A Cheese Platter-Mexican Style

As I write this, I can truly say….this is the fullest I have ever been.  Not with love, or ambition, but cheese.  I just single handedly ate a cheese plate.  I couldn’t help it.  Cheese is my number one food.  It is the food that I would pick if somebody forced me to only eat one food for the rest of my life.  Think of the possibilities….cheese sticks, cheesecake, cheese balls, etc.  I have to admit….if I walk into your party, and you have a cheese plate….I like you a little bit more.  Like 10% more than I did before I got there. 

I have been thinking lately that I want to do another series.  Like when I did “Boozie Cakes.”  I want to do a series of posts about Mexican food.  Please keep in mind….I am the biggest gringa that you will ever meet.  I have no Latina blood.  Yet, I like to think that I can bust out Mexican food like I am maybe a little bit Hispanic.  Maybe somewhere, way back in my lineage, there is some Latina in me?  And you know the Latina I want to be like?  Marcella Vallodolid.  She has a show on Food Network called “Mexican Made Easy”.  She is the cutest thing in the world, and girlfriend can cook some Mexican food.  I guess it helps that she was born and raised in Tijuana.  I speak of her as if I know her…..I don’t.  I am more of a creepy stalker.  I love everything about her….except for the fact that she is cuter than me.  That actually makes me like her less;)

Anyhoo, back to my Mexican food….I am going to do a series of Mexican recipes that I have come up with.  So again, they will be “Courtney” versions, and not super authentic.  Don’t hate the gringa.  I am starting with a quick appetizer.  This will be more of an “idea” then a recipe.  It’s a …………..cheese plate.  A Mexican cheese plate.  Like I said above, I love a good cheese plate.  I love me some blue cheese, goat cheese, brie, etc.  But I am mixing it up….I am using all Mexican cheeses.  My local grocery store has a kick ass Mexican cheese section.  Yours probably does too, as it is widely available.  This cheese plate will be a welcome surprise at any party.  It is different and unexpected.  Most of these cheeses are probably pretty unfamiliar to many of you.

I chose 5 cheeses.  I used Cotija, Enchilado, Queso Quesadilla, Queso Panela, and Monterey Jack.  This is a mix between hard cheeses and soft, melty cheeses so it should be a good mix for everyone.

Cotija is a hard, crumbly cheese that is similar to Parmesan cheese.  Enchilado is also a hard, crumbly cheese that is coated in chili powder, usually.  Queso Quesadilla is a soft melty cheese and is Monterey Jack.  Queso Panela is a fresh cheese that is crumbly.  They are all amazing.

The great thing about these cheeses is that they are delicious and different, but they are relatively inexpensive.  You can get exotic cheese without going to the fancy cheese counter.  How great is that?

Four of the cheeses got put on a pretty platter.  The Montery Jack will get a quick trip to the oven, so it isn’t on this platter.  I labeled my cheeses.  Like I said, there is a chance that these will be brand new for many people.  Labels help.

Don’t worry, the platter will get some decoration/garnish/extra snacks.

I cubed the Monterey Jack and put it in an oven-proof dish.  I baked this at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes, until it was all melted and bubbly.  This really shows off how well this cheese melts.  It stays smooth.  This cheese is unbelievable in burritos, on nachos, etc.

It got its own label too.  I placed this right next to the cheese platter after I sprinkled some chili lime seasoning and green onions over the top.

I added little cherry tomatoes, fresh cilantro and a few jalapenos to my platter.  I also put some tortilla chips on the platter.  This would replace the crackers, grapes, and other tid bits that you would find on your run of the mill cheese platter.

I also put some warm tortillas out, instead of bread.  The melty, hot Monterey Jack is amazing in tortillas.

I set out some green salsa, along with some diced jalapenos and pico de gallo.

I mean, seriously, how good does this cheese platter/board look?  I would be so excited if I walked into a party and found this.

Yum!

Yum again!

I realize that this isn’t a “recipe”.  This is an easy idea for a party, soiree, gathering, get together, fiesta, etc.  It is almost no cook….almost, I said.  You do have to turn the oven on.  But basically, you are buying a bunch of stuff from the store and assembling.  And it will impress.  Everyone loves a cheese platter, everyone loves Mexican food.  Do you see the logic there?

