Corn and Zucchini Fritters

Sam came home from work this morning with these two little beauties. He said he saw them at our local "Share the Bounty" stand on his way home so he stopped and got them for me. Aren't they lovely? So tiny. So perfect.

My first thought....

Whatever shall we make with them?

We decided today is the day for Corn and Zucchini Fritters. Actually we are 2 days premature with this decision since the produce stand opens the day after tomorrow, which will be the first day of the season that we can eat fresh locally grown sweet corn.

But, alas. That is two days away.

And we have these two zucchini to eat today.

So it will have to be frozen corn.

Start with the dry ingredients in a bowl. Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper.

Give them a good stir.

In another bowl,combine cream, egg, melted butter.

Whisk them all together.

Pour the wet into the dry.

Mix it all up. It'll be fairly thick.

We used the two lovelies he brought home. One small zucchini. One small yellow zucchini. You could use all one kind. Whatever you have will be just fine.

Shred the zucchini.

First choice: cut some corn from the cob.

Second choice: thaw some frozen corn.

Shred some pepperjack cheese. Could be cheddar, if you prefer.

I love the spice of the pepperjack.

Add the zucchini, corn, and cheese.

Mix it all together. It's a bit thick for a spoon. Keep at it or just use your hands. I use my hands. Fingers make mixing thick things like this so much easier.

Fry the fritters in about 1/2-inch of oil on medium-high heat. Just until browned on one side. Don't turn the heat up too high or they'll get too brown before the innards are cooked through.

Flip them over and let them brown on the other side. 

Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with a little salt.

Serve them up hot with some Ranch Dressing for dipping.

They are also fabulous served with Chili or Taco Soup.

Look at this! At once salty and slightly sweet. Crispy on the outside. Tender and fluffy on the inside. Lovely zucchini and that delicious pop of sweet corn and the wonderful little kick from the pepperjack cheese.

YUM!

Corn and Zucchini Fritters

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 egg

3 tablespoons cream (or milk)

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup shredded yellow zucchini

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

1/2 cup shredded pepperjack cheese

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, cream or milk, and melted butter. Add wet ingredients to dry and combine. Add zucchini, corn, and cheese. Mix together. Heat about 1/2-inch oil over medium-high heat. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto hot oil. Flatten slightly with a spoon. Cook until lovely brown on one side. Flip over and allow to brown on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve with Ranch Dressing or with Chili or Taco Soup.

These fritters freeze well so make a bunch of them. The recipe is easy to double or triple or more. Serve them for lunch or dinner and allow the rest to cool. Freeze in freezer bag(s). To serve, allow to thaw and place under broiler in oven for a minute or so until toasty hot.

If you want more recipes like this one, you'll find some really great ones in this book.

On the Side!

(scroll down to the 3rd book)

Red, White, and Blue Brownies

So pretty. So patriotic. So easy.

Brownies

White Frosting

Red and Blue Berries

You could make brownies from a mix.

I actually quite enjoy brownies from a mix. So easy. So fast. So chocolaty.

I usually add chocolate chips to the mix to make them even chocolatier.

I'm sure that is a word.

You could use white frosting from a can.

But why?

If you have time and desire...

make these.

At least make the frosting.

It won't take much longer

and

they'll taste so much better.

Totally worth the extra few minutes and effort.

Chocolate Brownies

3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine eggs, oil, vanilla, and milk. Add sugar and powdered sugar. Mix well. Stir in cocoa, salt, and flour. Mix just until smooth. Add chocolate chips. Grease bottom only of an 8 or 9-inch  square dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes for the 8-inch dish or 35 minutes for a 9-inch dish. Allow to cool before frosting.

White Frosting

3/4 cup butter, soft
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Butter must be very soft but not melted. Combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer until smooth, creamy, light, and fluffy. Add more milk until it is the consistency that you like. I prefer it to be very soft. Pile on top of brownies and decorate with red raspberries and blueberries and sliced strawberries.

Patriotic Pasta Salad

It's time to fire up the grill and get out the red, white, and blue table cloth. You're going to want some delicious cool and refreshing salads to go along with whatever you grill. This Patriotic Pasta Salad is just that. Cool. Refreshing. It is also lovely and festive and full of red white and blue.

I cut a few strawberries into star shapes just to add to the festiveness of the table. Aren't they cute?

You can turn this salad into a main dish by adding cubed grilled chicken.

The red and blue berries make this salad patriotic but you can add or substitute other ingredients making his salad work for any occasion. Sometimes I like to add vegetables such as shredded carrot and sliced celery. Other fruit is fabulous, too, such as Mandarin oranges and kiwi. Try adding dried cranberries and salted cashews. So good in any combination. My favorite combination when it's not for Patriotic celebration is:

mini bowtie pasta

green grapes

mandarin oranges

celery

red onion

green onion

pineapple tidbits

dried cranberries

salted cashews

But for this holiday this is the salad of the day.

While you make it, maybe turn on some Lee Greenwood,

God Bless the USA.

