Monthly Archives: November 2012

Scalloped Corn

When I was a kid, one of the only vegetables I let near my mouth without a grimace and scowl was corn.  I could eat corn with every meal and especially loved mixing corn with my applesauce (don’t ask).  This dish of Scalloped Corn was a dish my mom would sometimes make at holidays and takes me back each and every time I have it.  It’s one of those dishes that will forever remind me of childhood, cozy fires, cookies in the oven and Christmas music playing subtly in the background.  Which to me, is the best possible compliment for a dish.

Simple canned corn and canned creamed corn is mixed together with onion, pepper, milk, an egg and crushed saltine crackers (bread crumbs or any kind of cracker will also work).  The concoction resembles something close to slop but once cooked and thickened, it’s a true celebration of corn’s sweet freshness and comfort.  I don’t include the pepper when I make this dish but only because I didn’t eat peppers as a kid so my mom left them out.  Just because I eat peppers now doesn’t mean I’m changing a good thing.  My only recommendation is that you double this recipe because as it is, it doesn’t make much.  I double it even when I’m the only person eating it.  Also, I have to leave this in the oven for double the amount of time recommended (60-70 minutes total) because it needs to be baked until no longer runny in the center.  An hour may seem long but trust me, the long cooking time will make it worth it.  I didn’t take pictures of my cooking process for this but I do have a few of the finished product.

Scalloped Corn (makes 4 small servings)

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped green or red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
  • 1 8 3/4-ounce can cream-style corn
  • 1 7-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

Cook onion and pepper in 1 tablespoon of butter until soft and tender.  Combine egg, milk, 1/3 cup crackers, and dash of black pepper.  Stir in onion mixture and corn.  Pour into a 1-quart dish.  Melt remaining butter and toss with remaining cracker crumbs.  Sprinkle crumb mixture over corn mixture.  Bake in a 350°F oven about 35 minutes (or 70 minutes if doubling the recipe) or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Green pepper

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Rice-Nut Loaf

Yes, this a vegetarian loaf – don’t freak out.  It’s an oldie and a goodie.  As I’ve mentioned, I was a vegetarian for 13 years and grew accustomed to making a plate at holiday meals of nothing but a bunch of sides which sounds good but ultimately isn’t satisfying.  Then, one year for Thanksgiving, my aunt pulled out one of her favorite vegetarian cookbooks and made this Rice-Nut Loaf.  At first glance, there really isn’t anything appetizing, interesting or appealing about the name of this dish or the list of ingredients.  But once combined, these ingredients have come to make not just my favorite vegetarian dish ever but my favorite Thanksgiving dish ever.  Hands down.

Brown rice is mixed with wheat germ, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cheese and onion and then binded with eggs and baked to golden brown perfection.  Served alone, with gravy or a scoop of mashed potatoes, this meatless meatloaf-like dish is a perfect high protein addition to any dinner table, especially for the picky vegetarian in your family.  Even better, true to Thanksgiving form, slices of this loaf sandwich perfectly between two slices of bread, spread with cranberry sauce and stuffing for the days after.  Give this a try and maybe you might start to think of vegetarian loaves as a little less weird.  It’s tasty enough for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.  This year, I ate this instead of turkey for Thanksgiving.  And I’m not even vegetarian anymore.

Rice-Nut Loaf (makes 6 servings)

From Nikki & David Goldbeck’s American Wholefoods Cuisine

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1/2 cup wheat germ
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup chopped sunflower seeds
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Combine all ingredients and pack into a 9-inch loaf pan coated in oil or non-stick spray.  Bake for about 50 minutes until firm.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes; unmold and slice.

The ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Combine all ingredients and pack into a 9-inch loaf pan coated in oil or non-stick spray.

Bake for about 50 minutes until firm.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Unmold and slice.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Nikki & David Goldbeck’s American Wholefoods Cuisine

Cheddar and Chive Smashed Potatoes

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend and didn’t eat too much or spend too much money shopping all of the sales that have been advertised for days and days.  Once again, as Thanksgiving came to a close and I was left eating mounds of leftovers until yesterday, I kept wondering why in the world I only eat these delicious foods once every November?  Is it because only eating them once makes them more special?  Or is it laziness?  These foods really aren’t hard to make so I’m really not sure the answer.  This week I have a few foods I made over Thanksgiving that I think deserve a fair shot at being put on the dinner table throughout the year, starting with Cheddar and Chive Smashed Potatoes.

Red potatoes are cooked until perfectly soft and coated in a warm milk, butter and garlic bath before being hand mashed until creamy and still slightly lumpy.  Cheddar cheese, chives and sour cream are added to make these potatoes even more decadent, fluffy and flavorful.  The worse part about making mashed potatoes to me is the pealing but this recipe keeps the skin on so that painful process is eliminated (although you do still have to scrub them).  This recipe made a TON of potatoes which I barely made a dent into and still sadly have in my fridge.  These would make for great base for potato pancakes or just as a side to a good ol’ chicken dinner.  Winner winner.

The ingredients:

Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch.  Cover pot and heat to boiling on high.  Add 2 teaspoons salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook  potatoes, partially covered, 30 minutes or until tender.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and add garlic; cook 1 minute or until golden, stirring.  Stir in milk and heat for 1 minute.  Remove  from heat; set aside.

Drain potatoes well and return to pot.  Add milk mixture, 1/2 teaspoon  salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  With potato masher, mash until smooth.

Stir in cheese, sour cream, and chives.  

Serve hot.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Reduced-fat cheddar cheese
  • Light sour cream
  • Fat-free milk

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source: Good Housekeeping Magazine

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