Super Easy UnFried Pickles

Spring is here!!! That means it's time to start planning and getting ready to grow a whole summer's worth of fresh herbs. As you know, we like to grow our herbs in pots on the deck so it's super convenient to just step out the door and snip off a few sprigs when cooking. Some of our favorites are flat leaf parsley, thyme, basil and chives. This year however I think I'm going to include some mint- maybe even plant that right in the ground so it keeps coming back (and yes, someplace we won't care if it gets a bit out of hand), a couple additional types of thyme and a couple oregano varieties. Basil is an absolute must for us, and I'm on the lookout for some lettuce leaf basil. Those giant leafs make fantastic greens for sandwiches and also make cute small carb free wraps. Plus, the flavor explosion- wow!

When the summer winds down I'm often drying tray after tray of herbs before the first freeze hits. While fresh is always best, dried herbs have their uses too, and making up homemade salt-free seasoning blends is one of my favorite ways to use them. I have several books in my cookbook collection with tons of ideas for delicious blends, everything from vegetable seasonings to meat rubs. I like stirring the seasoning into softened butter and minced garlic for a wonderful spread for garlic toast. Another favorite idea of mine is to combine some chives, parsley, thyme and garlic with softened butter and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, roll into a log and chill the butter for a perfect compound butter to slice and serve on top of a sizzling grilled steak.

Today let's use some seasoning to make a delicious and pretty healthy snack that's a snap to put together, and way healthier than the fried version. Unfried Pickles are a great homemade way to enjoy the popular bar snack/appetizer menu staple and it doesn't involve any oil or messy frying. For my unfried pickles I like to use just regular crinkle cut hamburger dill chips. Choose a good brand so your pickles aren't too soft. Pickle chips work better for this recipe than pickle spears, I know some restaurants do serve fried pickle spears, but I am not a fan of that style. Pickle chips crisp up nicely in the oven and don't take very long to bake. It's very important when picking out your seasoning mixture that you choose a salt free blend. Pickles are salty enough so you want to be sure you're not adding additional salt or you will have very very very salty pickles.

UnFried Pickles

1 jar sliced dill pickles, such as hamburger chips

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon your favorite salt free seasoning

1 egg

cooking spray

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.

Drain about 1 cup of pickle slices and blot dry with paper towels. In a small shallow dish combine the panko with the seasoning and set aside. Beat the egg in another small bowl. Dip the pickle slices into the egg, then coat completely with the crumb mixture and place on the prepared sheet pan. When all pickle slices have been coated, spray the pickles very lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned and crispy. 

For my dipping sauce I combined half a cup of mayonnaise with Sriracha and freshly ground pepper to taste. You can use any type of dipping sauce you like. Ranch dressing is a big favorite!

Family Cookbook- Debbee's Ooey Gooey Chex Mix

Remember when cereal snack mix only came in one flavor? That savory salty Worcestershirey crunchy mix was a staple in my family for the holidays. I'd always pick out the wheat cereal squares, or the Cheerios, because yes, we sometimes broke the recipe rules and added Cheerios in there as well. They were so good, they always soaked up the seasoned buttery sauce and turned brown and super crunchy, and don't forget the pretzels. I always crunch off the salt first before munching the pretzel. Yum.....memories.

Sooooo gooey and yummy

Then sometime later came the delightful "Muddy Buddies" or "puppy chow"- chocolate and peanut butter coated cereal shaken with confectioners' sugar to coat. So decadent and chocolaty and oddly enough, fairly nutritious with the fortified cereal and protein packed peanut butter. Lots of variations came around with different nut butters and added goodies like candies and sprinkles. Lots of fun, lots of holiday themes.

Measuring out alllll that crunchy cereal

Fast forward to the Pinterest Era where recipes evolve and take on new versions, new ingredients and new names. Oddly enough there seems to be a trend on Pinterest to nickname recipes "crack." If it tastes good it must be crack? I'm not a fan of this trend but I'm a fan of many of the recipes, like this chewy and gooey cereal snack mix recipe my daughter Debbee shared during our family baking day this past Christmas. She found it on a couple Pinterest pins called Christmas Crack but since we don't like to name our food after street drugs, we don't call it that. It's ooey gooey because it really stays a bit gooey after it cools, and it's so buttery and delicious you can't stop eating it. Plan on making more than one batch because you will be addicted!

Oooey Gooey Chex Mix

6 cup corn Chex Cereal

6 cups Golden Grahams cereal

2 cups coconut

2 cups slivered almonds

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

Combine cereals, nuts and coconut in a large bowl.

