquitos.

I love being able to make baked instead of fried food and having them turn out well. These were delicious, we gave them an 8 because they could have used just a bit more flavor. I made 13 taquitos from the recipe, and the calories for each were 155. I cooked the chicken in the crockpot with some homemade salsa and salt, and then shredded it. This was fast and easy, and we'll definitely make it again. Tomorrow we're having some apple rolls and a chicken salad.