Rice, Black Bean, and Corn Salad

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 cup cold cooked brown rice
1/2 cup cooked corn kernals
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp EVOO
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the rice, corn, bell pepper, celery, beans, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, oil, and salt. Pour over the rice mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least 1 hour.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 2

Comments:
I really liked this. I had to skip the jalapeno since the ones I had in the fridge jumped the shark on me before I could make this. Adam wasn't too enthused - he thought it was weird that it was cold. I liked the mix of flavors and the crunch the pepper and celery added. Might try it with red pepper too to add some more color contrast. I'd also probably up the ratio of black beans - I love them and there didn't seem to be enough of them.

Grilled Sliced Chicken with Cheesy Polenta

From Everday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 poblano chiles
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO ), for drizzling
4 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
A handful cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder (hot) or sweet smoked paprika (not), about 2/3 palmful
About 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Over an open flame or in the broiler, char the poblanos until blackened all over, turning occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover and let cool. Peel, seed and chop the poblanos.

Preheat a griddle pan or large skillet over medium-high heat; drizzle with a little EVOO. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. In a microwavable bowl, soften 3 tablespoons butter in the microwave for a few seconds on high. Add half of the cilantro or parsley, the rosemary, the chile powder or paprika and the oregano.

While the chicken cooks, heat a drizzle of EVOO in a saucepan. Add the corn and heat through for a couple of minutes. Add the charred poblano, stir in the milk and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and cook over low heat, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cheese.

Slice the hot chicken on the diagonal, then dollop with the spicy butter. Spoon some polenta underneath or alongside the sliced chicken.

Comments:
I cooked the chicken in the George Foreman (because I forgot to thaw it. Whoops) and skipped the butter, but otherwise stuck to the plan. The chicken was nothing special, but the polenta was awesome. Some extra texture from the corn, some spice from the poblano, and cheese.

Edamame Succotash

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 slice center-cut bacon
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped sweet onion
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons torn basil

Directions:
1. Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan; coarsely chop bacon.

2. Increase the heat to medium-high. Melt butter in drippings in pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn kernels; sauté for 3 minutes or until lightly charred. Add edamame, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar and next 5 ingredients (through bell pepper); cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bacon and basil

Comments:
This was really good. All kinds of flavors and textures, the vinegar gives it a nice zing. It reheats well too, which is important in a two-person household. I admit I doubled the amount of bacon, but Adam still thought it could use more. :-)

Red Rice with Chorizo

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces chorizo, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1-1/2 cups red salsa
2 cups thawed frozen corn
One 15-ounce can sliced large black olives
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute to coat. Stir in 1-1/2 cups water and the salsa and bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

2. Fluff the rice and stir in the corn. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the olives and cilantro.

Comments:
I swapped some black beans for the olives because, while Adam claims to "hate" beans, he "hates" beans a whole lot less than he hates olives. I also left out the cilantro. It took about 25 or 30 minutes for my rice to cook completely, but other than that the recipe worked well. Nice flavors. Adam's comment (I mean aside from the "eww, beans" one) was "needs more chorizo." So there you go.

Cowboy Casserole

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 can (8-3/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
2/3 cup condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons sour cream
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups frozen Tater Tots

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Stir in the corn, soup, 1/4 cup cheese, milk, sour cream, onion powder and pepper.

Place 1 cup Tater Tots in a greased 3-cup baking dish. Layer with beef mixture and remaining Tater Tots; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Comments:
This was good, but 20-25 is definitely not long enough. The middle was still cold when I took it out. Other than that, a good mix of flavors. Just cook it longer.

Tortilla Bread Pudding

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 ounces cured chorizo sausage, finely chopped
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large flour tortillas (about 9 inches), ground into coarse crumbs
Salt and pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Using a food processor, puree 1 cup corn.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup corn and cook until the corn begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chorizo.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, pureed corn and tortilla crumbs. Add the onion-chorizo mixture and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and bake until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes; let sit for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the scallions.