In medium saucepan mix syrup, sugar and butter. Bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes. Allow to cool for two minutes. Pour over cereal mixture, stir to coat. Spread out on sheet pans to cool.

Store this mix in airtight containers or zip top bags. You can jazz it up a bit by drizzling the cooled mixture with melted chocolate too.

Iowa Sweet Corn Gets Some Latin Lovin'

Photo from Iowa On A Plate

Here in Iowa we know a thing or two about sweet corn. How to grow it, cook it, sell it. We celebrate sweet corn with annual festivals devoted to this tasty summer treat. At the State Fair roasted ears of corn are gobbled up by hungry fairgoers by the ton. Growing up in Iowa it wasn't unusual to have a dinner of just a huge pot of freshly cooked sweet corn, dressed up with only butter and salt. Oh my yum. Much loved by people all over, sweet corn is often used in non-traditional foods such as sweet corn sodas and ice cream, even candy. 

Driving around Iowa you will see acre after acre of corn. This corn is used for all sorts of things- animal feed, food, fuel production, but it's not sweet corn. Iowa produces thousands of acres of sweet corn annually. There are hundreds of different cultivars, some heirloom and some hybrids. Some of the heirlooms are hundreds of years olds, as sweet corn was first identified in the late 1700s. Peaches and Cream is a very popular variety around Iowa, as is Silver Queen, and this year I have even seen pink sweet corn in the stores. 

Here is a fun fact: Did you know there is one strand of silk for every kernel on the ear of corn? 

Laura Duffield Beigger makes
a spicy corn stock with jalapeno

So sweet corn. While so many of us love our corn drenched in butter and salt, corn is getting some gourmet treatment these days. Far far away from Iowa, different cultures and different cuisines use our beloved sweet corn in many interesting and delicious dishes. Many Latin dishes, for example, use corn, ground, as flour and kernels. Mexican street corn is often roasted in the husks, and then peeled back and sprinkled with seasonings and queso fresco or cojita before serving. Corn is roasted and charred and cut off the cobs to toss in salads and salsas. Corn cobs get recycled into corn cob jelly and corn stock for delicious soups and sauces. My friend Laura Biegger recently made corn stock with some jalapeno for kick- I think this would be a fantastic base to build an awesome seafood chowder. Let's take a look at a couple unique ways to use Iowa sweet corn in recipes, this time with a Latin twist.

Up first is a fantastic recipe from local restaurateur George Formaro. His Malo restaurant in Des Moines is an upscale Latin spot in the heart of downtown and brings a fresh and unique perspective to Mexican and South American dishes. We have visited Malo a couple times, you might remember. Their Corn Queso is a very special twist on a classic Mexican snack and brings the much loved fresh Iowa sweet corn into the spotlight. While Malo uses a locally sourced frozen corn, you could easily substitute freshly cut sweet corn as a replacement. They graciously shared this recipe on their Facebook page a while back.

Malo's Corn Queso

1 lb easy melting cheese such as Queso Seguro or Velveeta

4 cups Iowa Choice Harvest frozen sweet corn

1 cup water

1 lime, juice and zest

1 tbs salt

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

3 tbs crumbled Cojita cheese, queso fresco is a suitable alternative

Using a food processor, puree the corn with the water until completely smooth. Heat the olive oil in saucepot and add pureed corn. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to simmer and reduce to a creamy consistency. 

Once a light pudding texture is reached, combine with salt, lime juice and zest and puree/process to eliminate any possible lumps. 

Melt the cheese over low heat until smooth. Fold in the corn mixture. Pour into a heat resistant serving bowl and top with crumbled Cojita cheese. Broil until the Cojita is browned and golden. Serve with tortilla chips. 

At Malo they use the corn pudding mixture in other dishes, and as a sauce for crab cakes.

Another popular use for fresh corn is salsa. The old days of nothing but tomato-based salsa are long over. Veggies and fruits of all kinds end up in salsa, sweet and savory alike. While I do love a good traditional salsa I'm a huge fan of corn salsa and black bean salsa. Combine the two and I'm in heaven! This salsa is easy to whip up for a party and if you had a lot of leftovers, you could pop it in the freezer for longer storage. I love it with chips and as a condiment for other foods, like enchilada, tacos and so on.

Deb Campbell's beautiful Iowa sweet corn, ready for the pot

Roasted Fresh Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salsa

2 ears fresh corn

olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped sweet bell pepper (I use a combo of colors)

1-2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

fresh Jalapeno pepper to taste*

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

zest of one lime

pinch of salt and pepper

dash of cumin, if desired

* I start with one Jalapeno and taste for heat. I also sometimes use any other hot pepper I might have around, including some of the super hots. Do so with caution!

