Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

I realize this looks like a hot mess, but don't hold that against the dish (that was just me not taking the time to plate delicately). Which is a compliment really, because this is so good, I didn't want to bother taking my time - I just wanted to dig in. If this looks familiar, it's probably because you've ordered it at the Cheesecake Factory. It's a clone of their recipe (if we can do it with sheep, we can do it with tamale cakes).

SWEET CORN TAMALE CAKES

Yield: 10 cakes (5 appetizers)

Salsa Verde:

2 tomatillos, papery skins removed and chopped

1 (4 oz.) can mild green chilies

1 green onion (scallion), chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

salt & freshly ground pepper

Tomato Salsa:

1 medium tomato, diced

1 tablespoon minced Spanish onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 jalapeno, minced

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Southwestern Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon water

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

salt to taste

garlic powder to taste

Tamale Cakes:

3 cups sweet corn, fresh or frozen (4 to 5 ears)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup masa harina (corn flour)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Garnish:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 avocado, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

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1.      Combine all Salsa Verde ingredients in a food processor on high speed. Cover and chill.

2.      Combine all Tomato Salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

3.      Combine all Southwestern Sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

4.      Preheat oven to 400°F.

5.      Coarsely puree 2 cups of the corn in a food processor.

6.      Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar and salt. Blend well with electric mixer until smooth.

7.      Add masa and flour and blend well.

8.      Mix in the remaining 1 cup corn by hand.

9.      Measure 1/2 cup portions and form into 8 (3 inch) patties.

10.  Arrange patties on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes are browned on the bottom.

11.  Carefully flip cakes with a spatula and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until the other side is browned.

12.  While the cakes are baking, spoon some salsa verde onto a platter (coat the bottom with about 1/4 inch).

13.  Arrange the tamale cakes on top of the salsa verde.

14.  Top each tamale cake with tomato salsa, a dollop of sour cream, chopped avocado, cilantro and Southwestern Sauce (preferably in a nice zig zag pattern using a squirt bottle).

slightly adapted from a copycat recipe from “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes" by Todd Wilbur (original dish from The Cheesecake Factory)

tomatillos

salsa verde ingredients

salsa verde

tomato salsa

southwestern sauce

corn kernels

adding butter, sugar and salt

adding masa and flour

whole corn kernels mixed in

formed into patties

baked sweet corn tamale cakes

two sweet corn tamale cakes over salsa verde with
dollops of southwestern sauce haphazardly plopped on top

For that size/shape plate, I should have put
just one cake on there, but I wanted two!

sweet corn tamale cakes topped with
tomato salsa, sour cream and avocado

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Little Quinoa Patties

I've made quinoa patties before, using a slightly different recipe (one that is gluten-free if you want to check it out). I honestly can't remember which one is better because I made the other one almost two years ago. But I do remember that I liked them both. Last time we dipped them in a delightful red pepper mayonnaise. This time we dipped them two sauces: tzatziki and chipotle-chili tartar sauce. What I really appreciate most about quinoa is that it acts and tastes like a grain (technically it isn't), which satisfies the carb lover in me, but it's high in protein, so I feel good about having it as a main course. If you make an interesting enough dipping sauce and form the patties even tinier, I think they'd make a cute hors d'oeuvre.

LITTLE QUINOA PATTIES

Makes 20 little patties

2 1/2 cups cooked* quinoa, at room temperature

4 large eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives

1 onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan or gruyère (or 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed

extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter as needed

1.      Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into approximately twenty 3-inch (1-inch thick) patties. If the patties are too moist, you can add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture. If they are too dry, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture. The quinoa mixture keeps nicely in the refrigerator for a few days.

2.      In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high, heat just enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the quinoa patties (in batches if necessary) and cook until the bottoms are deeply browned, about 8-10 minutes. Carefully flip and continue to cook until the patties are browned on the other side.

