"Mexican" Corn Casserole

 This is from grandma's vegetable box and looks like it was clipped from a magazine. There's no evidence that Grandma E ever made this one, but she had a good eye; it's fantastic. I added the quotation marks around Mexican because there is nothing particularly Mexican about the dish. It creates a final product with a consistency of a savory custard or a spoonbread. The flavor is mildly sweet and deliciously corny. It is also absolutely loaded with fat, so this is less an everyday recipe and more a special event treat. 

Mexican Corn Casserole

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 butter
• 1 1/2 cups milk (plant based works well)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 Tbl sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and stir constantly. Whisk in the milk. Stir and cook over low heat until the mixture thickens.

Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingrediencts. Mix well and put in a lightly greased 2-quart casserole. Set the casserole in a larger pan, place both pans in oven, and pour boiling water to a depth of 1 inch in the larger pan.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted halfway between the edge and the center of the casserole comes out clean.

Chicken & Corn Chowder

 Part of getting out of my food rut is being more creative with my cooking. I think I envisioned this originally as trying different recipies in my backlog of cookbooks. However, when I'm feeling creative in the kitchen, I sometimes create a dish ad hoc that's excellent. I always think I should write it down and I almost never do. I then usually forget how I made it. I think in the spirit of experimentation and exploration, that when I manage something cool - it should probably count toward my goal. So here's the first of my original recipes.

Chicken and Corn Chowder (serves 6)

• 2 pounds bone-in and skin-on chicken pieces
• 2 carrots, scrubbed and ends trimmed - cut into chunks
• 1 onion, wasted and cut into quarters
• 2 ribs celery, scrubbed and cut into chunks
• 2 pound bag frozen corn (or equal corn on cob, kernels stripped and cobs reserved)
• 2 green chilies, trimmed and minced (I like serrano's but there's nothing wrong with jalapeno)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced fine
• chicken boullion granules (optional)
• Salt to taste

For serving:

• sour cream or greek yogurt
• green onion
• shredded cheese
• hot sauce
• chicken-skin chitlins (recipe after)

1. make the broth: put the chicken, carrots, onion, celery, and corn cobs (if using squeeze before discarding) in a pot cover with water and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until chicken is ready to come off the bone - 45 minutes to an hour. Strain. Reserve the broth and the chicken - toss spent vegetables. 

2. Return broth to pot. Add corn kernels and chilies. Bring to a simmer for at least 10 minutes before step 4.

3. Strip the meat from the bones and chop. (reserve the skin if you are making chitlins)

4. Remove the broth from the heat. Let cool a few minute and blitz a few times with a stick blender. The point is to break up the corn and release the natural starches. You could puree part or all of it in a blender if you like a puree'd soup but I suggest letting it cool to warm before you do. (blenders tend to spurt - the hot liquid creates a lot of pressure within the canister)

5. Return broth and corn mixture to the heat. Add red bell pepper and chicken meat. Simmer until bell pepper is cooked through. Taste. If thin tasting at boullion granules if you like. You could also try oregano, cream, or even dill. Adjust salt to taste and serve with preferred toppings.

Chicken Skin Chitlins

• oil with a high smoke point (I like peanut or canola)
• Chicken skin (reserved from recipe above and cut into strips
• Salt

1. heat oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When water drops sizzle on contact, add chicken skin. Try to get it in piece by piece without touching in one layer... makes things easier. Sprinkle liberally with salt.

2. let sizzle until the edges brown and curl. (3 or 4 minutes) Flip over and cook until the bottom browns (2-5 minutes) Remove and drain on paper towls.