What is a Caprese Salad?

When we think of caprese salad, we think of fresh tomatoes with mozzarella, a bit of fresh basil and some form of vinaigrette. I usually only like olive oil, salt and pepper with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, but topping with fresh corn is a summer game changer. And, for a summer corn caprese salad, you don’t have to cook the corn, which adds sweetness and texture.

Ingredients for Corn Caprese Salad

• Ripe Tomatoes (can be almost any kind as long as they are ripe, sweet, juicy)
• Fresh mozzarella or burrata
• Fresh basil (or pesto)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh Corn
• Salt, Pepper

Pesto/Pistou Variations

The difference between pesto and pistou is basically the addition of nuts and cheese. A pistou is easy to make with just garlic, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. It comes together very easily. However, you can also add a full pesto to this salad. Or, just use olive oil with freshly cut basil. This is more of an idea for caprese than anything you have to follow exactly. I’ve even thought of doing with an addition of fresh peaches along with the tomatoes.

I have several pesto recipes here at spinach tiger. This is my classic recipe, but I’ve been replacing the pine nuts with roasted, salted macadamia nuts (about 1/3 cup). You can also use pistachio nuts as I did in this recipe. You can replace the basil with fresh mint as I did here.

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More Pesto Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Snapper with Pesto
• Grilled Lollypop Lamb Chop with Mint Pistou
• Ricotta Peas Pesto Appetizer
• Italian Potato Salad with Authentic Pesto
• Party Caprese Salad
• Caprese Party Sandwich
• Chicken with Creamy Pesto
• Seven Herb Pesto

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Corn Caprese Salad Recipe

Corn Caprese Salad with Tomatoes, Basil or Pesto, Fresh Mozzarella,

Course Salad

Cuisine Italian

Keyword caprese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Fresh Mozzarella or burrata
• 3 fresh summer tomatoes
• Pistou Recipe Below enough to cover tomatoes and cheese
• 1/2 cup Pesto or
• 2 handfulls basil
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cob fresh corn

Pistou

• 2/3 cups fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/3 extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• If using large tomatoes, cut in thick slices, serve immediately.
• Set cheese out about 30 minutes in advance to enjoy the flavor and texture.
• Toss with cheese, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper or pesto
• Slice corn off of the cob.
• If using pistou or pesto spoon over salad, then top with corn.
• Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Pistou

• Combine all ingredients. Add salt as needed.

The post Summer Caprese Salad with Fresh Corn appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I’m thinking about creating a salad, I like to follow the seasons and highlight what is fresh like this fresh corn and summer blackberry salad.

As luck would have it, I had access to the freshest picked corn from my friend’s produce stand. Burns Produce, located on Patton Road in Arrington right down from Arrington Vineyards is selling Luke Bryan’s corn. How fun is that.

As I was making this salad to take to a dinner, I knew this fresh corn had to be a part of it. I immediately thought that blackberries would be a great accompaniment along with a tangy cheese and a crisp vinaigrette.

I hit it right, as this salad disappeared fast with a fight over that last bite.

Salad is a funny thing. Sometimes people don’t think they like salad because the balance is off. I have never seen anyone not love my salads because of my keen understanding of salt, fat and acid.

The Acids

• Acids on a salad include vinegars and citrus such as lemon and lime juice.
• When adding mustard or honey, mix it first with the acid. Then add oil
• Feel free to mix your vinegars. I do this all the timeYou can also add lemon to a vinaigrette.
• Skip the cheap “so-called” balsamic. A $3.99 bottle of balsamic is not authentic and you’re better off using an inexpensive but good red wine vinegar.

The Fat

• The main fat in a salad is the oil in the vinaigrette.
• I also mix my oils. Sometimes I use half extra virgin olive oil and half avocado oil.

The Salt

While you don’t want to overdo salt in a salad, it’s very important. Sometimes the salt is in the cheese, such as ricotta salada, a briny feta or a Pecorino, so adjust accordingly. It could also be in the nuts or an addition of bacon.

Here are my tips for Making a Great Salad 

• Make sure lettuce is completely dry before you add a dressing or vinaigrette. Use a salad spinner if needed.
• Pre-mix your oil and vinegar. Using either dijon mustard or honey will help keep emulsify these two ingredients. I usually use mustard.
• Add salt and pepper to the vinaigrette and dip a piece of lettuce in. It should have a bit of a bite.
• Don’t serve salad with dressing on the side.  It must be tossed to taste balanced.
• Go easy with vinaigrette when using gentle lettuces like butter lettuces.
• Leaf lettuces do not need a lot of vinaigrette, while lettuces with a lot of of water content like romaine seem to need a lot more and also do well with creamy dressings.
• Assemble salad in advance, but put vinaigrette on right before serving. (Kale is the exception).
• Season again with salt and pepper.

Fresh Corn in a Salad

I did an instagram poll, asking people if they would eat fresh corn in a salad. To my surprise, 25% said no, yet anytime I’ve served it, everyone eats it. If the corn is super fresh, you can just cut it off the cob and put it into the salad. If that concerns you, you can cut the corn into a bowl and microwave it for a few minutes.

