Fresh Corn OFF The Cob


Fresh Corn

Believe it or not, I’ve never stripped corn to get fresh kernels… until today. I came across a recipe for linguine with fresh vegetables, which included corn, and although it looked delicious, I’ve been veering away from pasta as of late. So, I thought I’d make the corn and either eat it solo or add it to a salad. This is a quick and easy recipe, which yields super yummy corn!

Ingredients

  • 1 ear of corn, kernels removed
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Remove the leaves and “silk” from the ear of corn, then chop off the pointed top and stalk. Use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels — either stand ear upright on its base and shave downward, or lay on its side on a cutting board to slice off the kernels.
  2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add corn, garlic and salt and pepper to pan.
  4. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 3-5 minutes until tender.
  5. Serve hot or cold.

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A Modified Version of Shrimp and Grits


As you may, or may not know, I looooooooove shrimp and grits! While my earlier recipe on here is one of my all-time favorites, this one is simply delicious. I was watching The Chew on Friday, and Carla Hall made a dish called “Swamp Thing”, which was her healthier version of shrimp and grits. Once I saw it was loaded with vegetables, I was sold, and knew I had to try it, which I did later that day with a few small modifications. This recipe does take a little effort, as the grits need to be made about an hour beforehand, and there’s a decent amount of veggie chopping, but trust me when I say, it’s worth it! Thanks Carla!!!

Ingredients

Grits:

  • 1 cup Quick Grits
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup Half & Half (or milk)
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • Olive oil (for frying grits)

Shrimp Stew

  • 1/2 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  • 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
  • 1/2 onion (medium diced)
  • 1 large carrot (medium diced)
  • 1/4 cup corn
  • Half of a 14.5-ounce can whole plum tomatoes (crushed)
  • 2 cups collard greens (ribboned*)
  • 1 cup sweet potatoes (peeled and diced, or canned)
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 parsnip (peeled and diced)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp. fresh thyme
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock/broth
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil plus more for pan
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Grits

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring water, Half & Half, and corn to a boil.
  2. Slowly whisk in grits, avoiding lumps and cook according to package directions.
  3. Once cooked, whisk in butter and cheese (if using).
  4. Pour into greased baking dish, allow to cool, then place in refrigerator for an hour.
  5. At this point, you can start on the stew if you want & come back to step 6.
  6. Remove grits from fridge and cut into 3 inch squares (or desired size).
  7. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat with olive oil.  Fry grits in hot oil until golden on all sides. Remove from pan.

Shrimp Stew

  1. In a heavy bottomed pot, over high heat, add olive oil. Toss in the onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.
  2. Toss in all the other vegetables except for the collard greens and crushed tomatoes, and add olive oil if it seems dry. Coat all the vegetables in oil and continue to cook over high heat, just slightly browning everything.
  3. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir. Deglaze with the chicken stock. Add the collard greens, thyme, bay leaf and cayenne, and stir.
  4. Add in the tomatoes and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are cooked through, about 25 minutes.
  6. Right before serving, toss in the shrimp and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp is just cooked through.
  7. Plate in a soup bowl on top of fried grits.  Season to taste.  Serve immediately.

* To ribbon the collard greens, take some leaves, place them on top of each other, roll them up long-way, and cut small pieces off of the ends. This will form long, thin pieces known as ribbons.

Note: If you don’t do shrimp/shellfish, you can definitely leave it out. Also, feel free to substitute vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. 

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Corn Pudding


Surprisingly, I had never tried corn pudding until recently, and am a little sad it took me so many years to discover it. Most of the recipes I found were baked dishes, which I may try at some point, but I wanted something with more of a creamy consistency like I had in July and that was prepared on the stove top. I came across one from McCormick & Schmick’s, which was served with King Salmon and sautéed spinach, and since my first experience with corn pudding was paired with salmon also, I knew this was the one I wanted to make. I adjusted the recipe (and preparation) a bit, and am so pleased with how it turned out. If you’re a fan of corn, then you’ll surely love this.

Corn pudding served with steak and baby potatoes

 

Ingredients

  • 1 can whole-kernel sweet corn (I would’ve used fresh corn from the cob, but didn’t have any on hand)
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions

  1. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add drained corn and sugar.
  2. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
  3. Remove corn from pan & place into a bowl, set aside.
  4. Using same pan, add milk and slowly whisk in cornmeal.
  5. Add the cooked corn, jalapeños, and red peppers.
  6. Bring to a boil to thicken, while continuing to stir.
  7. Once thickened to desired consistency, remove from heat and add salt.
  8. Serve immediately with your favorite dish.

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