Mexican Haystacks

This is a variation on Hawaiian haystacks with more Latin flavors instead of tropical.  The cream cheese added into the meat gives it a little bit of creaminess, reminiscent of the creamy chicken gravy in Hawaiian haystacks.  The juicy bite of the tomato, the salty crunch of the corn chips, and the creamy zip of the sour cream all come together beautifully, finished off perfectly by the bright tang of the lime juice.  But the best part of all this?  It comes together in a flash.  You can everything prepped and ready to go in the amount of time it takes to cook your rice!

Mexican Haystacks

Number of Servings: 4-6
Time to Prepare: 20 minutes

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2-3 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning (I use this recipe) or 1 packet store bought
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3-4 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 large or 2 small tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium avocado, diced
• sour cream
• sliced green onion
• corn chips (aka Fritos)
• lime wedges

In a large skillet, brown beef until no longer pink.  Add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water.  Cook for a few minutes, until the sauce has thickened.  Add the cream cheese, breaking it up and stirring until it melts.  Stir in the 2 Tbsp water and the black beans.

To serve, place a scoop of rice on a plate and top with the meat/black bean mixture.  Top with corn, cheese, tomatoes, and avocado.  Add a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with green onion and corn chips.  Squeeze the juice from a lime wedge over everything.

Source: adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything
Produce Used: Corn, tomato, avocado, green onion, lime

Southwestern Pasta Salad

An edit on an old post.  I have made some minor adjustments to this recipe (and also took a slightly better picture) so it seemed time to update this post!  It is a great salad for a hot summer day.  With the chicken and beans in it, it's hearty enough for a main dish yet the corn and peppers give it a bright crunch.  The added seasonings give it a hint of smoky spiciness that will make your mouth happy.

Southwestern Pasta Salad (formerly known as Summer Pasta Salad)

Number of servings: 12
Time to Prepare: 20 minutes

• 16 ounces bow tie pasta, cooked al dente
• 4 cooked chicken breasts, diced small
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 2 cups frozen corn (rinsed in cool water to thaw)
• 2 bell peppers, diced (I like to use at least one red one for color)
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• 1 package Ranch dressing mix
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar

Combine pasta, chicken, beans, corn, bell pepper, and green onion.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Immediately before serving, combine ranch dressing mix, seasonings, olive oil, and vinegar and toss with salad to coat.

Source: adapted from a recipe given to me by a coworker, Terri
Produce Used: Corn, bell pepper, green onion 

Corn & Black Bean Quinoa Salad

There are so many things I love about this salad, it's difficult to choose a favorite.  But choose I will...my favorite thing is that all the ingredients are things I generally have on hand.   Everything besides cilantro I basically always have and cilantro is something we buy practically every week so it's a rare occasion when I don't have that too.  That being said, don't start thinking it's only mediocre in the flavor department.  It is a nice, hearty salad with a savory, slightly tangy and spicy dressing that really brings everything together.  It is incredibly delicious when it's warm, but also heavenly when it's cold--making it great for a hot summer day.

Corn & Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Number of Servings: 6
Time to Prepare: 40 minutes

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat.  When hot, add onions and saute for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions just being to brown.  Add the garlic and stir for a minute or two, until fragrant.

Add the quinoa and cover with the broth.  Stir in cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.  

Stir in the frozen corn and the black beans.  Cover and let sit off the heat for 5-6 minutes, until the corn and beans are heated through.  Stir in the cilantro.  Serve warm or chilled.

Source: slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Onion, garlic, corn, cilantro

Confetti Rice and Bean Salad

This chilled rice and bean salad is chock full of good protein and veggies, and it's gluten free!  The dressing has a great tangy-sweet and slightly smoky flavor that ties everything together beautifully.  It makes a nice meatless entree for a lighter dinner, or makes a great side dish too.  It requires a couple hours chilling in the fridge for the flavors to really meld, but that just means that you can make it in advance and have it all ready to go at dinner time.  And other than the chilling time, it really comes together quite quickly.  It's a great salad for potlucks, too--all the fun textures and colors make for a very pretty salad that is sure to impress.

