Creamed Corn

Creamed corn is basically a soup or sauce made by melting butter, adding flour, milk, canned corn and optionally some spices. It is a common part of American cuisine. Creamed corn is actually partially pureed. Usually milk is used to make this delicious corn but here we are substituting cream for milk and also using sugar. Creamed corn is easy to make and quiet a treat when the corn is fresh.

Ingredients:

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp butter

8 ears corn, husks and silk removed

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup heavy cream

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

 In a large saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp of the butter on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook 2 to 3 minutes until translucent.

While the onion is cooking, remove the kernels from the corn. Stand a corn cob vertically over a large, shallow pan (like a roasting pan). Using a sharp knife, use long, downward strokes of the knife to remove the kernels from the cob. Use the edge of a spoon to scrape the sides of the cob to remove any remaining pulp.

Add the corn to the onions and butter in the saucepan. Add 2/3 a cup of water and the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the corn is tender.

Add the sugar, nutmeg, and cream to the corn. Cook, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Egg Nest

Egg nest is actually an egg fried in a hole of a slice of bread. But this recipe does not use, instead we use the egg whites as the nest. We separate the egg, whip up the egg white, form a nest with the whipped egg white and bake it with the yolk in the middle. And some grated Gruyere and Parmesan cheese is folded into the whipped egg whites. This creates a more cheesy structure for the nest.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle. Line a roasting pan, or baking sheet that can take high temperatures without warping, with parchment paper or Silpat.

Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Make sure there are no little pieces of egg yolk in the whites or you will have difficulty getting the whites to beat properly. It helps if you are making more than one egg nest to keep each egg yolk in a separate prep bowl.

Place the egg whites in a very clean mixer bowl (any residual oil in the mixer bowl will keep the egg whites from whipping up properly). Add a quarter teaspoon of salt to the egg whites. Beat the egg whites with a whisk attachment in a mixer (or using a hand mixer), starting on low speed and then slowly increasing to high speed, until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold in the grated Gruyere cheese, taking care not to deflate the egg whites.

Create two mounds of the egg white mixture on the lined baking sheet. Form the mounds so they look like nests, with indentations in the centers.

Place in the oven for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, open the oven, pull out the rack with the egg white nests, and gently add an egg yolk to the center of each nest. Return the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 3 more minutes.

Serve immediately.

Caramel apples

Caramel apples are created dipping or rolling apples-on-a-stick in hot caramel  and then rolling them in nuts, small savouries or confectionaries, and allowing them to cool. Generally they are called caramel apples when they are only dipped in caramel and are called taffy apples if further ingredints are used for the coating. This dish is a favourite among the kids.They are as much fun to make as they are to eat.

Ingredients:

1 1-pound box dark brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup dark corn syrup

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon robust-flavored (dark) molasses

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 sturdy lollipop sticks or chopsticks

12 medium apples

Assorted decorations (such as chopped nuts, chopped raisins, mini M&M's and candy sprinkles)

Equipment needed - one accurate candy thermometer.

Method:

 Combine sugar, butter, condensed milk, corn syrup, maple syrup, vanilla, molasses and salt in a thick-bottomed 2 1/2 or 3 quart saucepan. Stir with a wooden spoon on medium-low heat until all the sugar dissolves. There should be no grittiness (sugar crystals) when you test by rubbing a little of the caramel between your fingers. Brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve any sugar crystals that might form on the pan sides.

 Attach a clip-on candy thermometer to the pan and cook caramel at a rolling boil until the thermometer reaches 236°F, stirring constantly and slowly with a wooden spatula. Continue to occasionally brush the sides down with a pastry brush. Carefully pour caramel into a metal bowl. Cool until the temperature lowers to 200°F, at which point you are ready to dip the apples.

 While the caramel is cooking/cooling, prepare a large baking sheet, covering it either with buttered aluminum foil or silpat. Insert a chopstick or sturdy lollipop stick into each apple, about 2-inches, top down, into the apple core.

When the caramel has cooled enough for dipping, dip the apples in, one by one, by holding on to the stick, and vertically lowering the apple into the caramel, submerging all but the very top of the apple. Pull the apple up from the caramel and let the excess caramel drip off from the bottom back into the pan. Then place on the silpat or prepared foil. The caramel will pool a little at the bottom of each apple. Place into the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes.

Once the caramel has chilled a bit, remove from the refrigerator and use your fingers to press the caramel that has dripped to the bottom of the apples, back on to the apples. Then take whatever coatings you want and press them into the apples for decoration. Return to the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Sauerkraut on Rye bread

This sandwich is famously known as Reuben sandwich. Sandwiches have been a favourite among all of us and you must try this sandwich. The most important ingredients is the Gruyere Swiss Cheese and Sauerkraut without which the dish is incomplete. Sauerkraut is nothing but cabbage that is finely cut, salted and allowed to ferment until sour. Rye bread is usually used because it is moist and it has a nice crisp crust. If you do not find any of these ingredients you can replace them with Cheddar cheese, wheat bread and butter. For variations you can also use coleslaw instead of Sauerkraut. So here is the recipe..

Ingredients:
Serves one

2 slices dark rye bread
Several thin slices of aged, Gruyere Swiss cheese
1/3 cup drained and heated sauerkraut
2 teaspoons of butter

Method:
Heat a frying pan to medium high heat. For each slice of bread, butter one side and place slice butter side down on the hot pan.
Add a layer of cheese to one of the slices. As the bread begins to toast just slightly, and the cheese begins to soften, spread the heated sauerkraut over the slice of bread with cheese. Using a spatula, flip the cheese-less bread slice over on top of the slice with cheese and sauerkraut.
After 30 sec or so, check to see if the cheese is just beginning to melt. If it is, flip the whole sandwich over onto the other side. Toast a minute more or less on that side until the cheese has melted, but isn't runny. Remove the sandwich from the pan. Slice in half and relish the sandwich.

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore is basically an Italian dish. Cacciatore means hunter, so it is said that the dish is made in 'hunter style' with tomatoes, onions and herbs. In some places mushrooms and bell peppers are also added. Cacciatore is usually made with chicken or rabbit. It is one of the famous dishes in Italy. There are many different variations to this dish. Ingredients vary in different regions. For example, in southern Italy often red wine is used, while in northern Italy they make use of white wine.
This is a very simple recipe and it is cooked rather quickly so the chicken still tastes fresh. Those of you who do not like this can cook it for longer. Usually canned tomatoes are used for this but I feel fresh tomatoes would taste better. I made use of all the ingredients except for few of the herbs, wine and mushrooms too.So here is my version of the recipe....

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds chicken

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp. garlic and onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

6 large cloves garlic, minced

1 or 2 large onions, sliced

1 ea. red and green bell peppers, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups canned/ fresh tomatoes

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

Method:

Chicken should be cut in serving size pieces. Put 1/2 cup flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large plastic or clean brown paper bag.

Add 2 or 3 pieces chicken at a time and shake to coat well with flour.

Heat olive oil; brown chicken on all sides. Add remaining ingredients.

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over wide egg noodles or other pasta.