Spicy Corn Pudding

On June 17, 2020June 17, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes4 Comments

Dishes made from corn are common in many different parts of the world, but it is definitely a staple here in the United States. Especially in the southwest with the different blends of cultures that include influences from Mexico. We have made corn pudding in the past, but we decided to spice it up with some jalapeno pepper. It is a wonderful side dish, but is hearty enough to be eaten as a main dish if you prefer. We paired it with one of favorite summer meals, chicken marinated in a tequila-lime sauce. There are quite a few ingredients, but it is really a pretty simple recipe and very easy to make. One trick to cutting corn off of the cob is to use a Bundt pan to hold the cob as well as to catch the kernels as they fall.

INGREDIENTS

4 oz Unsalted Butter
2 1/2 cups Fresh Corn – cut off of the cob (about 3 ears)
1/4 cup Shallot – chopped
1 Jalapeno Pepper – seeded and diced
3 Large Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Half-and-Half
1/4 cup Yellow Cornmeal
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 1/2 tbsp Fresh Basil – chopped
2 tsp Salt
Black Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese plus a little more to spread on top – shredded
1 tbsp Sugar – *Optional if your corn isn’t sweet

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the inside of an 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the shallots, jalapeno, and corn. Sauté the vegetables until tender, about 4 to 6 minutes and then set aside to let cool. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and half-and-half together. Continue whisking in the cornmeal and ricotta until fully blended. Add the basil, salt, pepper, and sugar (if using sugar). Stir in the vegetables and half cup of cheddar cheese. Pour into the baking dish and then top with the additional cheddar cheese. Place the baking dish into a larger baking dish and fill about half way up with hot water. Carefully put the baking dishes into the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife can be inserted and come out clean. Cut into individual servings and serve.

Sauté the Corn, Shallot, and Jalapeno Pepper

Sautéed Corn with Jalapenos – A Delicious Side Dish

On September 18, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn RecipesLeave a comment

Corn is a popular side dish wherever you go because it is so versatile and can be sweet or made to be savory. It is often boiled or grilled on the cob, but we chose to remove the kernels and sauté them with jalapeno and orange bell pepper. We seeded the jalapeno pepper and still found it to have plenty of heat, but if you really want more heat, you can certainly leave the seeds in. Sprinkling with cotija cheese adds a nice flavor to the dish, but you can leave it out or use parmesan or feta cheese if you can’t find cotija cheese. It is a great side dish to have with steak, pork, or fish. It could also be altered to become an actual entrée if you would prefer. For cutting the corn kernels off of the cob, we used a bunt pan to catch the kernels as they came off of the cob. It is a handy trick that works really well. We found it to be extremely delicious.

INGREDIENTS

4 Corn Cobs – cleaned and kernels removed
1 Orange Bell Pepper – seeded and diced
2 Jalapeno Peppers – seeded and diced
1/2 cup Cotija Cheese – crumbled by hand
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large, cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add the corn, orange pepper, and jalapeno peppers to the skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are soft and the corn is fully cooked and starting to brown. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with small crumbles of cotija cheese.

Sauté the Corn and Peppers in a Cast-Iron Skillet

The Finished Side Dish with Cotija Cheese

Southwestern Corn Chowder

On July 18, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New Mexico, Recipes5 Comments

When we were in Sante Fe, New Mexico, we had a very tasty grilled corn and chipotle soup. We asked the restaurant for the recipe and they were nice enough to print it out and give it to us. Since corn is in season right now, we decided to recreate this recipe, but we changed it up to suit our tastes. We really liked the way that our version turned out, it had just the right amount of spice. One of the nice things about a recipe like this is that you can control the amount of heat that you add so that it can be more or less spicy depending upon your taste. Also, the combination of the fresh corn and frozen corn makes for a mix of crunchy and soft that makes the texture of the soup very pleasurable. We served ours with a nice toasted baguette bread, but a fried tortilla like the restaurant used would also be good. We also garnished ours with a couple of slices of jalapeno that had been deseeded, but clearly it isn’t necessary. This recipe serves two, but it could easily be adjusted to serve more. We hope that you enjoy it!

INGREDIENTS

5 Ears of Fresh Corn
8 oz of Frozen Corn
1/3 can of Chipotle Peppers with Sauce – finely chopped
1/4 cup Red Onion – chopped
3 cups Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Butter
Salt to Taste – generous amount
Black Pepper to Taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Remove the corn kernels from the husks of fresh corn and sauté them in a cast-iron skillet heated over medium-high heat with the oil and butter. If you prefer, you could grill the corn whole on a grill and then remove the kernels, but we chose to cook them in the skillet. Salt and pepper the corn and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, and then add the red onion to the corn. Cook for another 5 minutes and then remove from heat. In a medium sauce pan, add the cream, corn and onions, frozen corn, white pepper, cumin, garlic, and salt. Add about a third of the chipotle peppers with sauce and start heating the soup over medium heat. You want to just bring the soup to a slight simmer and avoid bringing to a full boil. Taste the soup and continue to slowly add chipotle peppers with sauce until it is as spicy as you would like.