Confetti Rice and Bean Salad

Number of Servings: 6
Time to Prepare: 2 hours 30 minutes

• 3 cups cooked basmati or wild rice (I usually use the Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice mix, but I don't know if it is completely gluten free, so you can make your own blend or just use basmati rice if that is a concern)
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 4 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Cook the rice.  Chop the veggies while the rice cools.

In a large bowl, toss together the rice, kidney beans, black beans, corn, green onion, bell pepper, and cilantro.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, and pepper.  Pour over the salad and toss to coat.  Chill for at least two hours before serving.

Source: slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Corn, green onion, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic

Creamy Tex-Mex Quinoa Dip

If you're still a little hesitant about the whole quinoa thing, this recipe is a great place to start.  Honestly, you probably wouldn't even realize there is quinoa in there.  But it does give it a great heartiness.  I like to serve this as a side with Mexican-type main dishes, but it is so tasty and filling, you could have it as a main dish too.  Also, if you're trying to be a little healthier, it is a little different without the cream cheese, but still really tasty (not that I tasted it mid-cooking or anything....).

Creamy Tex-Mex Quinoa Dip

Number of Servings: 4 (as a side)
Time to Prepare: 6 hours 10 minutes

• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 (14.5 oz) can petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 2-3 tsp lime juice
• green onion or cilantro, optional

Place the corn, black beans, tomatoes, quinoa, chicken broth, and seasonings in a slow cooker (a smallish one--the 4 quart size is plenty big) and stir well to combine.   Scrape down any quinoa that are stuck to the side.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Add the cream cheese.  Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes until the cream cheese is softened, then stir it in until it is well incorporated.  Stir in the lime juice

Garnish with chopped green onion or cilantro if desired and serve with tortilla chips.

Source: adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Corn, tomato, lime, green onion, cilantro

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

As promised way back in May, here is my beloved Pumpkin Black Bean Soup.  It has such a unique but delicious combination of flavors, I can't help but make it every fall...and several other times throughout the year.  My husband is a little weirded out about the idea of pineapple in it, but he still loves the soup and actually forgets there is pineapple there.  If the pineapple worries you, just make sure you cut it up really small.  It adds a great depth to the flavor, but the little bits will blend right in with everything else. I usually use pineapple chunks and then I can cut them to whatever size I want, but if you don't want to worry about the chopping you can just use crushed pineapple.

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Number of Servings: 8
Time to Prepare: 25 minutes

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 3/4 to 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped canned pineapple
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
• 4 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• salt
• pepper

In a large pot, saute the onions in the butter until translucent.  Stir in the cumin and coriander.  Add chicken and cook until onions are slightly browned and chicken is cooked through.  Add the pumpkin, chicken broth, black beans, tomatoes, corn, pineapple, pineapple juice, coconut milk, cilantro, and half and half.

Bring the soup to a boil.  Turn heat down to medium and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Source: adapted from Anna's Bananas
Produce Used: Red onion, corn, pineapple, cilantro, lime

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce

I cannot say enough good things about these enchiladas.  The filling is sweet and tangy with a slight kick of heat, the sauce is amazingly creamy and smooth, and the joy that will occur in your mouth when these flavors combine is nothing short of food bliss.  My husband and I are in easy agreement that this is easily our favorite enchilada recipe.  It is a little bit of a time commitment, but not overly difficult and trust me, it is WELL worth the time.  Don't let the ugliness of the picture fool you, these enchiladas are life changing.  At least as much as any food can be.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce

Number of Servings: 5-6
Time to Prepare: 1 hour 30 minutes

Enchilada Filling

• 1 1/2 Tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp flour
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies, rinsed and drained
• 1/8 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 8 fajita-size (6") flour tortillas

Avocado Cream Sauce

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 avocado, pit and skin removed
• 2-3 Tbsp packed cilantro
• 1 Tbsp lime juice

For enchilada sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions are soft but not browned. Stir in the flour, cumin, and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the broth, stirring quickly to smooth out any lumps.

