No Fail Creamed Corn

Creamed corn was one of my dad's favorite veggies. Mom would open up the tin can and out would plop this dark yellow, gelatinous mass that was supposed to be creamed corn. It was flavorless and looked awful but still we ate it. During the summer, you can find corn every where and taking it off the cob to use in this dish isn't very hard at all, but during the winter months, or when you don't have the time you can use about 2 cups of frozen whole kernel corn. You just might need to add some flour to help thicken it up.


What You Need:

8 ears of corn

1 medium onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs butter

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs fine ground corn meal

2 c 2% milk

1 tsp fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

What To Do:

Strip the corn from the ears using a corn stripper or a sharp knife. Using the back side of a knife, run it along the stripped ears to extract all the “milk”. This is actually corn starch and will help to thicken the final dish.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil until soft and fragrant. Stir in the corn and all the juices from it. Sauté just a minute. Sprinkle the corn meal over the top and stir in completely. Let it cook just for a minute before slowly adding in the milk while stirring to prevent lumps. Cook over medium low heat until nice and thick. It takes about 20 minutes. Stir in the thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper.


Freeze/Make Ahead Directions:


Make the corn up until the point where you add the corn meal. Let it cool and package your servings in freezer safe containers or zip top bags. Make sure to label each bag with the contents and the date. When you're ready to eat, pull it from the freezer and let thaw for an hour or so. Place the corn into a skillet over medium heat. Once it's heated through, continue with the rest of directions by adding in the corn meal and the milk. 

How To Make: Tortilla Chips

Recently we were at a real Mexican restaurant, and by real I mean authentic Mexican food, not a bunch of people like myself who, while we enjoy cooking it, just can't compete with the real deal. There they had served nice warm tortilla chips and fresh salsa with every meal. The tortilla chips were dark in color, slightly thick and perfectly crunchy. The were of course, made right there at the restaurant, and me being me, decided I could do it myself at home. I bought a large stack of corn tortilla and let them sit out overnight to become stale and dry out a bit. Then I cut them into wedges and fried them up, but they weren't these nice dark, incredible crunchy chips. Instead they were kind of toothy and definitely need some salt. I found that if I threw them in the oven for a bit on low heat that they would loose the rest of the moisture and become dark, creating the perfect tortilla chip for  the nacho's and Chilaquiles that I was making that night.

What You Need:


A stack of corn tortilla chips
Veg Oil
Salt


What To Do:


Flip through the stack of corn tortilla's just to loosen them from each other. Then let sit overnight to help dry them out. When you're ready to cook them, heat a couple inches of veg oil in a large pot to about 375 degrees.
Cut each tortilla in half, then each half into thirds. When the oil is hot, add in some of the tortillas. Make sure you stir them for the first 30-60 seconds so that they don't all stick together. Then let them cook, stirring occasionally until they are no longer soft and floppy, about 2 minutes or so. Remove to paper towels to drain excess oil and give a sprinkle with some salt. Work in batches until all the tortillas are cooked. Place chips onto a baking pan and into a preheated 200 degree oven. Let them cook until they have become brown and crunchy. Try and eat them the same day as they go stale quickly. 


Here's another way to make them:


Not into frying? I don't blame you. Lots of fat and calories there. You're in luck though! Tortilla chips can easily be made in the oven as well. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. After cutting your corn tortillas into wedges, place them in a mostly single layer on a baking sheet. Give them a quick spritz with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. You can even sprinkle them with garlic or cayenne for a tasty difference. Then just bake them for 10-15 minute or until they've slightly browned and have become crisp.