Smoked Gouda Chipotle Grits

Finally- after looking at this recipe for months tacked to the fridge door (I cut it out from Bon Appetite)- it is time to try it. I couldn't get smoked gouda from Whole Foods, but they suggested a smoked fontina which I used. My youngest made this meal. I should have noticed how many servings it made before it got made! Yikes.

Makes 10 servings

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, unsalted
• 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 cups water
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups cups quick-cooking white hominy grits
• 2 cups (packed) coarsely grated rindless smoked Gouda cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo (or jalapenos)
• Chopped fresh cilantro

1. Melt butter in large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add corn and onion. Saute until onion is golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Add water, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
3. Gradually add grits, whisking until mixture is smooth and returns to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer until grits are thick and tender, whisking often, about 15 minutes.
5. Mix in cheese and chipotle chile. Stir until cheese melts. Transfer grits to a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

 **Nice and easy. You have to like smoked cheese to really like this dish. It would be really nice served with a pork loin, I think.

Chicken Tortilla Soup- Slow Cooker

What a great way to use green chiles, the last of the tomatoes from the garden,  and some leftover corn tortillas from last week. I used this recipe as a starter but I've amended the recipe below.

1 pound chicken breasts 4-5 fresh chopped tomatoes 1 medium onion, chopped Good amount of chopped green chile 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 C chicken broth 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn-make sure it is organic! Corn tortillas- white is best to stay GMO safe

Directions:

1.	Place chicken, tomatoes, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir in corn. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours.
2.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3.	Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4.	Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.  **I have yet to do the tortilla crisping. My husband just put chips on his. I ate it plain. This was a great soup. Very easy and tasty.

Chile Corn Chowder

This recipe caught my eye because of the corn, since I have a few ears left after my visit to the Nob Hill farmer's market. I also decided to change out the chiles and use our newly roasted green chiles. It is from Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook. This cookbook is fantastic- I'd recommend it for anyone's shelves. And if you find yourself in Santa Fe, please visit the restaurant! I have adapted the recipe a bit to match up my ingredients.

3 tomatoes
1 onion, diced
2 green chiles diced
3 T butter
5 cups corn, divided
2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 qt milk
little grated cheese

In a dry cast-iron skillet, roast tomatoes until charred on the outside and soft inside. Add tomatoes, 3 cups of corn, salt, pepper, and milk. Bring to scalding point (when bubbles form around the edge of the pot and the milk starts to foam). Do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. Puree in a blender. Return to heat and add remaining corn. Bring to a simmer and taste for salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chile strips (optional) and sprinkle with cheese.

**I'm not much of a soup eater- but I have to say this was fantastic and so easy to make! It was a big hit.

Tomato Corn Biscuit Pie

The beautiful tomatoes we received this week, along with the fresh corn from Corrales at the farmer's market made me want to try this recipe from a favorite Santa Fe restaurant, Harry's Roadhouse. Harry put out a cook book in 2006: Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook.


2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cornstarch
21/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 batch biscuit dough (recipe on another entry)
4 tomatoes, cut in thick slices
11/2 cups grated good-quality sharp cheddar cheese
11/2 cups fresh corn
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons butter, melted


In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice mayonnaise, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Divide biscuit dough in half. Roll out half and fit it into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Lay half of the tomato slices in the bottom of pie shell. Top with half of the cheese, corn, and herbs. Then top with the remaining tomatoes, cheese, corn, and herbs. Spread mayonnaise mixture over the top.

Roll out the remaining biscuit dough and cover the top of the pie. Roll the top and bottom edges of the dough together. Cut off any excess and pinch the sides closed with a fork. Cut six silts in the top of the pie. Brush with melted butter and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. The crust should be golden brown. Let cool for ten minutes before cutting.

**Delicious. The tangy of the sauce with the sweet of the vegies and buttery biscuits...mmmm. Next time I'll add less salt and cut the tomatoes into chunks. Oh- and I didn't have tarragon so I didn't add it.

Southwest Salad with Black Beans and Corn

This is a delicious salad that I make everytime it is fresh corn season. Although the recipe calls for cooked corn, I always use raw. You can also substitute canned black beans.

Adapted from Mollie Katzen's Still Life with Menu. You can get the complete recipe online from the A Life Divided blog. Although I often cook my own beans, I've show this adaption with canned black beans.

2 cans black beans 
2 cups raw corn (about 2 largish ears worth- make sure it is organic!)
2 medium-sized cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup well-minced red onion 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
1/4 cup fresh lime juice 
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, minced garlic, red onion, cumin, olive oil, and lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste. 

**Delicious. We ate it with tortilla chips.

Calabacitas

I'm sure most everyone in New Mexico has their own favorite calabacitas recipe. Here is one online that is from the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Below is my easy version.

1 clove garlic, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 zucchini, diced
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off of cob
3 roasted green chiles, diced
11/2 C cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Saute the onions, garlic, and green chile. Add the zucchini and corn. Saute till you like them. Add the cherry tomatoes and saute just until they begin to release their juices.

To serve: Crush up some tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, put in some calabacitas, sprinkle with cheese.

**Yummy!

Black bean enchiladas with guacamole

Tonight I am going to try a slow cooker enchilada recipe. I was originally thinking about using pinto beans, but I didn't get them cooked. I found this recipe on a site I've never used, The Kitchn.

Slow Cooker Enchiladas
Serves 4-6
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color) *
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa
12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn*

Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.
Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.
Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.

Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa.
* I'll be using green chili instead of bell pepper and my leftover corn tortillas.  My daughter will be making "Uncle Lee's famous guacamole". Let me know if you want the recipe.

 The filling was good and it was easy to make. Next time, I would use a green chile sauce- like Tio Frank's instead of two jars of salsa. I would also layer rather than roll the tortillas. I think this is a good alternative if you don't have the time to cook your enchiladas when you get home at night. Using a timer on the crockpot would make it worthwhile.

Okra Gumbo Soup

I'll be using the okra and tomatoes that I froze from last summer's harvest.  When I made this last, I wrote that it is "nice and would be good with all sorts of veggies". I'll see what I've got left in the fridge. You can find this recipe on page 616 in  Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant.

1 C chopped onions
2 T oil
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried basil
2 bay leaves
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
1 C chopped potatoes
3 C vegetable stock

2 C chopped fresh tomatoes (or 16 oz can of tomatoes, chopped, with juice)

1 C corn, fresh, frozen or canned (with liquid)
1 C sliced fresh okra (or 10 oz frozen)
1 T cider vinegar

salt and pepper
Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste
1 t Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Saute onions in oil till translucent. Add the herbs, celery, bell pepper, carrot, and potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking. Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn, okra, and vinegar and simmer until the okra is tender. Remove the bay leaves. Add the remaining seasonings to taste.

 Wonderful! So easy, too! I froze my tomatoes whole. It was so easy to cut them up while they were still a bit frozen.