Easy Zucchini And Corn Pasta

End of summer cooking means visiting local farms selling sweet corn and backyard gardens bursting with zucchini. It's such a joy to be in the kitchen with the abundance of seasonal produce. Fresh, fast and flavorful food is made in minutes. Healthy meals come together without much fuss. I'm sharing another one of my favorite summery dinners with you again. Chewy-pasta with tender-crisp zucchini, pops of sweet corn and a good amount of herbs.

Thai Garden Vegetable Soup

Today we care so much about what we eat. Yet we have less time to prepare nutritious food. My favorite midday meal is soup. I make a lot of quick ones. This rainbow-colored recipe is ready in about 30 minutes. A bit of chopping and dropping into a pot is all that's required. It's a fun, healthy, Thai-take on garden vegetable soup. I like it much better than the old standard. Spiked with chili, lime and creamy coconut milk, it makes a light and lively lunch paired with crusty rolls or crackers. With an abundance of vegetables, pops of  sweet peas and fresh scallions, this non-traditional veggie soup is a good choice for springtime. It's wonderful sprinkled with Thai basil or regular basil.  If you're craving a satisfying Southeast Asian bowl of deliciousness, give it a try!

Mexican Corn Cakes with Jalapeno & Lime

I've taken a break from designing and stitching a new pattern to make corn cakes for lunch. They're an easier riff on my usual recipe. A Mexican cheese blend is delicious in these cakes. Golden-brown, light and fluffy, they're ready in about 20 minutes. Self rising flour helps them puff-up, which is a good thing. Pops of sweet corn, wrapped up in a pillow-soft center, along with some spicy jalapeno is a winning combo. They're crave-worthy and enticing. A squeeze of lime is a fresh finish. The deep-fried-calories and mess are missing... hassle-free cooking at its best. You can also change up the some of the recipe ingredients to suit your personal taste. Sometimes I omit the jalapeno and serve them with a generous amount of Texas Pete Hot Sauce. The cakes are a nice breakfast or brunch option too. Have fun and personalize this recipe!

Corn Cakes with Wasabi-Lime Dipping Sauce

Yesterday, Ellie and I bundled up to do our three mile walk around the river path. The sky was slate gray.  After our trek in the arctic tundra, which is wintertime in New England,  I whipped up something deliciously summery. I needed sunshine on my plate.

Black Bean & Corn Fritters

Sweet corn, spicy chili, creamy black beans, tangy lime work together in perfect harmony to create magic. The addition of paprika and cumin lend smoky notes. Mexican flavors are in every cloud-like bite. 

Pair these fritters with freshly steamed rice and you have a complete protein. Eat them with salsa, creamy avocado, sour cream, creme fraiche or thick Greek yogurt and you’re in for one tasty, healthy meal. Guacamole would be great too.

Black Bean Corn Fritters Recipe

Makes about 10 cakes

Some Notes

They’re lightly and quickly pan fried in healthy olive oil. It’s sort of like making pancakes. Don’t squish them down with a spatula. Let them do their thing. Brown on one side then flip over and finish cooking on the other. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches if you have to. Be gentle with them and they’ll reward you for it.

Smoked paprika gives these cakes a mild smoky flavor which I love, but you can leave it out with good results.

Ingredients

• 16 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, finely diced. Omit pepper if you don’t like it spicy or remove some of the seeds and veins.   
• 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen corn
• 2 limes, zest one and place the zest in a medium bowl.
• 6 scallions, diced and divided. Put half of the chopped scallions in the bowl with the lime zest.
• A generous handful of fresh parsley or cilantro. About 1/4 cup. Add to the bowl with the scallions and lime zest.
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup self rising flour or Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking Mix
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika (optional but so good)
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil or neutral tasting oil for cooking
• Serving Suggestions: sour cream,  Greek yogurt, creme fraiche, limes, salsa, rice, avocado, hot sauce

Instructions

Place the rinsed and drained black beans in the bowl of a food processor and whiz to a chunky consistency. Don’t process the beans all the way down. They should still have some structure.

Place the red bell pepper, chili, corn and reserved scallions in a nonstick skillet with some olive oil and salt and cook until tender. Add the cumin and smoked paprika to the vegetables and stir to combine. Set the vegetables aside to let cool.

Put the processed black beans in the same bowl with the rest of the diced scallions, vegetables, lime zest, cilantro or parsley, milk, salt and eggs.  Add enough self rising flour to the bowl and stir everything together. Start with 1/3 cup of self rising flour and add more if the mixture seems too wet.

Heat a large nonstick frying pan on medium high with a tablespoon or so of oil. I used my non-stick Scanpan for this recipe. Drop batter by 1/3 cup fulls into the hot pan. Cook until golden brown on each side. Serve with lime wedges, lite sour cream or Greek yogurt and other accompaniments. 

Bon Appetit!

Thai Inspired Corn Fritters

This is a Southeast Asian take on an American classic. A little sweet with some heat and a whole lotta flavor. The corn kernels pop in your mouth against the fluffy, moist centers and crispy exteriors.  

Vegetable Soup with Barley & Basil

A simple vegetable soup is what I cooked today. It's what I needed. It's the kind of austere and nourishing soup I imagine monks making with their fresh garden vegetables. They'd eat it at supper time with warm bread.