Orecchiette with Creamy Chipotle and Corn

Orecchiette with Creamy Chipotle and Corn (slightly adapted from Woman’s Day, Servings: 6, Total Time: 25 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 pound orecchiette pasta

·         1 Tbsp. olive oil

·         1 medium onion, finely chopped

·         Kosher salt and pepper

·         1 clove garlic, finely chopped

·         ¾ cup skim milk

·         4 ounces lowfat cream cheese, cut into pieces

·         ¼ cup grated Parmesan

·         1  tsp. chopped chipotles in adobo, plus 1 tsp. adobo sauce

·         Pinch ground nutmeg

·         1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed

Directions

1.)    Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ¼ - ½ cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

2.)    Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

3.)    Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the cream cheese, Parmesan, chipotles and adobo sauce, and nutmeg. Stir in the corn and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the corn is heated through and the mixture has slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

4.)    Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid if the pasta seems dry.

My husband and I both really enjoyed this dish.  It was not too spicy, so I added some additional adobo sauce to my servings (I didn’t want to add too much heat).  It wasn’t very creamy, so when I make it again I will likely add 6 oz. cream cheese or some additional milk.  I ended up adding about ½ cup water to help the creaminess, I didn’t want to add any more than that as it would affect the taste.  The corn adds a slightly crispy texture to the otherwise soft and chewy dish (even though I cooked the pasta al dente, when I tossed it with the sauce, it lost its crispness). 

Overall, an easy dish to whip up when you are short on time. I do plan on making this again!

Summery Risotto With Corn, Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Oil

Summery Risotto With Corn, Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Oil (from Herbivoracious.com, Servings: 6, Total Time: 45 minutes)

Ingredients for the tomato oil:

•  6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• handful of flavorful cherry tomatoes (or ¼ cup diced ripe tomato)
• ¼ tsp. salt

Ingredients for the risotto:

• 6 cups mildly flavored vegetable broth
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ cup minced onion
• 2 cups arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 tsp. salt
• corn kernels from 1 and 1/2 ears, reserve the cobs (apparently they give it a more corny flavor)
• 2 small zucchini, fine dice
• ½ cup or more grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese plus more for serving

Directions

1. Bring the broth to a simmer, and add the corn cobs (if using).
2. Prepare the tomato oil by pureeing all ingredients in a mini-food processor.  Allow to steep for half an hour if possible and refrigerate if not using soon.
3. Heat 4 Tbps. olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot. Sauté the onion for a couple of minutes until softened but not browned. Add the rice and sauté for a minute or two until it turns slightly translucent.
4. Add the wine and salt stir until absorbed.
5. Add the broth, one ladle at a time, stirring very frequently. Continuously isn't necessary. When the rice begins to dry out, add another ladle.
6. After approx.. 16 minutes, begin to check a grain every minute. When there is a slight white pinhead that is a bit tough inside, add the vegetables. If you have used up all of the broth, you can start using water. Add more salt if needed.
7. Within 10 minutes, the rice should be tender. Take it off of the heat right away and stir in the cheese.
8. Serve in individual bowls. Add a good squeeze of the tomato oil around the edge, and top with more cheese.

This risotto recipe is fairly easy, which I always like.  I used a vegetable bouillon mix to make the 6 cups of broth needed.  I also used the white wine that we had in our wine cabinet, which was more of a semi-sweet than dry (it added some nice sweetness to the flavor, though).  I also used frozen corn instead of corn on the cob (so, I obviously did not add cobs to the brother, either).  As I said, this was an easy recipe and it turned out pretty delicious.  It was slightly salty, so you may want to consider cutting back to 1 ½ tsp. in the risotto.  I was a little hesitant about the tomato oil – but it does add a little bit of an olive oil/salt flavor, but I cannot really taste the tomatoes, which would have been nice.  It does add a nice color component to the dish though – then you have red, yellow, white and green! 

The zucchini and corn stayed crisp even when cooking for 10 minutes with the risotto.  It was a nice texture component paired with the creamy risotto.  And I will give that to this risotto – it is creamy, even when reheating for leftovers!  My husband and I both liked it a lot (and I didn’t even add the extra cheese on top!) and I do plan on making it again.  I just had some for leftovers and my mouth is already watering for it again!

Veggie Taco Cornbread Pizza

Veggie Taco Cornbread Pizza (from Kraft Foods, Servings: 8, Total Time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 pkg. (8-1/2 oz.) corn muffin mix

·         1 red pepper, finely chopped

·         1 cup frozen corn

·         1 can (15-1/2 oz.) reduced sodium black beans or kidney beans, drained, rinsed

·         1 pkg.  (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix

·         ¾ cup water

·         1 cup shredded taco Cheese, divided

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 400ºF.

2.      Prepare corn muffin batter as directed on package; spread into greased 12-inch pizza pan.

3.      Bake 8 to 10 min. or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, combine peppers, corn and beans in medium saucepan. Add seasoning mix and water; cook 10 min., stirring occasionally.

