Three-Onion Tart and Corn Bisque--the kitchen is finished!

That's right, the over-two-week long kitchen renovation is complete, and things are looking mighty fine. Not everything is clean and back in its place just yet, so you will have to wait for photos of our accomplishment, but even better than kitchen photos?


Food photos! I am finally able to cook a complete meal in my kitchen again. While there's been some cooking in the past couple of weeks, it hasn't come easily and creativity has not really been an option.


So, I read Elise's blog fairly religiously--she always strikes a perfect balance between education and really creative cooking--and when she posted this recipe for a rustic onion tart earlier this week, I knew I had to make it. What better way to get back in the kitchen than with a baking project? I followed her recipe nearly to the letter (her pastry recipe is perfection), with one exception--I only had one red onion, so I also used two yellow onions and a massive shallot I had sitting around--thus the "Three Onion" distinction. This is a beautiful tart to look at, folks, and even better tasting. Go celebrate the cooling weather and make one for yourself!



The soup was born out of inspiration from a Cooking Light recipe (I've been on a dreaded diet, yet another reason I haven't been posting much), and with a couple of ears of late summer sweet corn languishing in the refrigerator, I couldn't resist making it my own. The result was sweet, delicious, and deceptively rich-tasting. Topped with a mound of fresh crab meat, a sprinkling of heirloom tomato, and chunks of ripe avocado, I felt it was a fitting goodbye to summer.

Grilled Chicken and Peppers with Skillet Corn

Longer days + warm weather = grilling in this household. And so, with Chris' help, I made this super simple meal that paid off with big flavors. Don't skip the basil, it really is the perfect touch.


Grilled Chicken and Peppers with Skillet Corn
serves 2

for the peppers:

1 red bell pepper
reserved chicken marinade (see below)
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
sweet basil leaves (for garnish)


Prepare a charcoal grill. When the coals are grey and nice and hot, grill the pepper until black and blistered on all sides. Place hot pepper in a Ziploc bag and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove from bag and rub or peel skin off. Slice into strips and toss with the reserved marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside.



for the chicken:

.75 lb. chicken breast tenders
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp white wine
2 Tbsp chicken stock
juice of 1 small lemon
sea salt
freshly ground pepper


Mix all ingredients other than chicken. Reserve 2 Tbsp of marinade for the peppers, then add the chicken to it, turning each piece to coat. Marinate for 20 minutes. Grill over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side.

for the skillet corn:

3 ears corn
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp salted butter

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add corn and saute for another 3-4 minutes, until the corn is bright and still crisp. Add salt and pepper if desired, but we found the corn so sweet and perfect on it's own, I didn't add a thing.


To put it all together, I recommend placing the chicken on a bed of corn, topping with the red pepper slices, and garnishing with the reserved pepper marinade and a few basil leaves. We ate this warm, but I think it would make a great lunch cold or at room temperature.

Spicy Shrimp with Corn Griddle Cakes

After some truly masterful thrifty grocery shopping yesterday, I was able to pick up the ingredients I was lacking for three nice dinners (one of which will be a fancy egg sandwich, but still). This recipe is almost 100% Rachael Ray, which used to really embarrass me to admit, but I'm working through my issues.


When it comes down to it, Ray's recipes are often pantry-friendly (I only had to buy $4 worth of shrimp and a $.49 can of corn for this), and rarely call for spices that I don't already have. Gourmet cooking it may not be, but when you are broke and trying to stretch a dollar, her magazine features lots of good recipes. This one comes from the February/March issue.

I know I said these weren't gourmet, but I can't help but think how cute mini-corn griddle cakes with just one or two shrimp on top would be for a party.


Spicy Shrimp with Corn Griddle Cakes
serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are

for the griddle cakes:

1 15-oz. can cream-style corn
4 Tbsp butter, melted
2 large eggs
.25 cup granulated sugar*
1 cup all-purpose flour
.5 tsp sea salt
.5 tsp baking soda

*I did not add the sugar and found that the corn was sweet enough on it's own. Your mileage may vary.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients well with a whisk. Set aside.


for the shrimp:

1 lb. large shrimp, shell-on
2.5 cups water
.25 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp Cajun seasoning*
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped

*I did not have this Cajun seasoning Ray calls for, so I improvise with Chili powder, powdered onion and garlic, and sea salt. Worked great for me.

Peel the shrimp and place the shells in a saucepan with the water and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half--about 10 minutes. Strain and discard shells, set aside.


While broth is boiling, toss shrimp with Cajun seasoning. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it is shimmering, then sprinkle in the flour. Cook the oil and flour mixture (your roux), stirring constantly, until a deep golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Add scallions, garlic, and a drizzle more of oil and cook, continuing to stir, for 2 more minutes.


Whisk the reserved shrimp broth into the roux and boil for one minute to thicken. Add the shrimp and toss in the sauce for 2 minutes, then cover, remove from heat, and set aside.


Heat a non-stick griddle over medium heat (if you only have one large non-stick pan, transfer the shrimp to a bowl and wipe the pan clean). Working in batches, pour heaping .25 cups of batter onto the griddle, giving the pan a little shake to flatten them somewhat. Cook until they are a deep golden color and bubbles are rising to the surface, then flip. Repeat with remaining batter.


Stir your shrimp and taste to adjust for seasoning (I needed to add salt at this point). Serve griddle cakes with shrimp and sauce spooned over the top. We had corn cakes leftover, so I ate them for breakfast--they were really good! I will definitely make this recipe again.

Sides: Grilled Corn and Slow Baked Beans

Spring continues to make appearances, and so the grill must come out. I woke up yesterday thinking of corn, thinking of hamburgers, and thinking of my special baked beans.

Now, these beans are out of the can, I'll admit that right up front. But, it's the things you add and the way they are cooked that will make them special. The end result is caramelized, concentrated with flavor, and a great foil to the freshness of the corn. Try them out at your next backyard barbeque.


Slow Baked Beans
serves 4

1 18-oz. can or jar baked beans (I used B&M Originals)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
.25 c. diced onion
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp sorghum molasses
2 slices bacon

Prehat oven to 300 degrees.


Pour the beans into a small baking dish, including the juices. Remove the chunk of pork floating around in there, unless you are using vegetarian beans.

Add the sugar, sauce, onions, and molasses, stir well to combine. Place strips of bacon on top.


Bake for at least 2 hours, or until the beans are a very dark, sticky, caramalized color. If you have a hot oven (like my parents), you may want to turn down to 250 degrees halfway through. Serve warm.

Grilled Corn
serves 2

This is more of a technique than recipe. To grill corn I like to gently pull back the husks and remove all of the silks. I then tie the husks up into a handle-like fashion and rub them generously with some herbed butter (1 clove garlic, 1 small handful parsley, butter, salt, and pepper).


I place them on a medium grill with the husk-handles hanging off the side, so they don't burn. Grill for 10 minutes, turning and applying more butter often, then enjoy!