Best Cheese Additions

The cheese you choose depends on the salad you’re making.

When I want a briny profile, I add olives and feta cheese like this Greek salad with salmon. For some reason, these are best with a romaine lettuce that has heft.

Slivers of Pecorino work well in arugula with a light olive oil and lemon for the acid. Pecorino and romano are also necessary in kale salads like this.

I used ricotta salata (a sheep’s cheese) in this blackberry corn salad to add tang and salt against the sweet of the corn and berries. Feta or goat cheese would have worked well too.

Crumbled blue cheese in a vinaigrette is fantastic especially with steak dinner.

Crumbled blue cheese also loves certain fruits in a salad, like pears, apples and peaches.

Herbs, Veggies, Nuts

Fresh herbs can be nice addition. I used a small amount of rosemary in this winter salad. Make sure the herbs fit the salad. Basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, mint can add that little bit of extra. For example, fresh oregano in a greek salad is divine. Fresh basil in a tomato salad is amazing.

Tomatoes – Only add tomatoes if they are superb and properly ripened,  cut into bite sized pieces. A well-balanced salad should only need to be eaten with a fork, not a knife and fork. Don’t put tomatoes in until the last minute and never cold.

Cucumbers – Cut off the skins and make them bite sized.

Mushrooms – I am not a fan of raw mushrooms in a salad, but if you are, add them right before serving.

Nuts – I love adding nuts to a salad for added texture, but make sure the nuts makes sense. There are no nuts in this corn blackberry salad because they would clash with the textures. However, in my peach salad, toasted almonds make perfect sense.

More Notes on What Not to do to Make an Easy Vinaigrette

I have a few strong opinions on vinaigrettes.

Keep your vinaigrette simple. It’s a balance of fat, acid, and salt as stated above.

Don’t add in spices such as garlic powder, garlic salt, onion salt. While you think that might sound good, these can be off-putting.  The secret to a good vinaigrette is less is best; balance is key.

Don’t add garlic (unless it’s for a kale salad) and only do that gingerly. Garlic is a turnoff in a vinaigrette.

Don’t add onions to a vinaigrette or to a salad. Raw onions take over and contaminate your ingredients. You may not agree with me on this, but if you want your guests to love your salad, trust me. I admit I have an aversion to raw onion, but one of your guests is bound to feel the same. Leave the onion out. Leave celery out for the same reason. There are people who have just as strong of an aversion to celery as well.

Nuts such as toasted sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts and pistachios can certainly make many salads better.

Most Popular corn recipe

Southern fried corn

More Summer Salads from Spinach Tiger

• Honey Baked Goat Cheese Salad with Lemony Vinaigrette 
• Grilled Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Salad with Toasted Almond, Peach Vinaigrette
• Spinach Salad with Grilled Peaches
• Corn, Avocado Salad with Black Eyed Peas

• Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
• Swiss Chard Nectarine and Toasted Pecans

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Blackberry Corn Salad with Simple Vinaigrette

Fresh corn off the cob with blackberries, ricotta salata for a summer salad.

Course Salad and Salad Dressing

Cuisine American

Keyword blackberries, corn, ricotta salad, salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 bags butter leaf lettuce
• 2 ears fresh corn
• 1 pint blackberries
• 3 ounces ricotta salata cheese can use feta
• 1/2 teaspoon salt taste and season
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper taste and season

Vinaigrette

• 2 teaspoon dijon mustard can replace with honey
• 6 tablespoons vinegar champagne or red wine
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• dash teaspoon sea salt
• dash teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Vinaigrette

• You may have extra dressing. Keep in jar outside of fridge for future salads. Only apply what you need.
• Mix mustard with vinegar in jar. Add oil and shake until well incorporated.
• Season with dash of salt and pepper.

Salad

• Cut corn off cob. You can add to salad or microwave in bowl for 3 minutes.
• Allow corn to cool.
• Add lettuce, corn, blackberries and crumbled ricotta salata to large salad bowl.
• Toss with just enough vinaigrette to wet all leaves. Taste and add more vinegar as needed.
• Season with salt and pepper.

The post Summer Blackberry Corn Salad with Easy Vinaigrette Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is one of my most popular summer recipes for many years. I think it’s the black pepper that makes it so so tasty. Don’t forget to see all the things you can do with corn, as I have many recipes here.

While I’m not originally from the South, I can claim a few southern roots. My grandmother was from Virginia and she made the best fried chicken in the world. Here is her recipe.

After years of practice and patience it has been said that Spinach Tiger’s southern fluffy biscuits can’t be beat. Even the gluten free fluffy southern biscuit has gotten rave reviews from readers. (Both have videos to help you along).

Why is something as simple as a southern fried corn recipe to hard to get right or require a recipe?

TWO THINGS

Childhood memories. This person’s grandmother made it this way with sugar and flour and who knows what? This other person had a grandmother who knew how to milk the corn to the last drop. Then there’s someone else who adds a cup of heavy cream. Everyone remembers their southern fried corn recipe differently.

