Roasted Corn and Chipotle Chili

Vegan Month of Food 2017
“Lines and Light”

(a line of original poetry or a photo of light every day for the month of October)

I’m here and you’re there
Decades separate us
I understand and I remember
But all I can do is make soup

Day 3:  Conversion Meal
What would you make to convince an omni to convert?
(click HERE to see what others are sharing today)

Who doesn’t love chili? Sour cream. Avocados. Shredded cheese. Onions.  Jalapenos. Cilantro. Lentils. Roasted corn. Chipotle peppers. Super spicy and perfect for a hearty meal. Chili is a great meal to share because you always end up making way too much!

Here’s What You Need:
3 ears fresh corn

1 C French lentils

1 T olive oil

1 ½ C chopped onions

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 canned chipotle peppers

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ t ground cumin

½ t smoked paprika

½ t chili powder

½ t dried oregano

2 cans Rotel brand tomatoes

14 oz canned tomatoes

2 x 12 oz cans V-8 juice

10 oz tomato juice

1 can dark kidney beans with juice

12 oz light colored beer (like Corona)

Here’s What You Do:

Remove kernels from cobs and saute/roast them in a skillet with a large tab of butter. Let them get a bit brown. Set aside.

Cook the lentils in 8 cups of water. Boil, decrease heat, simmer about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Sautee onion, peppers, garlic, and spices in oil until the veg is soft, but not brown.

Add tomatoes, beans, juices, lentils, corn, and beer. Simmer as long as you want (the longer the better!) 

Garlicky Grilled Corn and Bean Salad

Here's a great example of what I eat on a pretty regular basis - big ole bowls of veg. This particular bowl was very good and super garlicky and it actually has great potential to develop into a serious recipe. For now, though, it will remain a simple concoction I created one night when Mr. Living Cookbook was out of town.

Garlicky Grilled Corn and Bean Salad

Grill 3 ears of fresh corn on either an indoor or outdoor grill. Remove the kernels.
Saute 1/2 can of dark kidney beans in some warm olive oil
Mince a few cloves of garlic and add them to the beans being very careful to simply warm them - never brown garlic!
Add 2 carrots,finely grated

Mix it all together and eat while warm; if needed drizzle some more olive oil over the top.

(and yes, I actually do eat 3 ears of corn, 1/2 cans of beans, and 2 carrots at a single sitting.)

Corn Fritters

Corn Fritters

Not a lot to say about these, except that they are tasty little buggers. What is it about eating food with your fingers? Appetizers and small plates are so fun to serve and eat. 

I served these corn fritters with marinated mushrooms and a Spanish 'Queso' Fundido and garlic toast. Thinking back on the meal, I remember that the corn fritters could have benefited from some spicy mayo, or a drizzle or dollop or drip of some concoction. Something to keep in mind. 

Here's what you need: 

1/2 C garbanzo flour

1/4 C all purpose flour

2 T fine cornmeal 

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t cumin

1/4 t thyme

1/4 t paprika

1/4 t salt

pepper to taste

1 C corn kernels

2 T finely grated carrot

1 T minced onion (or chopped chives)

1/4 C non dairy milk

Here's what you do:

Mix it all together until it's a thick, sticky mess. Form small patties. Fry until brown. 

(recipe from "Vegan Finger Foods")

Creamy Corn Gazpacho (lindawagner.net)

This photo is my soup made with red (rather than yellow) tomatoes. Please be sure to use yellow tomatoes for the original glorious yellow color. 

Everyone and their uncle is going bonkers for pumpkins at this time of year, however I only think of pumpkins at Thanksgiving. There is still plenty of time on the calendar for other vegetables. And cold soup is not out of season yet in my kitchen.

Here is a time I made this with red tomatoes. Yellow is the preferred color though.

This recipe was very unusual and completely refreshing. Since it is a raw soup, it came together in a matter of minutes. I think the garnishes are important because you want nice contrasting colors. I also think, in a jam, you could get away with using frozen corn, but seriously, there's nothing better than fresh corn on a cob.

Basically, you put everything in a blender and whirl to your desired consistency. I left mine just the tiniest bit chunky.

Another reason that I'm posting this 'summer' soup now in the autumn, is because I'm going to try heating the soup after blending. I know it will be great.

(from Linda Wagner) Creamy Corn Gazpacho

4 ears raw sweet corn - 3 for soup and one for garnish - kernels removed

1 can white beans, drained

1 yellow pepper, seeds and veins removed, chopped in pieces

1/2 shallot

2 C yellow tomatoes, cubed

3/4 C almond milk

1/4 C water

juice of 1 lime

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

1/2 t cayenne

1/2 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and cut in pieces

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil for garnish

Place ingredients in a blender. Serve cold.  Choose garnishes that contrast well with the flavors and color of the soup: cilantro, tomatoes, black pepper, olive oil, green peas, more corn kernels.