4.      Sprinkle ½ cup cheese onto crust; top with bean mixture and remaining cheese.

5.      Bake 4 to 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

I did not have any eggs in the refrigerator, so I used applesauce as a replacement in the corn muffin mix – you couldn’t taste the difference.  I also made this dish in a 9x13 dish because I didn’t want the toppings to spill out over the sides of a pizza pan.  I used the black beans instead of kidney and the Hot & Spicy taco mix from the grocery store.  That and the taco cheese gave it an extra spicy kick.  Overall, I find this dish tasty, but it can be a little dry with the cornbread – I recommend topping with a dollop of salsa.  The peppers give it a little crunch, which plays nicely with the softer textures of all the other ingredients.  Although it could be better on the health side, halving the cheese (as I did in the instructions above) and using replacements in the corn muffin mix can help on calories and fat.  It says that it serves 8, but I think it’s more like 5 or 6.  I guess it depends on how hungry you are!

It is a keeper in my book, though not one that I will make too often – I want to just keep eating it. 

Spaghetti Squash with Chili

Spaghetti Squash with Chili (slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 4-5, Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 2-lb. spaghetti squash

·         8 oz. Morningstar Farms Burger Crumbles

·         ½ cup chopped onion

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

·         1 (11 oz.) can no-salt-added corn, drained

·         1 (8 oz.) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

·         2 Tbsp. no-salt-added tomato paste

·         2 tsp. chili powder

·         ½ tsp. dried oregano, crushed

Directions

1.)     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Halve the spaghetti squash lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Using a fork, shred and separate the spaghetti squash into strands.

While squash is cooking:

2.)    In a medium saucepan, cook crumbles, onion, and garlic until crumbles are thawed and onion is tender.

3.)    Stir in undrained tomatoes and green chiles, corn, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and dried oregano. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until desired consistency.

4.)    Serve sauce with spaghetti squash. If desired, sprinkle with cheddar or Mexican shredded cheese.

I am in love with Spaghetti Squash!  My obsession started in December when I ate at Ruby Tuesday a few times and ordered their Spaghetti Squash Marinara.  Tired of the high-sodium option, I decided to make my own dish.  Instead of using a spaghetti sauce, I decided to use this recipe.  I made a spaghetti squash dish some time ago and it did not turn out well – I’m not sure if I didn’t roast the squash long enough or what, so I was hesitant to try again.  I’m glad I did!  This dish is excellent!

I didn’t change much to the original recipe, mostly just using Burger Crumbles and a couple of heaping teaspoons of chili powder.  The whole dish has a very creamy flavored and the chili is not overly “tomatoey” – the garlic and other spices work well with the dish.  The squash is a nice base and, similar to rice, absorbs some of the tomato sauce and flavor of the chili.  It is healthy and satisfying!

Southwestern Pasta Salad

Southwestern Pasta Salad  (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, 8 servings, Total Time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 (12 oz.) package rotini pasta

·         1/3 cup vegetable oil

·         ¼ cup fresh lime juice

·         2 Tbsp. chili powder, or to taste

·         2 tsp. ground cumin

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         2 cloves garlic, crushed

·         2 ears corn on the cob, cooked and kernels cut off cob

·         1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

·         ½ cup diced green bell pepper

·         ½ cup diced red bell pepper

Directions

1.      Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2.      In a large bowl combine oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic. Stir in pasta and set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

3.      Stir in corn, beans, green pepper, and red pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

I started out with ¾ of my package of rotini pasta, but after tossing everything, I found that I needed more pasta because the coating was much too thick.  I like the taste of this dish (it tastes like chili), but it does have a lot of carbs.  Good if you are carbo-loading, not so good if you’re looking for a lot of protein.  The pasta has a nice crunch to it, as do the bell peppers – that mixes nicely with the softer texture of the corn and black beans.  Overall, I like it; however, it leaves my teeth feeling coated, almost like I just drank a soda or something very sugary.  For this reason, I don’t think that I will make this dish again.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, 8 servings, 45 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 tsp. olive oil

·         3 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

·         1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

·         2 ears corn, cooked and cut from cobb

·         1 Tbsp. brown sugar

·         ¼ cup salsa

·         ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

·         8 (8 inch) flour tortillas

·         1 ½ cups shredded Taco cheese, divided

Directions

1.      Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans, corn, sugar, salsa, and pepper flakes; mix well. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

2.      Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray.  Place a tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle evenly with cheese, top with some of the bean mixture, and sprinkle with more cheese. Place another tortilla on top, cook until golden, then flip and cook on the other side. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

I found this recipe very tasty – I never would have thought to include brown sugar in the mix!  It definitely gave it a little tang.  I used medium salsa, so this dish was not spicy.  I might add some jalapenos peppers next time or a little hot sauce.  It is high in carbs and I think that it needs more veggies (like zucchini, yellow squash, and/or bell peppers).  I only made two quesadillas; I served the rest as tacos with a lot of lettuce and tomato!  I do plan on making this again – just with more of the healthy stuff!