Quality or Type of the Corn  It’s key to get very fresh, creamy sweet corn. Silver queen corn would be the corn of choice for this recipe. If you use other less creamy corn, then a little heavy cream will do. Having said that, I used peaches and cream corn for this and still loved it. (I find it hard to turn down any kind of fried corn).

What’s the Best Way to Cut the Corn off the Cob?

If you don’t have a sharp knife, or you want the EASIEST WAY to cut corn off the cob, you will want this tool from Oxo.

What’s the Best Pan to make Fried Corn in?

Cast Iron Frying Pan – I practice what I preach. I have 13 cast iron pans (most are frying pans, a few are dutch ovens). I use them every single day in one form or another. They take the heat. They last forever. They go right into the oven. They are super affordable. I use my 12 inch lodge cast iron frying pan in this recipe, because I like the corn to get a little caramelize


More is not always more in a Southern Fried Corn Recipe.

I’m Italian, and it’s our food philosophy to make the best food with as few ingredients or disturbances as possible. Some of the Southern cuisine recipes (not all, just some) have more ingredients than necessary and sometimes too much cooking time. More is not always more.

Two sticks of butter is not better than one stick of butter for making Southern fried corn. A cup of cream is not better than a splash of cream when only a splash does the job. Editing is the absolute key to bringing balance to a recipe. Even this recipe might need your own personal tweaks, so taste taste taste and stop stop stop when you like it!

Do this if you like your Fried Corn Super Creamy.

If you like your corn super creamy, don’t let it caramelize. Cook it on very low, adding cream as you see fit. If you like your corn a bit browned and creamy at the same time, like I do, turn the heat up a bit, and use cream sparingly. Keep in mind you will be at the mercy of the type of corn you use, but I think with the proper tweaking, you can make any corn off the cob taste good!

Black Pepper is Key to Southern Fried Corn

This southern fried corn recipe has few ingredients. Bacon grease, butter, salt, pepper and perhaps a splash or two of cream. You can opt out of the bacon grease and add more butter, but do not forget the black pepper, and use more than you think you should. If you have some white pepper, a dash of that would be nice too, but sparingly, as that can be harsh.

Some people add bacon to the corn. I prefer not, but feel free.

Left Over Southern Fried Corn can Blossom into other Recipes.

• Southern Fried Corn Cakes – light, fluffy, full of flavor, texture and comfort.
• Leek and Corn Quiche
• Sausage Corn Muffins
• Caramelized Onion Risotto and Sweet Corn
• Open Faced Frittata
• Scrambled Eggs with Corn
• Corn Buttermilk Quiche.

Make Fried Corn with Canned Corn if Necessary

If it’s past fresh corn season and you still want to make fried corn, it will take 6 cups of corn to make this recipes. Each ear of corn is roughly 3/4 cup of corn.

More Recipes for Corn

• Creamed Corn using JUST CORN.
• Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Pudding (one of my most popular recipes).
• Summer Chicken Soup Yellow Squash and Corn.
• Seven Ways to Grill Corn on the Cob
• Sweet Corn Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream

So tell me, if you grew up in the South, how did your family make their southern fried corn recipe? Please follow me on instagram to see behind the scenes cooking and food prep along with recipes not yet published.

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Southern Fried Corn Recipe

How to Make the Best Southern Fried Corn

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 8 ears of corn
• 2 tablespoons bacon grease
• 4 tablespoons butter more if you need it
• salt if you need it
• 1 to 2 tablespoons black pepper
• splash of heavy cream

Instructions

• Cut the corn off the cob with a sharp knife.
• Using the sharpest knife, cut down into the cob to get the milk of the corn.
• Heat up the bacon grease and add two tablespoons of softened butter.
• If you like the corn to be a bit caramelized, cook longer, stir less frequently.
• If you like corn to be creamier, cook for about ten minutes, and at the end add the remaining two tablespoons butter.
• At this point, you can add a splash of heavy cream if you want a creamier corn.
• Add a little bit of salt, and a lot of black pepper.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

Reserve cobs for making corn broth. Boil in water and reserve corn broth to add to soups, stews, casseroles.

The post Secret of the Best Southern Fried Corn Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

We wait all winter for the first crop of corn on the cob. So many months go by, that I tend forget how to grill it.

Did I grill it in the husk or out of the husk? Should I cook it first before I put it on the grill. Should I keep it in the husk, or warp it in foil?

Sometimes corn is so fresh and tender, it doesn’t even need butter.

Sometimes you want to make the corn a little more special by adding flavor and fat. Whichever method you use, make sure your corn is as fresh as possible. Corn loses flavor as it ages, but fresh corn is sweet, so do try to buy local.



Before adding flavor, fat and spice, decide upon the method to grill corn. 

1. No Trouble Corn on the Grill – Throw the corn on the grill in the husk, unshucked. This will result in very sweet, tender, steamed corn. Grill 10 minutes. Husk will be very black, but corn should be steamed and perfect. Add butter and salt at the table.

