Creamy Fried Corn Nuggets

 

I loved when my Mom made Hush Puppies or Corn Fritters.  When I was little I remember giggling when she would say the names.  I still use her same old southern recipe...crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside.  Usually when you order corn nuggets or Fritters out, you get a dry dough-like inside.  Her secret was using creamed corn.

Creamy Fried Corn Nuggets

1 cup of self-rising flour

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

1 tablespoon of butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

1/2 (15 ounce) can of creamed corn

Peanut oil for frying 

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and pepper.  Stir in butter, egg, and corn. Set batter aside for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet until very hot.  Drop batter by spoonfuls into a hot oil and fry until lightly browned, turning with a spoon as needed to brown on all sides.  Drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately as a side dish or an appetizer or even a main meal. 

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Creamy Corn Salad

 

I love fresh sweet corn. This is the time of the year when you can buy the best corn at the best prices at the local Farmers.  I like to buy half a dozen ears of fresh sweet corn, husk it, and make a delicious corn salad.  It’s so fresh and so good.  The sweetness and crunchiness of the corn mixed carrots and cabbage in a creamy dressing is the perfect summer salad. I like to serve it alongside a grilled steak or barbecued chicken.  A real treat! 

Creamy Corn Salad

6 ears of shucked fresh sweet corn

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/8  head cabbage, cored, coarsely shredded

2 carrots, peeled

Salt and Pepper

Chop the cabbage and julienne the carrots and set aside in a large bowl.  Add salt and pepper. 

Husk the corn and remove the silk. In a large pot of boiling water, add the sugar and the corn and cook for 1-2 minutes. Do not cook longer. Place the corn in a bowl of ice water and let stand 3-4 minutes.

Cut the corn off the cob using a sharp knife. Combine the corn kernels in  the large bowl with the cabbage and carrots. 

In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, sour cream, and basil. Pour this dressing over the corn mixture and toss gently to coat. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.

For a real treat add some cherry tomatoes and top with crisp fried bacon! 

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Spinach Lasagna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

I love this easy recipe for Lasagna. It wasn't long ago that I had a couple of friends celebrating their 20 year anniversary.  I invited them over and decided to make them a special anniversary dinner. I wanted to make my special Lasagna with a side salad and some crusty Italian bread.  Now my Lasagna is to die for.  I spend most of the day making it with Italian Sausage, ground chuck, noodles, 4 cheeses and my homemade “cook all-day” sauce. 

The night before they called to make sure I remembered they were both vegetarians.  I had forgotten. But I learned a long time ago, if you are going to call yourself a home chef, you better have PLAN B in your back pocket.  And I did and it turned out better than any Lasagna I have made!  So rich and creamy with that Northern Italian flare. And you do not miss the meat!  It took me all of 50 minutes to put it together and bake it!  Seriously folks, this is a keeper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Spinach Lasagna

 

Sauce

1¼ pounds fresh baby spinach, with stems removed

Salt and pepper

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 shallots, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup all-purpose flour

3½ cups whole milk

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Cheese Filling

8 ounces (1 cup) whole milk cottage cheese

1 large egg

¼ teaspoon salt

12 no-boil lasagna noodles (or use freshly made)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded Italian Fontina cheese

1 cup Shredded whole milk mozzarella

 

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are softened, about 4 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes; mixture should not brown. Gradually whisk in milk; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, whisking often. Stir in  nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; reduce heat to low; and simmer, whisking occasionally, for 10 minutes.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 Add spinach and stir. Simmer until spinach has wilted and blended in. Whisk in ½ cup Parmesan until completely melted. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spread sauce evenly over bottom of dish. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arrange noodles in single layer on top of sauce.

 FOR THE CHEESE FILLING:

 Add the cottage cheese, eggs and salt to a large bowl.  Blend with a hand mixer until very smooth, about 30 seconds. Add in one egg and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and mix by hand. Add a tablespoon of parsley and set aside.

Spread 1 cup of the cheese filling evenly over the noodles and sprinkle ½ cup of the Parmesan on top. Then top with more noodles. Next, spread the sauce on top of the noodles and sprinkle 1 cup Fontina over spinach mixture. Continue with more noodles and alternating sauce and cheese mixture, ending up with noodles.  Then top with remaining cheeses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray and bake until edges are just bubbling, about 20 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove dish from oven and remove foil. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Broil lasagna until cheese on top becomes spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let lasagna cool for 15 minutes before serving. 

 

NOTES:

·       Italian Fontina cheese works best in this dish. If it is not available, substitute whole-milk mozzarella.

·       Make sure your baking dish is broiler-safe. If not, brown the lasagna at 500 degrees for about 10 minutes.·      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

•     I used freshly made noodles so no preparation is necessary. However, if you are going to use No Boil noodles, lay them on a rimmed sheet pan and pour about 2 inches of water over them.  Soak them until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of paring knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean dish towels; discard water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.