I will be back on Thursday with an actual recipe.  I will show you how to put together a “Guacamole Bar.”  And I will include my recipe for an amazing guacamole.  Yep, I make some meeeeeaaaaaan guacamole;)

A Briny BBQ

There are three things that I can’t cook to save my life.  Ok, I am sure there are a lot more, but these three have always stuck out in my head.  I am happy to report that one has been crossed off the list.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I can now cook a mean pork chop.  Rice and hard boiled eggs remain ever elusive….

You read that right.  For all the things that I can cook, I have never been able to master the art of the pork chop.  They always sound like such a good idea.  “What’s for dinner?”  “Pork chops!”  It was always a disappointment.  A few weeks ago, Chris asked me to try and grill pork chops.  I said I would try, but we would probably end up at Taco Bell.  We didn’t. 

Have you heard of brining?  I knew that this was something that TV chefs like to do, especially with turkeys.  The theory behind brining is that by soaking your meat in a liquid mixture chock full of sugar and salt, your meat will absorb the flavors and become super tender.  I knew I had to try this because my pork chops end up somewhere between a tennis shoe and cardboard.

I came up with my own briny mixture.  I knew the basics were liquid/salt/sugar.  For my liquid, I used beer!  I also used some water, dried garlic, onion powder and pepper to mix in with the beer, salt and sugar.  I figured the beer would add more flavor than just water.  I was correct.

This differs from a marinade in the sense that the meat really swims in this mixture as opposed to just soaking in a bit of flavor/moister.  I used a really big sealable bowl.

I used 4 bone-in pork chops.  I popped the lid on this and let the chops swim in the brine for 4 hours.  They did this in the fridge.  This is a cold swim, not a hot tub.  You could let your chops swim all day while you are at work, but I wouldn’t go more than about 8 hours, or less than 3.

While the chops soaked, the salt and sugar worked on the cells in the meat, breaking them down.  This makes the meat super tender.  You may now refer to me as “Bill Nye, the Science Guy”.  What’s that you say?  Somebody is already called that?

I grilled my chops on my BBQ.  As the BBQ heated up, I took the chops out of the brine and dried them off with paper towels.  Don’t worry, the chops won’t be super salty when they are done.  I promise.

My chops weren’t super thick, so they grilled pretty quickly.  It took about 2 minutes each side to sear them.  Then, I put the lid on and let them finish cooking through, about 5 minutes.  At the end, I basted my chops with Gourmet Rooster Carolina Style BBQ sauce, which is a mustard based BBQ sauce.  Mustard and pork are great friends.

Eureka!  Juicy, tender pork chops!  The brine really works.  The chops tasted smoky and delicious, with a slight hint of beer and mustard.  Like I said above, they don’t taste salty or too sweet from the brine.  They ended up fantastic! 

You have to try brining pork chops.  It is such an easy way to get really delicious and tender pork chops.  And now, I shall set my sights on hard boiled eggs and rice.

I couldn’t just serve pork chops without a really yummy side dish.  I made my Grilled Sweet Potato German Potato Salad.  A German Potato Salad is different then a typical potato salad in the sense that it doesn’t have mayonnaise in it.  It has a slightly sweet vinegar based dressing instead.  And it is amazing.  I will show you how I make it.

The actual salad components are simple.  I use 4 sweet potatoes, bacon and green onions. 

I start by par-boiling the sweet potatoes.  This just means that I threw them in a pot with water and boiled them until they were fork tender, about 20 minutes.  I didn’t peel them or cut them for this step.  I put the whole potatoes in cold water.  Once the water came to a boil, I set the timer for 20 minutes.

Once the potatoes cooled enough that I could touch them without getting third degree burns, I sliced them into wedges.

I coated the potatoes with some olive oil and salt and pepper.

I grilled the potatoes for about 2 minutes each side.  These will go quick!  If the skins char, just peel them off and throw that part away.

The dressing for this salad is more Gourmet Rooster Carolina Style BBQ sauce, sugar, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and salt & pepper.

