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Tag: roasted corn

Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables

Yummy and healthy dish for Meatless Monday!!

  • 2 cups zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, with skin on
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Place the vegetables and garlic on to a line cookie sheet. Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some salt. Mix well and roast in a 400 degrees oven for 30 minutes. Take out and let cool. Slide the garlic out of the skins and mash with fork.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cups fresh or store bought tomato sauce
  • ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 cup roasted corn
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Salt
  • ½ pound pasta of choice, cooked al dente and 1 cup spare pasta water

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, basil and the roasted garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the corn and the roasted vegetables. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cheese and pasta. Mix well and add the spare pasta water if needed. Check for seasonings and add salt.

Bean and Corn Salad with Chipotle Dressing

It’s Cinco de Mayo week and here is a delicious salad that fulfills the Meatfree Mondays category as well!

  • 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 2 cups roasted corn
  • 4 green onion, chopped
  • 1 large red pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped

Add all the ingredients to a large serving bowl and keep aside.

Dressing

  • 1 chipotle pepper, chopped
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon agave
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix all the ingredients really well in an airtight container. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and mix well. Serve at room temperature.

Mexican Stew with Roasted Corn

Mexican Stew with Corn I had a cup of leftover poblano raisin sauce from the weekend. I decided to make my favorite kind of meal- a one pot meal. I bought some boneless skinless chicken thighs. That is all I needed since I took the rest out of my fridge and pantry.

I sauteed some onion and carrots with olive oil. I added the sauce, chicken and chicken broth. I let the chicken cook for a while.. until it was ready to fall apart. Considering it is a stew, it took me all of 45 minutes to make. The trick to really good flavor was of course the yummy sauce.. but I also sauteed the chicken pieces in some hot olive oil before I cooked the onions and the garlic. The browning of the meat gives the stew a delicious, nutty flavor and the chicken tastes really good also. The roasted corn complemented the dish really well. I always have a few packs in my freezer was such occasions. A generous helping of fresh cilantro completed the dish. I served it with a big salad and a dollop of guacamole… delish!
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Mexican Style Shrimp Stew

Mexican Style Shrimp Stew Yum, yum. I know stew sounds weird in the summer but this one takes almost no time to make.. especially since it is make with shrimp. I crave spicy foods in the summer- with super loud flavors.. this definitely fits the bill….

  • 1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
  • 1 dry ancho chili, seeds taken out
  • 2 chipotle chilies, seeds taken out
  • 1 New Mexico chili, seeds taken out
  • Juice of one orange
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 3 green onions
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
  • Salt
  • 1/3 cup half and half
  • 1 cup roasted corn

Add the chilies, orange juice, chicken broth, green onions and garlic into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or till the chilies are soft. Add to the blender with the cilantro and blend till smooth.
Heat the same saucepan with the olive oil on medium heat. Add the blended sauce and bring to a boil. Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes on medium heat. Add salt and half and half. Check for seasonings and cook on a simmer. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and gently cook till the shrimp is done but not over cooked. Check for seasonings and serve with Spanish rice.

Pulled Chicken Mexican Soup

Pulled Chicken Mexican Soup So, what do you do with leftover pulled chicken?? Well, you make pulled chicken Mexican soup, of course! I admit this idea did not come to me right away. All I wanted was to come up with a completely new dish to make with my leftover chicken. I thought about it quite a bit and finally decided on a soup. I am not a big soup person- not sure why. It is an ideal one pot meal that can be very healthy and easy to make.

This one in particular was extremely good- I think because I had a great starting point- the pulled chicken. If you want to make this recipe and don’t want to go through the hassle of making the chicken- I have a suggestion for you. I would buy a rotisserie chicken, pull the meat off the legs and the thighs and sprinkle with smoked paprika and some lemon juice. Let the chicken marinate for an hour and then follow the recipe. The result won’t be the same as what I made but it will be very close and definitely very tasty.