2. Microwave – Wrap corn husk and hairs in a wet paper towel. Microwave for three minutes. Done.

3.  Tin Foil – This is an option if you don’t like charred corn. Shuck corn, clean and wrap in foil. You can butter or wait till after the corn is done.

4. Naked Corn – Grill directly with or without seasoning.

5. Semi-Naked Corn – Remove hairs, keep corn in husk and then grill for 10 minutes. (This is my favorite method).

It  takes about 10 minutes to get corn browned on a hot grill.

Grill Corn Seven Different Ways.

Once you have decided how to cook the corn, here are some ways to enhance the flavor.

1. Butter and Lime – Add lime zest and a squeeze of lime to softened butter. Mix together. Spread on corn. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until done to your liking. Season with salt and pepper. Lime does something magical to corn and you might want to add it to any of the variations below.

2. Steak Sauce, Butter, Lime- Use your favorite steak sauce. Mix even amounts with softened butter. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Grill corn 5 minutes on each side or until done.

3. Basil Pesto – rub pesto into the corn. Grill 10 minutes. You can put the pesto on the corn at the end as an option.

4. Bacon, Mayo, Chives, Parmesan Cheese – Rub corn with mayonnaise. Grill corn for ten minutes, turning after five minutes. Add bacon, chives and cheese before serving.

5. Cayenne, Butter, Lime. Make a mixture of butter, lime juice and cayenne pepper. Grill corn. Season with salt.

6. Smoked Paprika, Butter, Salt. Grill corn with a smoky flavor.

7. Butter and Salt – Traditional and if the corn is fresh, you really don’t need much.

You might love these summer corn recipes.

Grilled Corn & Tomato Salad

Fresh Corn Salad

Summer Chicken Soup

So tell me, what is YOUR favorite way to eat or grill corn on the cob?

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How to Cook Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob can be microwaved, or grilled

Course Vegetable

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• corn on the cob

Instructions

microwave corn

• Wrap entire corn on the cob unshucked in wet paper towel and microwave for three minutes.

Grilled Corn

• For steamed-like corn, grill for ten minutes, turning once, in entire husk, unshucked.
• For charred corn, remove hair and return corn to husk and grill for then minutes. You can at this time add your butter or mayonnaise.
• For charred corn, you can put the corn out of husk, directly on grill for 10 minutes, turning at least once.

The post How to Grill Corn on the Cob Seven Different Ways appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I grew up in Amish country in a fabulous and diverse mecca of classic comfort food.  Central Pennsylvania was heavily settled by the folks who were  and still are referred to as the Pennsylvania Dutch.

The word  “dutch”  was a corruption of the word Deutsch or German.  They came either from Germany or the German speaking part of Switzerland and not from Holland. When they arrived in America they came with recipes for sausages, sauerkraut, noodles and dumplings.

Pennsylvania introduced  them to regional foods that they welcomed into their kitchens and put their own spin to. Tomatoes, pumpkins, squash and corn were heartily embraced and mastered by the Amish and the Mennonites.  As food cultures collided, a new generation of comfort food was born.

The Amish and Mennonites are referred to as the plain Pennsylvania Dutch and are most associated with dishes like corn pudding and corn pie.  Baked corn pudding  is generally made with eggs and milk and baked like a custard. My family always added a little cinnamon and vanilla, but still maintained a savory taste using salt and pepper.

Growing up in Pennsylvania,  the Pennsylvania Dutch defined American comfort food for me. Comfort food is the food we remember with a feeling of heritage, family and warmth.

 The influence of their cooking in Central Pennsylvania  is so strong that on certain days of the year, every household will be cooking at least one Pennsylvania Dutch dish no matter what their ethnicity.  On Fat Tuesday, everyone will eat fauschnauts, (homemade donuts) and on New Year’s Day, every household will eat pork and sauerkraut (for good luck).

One dish that is sure to be found at every Thanksgiving table is baked corn pudding.

I cannot imagine my turkey dinner without it, nestled right up against my mashed potatoes, because I like them in the same bite.

In looking through my cookbooks, I found a signed copy of  Good Earth and Country Cooking, Betty Groff’s first cookbook written with  Jose Wilson.  Mrs. Groff was a Lancaster county culinary celebrity who ran a restaurant at Groff’s Farm. Discovered by Craig Claibourne  and supported  by James Beard, Betty Groff made Pennsylvania Dutch farmhouse cooking famous.

Italian hospitality is rivaled only by Pennsylvania hospitality, and I was lucky enough to get the best of both worlds. Betty’s first chapter in her first book is titled “I Cook Because I Love People.” The second chapter is titled. “A food for Every Season.” These two statements are close to my own heart and why I have that warm, near tearful feeling realizing how much this part of Americana developed my food view. If Betty Groff read my tag line, she would agree and probably share many stories about food and love.

