Sweet Corn with Spinach and Egg

I have another super simple egg recipe for you today.  This one uses fresh sweet corn and spinach.  I bought half a dozen ears of corn from a farm stand and then boiled all of them for a few minutes.  I cut all of the kernels off into a bowl and then I stored it in the fridge and used it to make quick and easy breakfast or lunch dishes throughout the week.   Prepping ingredients in advance and making quick dishes helps me to eat healthy even when in a hurry to get the kids off to school on time.  This is one of my new favorite breakfast dishes.

Sweet Corn with Spinach and Egg

3/4 cup fresh corn kernels

1 cup spinach leaves

1 egg

1 T butter

salt and pepper

In a small sauté pan add a pat of butter and melt.  Add corn and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted and corn is heated through.  Season with salt and pepper and then transfer to a small plate.  Wipe pan with paper towel if desired and add a second small pat of butter and fry egg.  Place cooked egg on top of corn mixture and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with toasted pita bread.

Corn salsa a.k.a Cowboy Caviar

This is my go-to pantry appetizer. I love it because I always have the supplies on hand and I can whip it up in a matter of minutes and everybody loves it with some crunchy corn chips...or even by the spoonful! I've even been known to take a gallon of it to the church coffee hour and return home with an empty bowl...and I never even got a bite of it!

Corn Salsa
1/2 bag frozen corn...I like the tender and sweet white and yellow mixed variety
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 avocado, diced
1 lime
cilantro
1 tsp chili pepper
1 tsp cumin
salt

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add more seasoning, depending on your taste. Try to make ahead at least 2 hours so the flavors have time to develop. This will easily keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

Corn "Muffins" in a Madeline Pan

You can bake any muffin or bread recipe in a fun madeline shape and it instantly turns into something special and fun to eat. These make perfect-sized nibbles to go with a cup of coffee or tea and are just right for a kid-sized snack.
We have done traditional madelines, chocolate cake, banana bread and more in this pan. Today we tried corn muffins. They tasted great and they freeze really well too. I made a half-batch and it worked beautifully.

Corn Muffins with Buttermilk
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal
1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously grease 24 standard muffin cups or line them with disposable muffin wrappers.
Pour the butter, buttermilk, and eggs into the large bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt on top. Mix at medium speed just until the ingredients are combined and not lumpy. Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full with the batter. Sprinkle sugar over the tops of the muffins. Bake the muffins for 12 to 15 minutes and lightly brown; they should spring back when you touch the tops lightly with your fingertips. Adjust baking time for mini-muffins or madeline pan.

Cheesy Grits with Shrimp, Leeks, and Asparagus

I liked this combination even better than I thought I would. The fresh corn in these grits was really terrific and everything tasted fresh. It was a big hit at dinner! Is tomorrow too soon to make this again???

Cheesy Grits
I thought I had regular grits in the pantry but when I started dinner I realized I was out. So, I substituted Cream of Wheat style grits that cook in 2 1/2 minutes and they actually worked out perfectly. So I am including this variation.
2 cups water
2 cups milk
3/4 cup cream of wheat
Fresh corn : I cut the kernels from 2 ears and it was the perfect amount
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 T butter
3/4 cup sharp cheddar
Bring liquids and salt to a boil. Slowly add grits while whisking to prevent lumps. Add fresh corn and cook for 2 1/2 minutes. Turn heat off and add butter, pepper, and cheese.

Shrimp with asparagus topping
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
3 slices bacon, diced
1 1/2 cups asparagus spears
1/2 cup leeks, sliced thinly
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saute pan add 1 T oil and 1 T butter. Saute bacon and leeks until bacon begins to brown. Add asparagus and garlic. Add shrimp and cook until light pink on both sides, season to taste.

Fresh Corn Soup

This fresh corn soup is a great way to make use of all that sweet corn on the cob from the farmers' market or roadside stand. I came home with a dozen beauties the other day and needed to use them up in two days' time. Last night we had half for dinner and the rest were shucked for this tasty soup. We made it into a meal by topping it with a few shrimp and a little extra corn for garnish. Next time I think I'll fry up a few strips of tortilla for a bit of fun and crunch.

Fresh Corn Soup
4 ears sweet corn, cut off the cob

3/4 cup milk

1 T butter

1 T olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

5 cups chicken broth

1 t salt

pepper

8-10 basil leaves

In a medium pot, place corn and milk. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a large pot melt butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and celery, saute until tender, Add garlic, cook 1 additional minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add corn and milk mixture. At this point you could eat, or, place half in a blender or food processor and puree. Add pureed mixture back into pot and serve.