Sweet Corn with Zucchini and Basil

Once again I found myself with a few ears of corn and no idea what to make. Thankfully Nichole had just posted this recope for Fried Sweet Corn with Basil Butter. I also had half a huge zucchini to use up, so I decided to add it to the corn to bump up the veggies.

Sweet Corn with Zucchini and Basil
Slightly modified from The Cookaholic Wife

1/2 large zucchini (or 1 small zucchini), shredded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
Salt and pepper

Place shredded zucchini in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Transfer zucchini to a clean kitchen towel and wring out all the moisture.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the corn, zucchini, garlic and basil and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until the corn is lightly browned and making popping noises.

Transfer to a dish, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Tomato & Cucumber Salad

Since Memorial Day weekend was also Baby Girl's baptism, we decided to keep things very, very low-key on Monday so we could rest and relax after a weekend of go, go, go. I knew I wanted to make my all-time favorite potato salad but I was also in the mood for something new. Jaida made this recipe for Tomato & Cucumber Salad for the recent BBQ swap so I decided to give it a shot.


I cut the recipe in half because SP isn't really a fan of cucumbers and because I had a feeling it wouldn't keep well. I should have scaled it back even further because I was the only one who ate it and there was just too much of it. I really liked the flavor and acidity from the vinegar so I'd make it again to bring to a cookout with more people.

Tomato & Cucumber Salad
Sweet Beginnings

1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
1/6 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 container of plum or cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1/3 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, vinegar, sugar and salt. Let stand at room temperature for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, onion, and oil to cucumbers and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Corn and Mushrooms with Cilantro

Corn. Mushrooms. Cilantro. Three very simple ingredients that come together to make a side dish that we couldn't stop eating.


When my friend Melissa recommended the Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Tenderloin she insisted I serve it with White Corn and Mushrooms with Cilantro. I trust her advice completely so I went with it. After all, it contains two of SP's favorite things - corn and mushrooms. How could it be bad?


Since corn isn't in season yet I used frozen yellow corn. SP came home with regular white mushrooms instead of crimini, but they worked out just fine. I think the crimini would only make this better but aren't necessary. If you're using frozen corn this dish takes almost no time to prepare, which makes it a perfect weeknight side dish. Since I'm a spice wimp I used maybe 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne, but adjust to your spice preference.

SP was in love with this entire meal and told me I could make it again and again, whenever I wanted.

Corn and Mushrooms with Cilantro
Alosha's Kitchen

4 tablespoons butter, divided
8-12oz crimini mushrooms, stems removed and cut into a small dice
5 ears fresh white corn, husks removed and kernels cut from cobs (or 3 cups frozen)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat. When butter has melted and is just beginning to brown, add the mushrooms and saute until softened and browned.

Reduce heat to medium high. Add corn, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. Stir to combine. Continue to saute until corn kernels are softened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Thanksgiving Side Dishes

November is here and you know what that means - Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This is the first year we are cooking the whole meal at our house and I can't wait. When I was a kid we ate the same side dishes every year, but now that I'm older I can't wait to experiment with some new recipes. A Thanksgiving side dish swap sounded like a great way for the ladies on the cooking board to find some new recipes.

I hope anyone reading this is able to find some new side dishes for their Thanksgiving table. Happy Cooking!

Kate incorporated some of her favorite elements from past sweet potato casseroles to make Sweet Potato Casserole:


Caitlin's recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms and Cream combined a bunch of her favorites into one dish:


Ashley loved the versatility of her Sweet Potato Coins with Blue Cheese and Bacon:


Heather had never made Stovetop Mac and Cheese before, preferring the baked variety, but found her recipe to be fast and delicious:


Brianna revamped her recipe for Green Bean Casserole:


Nicole went out of her comfort zone with her recipe for Baked Garlic Cheddar Grits and discovered she really liked grits:


Jaida had never had butternut squash before, but she loved her recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto:


Melissa enjoyed the pecans the most in her recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Maple Buttered Pecans:


The Cookaholic Wife had never been a big fan of Thanksgiving but now she enjoys finding new dishes to try, like her recipe for Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pecan and Marshmallow Streusel:


Melissa's recipe for Burgundy Mushrooms took quite a long time to make:


Christen's recipe for Twice Baked Potato Casserole is certainly not diet food, but she loved it:


Lishie enjoyed her recipe for Green Beans with Bacon & Caramelized Shallots and can't wait to make it again with pancetta:


Dawn had never made stuffed mushrooms before so she was excited to try her recipe for Clam Stuffed Mushrooms:


Jenna had another recipe involving French onion, this time for French Onion Stuffed Baked Potatoes:


Jey had my recipe for Whiskey Glazed Carrots, which were a huge hit with her whiskey-loving husband:


I had another Brussels sprouts recipe, Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts:


Coleen went all out, cooking a mini-Thanksgiving dinner for herself and her husband to go along with her recipe for Cranberry-Apple Chutney:


Christine thought her recipe for Strip House Potatoes Romanoff was DeLish, just like the name of the blog that submitted the recipe:


Lindsay's recipe for a homemade version of the traditional green bean casserole was right up her alley. She put her own spin, ommiting the mushrooms, to make Cheddar Green Bean Casserole:


Mary Ellen thought the bacon flavor was a little overwhelming in her Sauteed Spinach with Bacon, but she loved the crispy bits of bacon mixed with the spinach:


The blogger who received Melissa's recipe for Red Skin Potato Mash had a family emergency that prevented her from completing the assignment, but I didn't want you to miss out on the deliciousness:

Creamed Corn

I was looking through the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine and came across this recipe for Creamed Corn. Corn, bacon, salt and pepper - what could be easier?


I changed the method slightly based on what I do for my corn fritters and I think the result was pretty amazing. Sweet corn and salty bacon is a great combination.

Creamed Corn
Modified from Food Network Magazine

6 slices bacon
8 large cobs fresh corn, preferably white, shucked and cleaned
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

In a large skillet, (seasoned cast iron does well here) cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Turn off the heat and transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the drippings in the pan.

Using a chef's knife, cut kernels from 4 ears of corn and place in a large bowl. Grate the kernels from the remaining 4 ears of corn on the large holes of a box grater. Add to the bowl with the whole kernels. Using the back of the knife, scrape any remaining pulp from all the cobs and put in the bowl. Return the skillet to medium-low heat, and add the corn kernels.

Season corn lightly with salt and pepper and cook until broken down and creamy, about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often; add water if the pan gets too dry. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: Crisp bacon can be crumbled over the creamed corn when serving or reserved for another use. If you have bacon drippings on hand, use 1/4 cup for this recipe.