Isa Chandra’s Corn Chowder

I am very nostalgic about corn chowder because it was one of the first soups I learned how to make. I used to use my grandma’s recipe which has whole milk, butter, bacon, and cans of creamed corn. 

 In my mind, I can see myself fretting over that simple recipe, trying to figure out how long to sauté the onions, when to add the milk and what to do with the bacon grease. Good cooks have some natural instinct and that comes with practice. After 28 years of practice in the kitchen, I no longer fret over how to sauté onions and I can tell a great corn chowder recipe when I see one. Isa never fails!

Here is a link to the original recipe.

Here’s what you need: (I have included some minor modifications)

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ t red pepper flakes

5 ears fresh corn – equal to about 4 cups of kernels plus the cobs

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes or red potatoes, diced

4 C vegetable broth – divided

1 T corn starch

1 can full fat coconut milk

Fresh lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes include:

Fresh basil

Thinly sliced radishes

Shredded carrot

Extra corn kernels

Here’s what you do:

Sauté the onions in the oil until they are translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and simply warm the garlic – do not brown it. Add the carrots and corn kernels and cook for a few minutes. Measure out 1 C of the broth and whisk in the corn starch. Set aside.

Add the remaining 3 C of broth and potatoes to the soup pot.  Cover and bring to a boil. Add the corn cobs. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes. I believe in letting soup rest for a while to really allow the flavors to peak. So if you have time, turn off the heat and let the whole thing sit for another 30 minutes. This will also allow the starch from the corn cobs to do its magic.

Remove the cobs. Add the starchy veggie broth which you have been saving and raise the heat until the soup is a bit thickened. Add the coconut milk. Season with salt and lots of black pepper. Save the lime juice (fresh, of course!) until the last minute.

Mrs. K’s Famous Mexican Casserole (a silly name for a great casserole)

Here’s one of those great recipes that gets passed along from friend to friend. My colleague and friend, Dawn, got this from another friend. Dawn had this at the lunch table last year and I remember her saying how perfect it was for feeding her three hungry teenaged sons – that sounded good to me! I immediately had to learn how to make it. I grabbed the closest thing handy to jot down the recipe – a paper plate! She started dictating. I made it for my family shortly after that and when they asked, “What’s this called?” I had to honestly say, “I’m not sure!” Since then, we just refer to this great casserole as “Mrs. Kohn’s Famous Mexican Casserole.”

 If you’re like me, you can probably understand the recipe from reading the photo, but just in case you need more directions, here’s the recipe!

Here’s what you need:

1 box Jiffy brand corn muffin mix

2 lbs ground round

1 package taco seasoning

1 can black beans-drained and rinsed

1 can corn - drained

1 can chopped tomatoes – with all the liquid

1 jar salsa

Cheddar cheese

Here’s what you do:

Brown the beef and add the taco seasoning according to the directions on the package. Keep it nice and juicy. Lots of sauce is good here.  Prepare the corn muffin mix according to the directions on the box and pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Layer the meat, beans, corn, tomatoes and salsa. Bake until bubbly in a 350 degree oven. Then add grated cheddar cheese to taste and bake a bit longer. Serve with sour cream, jalapenos, sliced green onions, or black olives.

Simple, but surprisingly delicious. The corn muffin adds a very sweet element to this spicy casserole.

I’m wondering how many of you have cookbooks that have entries written on paper plates taped in?? Did you notice the recipe on the facing page? Patti LaBelle’s Over the Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese. Simple the best mac ‘n cheese on earth! If you work hard, you can probably read it in the photo and jot it on a paper plate to tape in your own cookbook!

ps - no printable version of this one - if you want to make it you will have to jot it down just like I had to....

texas caviar

Texas Caviar

This recipe has been floating around for a while now in all its variations. I've seen it at every potluck and open house. I must say, though, this particular recipe is an excellent combination of all those familiar flavors - we go through a huge bowl of this very quickly in our house. I got this recipe from my girlfriend's husband.  I recommend Tostitos Brand Scoops for this. Aren't they the best chip out there for dips?

Here's what you need:

1 C celery

1 C green pepper

1/2 C red pepper

1 can black beans -drained and rinsed

1 can pinto beans - drained and rinsed ( I think today I used light kidney beans which were fine)

1 can white shoe-peg corn (or regular corn)

1/2 C red onion

If you're going to eat it right away, another addition is avocado and cilantro. Don't add these till the last minute so the avocado stays nice and green and firm and the cilantro stays nice and green and firm......

To make the marinade:

3/4 C cider vinegar

1/3 C sugar

Heat in a small sauce pan until sugar is dissolved

Add:

1/2 C canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all together and enjoy!

I had to include these photos of some beautiful corn I got last week in Northern Michigan. Fresh corn for my Texas Caviar and a huge bag full in the freezer for later.