This is an authentic Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Corn Pudding Recipe

I found a recipe for Betty’s baked corn pudding and only slightly adapted it. By the book’s cover, I didn’t know it was recipes from Lancaster County, and I thought she should have called it Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking.  Eventually she did, when she wrote another book twenty years later, Betty Groff’s Pennsylvania Dutch Cookbook. It’s on Amazon and on the way, and I can hardly wait to bring more of Betty Groff back into my kitchen

I could go on and on about the memories I have from my own childhood eating this kind of food. Not all comfort food and farm cooking is equal. The Amish and the Mennonites were blessed enough to settle on rich farmland and they made more than the best out of it.

Betty talks about her family in the book and their palate. Even the men would come in the kitchen and by smell know if a dish needed salt.  The standards were set very high and in this community food has to taste, smell and look delicious, although not foodie fancy, but amazing in its own rite.

There is nothing like the smell of baked corn pudding.

The corn pudding is baked in the oven and you’ll know when it’s done when it no longer shakes in the middle. I love to be the first one to dig in a with a big spoon and break the custard.  Corn pudding never goes to waste and is always included in the next day left overs. It’s just not Thanksgiving without it.

If you are looking for the no fail, no baste turkey, I use a cheesecloth to wrap my turkey. This is a tried and true, tested recipe.

Thanksgiving is the ultimate comfort food day and one of  the things I want to remain grateful for is the diversity of food I have been exposed to, and all the fabulous home cooks who have shaped who I am.

More Pennsylvania Dutch Recipes

• Pennsylvania Dutch Onion Pie
• Pennsylvania Dutch Pancake, Apple Dutch Baby
• Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts
• Pennsylvania Dutch Pork and Sauerkraut

My Thanksgiving Tested Recipes

• No Baste No Fail Roasted Turkey
• Turkey Stock and Turkey Gravy
• No Lump Perfect Mashed Potatoes
• The Best Fluffy Southern Biscuits
• Pumpkin Cream Tart (no egg)
• Brussels Sprouts with Apples & Cashews
• Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes
• Pumpkin Pie Hand Pies
• Cranberry Pear Cobbler
• Sweet Potato Biscuits
• Retro Rose’s Stove Top Candied Sweet Potatoes
• Brussels Sprouts Apple Salad with Pancetta and Corn Bread Croutons
• Gluten Free Sweet Potato Biscuits
• Gluten Free Sweet Potato Bread

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Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Corn Pudding

A traditional recipe for Pennsylvania Dutch baked corn pudding, a must for the Thanksgiving dinner in the Amish or Mennonite home.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

2015 Newest Version Corn Pudding

• 3 cans of high quality canned corn rinsed and drained.
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or white pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk can use whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg

Original Recipes Ingredients

• 2 cans or 2 1/2 cups canned corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or white pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg

Instructions

NEW VERSION: Corn Pudding Instructions

• Drain corn if canned. Thaw corn if frozen.
• Drain corn and rinse off with cold water to get sodium off.
• If you have a vitamix, mix one can corn until it is creamed. (optional)
• Add in eggs , buttermilk, and all ingredients except the two cans of whole corn, until all is incorporated.
• Pour into your baking dish. Then add in the two cans of whole corn and stir.
• Mix ingredients in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or when it no longer shakes in the middle, checking at 30 minutes.

Orignal Recipe Instructions

• Spray baking dish
• Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, checking at 30 minutes, until the center is set.

Notes

After experimenting in 2015, I changed added a new version of the recipe using buttermilk and 3 cans corn (one I cream) instead of the original two cans of corn.

Either is good. Write me at spinachtiger@me.com if you have any questions.

There are Amazon affiliate links, which earn a small commission, but do not affect price.

The post Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Corn Pudding appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

What is an open face frittata? It’s a frittata with fillings placed on the top instead of inside. It’s what happened for me when we were down to two eggs and I was making a quick Sunday brunch for the two of us. I didn’t plan on making this a blog post, but it was a new discovery for me that one could stretch two eggs into a meal and that it seemed worthy to share with you.

Open Face Healthy Frittata with Purple Potatoes and Arugula is full of nutrition.

I’ve made lot of frittatas here at Spinach Tiger. It’s a cornerstone of my big fat healthy food view. Frittatas can be a healthy lunch or a quick dinner, and are a great fall back to the “busy life” dilemma.

Purple potatoes and arugula both have a high anti-oxidant profile. Many studies have shown both to aid in lowering blood pressure.

If you’re new to purple potatoes, let me give me the good news. There is not “potato” guilt. They have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes, and are all around “healthy” food. One half cup of potatoes is only about 12 carbs.  Purple Potaotes are a super food, containing cancer fighting anthocyanin, which gives the potato its brilliant purple color.  I wrote more about the benefits here.

The Process for a Healthy Frittata

I made this healthy frittata with only two eggs (because that’s all we had), but you can increase the ingredients for a larger frittata, just adjust your ingredients accordingly. If you want to bake your frittata, follow these instructions, although I would only do that if I were making a frittata with six or more eggs.