Comments:
A pretty easy dish to throw together. I used whole wheat tortillas, which I can never find in a large size, so I just used 6 medium ones and it seemed to work ok. Both Adam and I liked this one a lot.

P.S. Oh my God, I just typed "Gorilla Bread Pudding" up there as the title and almost posted it. Where did that come from? I must be more tired than I thought...

Santa Fe Turkey Skillet

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 (1/2-pound) turkey tenderloins, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
Cooking spray
8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:
1. Combine turkey and chili powder, tossing until turkey is coated. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add turkey, and sauté 5 minutes or until done. Remove turkey from skillet; set aside.

2. Coat skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add green onions and garlic to skillet; sauté 2 minutes. Add beans and next 4 ingredients; cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated.

3. Add turkey and tomatoes to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thoroughly heated.

Comments:
I liked this a lot but Adam thought it could use more spice. I used ground turkey instead of tenderloins and a regular tomato rather than cherry ones. It had a good mixture of flavors, textures, and colors. Might even be better with some cheese on top...

Sizzling Salmon and Spinach Salad with Soy Vinaigrette

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
DRESSING:
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

SALAD:
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
4 cups thinly sliced shiitake or button mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
8 cups baby spinach
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 cup red bell pepper strips

Directions:
Preheat broiler.

To prepare dressing, combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, and stir well with a whisk.

To prepare salad, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and 1 cup onions; sauté 8 minutes. Stir in corn; remove from heat.

Place the fish on a foil-lined baking sheet; brush evenly with 1 teaspoon oil. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Place 2 cups spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1/4 cup red bell pepper, 1/2 cup mushroom mixture, and 1 fillet. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons dressing over each salad.

Comments:
There is A LOT going on in this one. All kinds of veggies, fish, a dressing. It comes together pretty easily, but I still had to have Adam check the fish. I never know when it's done. He liked all the different flavors that come together. I, of course, didn't eat this. I had this lentil soup instead (also meatless, not fishy.) I always make a big batch and freeze it. Yum.

Corn Bread Taco Bake

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix
1 can (2.8 ounces) french-fried onions, divided
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the corn, tomato sauce, water, green pepper and taco seasoning. Spoon into a greased 2-qt. baking dish.

Prepare corn bread mix according to package directions for corn bread. Stir in half of the onions. Spread over beef mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with cheese and remaining onions. Bake 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and a toothpick inserted into corn bread layer comes out clean.

Comments:
Very simple, quick dish to put together. Kind of made a mess in the oven though - tomato sauce splattered as it baked. Guess who's cleaning the oven this weekend?

Anyway, good combination of textures. Adam preferred the top layer to the corn/beef mixture. I'd have to agree. There was some funky aftertaste going on. Not sure whether it was my ingredients or the preparation. Would probably try this again.

Black Bean, Corn, and Zucchini Enchiladas

From Recipezaar



Ingredients:
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 cups diced zucchini
10 ounces frozen corn
15 ounces black beans, rinsed
2 cups enchilada sauce, divided (recipe follows)
cooking spray
8 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided

Enchilada sauce
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
28 ounces crushed tomatoes

Directions:
To make sauce:
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes Stir in broth and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes Makes 3 cups!

To assemble and cook enchiladas:
Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium high. Add zucchini and corn; saute 5 mins or until tender. Remove from heat and then stir in the black beans. Spread a cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom on a 13x9 or larger baking dish coating with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the vegetable mix down the center of a tortilla and sprinkle with a couple of tbs. of the cheese. Roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat and then top with remaining enchilada sauce.

Bake for 30 mins and then add the remaining cheese on the top and cook for 10 mins or until cheese melts.

Comments:
I cheated and bought canned enchilada sauce. Perhaps a mistake, since that's the part I liked the least about this dish. The filling is great and I ate the leftovers that didn't fit in the tortillas by itself and was very happy. I didn't dig the enchilada sauce and will probably disassemble them when I eat the leftovers. Adam didn't mind them - except for the beans.

Southwest Eggrolls

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
2/3 cup frozen corn, thawed
2/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
20 egg roll wrappers
Oil for deep-fat frying

DIP:
1 cup ranch salad dressing
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated lime peel

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. Place 1/4 cup of chicken mixture in the center of one egg roll wrapper. (Keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use.) Fold bottom corner over filling. Fold sides toward center over filling. Moisten remaining corner with water; roll up tightly to seal. Repeat.

In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry egg rolls, a few at a time, for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, combine the dip ingredients. Serve with egg rolls.

Comments:
I was so impressed with myself. The only thing I left out of this recipe was the cilantro. I even got a fresh lime to zest. Wow! I ended up with 12 eggrolls rather than 20, but I have a feeling I skimped on the amount of chicken. I just cooked up a couple of breasts on the George Foreman and guesstimated. Overall, pretty good. A little spicy for my tastes, and Adam didn't dig the sauce.

Meatball Tortellini Soup

From Taste of Home (I can't find the recipe on their website...)



Ingredients:
One 14.5oz can beef broth
12 frozen cooked Italian meatballs
3/4 cup fresh baby spinach
3/4 cup stewed tomatoes
One 11oz can Mexicorn, drained
3/4 cup frozen cheese tortellini
salt & pepper

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add the meatballs. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the spinach, tomatoes and corn; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tortellini, salt and pepper; cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until the tortellini is tender.

Comments:
Hrm, what the heck is "Mexicorn"? Is it like Rotel, but with corn instead of tomatoes?

Anyway, didn't do too well following this recipe, but my dish still looked surprisingly like the picture on the recipe card...



So, what did I actually do? I made my own meatballs, for one. How hard is it that you have to buy pre-made, frozen meatballs. Geesh. I used this recipe minus all the onion and plus some Italian seasoning. I mean, they were supposed to be "Italian meatballs" and all. I put the broth into a pot, brought it to a boil, plopped in the cooked meatballs. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Then I added a can of diced tomatoes, a can of corn (regular corn. Mexicorn? Pfft), and some baby spinach that I chopped up a bit. I let that simmer for another couple minutes. Then I added the tortellini, salt, pepper, and let that cook while I made some rolls. Almost didn't burn them this time!

Anywho, I thought this was good. Adam didn't like the tomato part.

Scallops with Thai Sauce

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) vegetable broth
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 to 2 tablespoons Thai chili sauce
1 pound sea scallops
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, sliced
1 large sweet red pepper, julienned
1/2 cup salted cashews
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 can (8-3/4 ounces) whole baby corn, drained
Hot cooked angel hair pasta, optional

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, broth, peanut butter and chili sauce until smooth; set aside.

In a large skillet, saute scallops in 1 tablespoon oil for 2-3 minutes on each side or until opaque. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. In the same pan, saute the onion, red pepper, cashews and garlic in remaining oil for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir peanut butter mixture and add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add the scallops and corn; heat through. Serve over pasta if desired.

Comments:
Also good with chicken!


Adam obviously picked this recipe out. I omitted the peppers at his request and skipped the pasta. As I was testing the corn to make sure it was cooked, I tasted the sauce and thought it would go well with chicken. Since I hadn't decided what to have for dinner myself yet, I cooked up a chicken breast and some potatoes. It worked well. It's a very versatile sauce, with no one flavor overwhelming the others. I didn't dig the cashews, but I guess they add something texture-wise.

Pork Soft Tacos

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
Eight 6-inch flour tortillas
One 10-ounce package frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (I excluded. Yuck.)
Juice of 1 lime
8 ounces shredded monterey jack or cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add half the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pork and paprika and cook, breaking up the meat until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Meanwhile, place the tortillas on 2 baking sheets and warm in the oven for about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the corn, remaining onions, cilantro and lime juice. Season the salsa to taste with salt and pepper.

3. To serve, top each warm tortilla with cheese, meat and corn salsa.

Comments:
Adam complained about the corn part of this, but they seemed to go down alright even with that part of it included. These are a little bit messy, and he ended up rolling his like a burrito. I think they could use some additional spicing up (and that's saying a lot coming from this wussy spice eater.) They'd also be good with beef or turkey.

Turkey and Black Bean Tostadas

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
3½ ounces roast turkey, from the deli counter, finely diced (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons fresh corn kernels or thawed frozen corn
1 small ripe tomato, finely diced
Juice of 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon chipotle sauce or hot sauce, to taste
1/4 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup plain reduced-fat sour cream
2 flat corn tostada shells, such as Bearitos brand
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1 tablespoon snipped chives (optional) in a bowl

Directions:
Combine the turkey, black beans, corn, tomato, lime juice, chipotle sauce and cheese. Pack the turkey mixture, sour cream, tostadas, lettuce and chives separately until ready to use. To serve, spread some sour cream on each tostada. Top each tostada with some of the turkey mixture, lettuce and chives.

Comments:
Instead of tostadas I used these taco shells that come flat with forms that you bake in the oven. They worked wonderfully. This was it was much easier to eat all the filling without it falling all over the place. I'm a notoriously messy eater.

Black Bean Pita Pockets

From Taste of Home's Cooking for 2 Summer 2008



Ingredients:
black beans
corn
bacon
red pepper (left out)
mayo
celery
sugar
onion
cider vinegar
olive oil
pita bread
romaine (left out)
tomato

Comments:
Adam chose this recipe out of one of the magazines I got him to look through. Then when I made it he said, "I don't like black beans." Uhm. Ok then. He ate it anyway. The filling was very tasty and while we ate it for dinner with warm pita and corn, it's just as good cold. I did forget to pick up romaine so I had to leave it out. I'm not sure how much of a difference it would have made. Perhaps it would have been less runny with some lettuce to soak up some of the juices.

Southwestern Chili-Mac Salad

From Everyday With Rachael Ray June/July 2008



Ingredients:
lime juice
EVOO
salt & pepper
corn
pasta
onion
chili powder
ground beef
kidney beans
tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese

Comments:
I altered this recipe a bit. I left out the cilantro since it's gross. I also used frozen corn rather than fresh corn off the cob. I used a white onion, all finely diced and cooked since I don't particularly like raw onion. I also seeded and diced the tomato rather than putting whole wedges in. It turned out great. Lots of flavors, textures, and color. It probably tastes pretty good cold but I haven't found that out yet. Adam tried it and declared it was "not his cup of tea." Oh well. Can't win them all.

Cheesy Corn Bites

From Everyday with Rachael Ray March 2008



Ingredients:
cream cheese
pepper jack cheese
egg
corn
tortilla chips (scoop shaped)

Comments:
The second of the two corn-based appetizers, this one definitely took first place. They reminded us of the cream cheese wontons that Asian Sensations makes. These are super quick, super easy, and super yummy. They also made the list for appetizers at our next party, hands down.

Cheesy Potato Corncakes

From Everyday with Rachael Ray April 2008



Ingredients:
potatoes
salt
egg
chives
cornmeal
corn
pepper jack cheese
pepper
vegetable oil

Comments:
I made a meal out of two "corny" appetizers (see next entry for the other.) This one was the second favorite of the two. :) It's pretty easy, kind of quick, and tastes ok. I cut the recipe in half and I think perhaps I messed up the proportions. It definitely could have used more cheese. I also scrapped the cornmeal coating since it was messy and prevented the cakes from browning on the griddle.

Lime Chicken Tacos

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
boneless, skinless chicken breasts
lime juice
chili powder
corn
salsa
tortillas
shredded cheese
sour cream

Comments:
I followed this recipe as it was written, which, if you read this blog with any regularity, you know is quite rare. I even put the full 3 tablespoons of chili powder in. And you know what? It wasn't really even that hot. I was relieved. It definitely has some kick but I think that's more attributable to the salsa than the chili powder. Overall, great flavor and totally simple to make (although you may note that Adam rolled his up like a burrito or something rather than a taco...)