When the potatoes were done grilling, I chopped them into bite sized pieces and mixed them in with the bacon and green onions.  Once the dressing was mixed, I poured that over the top and mixed again, gently.

This salad gets better the longer it sits.  It is perfect for a potluck because it can sit on the table and nobody has to worry about getting food poisoning from rotten mayo.  I love mayo as much as the next guy, probably more, but I think this salad is the perfect potato salad.  The grilled sweet potatoes are so much better than boiled white potatoes.  I hate to be potato racist, but it’s the truth.

This is such a yummy BBQ meal.  And it is different than your typical burgers, dogs or steaks.  You have to try it!  Seriously, I have spouting the wonders of brining to anyone that will listen.  I will check to see if there is a fan club.

Beer Brined Pork Chops

4 bone-in pork chops

1 bottle of beer

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup salt

1 cup water

1 tablespoon minced, dried garlic

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

Gourmet Rooster Carolina Style BBQ Sauce for basting and serving

In a large bowl, combine beer, water, salt, sugar, garlic, onion powder and pepper.  Submerge pork chops in mixture.  Place lid on bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Pre-heat grill.  Take chops out of brine and dry off well.  Sear chops over high heat for about 2 minutes per side.  Move chops to indirect heat and continue cooking until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Baste chops with BBQ sauce at the end of cooking.   Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Grilled Sweet Potato German Potato Salad

4 large sweet potatoes

½ cup green onions, diced

10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 tablespoons Gourmet Rooster Carolina Style BBQ sauce

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

½ cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon

Par boil sweet potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes.  Let cool, and slice into wedges.  Coat wedges with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Grill wedges over direct heat for about 1 to 2 minutes per side.  Let cool and chop into bite sized pieces.  Add grilled potatoes to green onions and bacon.  Combine remaining ingredients to make dressing and pour over salad.  Serve warm or cold.

Birthday Breakfast....Chocolate Grand Marnier Pancakes

Hi guys!  Happy Tuesday.  The big news here this weekend was Mr. Rooster’s birthday.  Yep, Chris turned 34 yesterday.  Actually, it wasn’t big news at all.  Birthdays really don’t matter that much as you get older, do they?  You don’t get to bring cupcakes to school (work), you don’t get a party at Chuck E. Cheese, and you don’t get a new Razor scooter.  There really isn’t a whole lot of fun in a grown up birthday.  I did try to get him to take cupcakes to work with him, but he said no.  Weird.

I did, however, manage to surprise him with a birthday breakfast.   I have started getting up with Chris when he gets up for work.  At the unholy hour of 6am.  I know that isn’t early for a lot of you, but it is crazy early for me.  I have said this before.  I am not a morning person….or a night person.  I have a solid 2 hours in the middle of the day when I really shine;)  Anyhoo, I woke up at 6am and made Chris’s favorite breakfast…..Chocolate Grand Marnier Pancakes.

Grand Marnier is an orange flavored liquor.  If you haven’t tried orange and chocolate together, you are missing out, my friend.  These two flavors go so well together.  There used to be an ice cream place in Concord called “Swensen’s”.  They had a Swiss Orange Chip ice cream that was too die for.  TOO DIE FOR.  I think they have all gone out of business, but it wouldn’t be completely unheard of for me to be wrong.  These pancakes remind me of that ice cream flavor.

When I made the pancakes yesterday, I didn’t use Grand Marnier.  As you will see in the pictures, I used orange extract.  I was feeding the kids too, and they prefer the extract.  I will give you the recipe below (at the end) using Grand Marnier, but just know that you can substitute extract.

I use Bisquick for this recipe.  You can absolutely make these from scratch, but there really isn’t a difference.  Bisquick is flour, shortening, salt and baking powder.  It is the ingredients you would use anyway, just pre-mixed.  I also used buttermilk, eggs, the zest of an orange, orange extract (or Grand Marnier), powdered sugar, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder.  I will top these bad boys with whipped cream made with heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and more extract.

I started with the dry ingredients.  I mixed this together with a fork, concentrating on getting all the lumps out.  Nobody wants to bite into a pancake that has a lump of white powder in it.