I prepared the toppings first, then took the two minutes it takes to make the eggs. Once the frittata is turned over, I added the cooked ingredients, the cheese and put a lid on it so the cheese would melt.

I think this is a beautiful presentation and I might do more frittatas like this.

This recipe is more of a guide and a new idea. It’s a great way to use any left overs!

You might recall I made a frittata for one, because sometimes it’s just you. Sometimes, it’s a crowd and you can bake a frittata in a baking pan.

Frittata for One

Sheet Pan Frittata for a Crowd

More Frittatas from Spinach Tiger

More Purple Potato Recipes from Spinach Tiger

This site contains affiliate links which earn a small commission, but does not affect your price. See disclosure here. 

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Open Faced Healthy Frittata with Purple Potatoes, Shallots, Arugula

A open faced frittata with purple potatoes and arugula.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons butter avocado oil or olive oil (may need less)
• 2 purple potatoes large diced
• 1 shallot small diced
• handful of arugula
• 1/4 corn or peas I used corn off a fresh cob
• 2 to 4 eggs see notes
• 1 ounce of Manchego cheese or cheese of your choice

Instructions

• Heat butter or oil a small non stick frying pan.
• Add potatoes and shallots until potatoes are cooked through.
• Remove to a plate.
• Clean out pan if needed.
• Add more oil or butter in pan.
• Beat eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add to pan. Using a large spatula (like this one), move the eggs to the underneath, from all four corners, east west north south, until there is not much liquid on top and you can flip.
• Using potholders and a flat dish, flip frittata over.
• Add in potatoes, shallots, arugula, and corn over the top.
• Add in cheese. I didn't cover with cheese, just added intermittently. You can use any cheese you like.
• Cover with lid for a minute or two until cheese is melted.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

You can make this larger by adding up to six eggs. You can also bake frittata in oven if you desire.

The post Open Faced Healthy Frittata with Purple Potatoes, Shallots, Arugula appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I never set out to make a Southern fried corn cakes recipe. It was one of those days where I was researching recipes for southern fried corn and corn cakes came up. Intrigued and having plenty of corn on hand, I had to try.

The original recipe from the New York Times was balanced as far as texture, but it lacked flavor. Adding chives, ground red chili pepper, and turmeric, and I had just the right bite.

Use All Purpose flour or Gluten Free Flour along with corn meal for a Fluffy Fried Corn Cakes Recipe

I substituted my go to gluten free flour and it transferred perfectly. This is another gluten free recipe that doesn’t compromise the original. You can, of course, make this with all purpose flour.

Once the corn cakes were done, I started playing around with oven fried eggs and roasted salsa verde. Truth be told, these are so good, they can be eaten solo, and I mean solo. We heated them up and ate them in the car on the way to church. I have to say it was the second best bite of the week right next to my blackberry cake with lemon mascarpone frosting. But nothing beats that. Stay tuned for both recipes.

A corn cake needs to be fluffy by not sluggish. It shouldn’t be greasy or dense like corn bread. It should be the kind of bite that can be eaten on the fork with something else, especially pork.

I always encourage people to grow fresh herbs, even if in all they have is a kitchen window. The chives are perennials and come back with gusto. They are that wonderful go to herb when a dish needs a savory lift and there are no onions in the house. They also make a truly edible garnish.

I will write this recipe with fresh corn from the cob, but you can used drained canned corn or frozen corn. I’m not a snob when it comes to frozen vegetables. We are a generation lucky to have them. However, I used the corn left over from my Southern fried corn recipe, coming soon.

More Corn Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Blackberry Corn Salad
• Fried Corn
• Seven Ways to Grill Corn

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Southern Fried Corn Cakes (Gluten Free)

Corn cakes are a dish wonderful eaten all by themselves, but these fluffy cakes are a wonderful side dish with pork or sausage.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 to 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups of corn
• 3/4 cup corn meal
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red chile pepper or dash cayenne pepper
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• oil for frying
• Kitchen Tools
• Cast Iron Griddle
• 1/4 cup measuring cup

Instructions

• Mix flours with baking powder, salt, chives, ground chili pepper, turmeric.
• Mix egg into milk.
• Add milk mixture to dry mixture. Add in corn.
• Add oil to griddle. If your cast iron griddle is well season, only put just enough to glisten. Put on low.
• Drop by 1/4 cup onto medium low hot griddle.
• Cook for 2 to 3 minute per side until golden brown.
• Corn cakes can be reheated in microwave or oven.

The post Southern Fried Corn Cakes (Gluten Free Option) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Husking fresh corn for corn salad says summer is here, the crops are in, and the food we wait all year for is ready to go. While we here  in the Nashville area don’t grow our own avocados, we do grow corn and tomatoes and we cherish these two crops.  Fact is, around here, try to tell someone you don’t eat corn or tomatoes, and you might just hear the click of a shot gun.

Just kidding, of course, but those words would still muster up some mistrust and a careful observation of your music collection. Just don’t dare say you don’t like Johnny Cash. I don’t care if you’re a rocker, a punker, a rapper,  a dead head or a Beiber freak, you better not talk trash against Johnny Cash. That would downright unamerican around these parts.