Add chopped green chilies, oregano, salt, and jalapeno, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The sauce should be thickened but still able to drip off a spoon.  Stir in additional chicken broth or hot water a little at a time to thin out if needed.


Set aside to cool.


In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lime juice, and garlic.  Place shredded chicken in a small Ziploc bag and pour the honey mixture over it.  Seal and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.


While chicken marinates, make avocado cream sauce: In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes.  Gradually add the broth and half and half, stirring constantly.  Continue stirring over medium heat until sauce has thickened.  Stir in garlic salt, onion powder, and salt and remove from heat.  Let cool for about 10 minutes, then pour into blender.  Add avocado, cilantro, and lime juice and blend until smooth.  Set aside.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat an 8x8 pan lightly with cooking spray.  Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Dump marinated chicken into a small bowl.  Add corn, black beans, 3/4 cup of Monterey Jack cheese, and remainder of enchilada sauce.  Stir to combine.  Place 1/8th of the mixture (about 1/4 to 1/3 of  cup) across the middle of a tortilla, roll up, and place in prepared pan.  Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.  (I squeezed seven enchiladas across the pan one way, then put the eighth the other direction along the bottom edge of the first seven.)


Pour avocado sauce over the top of the enchiladas and spread to cover.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  Bake for 25 minutes.


Source: adapted from Chef in Training and Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Onion, garlic, jalapeno, lime, corn, avocado, cilantro

Black Bean and Corn Salad

I always have a hard time figuring out what kinds of sides to do with Mexican-type meals.  All the usual sides don't quite seem to go with the bright, fresh flavors of Mexican food.  Also, sometimes green salads just get old.  I can only have a side salad so many days in a row before I want to throw the lettuce out the window.  Black Bean and Corn Salad to the rescue!  The flavors of this salad are so happy and fresh-tasting, and the colors are absolutely beautiful.  It's a great dish for summertime since you serve it cold, but don't let that keep you from serving it any time of year (I know I don't).

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Time to Prepare: 25 minutes
Number of Servings: 6

• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 (15 oz ) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn (rinse under cool water to thaw)
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 6 green onions, chopped (green & white parts)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together black beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onion, and cilantro.  Pour dressing over the salad and stir to coat.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes
Produce Used: Lime, garlic, corn, avocado, red bell pepper, tomato, green onion, cilantro

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper Chili

The level of spiciness on this fun version of chili is low (and I have a pretty low threshold for spiciness), but if you're really worried about it, you can do it with one jalapeno instead of two. Alternatively, if you love spicy food, you can leave the membranes and seeds in your peppers to ratchet up the heat.  Either way, you're going to love this creamy, chunky chili.  As long as you have plenty of liquid, in the crock pot, you don't even need to soak the beans overnight--the many hours of cooking time will soften them right up.  But if it makes you nervous (or if you want to cook the chili on high for less time), go ahead and soak away.

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper Chili

Number of Servings: 6-8
Time to Prepare: 8 hours 30 minutes

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 chicken breasts or thighs (on the smaller side is fine)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomato
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb dry white beans, rinsed and sorted
• 1 cup frozen corn
• salt
• pepper
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

Add all ingredients except cream cheese and bacon to the crock pot.  Cook on low for 7-9 hours.  

Remove chicken and shred with two forks, then stir back in to the chili.  Using an immersion blender, pulse a few times to thicken the chili (you don't want it smooth, just some of the beans pureed).  If you don't have an immersion blender, take a few cups of the chili out and blend it in a regular blender, then stir back in.

