Spicy Campfire Corn

Posted on June 30, 2015 by skibootsinthekitchen

With the 4th of July this weekend I bet a lot of you are pulling out the grills, dusting off the camping stuff from Memorial Day and getting ready to enjoy a long weekend with family and friends. Here in Park City it has been hotter than the surface of the sun for two weeks straight- a cool 90+ every day! I can’t stand the thought of turning on the stove inside my house so we have been doing a lot of grilling outside. I have a few fans going all the time in the house and I feel like it is doing nothing! If you’re reading this post and you’re near the ocean, please stop what you’re doing and go swimming for me. right. now. thanks. This recipe is great for camping or at home on your grill. Feel free to switch up the hot sauce for your favorite variety. But most of all have a wonderful holiday weekend! Enjoy!

Spicy Campfire Corn (Serves 4 people)

Ingredients:

4 ears of corn, shucked
2 tablespoons butter
2 or more tablespoons hot sauce such as Tapatio, Cholula or Tabasco
Salt and Pepper to taste
Tinfoil

Directions:

Place two pieces of corn side by side on a piece of tinfoil. Place 1 Tablespoon of butter evenly across the two pieces of corn. Drizzle 1 tablespoon hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the other two ears of corn.
Bring the tinfoil sides together and roll down to make a pocket. Place on the grill or campfire for 7-10 minutes. Flip and cook another 5-7 minutes. Carefully check the pocket to see if corn is tender/golden brown. If you hear the corn starting to pop, flip the packet or turn down the heat.
Remove the corn pocket from the heat and allow it to sit closed for 5 minutes. This will allow the corn to steam a little longer and trap in all the flavor. When ready to serve remove the corn from the foil and enjoy!

Mexican Corn Off the Cob

Posted on August 11, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Good Morning! I am just back from a wonderful vacation with my family and friends! Celebrating weddings, birthdays and enjoying some time by the ocean. It was nice to unwind! Even though I was not posting recipes on my blog, I was doing some cooking and research on some delicious new recipes to post and boy did I test some good ones!! Since I was by the ocean, I was cooking a lot of seafood- clams, mussels, lobster and fresh stripped bass. There is nothing better than super fresh, local seafood. It is one of the things I miss most about living in a land locked state! Stay tuned for some of those tasty recipes, I will post them soon! But for now, one of my new favorite ways to eat corn… Mexican corn OFF the cob… because no one likes getting corn stuck in their teeth. Don’t judge the fact that there is mayonnaise in the recipe, a friend who hates mayonnaise, LOVED this dish. The comb of lime juice, cheese and the little kick from the chili powder is the perfect balance of salty, spicy and tangy! You’ll have trouble eating corn the “normal” way every again! This recipe was part of my collaboration with Blonded by Style, see our full menu here!

Mexican Corn Off the Cob

8 ears of fresh corn, grilled with the husk on.
½ cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons butter
2 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon chili powder
Salt to taste
½ cup crumbled Cotija Mexican Cheese (You can substitute Queso Fresco or Kraft Parmesan cheese if your grocery store does not have Cotija)

Directions:

Wet the outside of the corn-husks with water, and place them on a pre-heated grill. Turn ever 2-3 minutes until the outside of the corn is charred but not burned. Once the corn has cooled, shuck the husks off. Cut the kernels off the corn and place in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder and generous pinch of salt. The dressing should have a similar consistency as creamy ranch dressing. Pour mixture over the corn, sprinkle with cheese and toss to combine.
Season to taste with salt. Garnish with more crumbled cheese and a dash or two of chili powder on top. Serve immediately.