Patriotic Pasta Salad

1 pound mini bowtie pasta
1 cup red or purple grapes
2 cups assorted berries (red raspberries, black raspberries, strawberries)
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits (reserve the juice)
1 small bunch green onion, chopped (about 10)
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup Miracle Whip
3 tablespoons vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/3 teaspoon Bon Apetit (or the equivalent of celery and onion salt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup pineapple juice (reserved from the pineapple)

Cook pasta in salted water. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again. Add to a large bowl. Add grapes and berries. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Add pineapple to the bowl. Add the green onions. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, vinegar, sugar, Bon Apetit, salt, and pepper. Stir in the reserved 1/4 cup pineapple juice. Whisk until smooth. Pour into bowl and stir gently to combine.

Pink Paprika Dressing

Can you see the pretty pink specks of paprika?

Is your mouth watering?

Have you been to one of those Japanese Steak House restaurants? The kind where they cook the food right in front of you? Sometimes they serve a simple lettuce salad with a most delicious dressing. It is pink and slightly sweet and o perfectly delicious.

I suppose nothing is as good as the real deal, especially when in the atmosphere of the restaurant and such.

But.

This recipe comes pretty close.

And.

If you have a hankerin' for the dressing you can make it right this minute.

In about that much time.

It really is so simple.

You probably already have everything you need.

mayonnaise

vinegar

butter

sugar

garlic powder

paprika

a cute little whisk (one of my favorite things)

Put everything in a bowl or in a jar, including the whisk.

Whisk it all together and it turns into this smooth, pink, deliciousness.

At the restaurant they serve it over just lettuce. I like to add shredded carrot, julienned cucumber and such. Add what you like. Tomatoes, eggs, onions, anything you like in salad.

I served Apple Roast Pork Sandwiches this day. Some put the dressing on their sandwiches instead of Ranch Dressing.

I keep this dressing (and others like it) in handy dandy squirt bottles (one of my favorite things).

Pink Paprika Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar (rice vinegar is best but apple cider is good, too)
2 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients until smooth. Keep refrigerated. Makes about 1 1/2 cups dressing.

Little Whisk

This little whisk is one of my very favorite things in the kitchen.

I'm pretty sure this version is made by Pampered Chef, but really I'm not too picky about who makes it. It's the size and shape that I like.

The clever little half moon coil is just the right size for so many whisking tasks.

This is the tool I reach for when whisking so many things. I whisk together eggs and cream and milk and cinnamon to make French toast. I use to whip up scrambled eggs. I whisk together so many different kinds of dressings. I use this whisk for making gravy and sauces.

It is the perfect size to fit in a bowl or a jar to whisk dressings and it is the perfect size to whisk together gravy or sauce right in the saucepan or skillet.

It is easy to clean and goes into the dishwasher. The coil comes off if it really needs gunk removed but it rinses clean so easily. It is just the right size and so handy.

This little whisk is one of my favorite things.

Apple Roast PorkSandwiches

Yes, this looks just like a pulled pork sandwich.

But.

This is not just any pulled pork sandwich.

This is an Apple Roast Pork sandwich.

We had the Ranch Dressing version last night.

But.

I'll show you the bbq sauce version, too.

Wait for it.

Start with a pork roast. Trim all the visible fat.

You can roast it in the oven or slow cook it in the crock pot.

Your choice.

I chose the crock pot since it is about 500 degrees outside.

Not really.

But it IS 101 degrees today.

If you tell me, "but it's a dry heat" I will throw something at you.

I didn't want to heat up kitchen with an oven on for hours.

Douse the entire roast with Worcestershire sauce. Pick up the roast, douse the bottom, put it in the crock pot, douse the top and sides.

Makes a pretty puddle.

Now pack on the brown sugar. Press it on the top and sides. Don't worry if it falls off.

Pour apple juice onto the bottom, but not on the roast so you don't wash off the brown sugar and Worcestershire.

Cover and cook on Low for about 6 hours.

Cut the hot roast into chunks. My roast was small so I cut it in 4 pieces. If yours is larger, cut it into more chunks.

Use an electric mixer and shred. It is quite magical. Don't be shy. Just push the beaters down onto a chunk and turn it on low. It'll flip and shred it into pieces in a few seconds.

Don't over mix or you'll turn it into shreds that are too fine.

Nice, mostly uniform, lovely shredded pork. Take the beaters out and mix it all up with all the delicious juices in the bottom of the crock pot. Pile it up on hamburger or hot dog buns.

Add your favorite toppings.

We have two favorite ways of serving this sandwich.

Piled on a hamburger bun, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, salt and pepper, and lots of Ranch Dressing.

Mmmmmmmm.

Piled in a hot dog bun (hot dog buns make eating this sort of sandwich easier, don't you think? It all stays together like it's in a little boat), sliced PepperJack cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, Ranch Dressing, BBQ sauce, sliced green onion.

Mmmmmmmmm.

Wanna know what else?

((I can't see you.))

((I can't hear you.))

((I'm gonna just pretend you wanna know what else.))

Here is the what else:

Try this Apple Roast Pork in a corn tortilla with the same lettuce, tomato, cheese, and Ranch Dressing. Especially if you start with a soft corn tortilla and deep fry it for a few seconds.

O.

My.

So Good.

Apple Roast Pork Sandwiches

1 (4-pound) pork roast
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place roast in slow cooker or in a roasting pan. Cover with Worcestershire sauce on all sides. Press brown sugar on top and sides of roast. Pour apple juice around roast but not over top. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with slow cooker lid or heavy foil. Slow cook in crock pot for 6 hours on Low or in 275 degree oven for 5 hours. Shred pork and mix into the juices in the pan.

You can find this recipe and about 200 more freezer-friendly recipes in the book,

Lunch is Ready!

Go here.

Scroll down to the third book that you see.

Boneless Buffalo Sticky Fingers

So. Much. Deliciousness.

Do you love buffalo chicken wings?

Like the kind you can get at Winger's? My mouth gets all crazy just thinking about eating there. Nothing really compares to a real Winger's chicken wing. They somehow cook them just right. The outside is slightly crispy and the inside is juicy and fall off the bone tender. They are completely coated with that delicious sticky, spicy, sweet sauce.

Some places serve Buffalo chicken wings...and they are so hot your mouth falls off your face and you can taste....

NOTHING.

Not these. 

They have plenty of heat but not so much as to kill your taste buds. And there is sweet. Perfectly hot and perfectly sweet. We eat them till the sauce drips off our elbows. Actually, that is how you know you are doing it right. The sauce is all over your face and it's running down your arms and it's dripping off your elbows. There are not enough napkins to fix this mess so you are really grateful that the sweet waitress anticipates your messiness and brings you several wet wipes all tidy in their tear open pouches. You are happy to tip this thoughtful person.

But.

Sometimes perhaps you just want to stay home and maybe save a buck or two.

If this is the case, this is the recipe to use.

You will be pretty happy.

Your family will know you love them.

Maybe your family will tip you.

I really don't know what Winger's uses to make their delicious sauce but this recipe comes pretty close to tasting like theirs. Start with hot sauce. Not just any hot sauce. Find Frank's Hot Sauce. I've used original and I've used the Buffalo Wings flavor. I figure they must be different somehow but honestly I can't tell the difference. That might be because I have not tried them side by side. I bought one kind and used it up and then bought the other.

Both good.

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, hot sauce and a little water.

That's it.

Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. I use a little whisk, but really a spoon will do.

Any chicken will do here. I cheat and use the already breaded chicken breast portions you can buy in the freezer section at the grocery store.

These are Tyson brand and I got them at Costco

 I love Costco.

You could leave the pieces whole. But why? But I cut them in strips to sort of resemble chicken wings. Sort of. They cook faster, and more importantly, they are easier to dip in more sauce and Ranch Dressing. I use scissors because it's just easier.

You could bake the chicken pieces as it says on the package. But why? I'm sure it's healthier and all that. But I love them deep fried. ((Don't judge me.)) Cook them any way you like. You won't hurt my feelings. I will never know. If I did know, I would be thinking how you'd like them better if they were deep fried. ((Insert big smiley face here!))

Once they are baked or deep fried and drained on paper towels, take each piece for a swim in the delectable sauce. Make sure every little bit gets its fair share.

Pile all the deliciousness on a plate.

Surround the goodness with celery and don't forget the extra sauce

and plenty of Ranch Dressing.

You could go straight for the Ranch Dressing or dip them in the sauce again first and then the dressing. O my. ((licks lips))

Dip the celery, too. First in the sauce, then in the dressing. You don't like celery? Why is that? I hear lots of people say they don't like celery. When I hear that, I always think, "well, no one likes celery just to walk around munching on celery. Or maybe they do, but more likely they like what is ON the celery." Like this sauce and dressing. Really the celery is just an excuse to get more of this amazingly delicious sauce in your mouth without getting so over stuffed on chicken before your mouth is satisfied with enough of the sticky sweet burn.

Ok. 

If you really, really don't like the celery part. Or even if you do.

You could serve this chicken with 

Cole Slaw

or 

even 

this

Cucumbers and Onions

or

maybe

this

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Goodness.

No matter what you serve it with...

So.Much.Deliciousness.

Boneless Buffalo Sticky Fingers

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons Frank's hot sauce

2 tablespoons water

 boneless chicken

(I used Tyson frozen breaded chicken breast)

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, hot sauce, and water. Bring to a boil and cook for about a minute, until all the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

Cut chicken in pieces and bake or deep fry. Coat each chicken piece completely in the sauce. Serve immediately with celery and extra sauce and Ranch Dressing for dipping.

This recipe will make enough sauce for about 4 breast pieces.

Any leftover sauce can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to use it, simply reheat it on the stove top or in the microwave.