All in fun, of course, I think we Nashvillians are a friendly people who like our food and especially our cookouts. On July 4th, I brought this salad over to a neighbor’s party, and it was a big hit, even if a few out of towners called it “dip.” Husband followed suit and started eating it with potato chips and I started to think maybe I should have serve it with corn chips, but it was intended to be a salad. Open minded as I am, I started to think, this could be a dip, or if we want to get fancy, a topping for a crostini.

Use Fresh Ingredients for Avocado Corn Salad and a Champagne Vinegar

The ingredients are freshly husked corn, red onion garden tomatoes, black eyed peas, avocado, thyme, basil, olive oil, lime juice, lime zest and champagne vinegar. I’m going to give you a recipe, but feel free to mix the ratio up anyway you see fit. Don’t skip the black eyed peas, though, as they add in a very satisfying texture. Do add in some cayenne pepper; I really wanted to do that, but there were a few non-spice guests, so I kept the heat out.

Did you know you can make corn on the cob in four minutes? Simply remove the corn silk, leave in husk, wash (sometimes there are bugs). Put in microwave for four minutes.It will slip right out of the husk. So easy. We do this all the time, and if the corn was just picked, we don’t even put salt or butter. It’s perfect naked.

As far as peeling avocado, did you know that it’s pretty easy, and it looks cool.

Tell me what kind of salads do you bring to parties?

If you love corn, check out seven ways to grill corn on the cob.

More Salad Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Corn Avocado Salad, Tomato, Black Eyed Peas

A summer salad with heft, can be a side, or a meal.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Calories 260kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 10 ears of corn or 4 cans corn
• 1 can black eyed peas
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 1 avocado cut into chunks
• 3 tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1 lime for the juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 black pepper

Instructions

• Cover each corn with wet paper towel. Place in microwave 3 ears at a time.
• Cook for four minutes. The corn will fall right out of the husk.
• Once cooled shuck corn and cut corn into a bowl.
• Rinse the black eyed well with cold water.
• Chop onion, tomatoes.
• Mix with onion, tomatoes, black eyed peas. Toss with just enough olive oil to glisten salad. Sprinkle vinegar, and mix.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Taste for seasoning to see if you need to add more vinegar or salt.
• Squeeze lime juice over the avocado and mix in right before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Fiber: 7g

The post Corn Avocado Salad, Tomato, Black Eyed Peas and Four-Minute Corn on the Cob appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

One of the ways I’m inspired in the kitchen is to focus on one ingredient. I’ve done that often here which is why you’ll find multiple recipes on caulifllower, kale, blueberries and biscuits.

This week I’ve been focusing on two of the sweetest summer vegetables. Vidalia onions and sweet corn.

It’s remarkable how much they compliment each other. You might remember my most recent summer pizza which I did for the Vidalia Onion Committee.  I married these with blackberries and peaches. It was a wow!

Caramelized onion risotto with sweet corn may even be more wow!

Two things happen to me when I’m thinking about recipes. I think what could I do that I haven’t done before, and how could I make it approachable enough for you to take a shot at. After all, I want you to make this good food.

While I love my slow food and fancy cooking, truly my approach to food is still to take excellent ingredients and make simple dishes that taste good.

If you’re worried about risotto, this post gives you all my tips for making perfect risotto and worth a read. It will tell you what three mistakes to avoid.

Caramelized onion risotto with sweet corn is one such dish.

You do have to take some time out to caramelize the onions. This will take about 35 minutes, but so worth it. Put a knob of butter in a large frying pan. Slice onion thin, but not too thin. Spread them out, allow them to turn golden before turning. You will turn frequently, and watch them caramelize resulting in an amazing depth of flavor and sweetness.

You do have to take some time out to stir your risotto, but still, this is an easy dish that served as a lunch for us and side for a dinner.

I was surprised how many rave reviews I got from my husband who normally does not care for risotto. He says this is one of those dishes you find in a restaurant and go back for the next week.

Can we please connect? I’d love to see you on instagram.

More Vidalia Onion Recipes

Caramelized Vidalia Onion Savory Cheesecake

Pennsylvania Dutch Caramelized Onion Quiche

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Caramelized Onion Risotto with Sweet Corn

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 large vidalia onions thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine or 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup of arborio rice
• corn from two ears
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup parmigiana reggiano cheese or pecorino romano grated fresh
• salt

Instructions

• Heat chicken broth in separate pot. Once hot, turn to simmer.
• Melt butter and In a 10 inch stainless steel frying pan or an enameled cast iron small dutch oven. Add olive oil.
• Add chopped onion and cook on low until caramelized.
• Add in dry arborio rice and toast for four minutes, stirring.
• Have a lid ready to immediately cover when you put the first ladle of broth.
• Add 1/2 cup broth. Cover for a few seconds to avoid any reaction from hot broth hitting the hot fat. Uncover.
• Add corn.
• Stir until the broth is nearly all absorbed in the rice.
• Add another 1/2 cup broth and repeat until there is only 1/2 cup broth left to add.
• Add in cider vinegar. Continue to stir.
• Add in broth 1/4 cup at a time at the end, so as to not overcook the rice.
• At the end of about 18 minutes, you should be at the end of the broth. Taste the rice. If it gives yet still has a bite, take it off. If it crunches, then cook another minute, stirring constantly. If you run out of broth and you're sure the rice is not done, add a small amount of water, (tablespoon or so).
• Remove from stove, Stir in grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately. Garnish with chopped parsley.
• This will serve 2 big servings.

