Category — Vegetables

[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.

You know what today was? That’s right, the first day of school! And no one can ever celebrate the first day of school without watching this famous Staples Commercial.

I know, a bunch of you are saying “Um. My kids went back to school a month ago, what in the world are you talking about? What part of the backwoods are you living in, Angie Pangie?”

It’s true, I know. We went on vacation three weeks ago and the kids in Indiana were already in school when we got there. But, here in Michigan, they passed a law that says you can’t go back to school before Labor Day. So, every year all the kids in Michigan go back to school the day after Labor Day. The kids love it, and frankly, I don’t mind them being home for all of August. I do have to admit though, it is awfully nice and quiet here now that they are (all three) gone.

This morning I saw them all off to school without much trouble and I came home to clean out my closet (it was my hiding place on the really hairy days this summer - and I needed to get rid of all the empty bon-bon containers.) After I cleaned out the closet, I noticed something really strange. Today, when I picked up the trail of dirty socks off the living room floor they didn’t magically reappear when I turned around and looked the other way. I shut my eyes really tightly, but they just wouldn’t play.

Since Hubby and I were a little lonesome for the kids and bored since the socks refused to reappear and entertain us, we decided to hang out and have lunch together.

And, because everyone has been bringing me tomatoes from their gardens, I had an a wonderful assortment of tomatoes to use up. I decided to make some Italian salsa for us to munch on as an appetizer. Now, a lot of my friends and family would call this “bruschetta” and to be fair, most of the time, I refer to it the same way.

Technically speaking though, bruschetta is a toasted garlic-rubbed bread; not the the tomato stuff on top. I do like to make toasted bread, but a lot of time when I made this salsa I usually just serve it with garlicky crackers.

This is a simple and ultra yummy appetizer. It’s better after you let it rest in the fridge for a while, but you can make it and eat it right away, too. Make sure you tote some gum because it packs a for-real garlic punch. No foolin’ there. Use up some of your fresh tomatoes today (or hit the local farmer’s market), you’ll be glad you tried this one!

**I just noticed that the pictures that I took for this post are corrupt! I am so bummed out!! Well, I’m going to go ahead and post the recipe and maybe tomorrow I’ll make a fresh batch of salsa and take some new photos.**

Italian Salsa

1 1/2 cups of finely chopped and seeded tomatoes
1 tablespoon of fresh minced basil, or 2 tsp. of dried basil
2-3 cloves of fresh minced garlic
1 or 2 pieces of marinated sun-dried tomatoes, diced
2-3 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated

Use a very sharp knife to dice the tomatoes into small pieces. Make sure you aren’t just squashing the tomatoes, you want them to be cut into small squares - not pulvirized. And, yes, I know this from experience.

You can use a garlic press for the garlic, or just chop it extra tiny. It’s served raw, and you don’t want any huge stray pieces in there!

If you use the sun-dried tomatoes you’ll be please with the wonderful deep flavor and the gorgeous appearance your salsa will have. They are a bit pricey, but a jar will last a long time.

Gently mix together the tomatoes, basil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and salt in a small bowl. Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar over the top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.

Serve with garlic crisps or on bruschetta.

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.