I mixed the eggs in with the buttermilk, and then I stirred in the orange extract.  If you don’t have buttermilk, did you know you could make your own?  You just add a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar to milk and let it sit for a minute.  This will sour your milk, which will serve the same purpose as buttermilk.  Here is another tidbit….did you know buttermilk is made from skim milk?  Yep, it isn’t as bad for you as the name would have you believe.

I stirred the wet ingredients into the dry, and then I added some chocolate chips.  One can’t ever have too much chocolate.  When I was little my mom had a sign, in the laundry room I think, that said something along the lines of that.  And maybe one that said you can’t ever be too rich or too thin.  Way to teach your daughter what’s important, mom;)

As you can see from my fabulous picture above, that absolutely isn’t clouded with shadows, I also zested an orange into the mix.  That is where all the flavor is.  The orange oils come out and give a strong citrus taste.

I cook the pancakes in butter, about 3 minutes per side.  The pancake will get all bubbly around the edges when it is ready to flip.  Turn your oven on “warm” and keep your cooked pancakes in there. 

To top these pancakes, I whipped some heavy whipping cream with orange extract and powdered sugar.  Again, this is where you would use Grand Marnier, if you weren’t feeding kids.  Or if your kids hit the bottle a lot. 

I started by whipping the cream and extract.  When I was almost to soft peaks, I added the powdered sugar and kept whippin’ till I had the perfect texture.

Voila!  These pancakes are rich and chocolaty.  They also have a great citrus flavor that works so well with the chocolate.  Since I used cocoa powder, the pancakes stay light and fluffy.  If I used melted chocolate, they would get weighed down. 

These pancakes are a great birthday treat.  Obviously you wouldn’t eat Chocolate Grand Marnier pancakes on a daily basis.  You could, and then someday we would see you on the Discovery Channel because you haven’t been out of your bed in 10 years.  Moderation, folks, moderation.

Chris loved these pancakes, and I think it made his Monday a bit more manageable.  Wouldn’t you like to wake up to these on your birthday?  I know I would.  And it better not be at 6am.

Chocolate Grand Marnier Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick, or other baking mix

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

¼ cup Grand Marnier, or 2 tablespoons orange extract

The zest of 1 orange

¾ cup chocolate chips

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons butter

Pre-heat a griddle or large skillet to medium heat.

In a large bowl, stir together baking mix, 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, and cocoa powder, making sure to break up any lumps.

In a separate bowl, stir together buttermilk, eggs and 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier.  Once this is mixed, slowly stir wet ingredients into dry.  Add ½ cup chocolate chips and zest.  Mix well.

Add butter to pre-heated griddle and let melt.  Drop pancake batter, ¼ cup at a time for small pancakes, onto griddle.  Cook about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

For topping:

In a large bowl, beat together cream and remaining Grand Marnier with a hand mixer, until you almost reach soft peaks.  Add remaining powdered sugar and continue beating until you have desired consistency.

Top pancakes with whipped cream and additional chocolate chips.

The Best Bloody Mary...and a Couple Other Things

 Good afternoon!  I am a little late with posting this morning.  I woke up bright and early, ready to post….I had my friend Travis scheduled to watch the kids….I was ready!  Chris came in and said that there was a nail in his tire, and I needed to get that taken care of.  Off he went, in my car.  So I dropped the kids off and headed down the mountain to Walmart.  A full wild goose chase ensued from there.  (Where does that saying come from?  Are there a lot of domesticated geese that nobody has to chase?  How come it is always one goose and not geese being chased?)  Ok, beside the point….Three stops later, I had a full new set of tires, not just a patched tire.  And I had wasted the entire morning….and wasted babysitting time which is like gold.  I was not a happy girl.  But here I am, ready to share with you the wonders of BBQ sauce.

As one would assume from someone in my line of work, my house is always well stocked with BBQ sauce.  I try to come up with other ways to use it then just slapping it on grilled meat.  I use it wherever and whenever I can.  Don’t be surprised if you come to see me and I serve you a grilled cheese, with BBQ sauce.  Pizza, with BBQ sauce.  Tacos, with BBQ sauce.  You get my point.  We eat a lot of it.  Today I am going to share with you 3 ways to use BBQ sauce that you might not have thought of.