Break the cream cheese up into 6 or 8 chunks, place it in the crock pot and let it melt for about 10 minutes.  Stir to combine and mix in crumbled bacon.  Add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Source: slightly adapted from Everyday Reading

Produce Used:  Onion, jalapeno, garlic, bell pepper, corn

Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole

This is a great enchilada casserole--the tortillas are toasted beforehand so they don't get soggy, you can easily sub vegetable broth for chicken broth and make this a vegetarian meal, and it easily doubles into a 9x13 pan if you're feeding a crowd.  Oh, did I forget to mention it's DELICIOUS?  I've had my fair share of enchilada casseroles and this is definitely my favorite--it's the only recipe I use.

Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

• 7 corn tortillas, cut into thirds
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded, and diced small
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• salt
• pepper
• 8 oz (about 2 cups) shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
• chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

Arrange the cut tortillas in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheets. Bake the tortillas until slightly crisp, about 15 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)

While the tortillas bake, melt the butter in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, corn, and garlic. Cook until the veggies are softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir the flour, chile powder, cumin, and coriander into the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans and lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

Line the bottom of the greased baking pan with 1/3 of the baked tortillas (it's okay if they don't cover the bottom completely). Layer with 1/3 of the veggie/sauce mixture and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat that process again twice more, ending with the cheese.

Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Source: slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, corn, garlic, lime, cilantro

9/1/2012 Basket - Roasted Corn & Tomato Soup

Roasted Corn & Tomato Soup
Produce from this basket: Tomato, corn, Anaheim pepper
Other produce: Garlic, onion

This recipe is awesome and super easy.

First, cut the kernels off four ears of corn. Spread the corn out on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Add two cups of cherry tomatoes, or 3-4 tomatoes cut in eighths. Add three Anaheim peppers, sliced in half and seeded, and four cloves of garlic, minced. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. My cookie sheet looked like this:

Cook at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes until tomatoes wrinkle and burst and corn turns golden brown. While the veggies are in the oven, cook one chopped onion in olive oil until it's translucent. Add four cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Season with 1 t. paprika and 1/4 t. chili powder. Add the roasted vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender or by pouring soup into a blender. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with reserved roasted corn, or cheese, as desired. Goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches. 

7/14/2012 Basket - Savory Oven Corn on the Cob

Savory Oven Corn on the Cob
Uses from this basket: Corn
Other produce: Garlic

Surprise!  When we husked our corn, we discovered it was red corn.  This recipe works equally well with red corn or the more standard varieties.

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2-3 tsp coarse ground mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp minced dried onion
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 5 ears corn, silk and husks removed
• 5 Tbsp parmesan cheese

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly over corn.  Sprinkle each ear with about 1 Tbsp parmesan.

Wrap each ear in foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

7/7/2012 Basket - Southwest Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Uses from this basket: Lettuce, tomato, lime
Other produce: Red onion, corn, garlic, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, ginger, avocado

• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Romaine lettuce
• Diced tomato
• Diced avocado
• Shredded cheese
• Sliced red onion
• Cooked corn kernels, lightly seasoned with salt & pepper
• Black beans

 In a food processor, combine the jalapeno, garlic, and ginger, pulsing until finely chopped.  Add lime juice, sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and cilantro and blend.  Add in olive oil slowly, blending as you go, until well blended.  Set aside.

Toss lettuce with tomato, avocado, cheese, red onion, corn, and beans.  Serve with cilantro lime dressing.

5/26/2012 Basket - Corn Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

Corn Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette
Uses from this basket: Romaine lettuce, corn
Other produce: Spinach, arugula, sweet onion

• 4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 ears corn
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
• 1 large handful arugula
• 1 large handful spinach
• 1/4 cup sliced sweet onion
• 1 cup kidney beans
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, cumin, and sugar.  Slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil, whisking until the mixture is emulsified.  Add salt and pepper to taste, set aside.

Boil corn in salted water for 3-4 minutes.  Cut kernels off cob.

Heat 2  Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add corn kernels and salt & pepper to taste.  Saute until corn begins to brown.

Toss Romaine, arugula, and spinach together.  Divide evenly between 5-6 salad plates. Top with corn, onion, beans, and cheese.  Serve with cumin vinaigrette.