How to Make Perfect Risotto

Melted Tuscan Kale Risotto

Sweet Potato Risotto

The post Caramelized Onion Risotto with Sweet Corn appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is a sponsored post and giveaway in partnership with Vidalia onions. All opinions and recipes are my own.

How exciting is this Vidalia Onion Summer Fruit Pizza?  Very, especially because,  thanks to the Vidalia Onion Committee, we are sponsoring a $1,000 gift card giveaway. Just imagine how handy this will come in for early holiday shopping.

Earlier this summer, I was invited to a lovely dinner at this much loved East Nashville restaurant, sponsored by the Turkey Foundation and the Vidalia Onion Committee. Chef Hal Holden-Bache prepared a gourmet meal centered around these Vidalia onions and turkey. We started with a camembert onion soup that was a dream combination and ended with a Vidalia onion ice cream sandwich that left us astonished. There wasn’t a bite left on any plate.

The History of the Vidalia Onion is Intriguing

The Vidalia onion gets it name from Vidalia, Georgia, where the onions got their surprising start. Only a limited number of counties  in Georgia can produce these sweet onions, which were grown “sweet” by accident.

When developing my recipe, there were so many ideas swimming in my head for how to make onions the star of the show. This Vidalia onion summer fruit pizza is just one of several dishes I will be featuring in the coming days, so be sure to come back to visit for Vidalia onion risotto and Vidalia Onion Savory Cheesecake. I decided to make the summer fruit pizza the highlight of this group of recipes because of the summer fruits complementing the sweetness of  Vidalia onions. Add to this a layering of salty prosciutto and sweet corn, and you have the best of the summer in one bite.

The blackberries, honey and basil garnish the pizza AFTER the summer fruit pizza comes out of the oven. The berries give the bite that extra juice and texture, meld perfectly with onions and compliment the corn and peaches. It’s a fantastic bite.

Make sure to not over top the toppings. Proscuitto is salty, so place small amounts here and there. The fresh corn adds texture and another layer of sweetness. The Vidalia onions are thinly sliced and added as the last ingredient (with a smattering of olive oil) before hitting the oven.

Make sure you put the blackberries on the pizza after it comes out of the oven and then drizzle honey.

Please come back this week to get more Vidalia onion recipes. Think risotto and savory cheesecake. The Vidalia Onion Website  has lots of great recipes.

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Vidalia Onion Summer Fruit Pizza

How to make a summer fruit pizza sizzle with vidalia onions and proscuitto, sweet corn, peaches blackberries and drizzle of honey.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 16- ounce pizza dough store bought or recipe here
• 6 slices prosciuitto thinly sliced
• 2 ears fresh corn
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese see note
• 1 large peach
• 1 -2 Vidalia onions thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 16 large blackberries
• 6 leaves fresh basil for garnish
• 1 tablespoon honey for drizzle

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees (500 degrees if your oven goes that high)
• If using a store bought pizza dough, bring to room temperature for at least one hour. If the dough seems to resistant to stretching, allow to warm up even more.
• Slice peaches, leaving skin on.
• Cut corn off of the cob.
• Slice Vidalia onions thinly.
• See notes on bakeware for pizza. Divide your dough accordingly, depending on size of pizza.
• Stretch out as much as possible to get a very thin crust. If you make holes in pizza, just push dough together. Holes will fill as pizza is baking.
• When assembling ingredients, place them sporadically.
• Put prosciutto on bottom, followed by corn, peaches, cheese, onions and drizzle of olive oil. Do not put blackberries or honey until the pizza comes out of the oven.
• Bake in very hot oven 450 - 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes, checking at 8 minutes.
• Slice basil chiffonuad style, but not until you are ready to apply.
• Stack basil leaves, roll, and slice perpendicular to the roll.

Notes

You can use cast iron griddle, frying pan, pizza stone or baking sheet pan for pizza. If using sheet pan, make one large pizza. It will not reach sides completely. That's okay. If using stones, this will make two medium sized pizza or three small individual pizzas.

Mozzarella Cheese - if using fresh, make sure you get all the moisture out, especially if packed in water. You can crumble into bite sized pieces with your hands and place on paper towels.

More Pizza Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Let’s Connect on Instagram

Vidalia Onion Sweet Corn Risotto 

The post Vidalia Onion Summer Fruit Pizza appeared first on Spinach Tiger.