I will start with my favorite.  This is THE best recipe for a Bloody Mary that you will ever try.  I am not kidding.  I am not bragging, tooting my own horn, or anything of the like.  It is that good.  I know you might be weirded out by BBQ sauce in a drink, but trust me.  I have never steered you wrong.

This recipe uses vodka, Gourmet Rooster Smoky Chipotle BBQ sauce, tomato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper.

I use plain vodka, but you could always use a hot pepper vodka.  Your choice, but plain is perfect.

I blend together the tomato juice and BBQ sauce just to make sure that there are no chunks.  My Smoky Chipotle sauce has yummy bits of onion and bell pepper in it.  I like my drinks smooth.  I prefer not to chew them……

Then, add everything to a pitcher filled with ice.  This drink needs to be cold!!

I serve my BBQ Bloody Mary with grilled asparagus instead of celery.  This drink is perfect for an outdoor BBQ.  Once the BBQ is on, toss on some asparagus. 

The BBQ sauce gives this Bloody Mary a surprising kick that I think a Bloody Mary needs.  Sometimes they are too bland and then again, sometimes they are too spicy.  This version has a smoky kick that everyone will love!

My next BBQ trick/recipe is BBQ nuts.  These are a fantastic party snack, and so easy to make!  I love flavoring my own nuts.  For some reason, every time I say that, or type that…..I giggle.  You too?

To make these BBQ nuts, I use Gourmet Rooster Smokehouse Bacon BBQ sauce, a can of mixed nuts, and some butter.  I will be going through the nuts and picking out the Brazil buts.  They look like toes, and they freak me out.  You could make this recipe with any nuts you choose....even Brazil nuts.

In a large skillet, I melted the butter, and then I added my nuts.  I stirred in some sauce and let all the nuts get nice and coated with sauce and butter.  Look, some of the toes didn’t get picked out!

Once all the nuts get coated, I spread them out on a greased cookie sheet.  It is important to spray your tray with cooking spray.  The sauce has a lot of sugar in it and when that caramelizes, it will stick like nobody’s business.

This bakes for about 25 minutes.  Every 10 minutes or so, I open the oven and give the tray a good shake.  Not for fun, but to keep the nuts cooking evenly.

These nuts are smoky and salty, with just a hint of sweetness from the tomatoes in the BBQ sauce.  These are addicting!

My final trick is something I have shown you before.  For my 4^th of July menu, I made grilled corn that I served with a compound butter consisting of butter and BBQ sauce.  I had told you then that you could serve it on any number of things, but I wanted to show you a couple….and give you a way to get a perfect “shape” to your butter.

I used Gourmet Rooster Smoky Chipotle BBQ sauce, but you can use whatever flavor you like.  I also used 2 sticks of butter.  Plan ahead because you need soft butter.  I let mine sit out on the counter all day.

If you butter is very soft, like my thighs, you can mix this by hand.  I cheat and use my food processor. 

What is that?  An empty paper towel tube?  Yes, yes it is.  I line it with plastic wrap and stuff the butter into the tube.  This way, when the butter hardens back up in the fridge….it will firm up in a perfect cylindrical shape.  After a few hours in the fridge, I pull the plastic wrapped tube out of the cardboard tube.  Perfect shape…every time.  I am so resourceful!

See?  It’s all tube-like!

It is fantastic on grilled asparagus!  Once it starts to melt, it will run all over the asparagus, coating it in smoky goodness.

On a baked potato?  Yum!  Transform a plain baked potato into something entirely different!  Saves calories too.  I mean, it’s still butter, but you won’t need cheese and sour cream!

Here is my favorite!  As soon as I pull my steaks off the grill, I toss on some BBQ butter and let it melt all over the top.  This makes the best steak you will ever have.

This butter will keep in the fridge for a few weeks, easily.  I am curious to hear your ideas of what you would put BBQ butter on…..Let’s hear ‘em!!  And as always, if you make something from any of my posts, post a pic on Facebook!

And oh yeah, after the recipes, I will post a list of where you can buy my Gourmet Rooster sauces and spreads…..If you can’t find a store near you, call me and I will send you some!