5/26/2012 Basket - Roasted Corn and Arugula Salad

Roasted Corn and Arugula Salad

Uses from this basket: Corn, mint

Other produce: Arugula

-3 ears corn
-handful chopped mint
-handful chopped basil (or 1 T. dried basil)
-1/4 cup honey
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-3 T. orange juice
-3 T. orange zest
-3 T. water
-arugula
-olive oil
-salt and pepper

Remove the kernels from the ears of corn. Roast kernels on a baking sheet on the top rack of the oven by broiling until they start to brown. Mix corn around on baking sheet as it broils. Mix roasted corn with mint and basil, set aside.

In a saucepan, heat honey, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, orange zest, and water over medium heat until it bubbles in the center. Turn to medium low and reduce until thickened to a syrup-like consistency. Pour this syrup into the corn/herb bowl and toss to coat the corn. 

Pile arugula on salad plates, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Top the arugula pile with 1/4 cup corn/herb/syrup mixture. Enjoy.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wild-rocket-and-grilled-corn-salad-recipe/index.html

2/11/2012 Basket - Creamy Ranch Succotash

Creamy Ranch Succotash

Uses from this basket: Corn

Other produce: Edamame, potato, onion, jalapeno, grape tomatoes

I followed Rachael Ray's recipe here, with the following modifications:

- I used the edamame instead of fava beans

- I used a jalapeno instead of a Fresno chile pepper

- I mixed 8 oz. cream cheese with a dry ranch dressing powder mix, rather than the herbs and seasonings listed in the recipe

I'd never had succotash before, so I was a bit skeptical, but it turned out really well. It's a hearty dish with nice flavor that's mostly healthy. Next time we'll use boneless skinless chicken thighs, as my wife hates bones.

10/8/2011 Basket - Burritoladas

Burritoladas

Uses: Corn, lettuce, red bell peppers

I made this a few weeks ago so I don't remember everything that was in it, but I believe it went something like this:

Remove corn kernels from ears and cook in butter on the stove. Add black beans, red peppers, and onion. Add tomatoes (fresh or canned) and green chilies. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and cumin. Scoop that mixture (plus grated cheese) into large tortillas and roll them tightly. They should be burrito sized. Place 6-8 burritos in a greased 9" x 13" pan and cover with red enchilada sauce and lots of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until the cheese melts and bubbles and the whole thing looks awesome. Serve over a bed of lettuce with sour cream.

8/27/2011 Basket - BBQ Chicken Salad Wrap

BBQ Chicken Salad Wrap

Uses: Tomato, lettuce, corn

This wrap is based on the Cafe Zupas BBQ Chicken Salad. Basically you take tomatoes, ranch-tossed lettuce, black beans, red onion, cooked corn, chicken, and cheese and wrap it up in a tortilla. It's really good.

8/20/2011 Basket - Corn and Smoked Salmon Salad

Corn

Uses: Corn

Boil corn until cooked.

Salad

Uses: Lettuce, tomatoes

Toss lettuce with tomatoes, craisins, croutons, and smoked salmon chunks.

Make a dressing* by whisking together 2 T. mayo, 1 T. white wine vinegar, 1 t. lemon juice, 1 t. Worcestershire sauce, 1 t. Dijon mustard, 1/2 t. dried dill, 1/4 t. pepper.

*I wasn't crazy about the dressing and hadn't planned on posting the recipe, but my wife liked it and insisted that I post it. Beware.

5/14/2011 Basket - French Onion Soup, Corn & Bruschetta

Dinner last night was excellent and we used our last three ingredients from the basket.

Corn on the Cob

Uses: Corn

Shuck corn. Cook in boiling water for 15-20 minutes until you can easily stick a fork in each ear.

Bruschetta

Uses: Tomatoes

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Double-Tomato-Bruschetta/Detail.aspx

French Onion Soup

Uses: Onion

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rich-and-Simple-French-Onion-Soup/Detail.aspx