Category — Side Dishes

[Saturday Sides is a weekly feature I run to help you combat the side dish blahs. Check here Saturdays to see what’s new and different you can add to your dinner table. Or, you can subscribe here so that you never miss a Saturday Sides Recipe.]

I know, you read the title and thought “Great.  Creamed corn.  Been there, done that. I thought this was supposed to be new and updated veggies for us to try?  That Angie Pangie, she totally copped out this week.”

Now, I’m not saying that I haven’t sometimes, you know, flaked out (Let’s not talk about how long it’s been since you’ve seen a Saturday Side, shall we?), but readers.  Please listen.  I know it’s not a new recipe, but this recipe is for fresh creamed corn.  Which I promise is good!  It’s actually better than good.  It’s kind of unbelievable!  Promise me you’ll give it a try?  Just go old school this one time and see what you think.  Besides, I changed it up a little with some cream cheese.

Corn is something I don’t really eat.  I don’t particularly care for corn on the cob, which I realize is not normal, but unless it’s done extra different, I just think it’s a hassle to eat and tasteless.  The stuff from the freezer section and the cans . . . well, we all know how I feel about canned veggies, right?

But then some of the ladies over at Menus for Moms started talking about creamed corn the way their Grandmothers made it.  And when people start talking about their Grandmother’s recipes, I start listening.  My own Grandma was a huge influence on my early cooking career, and I know our ancestors hold the recipe secrets we all crave - for good old fashioned natural foods.

So, I made this creamed corn a few times.  Well, before you know it I had a winner on my hands.  I added this, subtracted that, and then my family gobbled it up.  I even liked it.  That’s how I knew it was ready for you guys to try.

Let me know what you think, o.k.?  Tout de suite!  On a side note - I used to have a professor who said “Tout de suite.  RIGHT NOW ANGELA!”  Of course back then I had two speeds - I’ll get there eventually and slow so I don’t know what he was yelling about.  Oh, and don’t call me Angela, o.k.?

Old Fashioned Creamed Corn

6 ears of fresh sweet corn
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
1-2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup half and half (or milk)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2-3 tablespoons cream cheese

Husk the corn, remove the silks and wash them well.

Holding the corn from the stalk end, place the tip of the corn in a bowl and use a very sharp knife to cut the kernals off the husk by cutting downwards.  Do not worry about cutting into the kernals, since this is creamed corn you want little bits and pieces.

After you have removed the large bulk of the corn from the husk, use your knife to scrape the remaining part of the kernal into the bowl.  This can be messy, but I just place my bowl inside my kitchen sink and work there.  When I’m all done I just remove the bowl and rinse out the sink.

In a heavy skillet add corn, butter, water and sugar.  Mix well over medium heat until it is lightly boiling.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix half and half (or milk) with cornstarch until smooth.

Add cornstarch, salt and pepper to the corn and continue cooking until thick and bubbly.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of cream cheese and mix to melt.

Remove from heat and serve.

I grabbed a little sack of these itty bitty potatoes at the store the other day. They were so cute and I couldn’t wait to take them home and use them right up. I wasn’t really sure what in the world I was going to use them for, but I knew I would figure something out. I mean, when a bag of potatoes says “Buy Me!” who am I to ignore the voice of spuds?

I came home and decided on a nifty little recipe from Kraft Kitchens called Potato Smashers. By the way, do you subscribe to their free magazine? It’s truly loaded with a lot of good and family friendly recipes. I do have to comb out some junk and convenience items, but I still come away with several great ideas from each issue.

Potato Smashers are small potatoes boiled, smashed flat, and sauteed. They turn out like a cross between a twice baked potato and a potato pancake. And good golly gosh they’re good.

So, I’ve been forcing my oldest daughter, Katie, to work in the kitchen with me. She just doesn’t have any interest in cooking - except an occasional cake, cobbler, or pie - otherwise it’s just a chore to her. But, she’s 14 1/2 now and can barely boil water. Her sister, Babs, who is 7 has more kitchen savvy. I think that’s just sad and I’ve decided she must learn to cook. Her future family will thank me for it someday.

So, I put Katie to work on these potatoes. Boy was she pissed. She was all like, “Why do I have to cook them twice?” Teens can be so lazy. Oh, what’s that? You don’t have a teen? Well, I’ve been thinking of setting up a loan system . . .

Now don’t get too anxious, thinking you might see a picture of Katie cooking potato smashers, because if I wield a camera anywhere near Katie (or her friends for that matter) they run in terror. What is that about?