Smoky Chipotle Bloody Mary

12 ounces Tomato Juice

8 ounces Vodka

2 ounces lime juice

2 tablespoons Gourmet Rooster Smoky Chipotle BBQ Sauce

3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Grilled asparagus for garnish

In a blender, combine BBQ sauce and tomato juice until smooth.  Pour mixture into a pitcher filled with ice.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Garnish with grilled asparagus.

Serve icy cold!  Serves 4

Smokehouse Bacon Mixed Nuts

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup Gourmet Rooster Smokehouse Bacon BBQ Sauce

10 ounce can mixed nuts

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add nuts and sauce.  Toss to coat all nuts evenly. 

Spread nuts in one even layer on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 degrees for a total of about 25 minutes.  Stir nuts a couple of times during baking to ensure even cooking.  Let cool before serving.

BBQ Butter

2 sticks butter, softened

½ cup BBQ sauce

Blend butter with sauce in a food processor.  Lay butter on plastic wrap and roll into a tube shape, or use cardboard paper towel tube to help form shape.  Chill for at least 3 hours.

Where to buy Gourmet Rooster…..

Nevada

The Cheeseboard

-American Bistro and Catering Company-

247 California Avenue

Reno, NV  89509

(775) 323-3115

Wet Hen Café

3979 S. McCarran Blvd.

Reno, NV 89502

(775) 657-8880

The Market on South Virginia

7300 S. Virginia St.

Reno, NV  89511

(775) 853-6686

Maynard Station

1491 S. Main St.

Virginia City, NV  89440

(775) 847-0181

California

The Royal Rooster

1030 Diablo St.

Clayton, CA  94517

(925) 672-2025

Piedmont Grocery

4038 Piedmont Ave.

Oakland, CA  94611

(510) 653-8181

Draeger’s-Blackhawk

4100 Blackhawk Plaza Circle

Danville, CA  94506

(925) 648-5800

Gene’s Fine Foods

2803 Hopyard Road

Pleasanton, CA  94588

(925) 846-8220

The Cooking Gallery

10084 Donner Pass Road

Truckee, CA  96161

(530) 587-8303

The Galley

551 Country Drive

Chico, CA  95928

(530) 343-8820

The Spice Tin

457 N. Algiers Street

Murphys, CA  95247

(209) 728-8225

Minnesota

Evergreen Gifts and Fun

26468 US Highway 71

Park Rapids, MN  56470

(218) 732-9609

Thrifty White #37

125 1^st Ave. South

Perham, MN  56573

(218) 346-4840

Wisconsin

Market Square Cheese

1150 Wisconsin Dells Parkway S

Lake Delton, WI  53940

(608) 254-8388

Mexican Corn Soup....Ole

Hi everybody!  Did you all see the picture I posted of me at the farmer’s market last Sunday?  Yep, I actually go to the local farmer’s market….and they don’t even sell Velveeta there!  But I still like to go.  Everything always looks so good there, kind of makes me want to eat vegetables.  The farmer’s markets in Northern Nevada are not all year round.  They are only in the summer, so I have to get my fill while I can.  This trip, I knew exactly what I was after…..the makin’s for my Mexican Corn Soup.

Addy and I ate at a local restaurant that carries my products last week.  They use my Gourmet Rooster County Fair Peach Spread on their Brie plate, and sometimes I like to go to see my name on the menu.  And I like to visit my products on the shelves.  Addy had their corn chowder and she said “mom, this is literally the best thing I have ever eaten.”  As you can imagine, that made me, the food blogger and gourmet food company owner, feel fantastic.  Nothing like hearing that from your own child.  Naturally, I had to make her corn soup so that she could think that I am the best again;)

The inspiration for my corn soup is the corn salsa/salad that everyone likes to make in the summer.  You know, the mix of fresh corn, black beans, tomato, cilantro, etc?  I make a thick corn chowder-esque soup that is filled with corn, potatoes, onion and green chilies.  I top it with avocado, red onion, cilantro, tomatoes and black beans that have been mixed with a squirt of lime juice.  I got my fresh corn, red onion, cilantro, avocado and heirloom tomatoes from the farmer’s market.

Let’s start with the soup….