It was very quick, I started with some olive oil and added some corn flour (maize flour)- to thicken the soup. I was going to use regular flour but then I though corn flour will give the soup a more authentic taste. I added a can of pinto beans, salsa and some roasted corn. The soup came out delicious. All the ingredients complemented each other really well. I made a little more guacamole and served a big dollop right on top. Everyone was very happy and satisfied…

  • 1 to 2 cups leftover pulled chicken
  • 1 can pinto beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
  • 2 tablespoons corn flour (corn meal)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup leftover or bottled salsa
  • 2 cups frozen, roasted corn
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • Salt

Heat a heavy saucepan and add the olive oil. Add the mashed beans and corn flour. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salsa and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken, roasted corn and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer half covered for at least an hour. Check for seasonings and serve with cheese quesadillas.

Bulgur Wheat Salad with Tomatoes and Roasted Corn served with Roasted Cod

Bulgur Wheat Salad This was my first time using bulgur wheat. For a while I wasn’t sure how to use this particular ingredient. I love it in tabbouleh- the Middle Eastern dish with lots of parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumbers. It goes really well with a gyro or a falafel. The texture is very similar to couscous- and I think that is why I like it so much. I normally buy bulgur wheat salad at the Whole Foods salad bar- not really sure why I have never attempted to make it at home before.

A few days ago I was watching food television and saw someone using bulgur wheat and making something similar to tabbouleh. It looked really easy and delicious! I started researching online for exact cooking directions- turns out- everyone has their own way of cooking bulgur wheat. It’s very strange but each recipe I looked at, I saw different quantities of liquid being used to cook the wheat. After looking online for a good hour, I came up with my own measurements. I decided on 3/4 cup of bulgur wheat cooked in 1 cup chicken broth. I also noticed most recipes flavored the cooking liquid. I was already using flavorful chicken broth but decided to add to it even more. I added lemon juice, salt, olive oil and smoked paprika. The reason I used smoked paprika was because I wanted to give this dish a south western/spanish flavor. I was planning on serving this as a side dish with pan roasted cod topped with the tomatillo mango sauce I had left over. The extra flavor in the chicken broth made a huge difference- it added a nice tang and smokiness. I then added some cut up cherry tomatoes and green onions with roasted corn. I got fresh mint and cilantro from my herb garden and finished the dish off with a bit more salt. It was very refreshing- perfect for the summer months and best of all- very easy to make. This particular recipe was a side dish with the fish, but I think next time I will also add a protein in the salad to make it a complete meal- maybe some leftover chicken, shrimp or even cheese- and of course I will wash it down with my favorite summer drink, a Malbec Rose.

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Creamed Corn with Green Chili

creamed-corn-and-green-chili-2
This creamed corn is not your usual recipe that you will find on the web. Most creamed corn recipes are full of cream, butter and cheese- which makes sense since it is called, “Creamed Corn”! I have adapted this recipe from my sister-in-law who learnt this many moons ago in Mumbai. I think the original recipe did call for cooking the corn in cream and adding butter at the end. Over the years I have used whole milk and reduced fat milk. I find that cooking the corn in reduced fat milk works just fine, as long as you put plenty of milk and let it cook and reduce on a low flame for a while. The corn drinks up the creamy goodness of the milk and you are left with a delicious dish. Of course adding the serrano chili helps as well. It gives the dish a fresh, grassy and spicy flavor. I was using yellow or white corn but recently discovered the roasted corn from Trader Joes! The smokiness of the roasted corn works beautifully with the other flavors. Of course if you can’t find the roasted corn, regular corn works really well. In the summer I use fresh corn and the flavor is out of this world!

  • 2 cups frozen roasted corn (regular corn will do as well)
  • 1 cup milk (whole milk, 2% or 1% will do-depending on how rich you like the dish!)
  • 1 serrano chili, chopped and deseeded if you don’t want the dish too spicy
  • 1 teaspoon salt

In a 10-inch skillet add the corn, milk, chili and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a medium low. Cook while stirring occasionally for at least 20 minutes. The milk should begin to evaporate and corn looks tender and creamy. Adjust seasoning and serve.