Roasted Corn Risotto with Grilled Shrimp

1 t minced garlic
¼ C onion, minced
2 T olive oil
½ C dry white wine
4 C chicken stock
1 C dryArborio rice
2 ears sweet corn
½ t salt
¼ t freshly ground black pepper
1 slice bacon, diced
10-12 large shrimp, peeled
1 green onion, diced

Roast the corn on the cob under a low broiler or grill.  Cool and remove kernels from cob.  

Warm the stock to a low simmer. Heat a larger saucepan over medium heat. When the pan is hot add the oil. Saute the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute another minute.  Add the rice and stir for a minute or two until it becomes lightly toasted.  Add wine and stir and scrape the bottom and sides of pan removing any small bits of flavor. Cook until almost all the wine is absorbed.  Add salt and pepper to rice.

Add stock ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly. Add another ½ cup when almost all is absorbed. Continue this method until all the stock is used. This process will take about 35 minutes.  The risotto should be creamy and tender. Test to ensure it's cooked through. If not, continue the process, adding ½ cup water until tender. 

Add corn when risotto is cooked and allow corn to heat 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through.

Cook bacon in a skillet on medium heat until crisp. Remove and drain.  Add shrimp and cook in bacon grease on medium high heat for 2 minutes, turn and cook another 1 to 2 minutes or until cooked through.  

To serve, add risotto to plate.  Top with shrimp and garnish with bacon and green onions.
Serve immediately.

Blueberry Peach Yogurt Cake

This cake is a favorite of my oldest grandson.  It's best served the same day.

1 1/2 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
4 T butter, softened
1 C sugar
2 eggs
3/4 C Greek yogurt
1 t vanilla
2 peaches, sliced into wedges
1/2 pint blueberries
1 t sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the side and the bottom of a 9x3-inch springform pan with butter.  Cut and line the pan with a sheet of greased parchment paper.

Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat butter, sugar together.  Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes on high speed. Add yogurt and vanilla and beat until very creamy and light in color, another 1-2 minutes.  Mix in the flour mix at low speed until combined. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the springform pan. Top with sliced peaches and blueberries. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon granulated sugar.

Bake until golden, about 1 hour. Toothpick inserted in center should come clean.  Cool in pan for about 40 minutes and release the cake from the springform pan.  Slide the cake with the parchment paper attached to its bottom onto a cake plate.  Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Corinne's Slaw

We had a BBQ and Corinne brought this cole slaw, which was very yummy.  It would have gone perfectly with the pulled pork sandwiches had the pork been done on time.  We had two smokers going so we ended up eating it with back ribs.

2 bags of Fresh Express Tri-Color Cole Slaw Mix
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of Hellmann's mayonnaise, you might need to add more

Mix all together and chill overnight.

You can use Dole, but Fresh Express has just the right combination red cabbage and carrots and its shredded perfectly.

Spicy Shrimp with Zucchini Pasta

I love pasta but I've been trying to cut a few calories.  I saw a recipe using zucchini "pasta".  I was a little nervous and I actually made some spaghetti to go with this dish just in case.  My husband, the runner, who can never get enough calories had the spaghetti but I did not.  Oh my gosh, this was so good!  I like zucchini but this didn't even taste like zucchini.  It was just great!

I bought a new kitchen gadget just for this dish.  This little tool is amazing - the Julienne slicer.  How did I not know about this before.

2 T olive oil, separated

10-12 large wild-caught uncooked shrimp
2 T Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning
5-6 large mushrooms, sliced thin
2 medium zucchini, julienne-cut
4 cloves garlic, diced
20-25 grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 lemon

Peel and devein the shrimp.  Put the shrimp and the creole seasoning in a small bag and shake to coat.  Return to the refrigerator while you prepare the vegetables.

Add a couple teaspoons of olive oil to a large frying pan.  I use one that's shaped somewhat like a wok, with a large deep bowl.  Add the shrimp and cook for a minute or so on each side until the shrimp turns pink.  Be careful not to overcook or your shrimp will have the texture of shoe leather.  Remove the shrimp to a bowl.  Add the mushrooms and more oil, if necessary.  When the mushrooms  are tender, remove those to the shrimp bowl.  Add the zucchini and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes. Don't over cook or the zucchini will turn to mush and start to fall apart.  Add the tomatoes and the shrimp and mushrooms back to the pan.  Cook just to heat (less than a minute).  Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and give it a quick stir.

2 servings

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is pure comfort.

1 T olive oil

1 C sweet onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, diced

1 serrano pepper, seeds and membrane removed and diced 

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

4-5 C chicken broth
4 Roma tomatoes, skinned and diced

3/4 t paprika

2-3 radishes, sliced thin
1/2 t ground coriander
1 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t salt 

black pepper, to taste
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 lime

Garnishes:

chopped fresh cilantro
Tortilla strips or tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
Diced avocado

Diced Roma tomatoes

Diced green onion

Sauté onion in oil until tender; do not brown.  Add garlic and pepper and sauté another minute or so.  Remove onion mixture to a plate.  Add a little more oil to pan, if necessary.  Brown chicken breast over high heat, 2-3 minutes on each side until just cooked.  Remove chicken from pan and chop in grape-sized chunks.

Return chicken and onions to pan.  Add remaining ingredients except lime juice and simmer for 30 minutes.  Just before serving, juice lime into soup.  Serve with garnishes on the side.