Cheddar-Corn Spoon Bread

A few weeks ago I bought a few ears corn from a little farm stand near my house. I threw two of the ears on the barbecue, cut one up for a summer pasta salad, and then used the rest to make cheddar-corn spoon  

bread. I must say this bread was the best thing I made with that corn. This spoon bread has a similar texture to quiche, although it is a bit more dense, I really like it as a summer side dish, and it is perfect to bring along to a potluck or barbecue. This bread tastes best when eaten the same day it is made.

Cheddar-Corn Spoon Bread 

1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, plus more for dish

2 cups Milk

1 1/2 cups Fresh Corn (2-3 ears) 

2/3 cup Corn Meal 

1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated 

4 Eggs, separated 

Coarse Salt (I used Kosher)

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Butter a 2-quart baking dish and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring the butter, milk, corn, corn meal, 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper to a boil over medium high heat. Once mixture has come to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until mixture thickens slightly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat then stir in the cheese. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, then stir in egg yolks. While you are waiting for the mixture to cool prepare your egg whites. Beat egg whites along with a pinch of salt in an electric mixer until soft peaks form, then fold egg whites into the batter, 1/3 at a time. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a little loose in the middle. Allow bread to cool slightly before serving. 

Recipe from Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast 

Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Leeks

These days I find myself primarily cooking vegetarian meals. I just find them easier to cook than meat. I actually don't really like cooking meat, I always over cook it in fear of serving it undercooked. This vegetarian dish and has become quite a staple in my house. It comes together pretty quick and it's easy to make. For D and I it lasts for two nights and tastes just as good the second night as it did the first.

Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Leeks

12 ounces Whole-Wheat Spaghetti 

4 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 

3 Large Leeks, White and Light Green Parts, Sliced Thin

2 teaspoons Granulated Sugar

2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 Head Radicchio, Cored and Sliced Thin

6 ounces Fontina Cheese cut into Cubes 

Cook spaghetti according to directions and reserve 1 cup of pasta water for later use. Add 2 tablespoons of olive-oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-low. Add the leeks plus 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt, cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally until leeks are tender. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cooked pasta, the reserved pasta water, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of sugar and the balsamic vinegar. Cook for a minute or two then add the radicchio and cheese, stirring to combine all ingredients. Cook until cheese is melted then serve. 

Makes 4 Servings

Recipe from Food Network

Sour Cream Cheddar Cheese and Chive Biscuits

I made mashed potatoes earlier this week with copious amounts of butter and cream cheese and a little bit of fresh chives. They were quite tasty but since I only used a small amount of chives I had leftovers. I think it's a shame to waste perfectly good herbs so I decided to make sour cream cheddar cheese and chive biscuits. The fundamentals for this recipe came from the honey goats cheese biscuits I made a few months ago. These biscuits are light (as in airy not in calories) fluffy, and simple to make. There is no cutting or rolling involved and they can easily be made 30 minutes before dinner.

Sour Cream Cheddar Chive Biscuits 
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Cold and Sliced
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter for Pan
1 tablespoon butter for Top, Melted
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Milk
3/4 cup Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives, Chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a ceramic baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter in oven while it preheats, keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Once butter has melted remove dish from the oven and set aside until needed. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly then stir in the cheddar and chives. Mix together the sour cream and milk then stir mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Drop biscuits in 1/3 cup sized clumps into prepared dish. Drizzle remaining tablespoon of melted butter over the tops of biscuits. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden.

Makes 12-13 Biscuits

Recipe adapted from Joy The Baker

Honey Goat Cheese Biscuits

These biscuits are addicting, I think I could eat the whole pan. I am really glad I have D to share them with, otherwise I'd be hurting right now because I would have polished of the batch. These will challenge your self control or at least they did mine and since I am slightly lacking in that department, I lost.

Next time I make these I am going to add a whole tablespoon of honey rather than just the half. These biscuits had a just a touch of sweetness on top and I like things a bit more on the sweet side, if you do too I would suggest upping the amount of honey to a full tablespoon or maybe even a tablespoon and a half. These biscuit taste best when they are fresh out of the oven. They are delicious with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast or as an accompaniment to dinner.

 
Honey Goat Cheese Biscuits
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
4 tablespoons Powdered Buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter Cold and Sliced
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter for Pan
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter for the Top
1/2-1 1/2 tablespoons Honey, depending on your preference
4 tablespoons Goat Cheese
1 cup Water

Note: Liquid buttermilk can be used in place of powdered, just use where recipe calls for water.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Put 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium sized ceramic dish then place dish in the oven to melt the butter, be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Once butter has melted remove dish from the oven swirl butter around to coat, then set aside. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour baking powder, powdered buttermilk and salt. Cut 4 tablespoons of cold butter and the goat cheese into the flour mixture till crumbly. Stir in the water just to combined. Drop 1/4 cup sized heaps of dough into the prepared dish. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter and honey in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, drizzle mixture over the biscuits and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden.

Makes 10 biscuits

Recipe slightly adapted from Joy The Baker where it was slightly adapted from Art Smith's Table Fifty-Two

Cheddar Soda Bread

Last night D and I went to a friend's house for a traditional Irish dinner. We had corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, it was delicious. We brought this cheddar soda bread to share. For dessert we had a green cake called "swimming pool cake" which is a pistachio flavored cake with a cool and creamy frosting, it was quite tasty.

Cheddar Soda Bread
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Cold and Sliced

8 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Grated

4 tablespoons Powdered Buttermilk

1 cup Water

1 Egg
Note: Liquid buttermilk can be used instead of powdered, just use in place of water. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients except for the cheese. 

Cut the butter into the flour mixture.

Stir in the cheese. In a separate bowl mix together the egg and water, then add to the flour mixture and stir just to combine. 



Turn dough out onto prepared baking sheet and shape into a rounded loaf. Bake 35-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes before cutting.


Makes One Loaf


Recipe from King Arthur

Ham and Cheese Panini and Simple Kale Salad

 I love making paninis for dinner. They are quick and easy and require minimal clean up. I like to pair these paninis with a simple kale salad.

Ingredients
8 thin slices of ham
4 slices of Gruyere cheese
2 ciabatta rolls
1 tablespoon apricot preserves

Directions 
Slice ciabatta rolls horizontally. Spread 1/2 tablespoon apricot preserves on each of the bottom halves of the rolls. Layer the ham on top of the apricot preserves then top with cheese. Put the tops of the rolls on the sandwiches and place them in the panini maker. Close the lid and let cook for about 5 minutes. In the meantime prepare the kale salad.

Simple kale salad
Wash, dry and chop one bunch of kale. Mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, a generous pinch of kosher salt and a dash of black pepper. Toss dressing with kale and top with Parmesan cheese.