3.      Remove patties from the skillet and cool on paper towels.

*To cook quinoa: Combine 1 cup of well-rinsed uncooked quinoa with 1 1/2 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, decrease the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and you can see the little quinoa curlicues. Drain if any water remains and then return to the pot. Let stand covered for 10-15 minutes, then fluff with fork.

slightly adapted from Epicurious (originally from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson)

raw quinoa

rinsed quinoa in the pot with water and salt

cooked quinoa (already fluffed with a fork)

cooled quinoa and egg

adding the onion, garlic, chives and feta

adding breadcrumbs

mixed

patties frying

patties flipped

patties cooling off

quinoa patty dipped in tzatziki
(we also dipped some in chipotle-chili tartar sauce)

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Arancini (Fried Stuffed Rice Balls)

Deep frying our turkey has become a new tradition at our house (if two years in a row can be considered a tradition). I'm calling it one because I plan on doing it for a long time to come. I seriously recommend it...I don't even like turkey and I ate some (it's that juicy and non offensive). Plus it frees up my oven for cooking side dishes.

Last year I didn't consider the fact that I was heating up a ton of oil just to cook the turkey and didn't use it for anything else. So this year I had a game plan. I made vegetable chips (kale and carrots) before the turkey even went in. Then after the turkey came out (it needs 30 minutes to rest anyway), I fried these arancini and sweet potato fries too (which I didn't leave in long enough and they weren't crispy and I was kind of sad about it until I ate the fifty other things we had and realized I probably would have exploded anyway if I'd eaten sweet potato fries too).

ARANCINI (FRIED STUFFED RICE BALLS)

Makes 4 light lunch or dinner servings

3 cups chilled risotto

12 (1/2-inch) cubes mozzarella (or other melty cheese of choice), about 1 oz. total

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup fine dry bread crumbs (not seasoned)

about 8 cups vegetable oil for frying

1.      Roll chilled risotto into 12 (1 1/2-inch) balls using wet hands. Poke a small hole in center of each ball and insert a cube of cheese, then re-form into a ball.

2.      Put flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Dredge 1 risotto ball in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off, then dredge in bread crumbs and transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Repeat with remaining balls.

3.      Heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot until thermometer registers 360°F. Working in batches of 4, lower rice balls into oil with a slotted spoon and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 360°F between batches.

4.      Let balls stand 2 minutes before serving (for cheese to melt).

adapted from Gourmet, April 2005

cold saffron risotto with butternut squash, rolled into a ball

stuffing with monterey jack cheese

I chose a mild cheese for the kids (I thought they
might not like the blue cheese). But among the
adults, the blue cheese was the clear winner.

stuffing with blue cheese

stuffed with cheese and re-rolled

dipping in flour

dipping in egg

rolling in bread crumbs

going in to the fryer

in the turkey fryer

fried

The dark specks in the strainer are from the dry rub
that fell off the turkey and were floating around
in the oil. I figured they would just add flavor.

fried stuffed rice balls

arancini inside

As you can see, the outside is crispy and the inside is warm
and melty. Delicious! I think next time, I would make a
mushroom risotto. The possibilities are endless.

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Kale Soup

Everywhere I look I see a new article about how kale is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It's high in fiber, low in calories, filled with antioxidants, great for your heart, full of vitamins & minerals and has no fat. I figured the universe was trying to tell me something so I bought some kale. Then I looked for a recipe that would incorporate the kale, but help cover up the bitterness because I'm not a big fan. This soup was perfect. And it was so good for me, I could follow it up with a couple of salty caramels without feeling guilty (until a couple turned into a few and then somehow led to some which ended with way too many). But just think of how much worse it would have been without the super kale in my system to balance it out.

KALE SOUP

Yield: 8-10 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

8 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted

4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 (15 oz.) cans beans (such as cannellini, black-eyed peas or garbanzos), drained

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 bay leaf

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.      Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion, celery and carrot; cook until the vegetables start to get tender, about 10 minutes.

2.      Stir in the kale and garlic and cook until the kale is wilted, about 2 minutes.

3.      Stir in the broth, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, Italian seasoning, parsley and bay leaf. Simmer over medium heat for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through.

4.      Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving.

slightly adapted from allrecipes.com (submitted by Donna B)

raw onions, celery and carrots

cooked onions, celery and carrots

adding raw kale and garlic

kale wilted

adding potatoes and tomatoes

broth, beans and spices added

mixed

cooked (removing bay leaf)

kale soup

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