But, getting back to the potato smashers, they turned out good! As much grief as I give Katie, she did a wonderful job. And, gosh I love that bratty kid. She’s my sidekick these days, and even if it isn’t hanging out in the kitchen, I suppose that’s o.k., right?

Anyhow, here’s the recipe:

Potato Smashers

Adapted from: Kraft Food & Family Magazine

8 small potatoes, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter
1/4 cup crumbled bacon
2 Tbsp Italian dressing
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Place potatoes in a large pan enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain well.

On a cutting board, press each potato with the bottom of a small dish to flatten. Potatoes should be about 1/2 inch thick when done.

Heat dressing in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Turn the potatoes over gently - because they will come apart easily - and sprinkle evenly with cheese and bacon. Put the lid on the skillet and cook for about 2 more minutes, or until the cheese is yummified - otherwise known as melted. Serve topped with sour cream, if desired.

[Saturday Sides is a weekly feature I run to help you combat the side dish blahs. Check here Saturdays to see what’s new and different you can add to your dinner table. Or, you can subscribe here so that you never miss a Saturday Sides Recipe.]

Oy VEY!

This week. Well. Yeah. Where to begin?

This week hasn’t been anything like I expected it to be. As a matter of fact, I actually already had a post written for today and I pushed it to the side and decided to save it for another day. Because when I wrote that post I thought my week was going to be a lot different than it actually was.

My girls went to camp this week! Yay!! All three of them. At the same time. Together. No one was home but me, Bob, and the animals. Which I faithfully fed, just like I promised the girls I would. It was crazy quiet here, in case you were wondering. Bob and I spent two full days being uber productive.

Bob and I had planned a week of eating nothing but potato chips, ice cream, and turkey sandwiches on plain white bread. Seriously. We were. It’s true!! I wasn’t going to cook anything.

Then, well, as an online friend of mine likes to say; it became a plan “B” week since camp called on Tuesday night. Babs had fallen and was hurt.

We drove through the night to meet camp staff and Babs at the hospital and this morning, after meeting with the orthopedic surgeon, this is how the week ended.

Can you believe her? Smiling like that?!? Meh.

Well, anyhow, I couldn’t very well feed Babs potato chips, ice cream, and plain white bread all week. I mean, I could have, except Bob and I had already eaten it all by Wednesday afternoon (we’re nervous eaters, do you know stressful a call like that is?).

So, I had to cook. Good thing too, cuz I was itching to get back in the kitchen and pretty darn sick of crappy bread. Unfortunately, Bab’s arm hurt a lot and she wasn’t really up for running all over the place to get groceries, so I had to make due with what I had on hand.

These rustic smashed potatoes are great for days (or weeks) like this. They don’t use anything particularly special in the ingredients, although adding crispy bacon and shredded extra sharp white cheddar makes them scrum-dilly-icous. Hey, does that word have a copyright on it? Well, no matter, what I mean to say is . . . YUM. All you need is a few potatoes, some butter, sour cream, and a little milk. They take all of 30 minutes from start to finish, so if you have a sick kid who wants your attention (as mine does now) they’re ideal. So, since Babs is wanting my attention, I guess I should get on to the recipe and get out of here. Have a great weekend everyone!

Smashed Potatoes

2 pounds of small thin skinned potatoes (such as red potatoes or yukon gold)
4 Tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup milk, half and half, or cream
1/2 - 1 tsp salt

Wash potatoes thouroghly and remove any large eyes or blemishes. If you don’t have scales, I have found that about 7 or 8 very small potatoes will make about a pound.

Place them in a heavy pot and add enough water just to cover the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil and cook until tender; about 20 minutes. If you aren’t sure if they are done, just use a sharp knife and stab into the center of the potato. It should easily move through the potato. When they are done, remove from heat and drain well.

Add sour cream, margarine, and milk to the pan and return the potatoes.

Use a potato masher, or a large fork and “squish” the potatoes roughly. Leave large pieces, but mix the milk, butter, and sour cream in well.

Sprinkle with salt and serve hot.

Without the pictures:

Smashed Potatoes

2 pounds of small thin skinned potatoes (such as red potatoes or yukon gold)
4 Tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup milk, half and half, or cream
1/2 - 1 tsp salt

Wash potatoes thoroughly and remove any large eyes or blemishes.

Place them in a heavy pot and add enough water just to cover the potatoes.

Bring the water to a boil and cook until tender; about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and drain well.

Add sour cream, margarine, and milk to the pan and return the potatoes.

Use a potato masher, or a large fork and “squish” the potatoes roughly. Leave large pieces, but mix the milk, butter, and sour cream in well.

Sprinkle with salt and serve hot.