BBQ Black Bean Salsa

BBQ Black Bean Salsa (slightly adapted from Kraft Foods, 24 servings – 2 T servings, Total Time: 15 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 can  (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed

·         4 ears of corn on the cobb, husked and de-silked

·         ½ cup  Barbecue Sauce

·         ¾ cup  Medium Salsa

Directions

1.      Put corn in a large pot of water.  Bring to boil and cook for 4-5 minutes.

2.      Let cooked corn cool, then cut kernels off cobb.

3.      Mix all ingredients until well blended. Serve with tortilla chips.

A hit at a picnic that I went to recently.  A great low calorie, no fat option (at least without the chips!).  I have made it before with canned and frozen corn, but nothing tastes better than fresh corn.  A great mix of healthy ingredients that mix together to make a tasty, slightly spicy dish.  You can play around with the BBQ to salsa to chili powder ratio to meet your personal tastes.  If you do want to kick things up a notch, I suggest Hot Salsa or cayenne pepper.

Corny Spaghetti

Corny Spaghetti (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Servings: 6, Total Time: 30-45 minutes, depending on how fast you chop veggies)

Ingredients

·         10 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta

·         2 tablespoons margarine

·         ¼ cup red onion, chopped

·         2-3 cloves garlic, minced

·         2 medium or 3 small zucchini, chopped

·         10 oz. button mushrooms, chopped

·         ¼ cup red wine

·         1 (16 oz.) jar pasta sauce (I used the Barilla Vineyard brand)

·         1 (15 oz.) can sweet whole kernel corn, drained

Directions

1.      Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente; drain.

2.      While pasta is cooking, in large skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Sauté onions 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and zucchini and cook 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft.

3.      Pour in red wine and pasta sauce, reduce heat to low and simmer.

4.      Add corn and bring back to a simmer again to heat through.

5.      Serve sauce over pasta, or toss together.

As is, I did not find this recipe that tasty.  The sauce is very thick, but does coat the pasta.  It is a nice way to get in some healthy vegetables, but it needs something a little more – maybe some oregano or basil.  I did add a little grated parmesan cheese to the top of my leftovers and it was so much better!  Little enhancements can go a long way!  It did take a long time for me to chop all of the vegetables, which is why I increased the total time to 30-45 minutes.  My husband did enjoy this dish, even without adding cheese!

Cajun Red Beans and Corncakes

Cajun Red Beans and Corncakes (5-6 servings, Total Time: 4 hours, 45 minutes)

(adapted from AllRecipes.com and Runner’s World)

Original Recipe on Allrecipes called for Creole Seasoning, which I didn’t have, so I used Cajun Seasoning.  Awesome decision!  Good spice mix and kick to the beans.  I also used canned kidney beans to make this dish, and the substitution worked out just fine.  Since I used canned beans, I omitted the salt called for in the original recipe.  No need to add sodium when you don’t need it!

Cajun Red Beans

Ingredients

·  2 cans red kidney beans

·  1 green bell pepper, chopped

·  1 onion, chopped

·  4 stalks celery, chopped

·  2 Tbsp. ground black pepper

·  2 Tbsp. Cajon seasoning

·  3 cloves garlic, minced

·  1 package Morningstar Farm sausage links, chopped

Directions

1.     In a crockpot, combine beans, bell pepper, onion, celery, black pepper, Cajun seasoning, and garlic.

2.     Cook on low for 4 hours.

3.     Mix sausage into the beans; cook an additional 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The day I was planning to make this dish, I saw the recipe for Corncakes and decided to use that in lieu of rice.  Another great decision. 

Corncakes (4-6 servings, depending on size of cakes; Total Time: 20-30 min.)

(from RunnersWorld.com)

Ingredients

1 can (14.75 oz.) creamed corn

1 cup yellow cornmeal, divided in half

½ cup water

2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for griddle

1 large egg

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

Directions

·  Heat creamed corn in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cornmeal. Whisk in the water, then oil, then egg. 

·  In a bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup cornmeal with flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. 

·  Heat a griddle over medium heat; brush lightly with oil. 

·  Working in batches, drop batter in generous ¼ cup portions onto hot griddle. Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about five minutes. 

For the cakes, I would use less cornmeal in the future – by themselves, you can taste the cornmeal consistency.  However, they do a great job at sopping up the additional sauce from the beans.  This dish was one that I just wanted more and more of.  The meal has great protein, fiber, and carb content, which is an added bonus to its delicious taste.  The vegetables stayed crisp in the crockpot and the varied consistency between them and the beans and corncakes was a nice addition to the meal.  The beans were slightly spicy, but the corncakes dulled the kick a little, making this pleasing to my husband’s palette as well as to mine.  I will definitely be making this in the future.