FBF: Italian Chicken & Corn Kabobs

FLASH-BACK FRIDAY

ITALIAN CHICKEN & CORN KABOBS

click on image to see full post from 5/10/12

Chicken Corn Chowder

CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tblsp vegetable oil
3 cups frozen corn kernels
1 14.5oz can chicken broth
1 cup potato, peeled and cubed (about 2 medium red potatoes)
1 cup half-and-half (or milk)
2 Tblsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1-1/2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup bacon bits (or 2 slices real bacon, cooked and chopped)

• In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sweet pepper; cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in corn, broth and potatoes. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally.
• In a small bowl, combine half-and-half, flour, thyme, salt and pepper; stir into corn mixture. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 more minute. Add chicken and bacon; cook and stir until heated through.
• Garnish with thyme. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Corn & Potato Chowder [Slow-Cooker]

CORN & POTATO CHOWDER

(low calorie, about 220 per serving)

3 medium red potatoes, finely diced
2 (14.75-oz) can cream-style corn
1 (1.5-oz) can chicken broth
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 (11-oz) can whole kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Cracked black pepper
Soup or saltine crackers
Dollop of sour cream

• In a 3-1/2 to 4-qt crock-pot, combine potatoes, cream-style corn, broth, garlic powder, corn with peppers, and ground pepper.
• Cover and cook on low-heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. 
• Serve with crackers and dollop of sour cream on top.
• Makes 6 servings.

Thanksgiving Recipes & Ideas

Over the couple years of blogging, I've collected a great number of recipes, tips, tricks and more. I've decided to spotlight the recipes and such that as good for the masses! Enjoy this years festivities!

Tender and Juicy Turkey/Chicken

Alternative to a stuffed Turkey: Grilled Stuffed Pork Loin

Sides: Corn Crisp

Corn Casserole (I make this every year!)

Ultimate Mashed Potatoes

Potato Soup

Baked Potato Salad

Camemebert Cheese with Peach Chutney & Toast

Desserts: Apple Dumplings

Apple Streusel

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Pineapple Relish

GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS

with PINEAPPLE RELISH

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 cups cubed fresh pineapple (about 1/2 pineapple)
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
1/3 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
3 tblsp red onion, finely chopped
1 tblsp cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar

• Combine garlic powder, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper in smal bowl; sprinkle over chicken.
• Grill chicken on grill over medium-high heat until done. About 4-7 minutes each side.
• Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 tsp salt, pineapple and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. 
• Serve relish over chicken.

Avocado-Corn Chowder with Grilled Chicken

AVOCADO-CORN CHOWDER WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

2 ripe avocados, divided
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp honey
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1-1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped green onion

• Peel and coarsely chop 1 avocado; place in a blender. Add water, orange juice, honey, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper; blend until smooth.
• Heat a grill pan over med-high heat. Brush chicken with oil; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Place chicken in pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; rub chicken with cut sides garlic halves. Let chicken stand 10 minutes; cut or shred into bite-sized pieces.
• Pour avocado mixture into medium sauce pan over low heat.
• In same saute pan that chicken was cooked, saute corn, bell peppers, green onion and cilantro until tender. Pour corn mixture and chicken into the avocado mixture. Let cook for 3-5 minutes, or until soup is heated through.
• Spoon chowder into bowls (or bread bowls), and top with more sliced avocado and cilantro. Serve with crackers.

FBF: Rosemary Ribeye Steak & Bread Salad

FLASH-BACK FRIDAY

ROSEMARY RIBEYE STEAK &BREAD SALAD

click on image to see full post from 8/4/11

Italian Chicken & Corn Kabobs

Hope you aren't tired of kabobs yet!



1 stick butter, melted
1 package italian seasoning
4 ears of corn, sliced in 1-1/2 inch rings
3 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into 1-inch chunks
2 large green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

• Combine butter and seasoning, set aside.


• Alternate between corn, bell peppers and chicken on a metal skewer (or wood skewers that have been soaked in water). Baste the butter mixture over top.


• Grill on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating as needed. Baste with butter mixture again towards the end of cooking time.


• Serves 4 (2 adults and 2 kids, or it can serve 3 adults, or 6 kids....)

Corn Crisps

***Thanks to Pinterest, I'm getting a lot of traffic on this recipe! So, WELCOME! Please take a look around at other recipes, there are some fabulous ones (if I must say so myself)! And please "like" me on FaceBook so you won't miss anything! Thanks again for taking the time to visit and enjoy the food!***

I saw these in "family fun" magazine and had to try. We all LOVE corn and these looked like the best bite-sized side for any meal!

CORN CRISPS

1/2 cup flour
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper [optional]
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
1 T [tablespoon] unsalted butter, melted
1-1/2 cups can or frozen corn, thawed if frozen [I think it could do with MORE corn, so try adding 2 cups]
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
Canola or vegetable oil

• In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, cumin, sugar, and cayenne. 
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and butter. 
• Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until they are just blended. Fold in the corn and scallions.
• Pour oil in large nonstick skillet [until it come up 1/4 inch on the sides] and heat over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. 
• For each crisp, drop a slightly rounded tablespoon of batter into the oil. Fry them in batches over medium-high heat until they are golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Transfer the crisps to a paper towel-lined sheet pan, sprinkling them immediately with a bit of salt. [this can be taken out--it was pretty salty with the sprinkled salt on top, in my opinion]
• Repeat with the remaining batter.

Candy Corn Cupcakes (CCC!)

I made these for a Halloween party I went to this past week....they were such a huge hit!

Guess where I found this idea? YUP. Pinterest. Hi, my name is Carolyn, and I'm addicted to Pinterest.

CANDY CORN CUPCAKES

The ones I saw also had a little bit of white in the batter...but I just kept the white as the icing. They were actually pretty easy, but learned a bit for next time I make them.

What you need:
White/Vanilla Box Cake
Food Coloring
White/Vanilla/Cream Cheese icing

Make the box cake as directed. If you're going to do the little bit of white in the cupcake, reserve about 1 cup of batter in another bowl. For the rest of the batter, put the yellow food coloring in. It takes a lot too! Use a big (icecream) scoop into cup cake pan. When you are finished filling the yellow part, add some red food coloring to the batter enough to make it a good orange color. Then put the orange batter in cupcake pan as well. If you reserved white batter add that on top. Bake according to box directions. Let cool completely and pipe the icing on top. Garnish with a candy corn and you've got the perfect treat!

Rosemary Ribeye Steak & Grilled Bread Salad

ROSEMARY RIBEYE STEAK

This is a wonderful summer-time steak. Fresh rosemary and corn make it meld together and the flavors just pop. Follow the instructions closely to get that perfect steak.

2 ribeye steaks, cut 1 inch thick
1 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp finely snipped fresh rosemary
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
snipped fresh rosemary (for garnish)

Ready for the grill

Trim the fat from the steaks. Brush with oil. In a small bowl, combine 1 tblsp rosemary, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over both sides of the steaks; rub in with your fingers. Cover and marinate at room temp for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the steaks with a little more salt right before grilling.

Charcoal grill is the best for the steaks, but you can use gas grill if that's all ya got. Get coals to medium heat and grill, uncovered, for 10 to 13 minutes doe med-rae, 12 to 15 for medium. [For gas grill, preheat oven and cook over medium heat, covered, until at the right doneness] Sprinkle steaks with fresh rosemary before serving.

GRILLED BREAD SALAD

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 ears of corn, husks and silks removed
3 1/2-in-thick slices Italian bread
4 cups baby arugula
1 cup cherry tomatoes


For dressing, combine 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Cover and shake well; set aside.

Brush all sides of corn and bread slices with remaining oil.

Place corn on grill (same time as the steaks) and grill for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally to brown evenly. Add bread slices at the end, and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, or until toasted. (careful--we burned a few!)

In large bowl, toss together the arugula and tomatoes. Cut corn from cob and add to mix. Cut bread into bite-sized slices and add to mix. Shake dressing and add to the salad; toss to combine.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe adapted from Better Home and Gardens "Grill it" Special Interest Publications, 2011

Sweet Corn Cakes with Creole Shrimp

These are a great appetizer dish! My kids even loved them.

SWEET CORN CAKES WITH CREOLE SHRIMP

Click HERE for printable recipe

SAUCE & CORN CAKES
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Creole Rub **
3 cups canned corn, drained, divided
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
SHRIMP & SALAD
8 oz large, uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tblsp canola oil, divided
2 tsp Creole Rub
1 tsp lemon zest
3 1/2 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
6 cups loosely packed arugula


Directions:
For sauce, combine mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and rub in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For cakes, place 1 cup of the corn in food processor and pulse until coarse paste forms. Combine flour, buttermilk, egg and baking powder in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Add corn paste, remaining 2 cups corn, green onions and black pepper to corn paste mix and mix well.

In large saute pan, spray with canola oil and heat over medium heat 1-3 minutes, or until shimmering. Scoop corn batter onto pan for a total of 12 cakes, lightly pressing down with back of scoop. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cakes are golden brown. Remove cakes and keep warm.

For shrimp, combine shrimp, 1 tsp oil, rub and zest in medium bowl; toss to coat. Arrange shrimp on pan and cook over medium-high heat for 1 1/2 -2 minutes on each side or until opaque.

For salad, whisk together remaining 2 tsp oil and lemon juice in small bowl. Combine arugula and lemon juice mixture in medium bowl; toss gently.

To serve, divide arugula among serving plates' top with corn cakes and shrimp. Drizzle with sauce.

