Mexican Street Corn- Secret Recipe Club

Welcome! Today is the best day of the month... Secret Recipe Club time!  Here it is...posting time...and I'm still writing the post! Sorry! I actually had the recipe done weeks ago, but life has been crazy with school starting, PTA, Michael getting his tonsils/adenoids out...etc. But, here we are!

I'd love to introduce you to Rhubarb and Honey. Kimberly is the boss on this wonderful blog. Her pictures are amazing, and it was so hard to pick just one recipe!

I was making a Mexican feast, which is quite common around here, but with all new recipes. Kimberly had a Mexican side dish that was perfect. Mexican Street Corn! Now, you have to know that I've tried this corn before, and wasn't a fan. It was too messy, and too mayonnaise-y. But, do you know how brillant Kimberly is? She takes the corn off the cob, and serves it all mixed together. It was WONDERFUL!  I seriously thought that I would be the only one to eat and like it, but you know what? EVERY family member, including the 3 kids, LOVED it! This recipe is a keeper!


Mexican Street Corn

1 pound frozen corn (defrosted before using- or cut the corn off of fresh cobs)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup mayonnaise  (I actually used sour cream. I liked the taste of it a lot better!)
1/2 cup grated cotija cheese (grated parmesan can be substituted)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste


1. Drain defrosted corn in colander; dry on papertowels, removing as much water as possible.
2. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat; add butter and melt.
3. Add corn to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, approximately 10 minutes or until most of the kernels have browned.
4. In a large bowl, combine roasted corn, mayonnaise, cheese, and spices. Stir to combine.
5. Serve.

NOTES: For creamier street corn, increase the mayo to 1/2 cup. Want to make it a bit spicier? Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper to taste.

**Thank you so much Kimberly for creating a dish that my entire family loved! You don't know how rare that really is!

Enjoy!

Parmesan Butternut Squash Gratin

We love butternut squash in our house. Yes, it's hard to cut. Yes, it takes a long time to cook. Yes, it's worth every minute.  We usually make it sweet with cinnamon and brown sugar, but this time I decided to go savory instead. Pillsbury.com has fantastic recipes online, and that is where I found this one. I served it with Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder.

We liked the final results, but next time I will add more seasonings (included in this recipe!). This is a great substitution for the sweet squash!

Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin

Adapted from Pillsbury.com

1 butternut squash (2 1/2 lb) 

¼ cup butter or margarine 

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 

¼ teas salt 

1/8 teas pepper

1/2 teas chili powder (optional)

¼ cup Progresso® panko crispy bread crumbs 

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Peel, (with a potato peeler), halve lengthwise and seed squash; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange with slices overlapping slightly in baking dish.
In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft and butter is infused with garlic flavor. Do not let butter brown.

Pour the butter/garlic mixture over the squash. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, chilli powder, and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.

Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with fork. Increase oven temperature to 425°F; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Before serving, sprinkle parsley over top.

Enjoy!

Easy Italian Dinner Biscuits

Rolls and biscuits take time and effort. Since I'm usually a last minute dinner planner, I don't have the time to make my own breads. This idea though, is perfect. Take refrigerated biscuit dough, and turn it in to something special. These would be great with your homemade Meaty Spaghetti Sauce!


Easy Italian Dinner Biscuits
Adapted from Pillsbury.com

1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
2 Tb margarine or butter, melted
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 Tb Italian spices
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. In a bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Italian spices, and cheese together.  Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Brush tops and sides of each biscuit with butter, and coat with bread crumb mixture. Place on a ungreased bread sheet, crumb side up. Sprinkle any remaining bread crumbs over biscuits.

Bake for 14-16 minutes until golden brown. remove from oven; allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Enjoy as a roll, or cut in half and use as a tasty sandwich bun!

Enjoy!

Asparagus with Cream and Almonds

How about a simple but healthy recipe today?  Asparagus in is season right now, and is such a delightful vegetable. It's very versatile , and looks super fancy! 

This recipe came from Pillsbury.com. The cream is divine; light and full of flavor. I loved this dish, and my husband who is so-so on asparagus did as well!

Asparagus with Cream and Almonds

Adapted from Pillsbury.com

From Pillsbury: "Look for fresh asparagus that is bright green with firm, unopened tips. To trim, snap off the tough ends where they break naturally." 

2 Tb sliced almonds

2 teas butter

2 teas all-purpose flour

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/8 teas salt

Dash pepper

Dash of nutmeg

2 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed

1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper  (optional)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook almonds over medium-low heat 4-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and light brown. Remove from skillet; set aside. 

In same skillet, melt butter. Whisk flour into butter until blended. Stir in half-and-half, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.  Cook 2-3 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm. 

In a 4-quart saucepan, place asparagus; add 1/2 cup water. Heat to boiling.  Cook uncovered 3-5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender; adding bell pepper during last minute of cooking. Drain.

On a large serving platter, arrange asparagus and bell pepper. Spoon sauce over the top; sprinkle with cheese and almonds.  

Enjoy! 

Tomatillo Guacamole

I love guacamole. Unfortunately, I'm the only one in my house to love it! So when I make it, I do it in small batches, or I'd be eating it for days!  I found this guacamole recipe on Whats Gaby Cooking, and thought it sounded super yummy. I love avocados. I love tomatillos. How could I lose?



This does take a little longer because you are roasting the tomatillos. If you've never used tomatillos before, they are a very versatile, easy vegetable. They look like green tomatoes, but have a papery covering.




They are the main ingredient in Salsa Verde, or green, salsa.  They can be eaten raw or cooked- roasting is recommended.  This guacamole is more sweet than I'm used to, so plan for that. It is great on chips, but also on veggies!



Tomatillo Avocado Guacamole Dip
Whatsgabycooking.com

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Serves: 6


Ingredients

2 avocados, seeds and skin removed

zest and juice of 1 lime

2 small clove garlic

1 teas salt

1 teas pepper

1 teas honey

1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed

1/4 cup cilantro

1/4 cup white onion, diced

6 medium Tomatillos, roasted


Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Remove the husks from the tomatillos. Rinse under warm water well and wipe clean. Cut the tomatillos in half and place into a baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes until they are tender. Remove and set aside to cool.

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy!