I wanted to really bless a close friend and she was heading up a luncheon….so I offered to create magic if at all possible. I chose a Southwestern – New England Fusion menu and I will be blogging it over the next week or so.

This is Kyrie creating magic. My daughter Erin took the picture. One of my favorites…

Anyway….

The menu looks like this :

• Maple Caramelized Pear and Pecan Salad with Sharp Cheddar Wedges and  Cranberry Vinaigrette
• Chicken Breast with Maple Chipotle Glaze (only I am not breading the chicken this time)
• Chili Lime Corn
• Dinner Rolls
• Apple Cake with Dulce de Leche Drizzle and Granny Smith slices as garnish

Basically I tried to pull together the spicy southwest with the sweet harvest flavors of the East Coast.  So, I will get Saturday Surfing up as soon as I can.. in the meanwhile – Bake something!

image:   Erin Audet Myers

Post from: Baking Delights

Polenta and grits are similar products, both made from corn. Grits are normally served as a side dish for breakfast, much as you would serve cream of wheat. In recent years they have become more popular and taken on the role of a side dish.

Grits are creamy, somewhat bland, and soothing but they will take on the flavor of almost any ingredient you put into them. They are cheap and filling and those two attributes make them a favorite ingredient at my house.

These Southwestern style grits are full of flavor cheese, onion, garlic, chiles, tomatoes, cumin, and cilantro. They would be excellent served with grilled meats of any sort.

Quick. Easy. Cheap. Yummy. What more can you ask?

Southwestern Style Grits

• 3 cups water
• 1 16 oz. can Ro*Tel tomatoes with chiles
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cups grated cheddar
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 tsp finely minced chipotle or to taste
• 1 cup grits
• 1 cup black olives, sliced

Directions

1. Combine water, tomatoes, spices, onions, and chipotle in a pan. Bring to a boil
2. Add grits, stirring constantly
3. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring until grits thicken
4. Add cheese, cilantro, and olives
5. Stir until creamy and serve

Serves 8

You can also add some crisp bacon to this with great results

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

It isn’t so much that the family gets bored with the same old potatoes day after day.. I do. I hate cooking the same thing more than once. In fact I am pretty sure that I did not repeat a meal for at least the first ten years of my marriage. After that I got lazy.

I was always taught to eat the whole potato, including skins. This is great IF you are buying organic, but if you aren’t you may want to go ahead and peel.

I like to use an old fashioned potato masher for smashed potatoes. I like the rustic look, the texture, and the sheer coolness of using the potato masher that my grandmother did. You can whip them if you like but the potato masher is great fun.

These potatoes are spicy and cheesy with the addition of Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheeses. Easy to do, and awesome with almost any meat.

Or at midnight, straight from the fridge with a spoon…not that I know anyone that would do that…

Southwestern Smashed Potatoes

• 1/4 lb chorizo, cooked…optional
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3 lbs potatoes- peel russets, if using the red potatoes leave the skin on and just scrub well
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup half and half- simmering hot
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cups grated sharp cheddar
• 1 cup grated Pepper Jack
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil potatoes in water to cover until tender.  Drain. Place in a large bowl.
2. Saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. Add to potatoes
3. Add sour cream,  half and half cream, butter, and  the cheese.  Mash with a potato masher until fluffy and cheese melts.  Stir in the chorizo if you have opted to add it.
4. Serve hot

Serves 6-8

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I wanted to get this recipe up in time for you to consider it for Fourth of July though.  I know, I know, you always have the same potato salad and it is tradition…well yeah! Me too, but you have to try this because it is addictive. Have I ever lied to you? I am telling you that this potato salad is absolutely my favorite now, and although I grew up on the traditional Midwestern style potato salad with a tiny touch of mustard, boiled egg, and celery, THIS blows my Mom’s potato salad out of the water. Sorry Mom.

Unlike classic potato salad this shouldn’t sit around very long. The hot peppers tend to get hotter as they sit… so what seems to be mild at 10 a.m. is spicy at 4 p.m. and three-alarm by day 2, if it lasts that long. The warm flavors of the Southwest are highlighted and this is perfect with the classic burgers and hot dogs, or a brisket.

I used organic red skinned potatoes for this but next time I plan on using a combination of organic heirloom potatoes; for color an flavor. The thin skinned potatoes are important to use in this recipe for their flavor, texture, and color.

I saw a recipe in Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook and decided that I wanted to try it…but as usual I could not follow directions and had to go off on my own tangent. I think you will agree that it is an awesome tangent.

You might want to cut back on the spicy peppers. The chipotles will be the hottest and the poblanos the mildest. The potato and mayo tone down the spice but still….

Southwestern Potato Salad

• 4 lbs heirloom, thin skinned potatoes, cut and boiled until tender but not mushy
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, roasted until soft
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 Poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2-3 canned chipotle peppers in mole, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
• 2 cups Hellmans (yes, Hellmans) or homemade mayo
• 2 tbs Guldens brown mustard
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon agave, turbinado, or local honey
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin (I used a tablespoon)

Mix the mayo, mustard, agave, cumin, and lime juice. Squeeze in the soft insides of the roasted garlic and mix well. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, peppers, onions, cilantro, and chopped garlic until well mixed.

Pour the mayo mixture over all and blend gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 8

images:maryeaudet

Post from: Baking Delights

This dish really does need a strong pasta to handle it. I recommend whole wheat because it has a firmer texture and the nutty flavor is perfect. The rich sauce is tangy but it cools the heat of the peppers.The cumin’s warm, earthiness pulls it all together into creamy, spicy perfection. Normally I would not serve corn with pasta- it is just too weird but you know what? Corn works here. I like to leave it on the cob and rest it up by the pasta but you can add the kernels to the dish as well.

I think this pasta is addictive.  This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights. This week it is hosted by Daphne of More Than Words.

Fettucine Creme Fraiche

• 2 lbs wholewheat pasta, cooked and drained
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 zucchini, diced
• 8 ears of corn, cut in half and cooked
• 1 poblano, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 cups creme fraiche or sour cream

1. Saute the zucchini, peppers, onions, and garlic in the olive oil until just tender. This works great in a wok.
2. Stir in the cumin.
3. Add the drained fettucine and stir well.
4. Stir in the cilantro and creme fraiche until all is well mixed and the pasta is coated.
5. Sprinkle with the cheese
6. Serve with the buttered corn on the side.

Serves 8

Tomorrow is my biopsy at 2:45. I have several posts scheduled over the next few days but I may not be available to answer questions. I just want to thank you guys for reading, for encouraging me, and for praying for me. You have been awesome, you have been friends, and I am grateful to count you among my many blessings. I am not looking forward to this thing but I am not worried about it either. I plan on posting on Thursday to let you know how it went, but in case I am unable to I wanted you to know why.

image: marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

So, honestly, I always run late for events but I do eventually get them done.  Tomorrow is the third Wednesday of the month and the date for the monthly exaltation of the humble, yet lovable, potato.  The Potato Ho Down.

Sonnets could be written.  Operas could be sung.  Why aren’t they, you ask? Because as soon as people think about writing a sonnet to the potato they get hungry.  Then they have to fix it..then they have to eat it…then they have to clean up…then it is bed time.

So, yes, the potato is destined to be the unsung hero of the tuber world.  Sad, isn’t it?

This months event is hosted by Hillary of  Chew On That Blog. Head over there to find even MORE potato recipes.

Duchess Grace’s Southwestern Potatoes

4 lbs of organic potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 lbs bacon

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 to 2 jalapenos chopped (or chipotle)

1 pound of organic frozen corn

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

Chop the bacon and add it to a large saute pan.  Cook for  a few minutes until the fat starts to cover the pan bottom and then add the potatoes, onions, jalapeno, cumin, chili, and garlic.  Add a little olive oil if necessary to keep the mixture form sticking.

Saute over medium heat, stirring often, until potatoes are tender but not squishy.Add corn and cook until heated through.

Sprinkle with cilantro and cheese.

Serves 8

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Image:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Cool, crisp days call for hot, steamy soups. There is not much that speaks of home and all things cozy than a creamy bowl of some sort of chowder. Such a simple meal, paired with a read and a salad, with a perfectly ripe pear for dessert- well that is the beginning to a great evening!

This is a southwestern style corn chowder, rich and creamy but also slightly spicy with my beloved chipotle granules included. You can tone it down some for more delicate palates. I drizzle a little Louisiana Hot Sauce on the top for color, and serve with a dollop of sour cream. Those little breads you see next ot it in the picture are hushpuppies, usually served with catfish. We don’t care much for fish but we love the hushpuppies!

Southwestern Corn Chowder

1 large white onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
saute in a few tablespoons of butter until just transparent. Add, with butter included to:

1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 can creamed corn
2 -4 Tbs granular dried chipotle
salt to taste
1 small can green chilies
2 cup heavy cream
6 c half and half or whole milk
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
8 Tbs (1/2 c) sour cream
Put in all ingredients except sour cream in  crock-pot on low heat for 6 hours.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top. Makes 8 one cup servings. Does NOT freeze well!

Post from: Baking Delights

This salad is great but do not substitute or remove the fresh cilantro. It’s fresh, earthy, warmth is necessary to the success of these flavors. Don’t be focused in on exact amounts…This is a handful of this and a handful of that type of meal.

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 head lettuce torn into bite size pieces OR equivalent in salad greens

1 bunch cilantro, cleaned and chopped

1 onion sliced into rings.

1 can black olives sliced

2 c corn

2 c shredded cheese of choice (colby, jack or cheddar)

2 tomatoes cut into chunks

5 white corn tortillas sliced into strips and fried until crispy

Lay salad mixed with cilantro on plate. top randomly with the rest of the ingredients. Top with the following: sour cream, avocado, picante, salsa verde as desired

Post from: Baking Delights