I use 6 ears of fresh corn.  Are you an in-store shucker?  I’m not.  I like to get my shuck on at home.  I never use the trash can that is by the corn.  Sometimes I end up with an ear that has been nibbled on by a little critter, but that’s the breaks.  I like the suspense.

I also use potatoes, chicken broth, milk, cream, green chilies, butter, chopped onion and Goya Sazon. 

Sazon is a seasoned salt found in Mexican markets….and Walmart.  Actually you can find it in any grocery store in their Latino section.  I use the Coriander and Annatto flavored version.  It is a great seasoning, filled with tons of flavor.

I am sure that many of you are noticing that I use whole milk and cream.  You can feel free to use low-fat milk, although I wouldn’t use skim.  You can also leave out the cream.  Though I’m not sure why you would.  Unless the “Food Police” are after you too.

I start by sautéing the onion in butter.  I just want to soften it a bit.  At that point I add the sazon.  This will make it a bright orange color, and it will smell like a taqueria. 

While the onion cooks, I peeled and chopped the potatoes.  Once the onions are nice and sweaty, like me when I go to Sparks (it is a million degrees there), I add the potatoes.  I also add the stock and the milk at that point.

Me….adding milk.

I boil that nonsense out of this for about 7 or 8 minutes.  This is to cook the potatoes.  Remember, the potatoes will thicken the soup.

While the potatoes cook in the soup, I cut the corn off the cob.  Here is a trick….use a Bundt pan.  Place the cob in the center and cut the corn off.  The corn will land in the Bundt pan instead of flying all over the room.

The corn and green chilies get added to the soup now.  I boil it, again, for about 7 minutes to soften the corn.

See how the onions have a bright orange flavor?  That is the sazon.

An actual chowder has flour in it to thicken the soup.  I don’t want this soup that thick.  Sometimes chowders are almost pudding-like they are so thick.  I like my way better;)  I put about half of the soup in the processor to blend.  I like to leave some texture so I only do half.   You can do as much as you want.

I put the soup back on the heat and add the cream.  Just a smidge;)

Now let’s make the topping…..

I use an heirloom tomato, a couple of avocados, red onion, black beans (drained), cilantro, lime juice, and salt & pepper.

I used to hate cilantro.  As I have grown up, I have learned to love it.  I have heard that some people have something in their body chemistry that makes cilantro taste soapy to them.  For those freaks of nature, leave it out.

See that tomato carcass in the middle of the picture?  I cut around the tomato to just take off the fleshy part.  I don’t want the seeds, juice and various other wet parts of the tomato.  This would water down the topping.  I have seen TV chefs tell you to save the middle part because “you can use it again.”  Baloney.  You won’t.  Toss it.

I pretty much just chop all that needs to be chopped and mix it with the beans.  I season it with lime juice and salt and pepper.  It is good as is, wait until you taste it on the soup!

I also top this soup with tortilla chips, cotija cheese and Cholula hot sauce.  This, combined with the salsa like topping is amazing.

This is a perfect summer soup.  It is refreshing, made with fresh seasonal ingredients, and it is easy!  The sazon gives great flavor without making it spicy, and without overpowering the sweet flavor of the corn.  I find this soup to be more “summery” then typical corn chowder.  Addy still preferred the restaurants corn chowder.  Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all.  And besides…she’s 6.  Her favorite food is gummy worms.

See you all on Thursday!

Mexican Corn Soup

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup onion, chopped

2 packets Goya Sazon, Coriander and Annatto Flavor

4 cups chicken stock

1 and ½ cups milk

2 Idaho potatoes

8 ounces chopped green chilies

6 ears fresh corn, cut off the cob

½ cup heavy cream

Topping:

1 large tomato, chopped

1 cup black beans, drained

2 avocados, peeled and chopped

½ cup red onion, chopped

½ cup cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add chopped onion and sazon packets.  Sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  Add stock and milk and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and boil for 7 minutes.  Add corn and green chilies and bring back to a boil. 

Puree soup, in batches, in food processor.  Pour soup back into the pot and put back onto the heat.  Add cream and heat through.

For topping:

Combine all ingredients gently.  Top soup with tortilla chips, cotija cheese, and black bean mixture.