Corn and Caramelized Onion Risotto

Normally, risotto is a main dish for our family. I love savory risottos like red pepper, sun dried tomato, or leek and lemon.

A few weeks ago, I decided to create a risotto that was meant to be served as a side dish. For that reason, you will find this dish is a little sweet - the onions caramelize in their own sugars, and the sweet corn adds a little crunch. Try pairing it with a simple but strongly flavored main dish, such as fish or steak, for a nice contrast.

Ingredients

·      2 onions, quartered and sliced

·      1 large clove garlic, minced

·      2 ears corn (or about 1 1/2 cups frozen corn)

·      salt and freshly ground pepper

·      2 cups Arborio rice

·      6 cups vegetable broth

·      1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (and more for serving)

Directions 

1.  Heat stockpot over medium-low heat. 
2.  Add onions. Cover and cook until onions are caramelized. Stir every few minutes, adding a splash of water if onions start to stick. 
3.  Uncover pot. Add garlic, corn, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
4. Add rice, stirring constantly. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour in 1/2 cup stock and continue stirring. When stock is absorbed, add another 1/2 cup stock. Continue this process (and the constant stirring to avoid sticking on bottom of pot) until all stock is used and rice is cooked. Don't rush this part! It will take about 20-25 minutes.
6. Turn off heat. Add parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Texas Caviar

I brought this recipe to a recent 6th grade event where a coworker and I did a workshop on healthy snacks. This is simple for kids to make - most of the ingredients just need to be rinsed. They may need some help chopping the pepper and celery, to get the pieces small enough.

This recipe is versatile because it can be scooped up with tortilla chips, or served as a side dish with your meal.

Thanks to my friend Steph who suggested this recipe! (And yes, this is the Stephanie of Fruit Pizza fame!)

Main Ingredients

·      15 oz can black eyed peas, rinsed

·      15 oz can black beans, rinsed

·      15 oz can corn, rinsed

·      1 green pepper, diced

·      1 stalk celery, diced

Dressing Ingredients

·      3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

·      1/4 cup olive oil

·      1 cup sugar

Directions

1.    Combine main ingredients in a large bowl.

2.    In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Whisk until sugar has dissolved.

3.    Pour dressing over main ingredients. Cover and refrigerate. Let sit for at least four hours, but hopefully overnight. Drain well.

4.    When ready, serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish.

Bacon, Tomato, and Corn Chowder

This is a variation on my traditional corn chowder recipe. On the Artistic Eatables Facebook page, we were having a discussion about our favorite hearty meals. My boss from where I used to work reminded me of this wonderful alternative to corn chowder.

Of course, don't let the bacon deter you if you are a vegetarian. It can be made sans meat by omitting the bacon. It still has a wonderful, different kind of flavor due to the addition of tomatoes! I encourage you to give it a try.

Ingredients

• 1 lb bacon, cut into small pieces
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 8 small potatoes (I used new red potatoes), chopped into small pieces
• 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes (juice will be used)
• 4 vegetable bouillon cubes
• water
• 1 lb frozen corn
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• milk
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat large stockpot to medium heat.
2. Cook bacon until somewhat crispy. Put cooked bacon into a bowl; set aside.
3. Pour out most of bacon grease. Place stockpot back over heat.
4. Add olive oil and butter.
5. Cook onion until translucent.
6. Add potatoes, bouillon cubes, and tomatoes and their juice. Cut tomatoes into small chunks using a pair of kitchen scissors.
7. Add enough water to cover vegetables. Cook until potatoes are done.
8. Add corn. Cook until corn is heated.
9. Turn heat to low. Add in cheese, a little at a time, stirring so it melts without clumping.
10. Remove from heat. Add as much milk as you like, until it has thinned the soup to your desired consistency.
11. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Serve, topping each bowl with cooked bacon. Enjoy!

Corn Chowder

I learned this recipe from the bosses at my previous job - every semester they make a huge pot of corn chowder for new volunteers who are training to answer phones at the crisis hotline. They are the masters of soup, at least in my book. Thanks, K and H!

The cheese is my favorite part, but depending on your preference, you may want not want a strong cheese flavor. For this size pot of soup, the minimum amount of cheese is about 8 oz. (which is a standard size block of cheese). In my workup, I used about one and a half blocks of cheddar, and it was pretty tasty. The biggest thing to attend to is keeping the heat low or off once dairy has been added. A nice soup can go to waste if you curdle the milk. It's no problem to reheat this later, as long as you don't allow the mixture to boil.


Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1/2 large onion, diced
  
• 3 large white potatoes, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
  
• water
  
• 2 bay leaves
• pinch of thyme
• 3 bouillon cubes (chicken or vegetarian) **
  
• 2 lbs. frozen corn
• 8 to 16 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded **
  
• milk
• salt
• pepper
  

Directions

1. Heat a stockpot to medium-low heat.
2. Melt butter in pan. Add garlic and saute until brown.
3. Add onion. Cook until onions are soft and translucent; about 10 minutes.
4. Add potatoes to the stockpot, then pour in enough water to cover the potatoes.
   
5. Add bay leaves, thyme, and bouillon cubes. Turn heat down to low and let simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until potatoes are completely cooked and tender.
   
6. Add corn and simmer until heated throughout.
7. Turn heat off. Add cheese and stir well. Pour in enough milk to change the color of the liquid, stir well.
   
8. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

**For a gluten-free diet, make sure to use gluten-free bouillon cubes, as well as cheese that was made using gluten-free caking agents, such as Cabot cheese.

Comments
This recipe is really flexible because you can add anything you like. If you want to add ham or bacon, cook the meat before the onion goes in. The fat will add flavor that will carry throughout the dish. If you want other vegetables, add them in right before or after the potatoes (depending on soft they are, this will change how much time they need to cook). With regard to the spices, I have often had this recipe with cumin seed replacing the thyme - it is quite nice.