Creole Rub:
1 1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Click HERE for printable recipe

Recipe adapted from Pampered Chef "Make it Fresh, Make it Healthy" Cookbook

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Turkey Burgers with Avocado Sauce

This is a very simple recipe and every bite is delicious! I used Kaiser rolls for the buns, and I wish I made the patties a little bigger. So take into mind what size your buns are to the size of the patties. (that sounds really funny!)

TURKEY BURGERS WITH AVOCADO SAUCE

Click HERE for printable recipe

1 cup canned corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 lb ground turkey
Sauce:
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
Serving:
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split
shredded lettuce
sliced tomato and red onion, optional

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute the corn, onion and peppers in oil until crisp-tender. Stir in the lime juice, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder and oregano; cook 1 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into 4 burgers. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

For sauce, in a small bowl, mash avocado with the sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and salt. refrigerate until serving.

Lightly oil grill pan and heat on medium-high heat. Cook on each side 5 to 7 minutes, or when juices run clear and meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees F.

Place on buns; top with 1/4 cup sauce. Serve with lettuce, tomato and onion if desired.

Click HERE for printable recipe

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grilled Corn on the Cobb

It's National Corn-on-the-Cob Day! Here's some grilled corn-on-the-cob!

GRILLED CORN ON THE COBB

4 to 5 ears of corn
2 tablespoons butter, melted 
Seasoned salt


Take each ear of corn and pull back the husks and remove the "strings" then pull the husks back up and tie a piece of kitchen twine near top of corn to help keep husks on.

Put into huge kettle of cold water and soak for 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove and grill on medium heat for 20 minutes, constantly rotating. Peel back the husks a little and brush butter and sprinkle some seasoned salt on them. Serve!

Corn Casserole

This is one of my "classics" and one I don't need a "recipe card" for. Its easy, simple and amazing delicious. I learned to cook this in college before I even knew how to cook anything else. My Aunt was the one who introduced me. I would cook this dish, and only this dish, and eat it for lunch the whole week. Its a perfect leftover--and sometimes its best as a leftovers (if it isn't entirely consumed during the meal--which happens!). Its very versatile, and easy to double for large clouds. I especially like to make it around "holidays" and I'll defiantly make it for Easter lunch.

CLASSIC CORN CASSEROLE

I didn't think about "pictures" when I stuck my fork in it to test its doneness. Ooops =)

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
8oz sour cream
1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 box jiffy corn muffin mix

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, then pour in into a 9x9 or 9x13 GREASED pan. Cook on 375 degrees for 45 to 1 hour.


MY TIPS AFTER YEARS OF PERFECTING:
Try lesser time with larger (9x13) pan. If doubling, make sure the "batter" isn't more than 1 1/2 inches high. However, nothing in this dish is "harmful" if not cooked all the way--so if the center is a bit gooey--eat up anyway! Also, if doubling, only add an extra 30 min. I sometimes like cooking it longer until the edges are really browned--it makes for a few crunchy bites! Make sure your pan is greased. Just trust me on this one. Just keep an eye on it in the oven and look for the brown edges and the center isn't "jiggly" when you move it.

I will be at my parents all weekend for the Easter holiday, so I won't be posting until Monday. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and please remember the reason for the season.

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.Had no army, yet kings feared Him.He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

Southern Meal: Fried Catfish, Black-eyed peas and Cornbread

FRIED CATFISH, BLACK-EYED PEAS AND CORNBREAD

On of my favorite meals--grew up on this down in East Texas, so making this brings back so many memories! I do shorten up the recipe though--I actually don't have enough time to cook all day. =) This is also really fun for my kids--they love helping me cook (and clean) and this is a great one for them to lend a hand.

I use any box of fish-fry. This one is Zatarain's Wonderful Fish fry. It creates a wonderful crispy crust! (and you just follow the recipe and directions on the back of the box!)

This is my son helping me--dipping the cat fish nuggets in egg/milk wash, then in the fish fry batter. He then puts in on a plate.

...and I did everything with the hot oil and fryin them up.

 

I made with this the black-eyed peas. Again, get a bag of dried black-eyed peas and follow the instructions. These take about 2 hours--so be prepared ahead of time.

Same with the cornbread. I just used a box of "Jiffy Corn muffin" mix and followed the instructions. This takes about 30 minutes. So be prepared. I also like throwing in a can of corn (drained) and change up the texture every once-in-a-while!

My son enjoying his southern meal!

Need a CHEAP and delicious meal? Try this one!

And I need to brag a little...guess what ELSE he does?

Zesty Italian Corn-on-the-Cob

Continuing on with the "packaged seasoning" week....

This is the perfect side dish for the summer BBQ!

ZESTY ITALIAN CORN-ON-THE-COB

Melt a whole stick of UNsalted butter, pour the package in and stir. Then pour over the bowl of corn and you're done!

This is a perfect way to spice up the corn and change the boring routine!