Quinoa, Kale & Corn Salad with Cranberries and Feta

Posted on August 2, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Where did the week go?! It’s Friday, It’s August and I feel like my summer has been in a vacuum! There have been so many fun things going on this summer including getting married, going to other friends weddings, concerts, camping, cooking… time flies when your enjoying life! Each time I go to the farmers market the produce gets a little more plump, ripe and delicious for new recipes! Yesterday was scorching hot and the last thing I wanted was a warm lunch. This quinoa salad is a perfect cold side for lunch, dinner or afternoon snack! The sweetness of the cranberries and corn balance the tartness of the feta and kale for the perfect mix of summer flavors. Enjoy the weekend!

Quinoa, Kale & Corn Salad with Cranberries & Feta by Ski Boots in the Kitchen (Serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa
4 cups chopped kale
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off
1/2 a small red onion, chopped
1/3 cup toasted almond slivers
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbed feta cheese
1/4 cup good olive oil (plus extra for sauteing)
1 lime, juiced
Freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium saute pan, drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom (two turns around the pan)
Saute red onion and corn until the onion is translucent and tender. Add kale. cook until kale begins to wilt and turns bright green- about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside and allow it to cool.
In a large bowl, add cooked quinoa, kale, corn and onion saute, toasted almonds, and cranberries. Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil and juice of 1 lime over the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Add Feta cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss once more and refrigerate for 1 hour or serve immediately. Enjoy!

(This is the color of the finished kale, corn and onion saute)

Fettuccine Cacio E Pepe with Summer Veggies

Posted on July 17, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

I think I have an unhealthy addiction to pasta and Parmesan cheese. When ever I go visit my grandmother in Italy I smuggle the largest hunk of Parmesan cheese I think I can get through customs without being arrested. Exhibit A:Maybe it was my obsession with the children’s book Strega Nona and her magic pasta pot growing up that caused me to have sweet dreams of pasta flowing through the streets in abundance. So it seems only natural that it is now one of my favorite things to cook (although I would enjoy cooking it even more if I had one of those magic pasta pots). Cacio E Pepe is a Roman pasta dish that literally translates to “Cheese and Pepper.” This 3 ingredient dish (butter, cheese and pepper) is a staple in Rome. One of my favorite celebrity chefs from “Top Chef” Fabio, won’t hire a cook in his kitchen unless they can make this dish flawlessly. While its not rocket science, it does require some finesse to perfectly blend the butter and cheese into a creamy delicious sauce. I love buttery, cheesy noodles but since its summer and the farmers market is overflowing with amazing fresh vegetables I decided to give Fabio’s Cacio E Pepe a summer facelift. On my trip to the Canyons farmers market today, I picked up some fresh peas, corn and zucchini to saute up and serve atop the pasta. You could add just about any vegetable you like to this recipe, everything goes well with butter and cheese!

Fettuccine Cacio E Pepe with Summer Veggies (click for printer friendly version)

Ingredients: Serves 4-6

1 box of fettuccine or spaghetti
8 oz. (a stick) Salted butter, plus 1 Tablespoon
2 T. black pepper, freshly cracked
1- 1½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups fresh corn, cut off the cob
2 cups fresh peas (you could substitute frozen if you must..)
1 large zucchini, cut into ribbons using a peeler
1/4 cup dry white wine

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
In a large skillet melt 1 Tablespoon of butter, add peas, corn, zucchini and white wine, cook until tender and most of the liquid has cooked off. Remove from heat, set aside.
Add the pasta and cook to al dente.
While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the fresh cracked pepper.
When the butter begins to bubble, turn off the flame and remove from heat.
When the pasta is ready, reserve 2-3 tbsp. of the pasta water and drain the pasta. add the noodles and 2-3 tbsp. of the pasta water to the sauté pan with the butter.
Cook over medium high heat until the liquid bubbles and thickens, tossing the pasta as needed.
Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese, tossing rigorously until all ingredients are incorporated into a creamy sauce.
Add the sauteed vegetables, toss one last time to coat all the ingredients evenly. (This step needs to be done quickly before the creamy sauce cools and thickens too much).
Garnish with additional black pepper and Parmesan, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Cacio E Pepe recipe from Fabio Vivani