Shuck the corn and wash well, removing all the silks. Rub the corn with a small bit of olive oil and roast the ears over a hot grill or under the broiler until some of the kernels are caramelized and golden. Set aside to cool. 

When cool enough to handle, slice the corn from the cobs and place in a bowl. Toss with all remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed. This salsa is also delicious with a diced avocado added. and piled in a taco salad. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Food Culture- The Office Food Day

It's as American as apple pie. The pot luck. The pitch in. The food day. It's obvious that food is the center of many social events in our lives, and the workplace is no different. Whether it's holiday or theme, a big announcement or a farewell lunch for a departing co-worker, offices all over the U.S. hold food days as a way to socialize, and EAT.

The last few years I worked in an office of just three people. Not a lot of opportunity for food days there. Most days  I was in the office alone anyway. That's all changed, and now I worked for a major insurance company with lots of coworkers and lots of social activities and that often includes food days. This time around we are saying goodbye to a team member and enjoying a variety of delicious goodies. As a relatively new employee at my company I haven't been able to get to know many of the other employees very well yet, but that doesn't mean I won't miss our team analyst after his last day today. During training he was so patient and helpful, and encouraged me to think through the problems and questions myself when I got stuck. I swear he knows everything there is to know about annuities!

Our fearless leader Darla checks out the spread

Lots of yummy choices!

I came home all excited about Food Day. The Chef has graciously offered to take over the preparation of my contribution to the party. What's going on in our kitchen? Mini Meatball Subs with The Chef's famous marinara sauce. I didn't even have to ask, I just mentioned we were having a food day and he volunteered to make his famous meatballs and sauce.

The Chef's meatballs are super delicious- starting with good ground beef, not the super lean grind. You have to have some fat for tender juicy meatballs. Chopped onion and garlic go in the mix, along with seasonings, herbs, and Parmesan cheese. The meatballs are baked and then simmered in his homemade marinara sauce.

A crockpot full of meatballs becomes mini meatball subs with sliced mozzarella cheese and soft dinner rolls. These little sandwiches are a snap to put together at lunchtime and make a great party food too. They are a clever alternative to the typical potluck foods.

So as we give our coworker and friend a fine send off, loaded with food, there were lots of words of congratulations and well wishes. Of course, loads of food- from donuts to crackers and dips to crockpots full of smoky links, Buffalo chicken dip, a variety of chips and salsa and taco dip, fresh fruit, and bagels.

The Three Fs- Fourth, Food, Festivities

Oh we had SUCH big plans at The Little Lake House this year. We live right across the street from the park, and the lake's events committee had scheduled a live band to perform in the park as part of the annual Independence Day celebration- basically our front yard. So while other folks had to load up coolers, lawn chairs, blankets, food, drink and use the dreaded Kybo, we were going to get to enjoy the party from our front deck, the fridge just steps away, loads of food to snack on and comfy patio chairs.

Sadly, Mother Nature had to throw a wrench into my plans and a rainy morning and stormy forecast caused the band to be cancelled. But the food and drink shall go on. My sister and her husband came, armed with St. Louis style barbequed ribs, and cocktails, and the night went on- with our own music!

Captain and Coke and a few ice cold beers got us started, and then the feasting began. Our menu for the night-

• St. Louis Style Barbequed Ribs
• Tacos Al Pastor with Jicama, Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw
• Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip with pretzel bread
• BLT Dip with crackers
• Assorted cheeses and sausages
• Mixed olives
• Chipotle Ranch Tortilla Pinwheels

Yum, right? The ribs were made by my brother in law, Kim, who used Jack Stack Barbeque meat rub and smoked the ribs on the grill. Cheese and sausage was just cut into bite sized cubes. The BLT Dip had a little help from a couple mixes I had on hand- BTL Dip mix from a craft show (small batch local company) and some Bacon Bacon from Tastefully Simple, mayo and sour cream. We had lots left- thinking it's going to make a great burger spread! The artichoke dip was cheesy and creamy with chopped artichoke hearts, chopped fresh baby spinach, cream cheese, sour cream and a little packet of Okey Dokey Artichokey dip mix I had tucked in the cupboard. Chipotle Ranch Pinwheels also used a seasoning packet I'd had around- this one from Pampered Chef, with cream cheese, shredded Colby Jack and chopped scallions, served with salsa for dipping.

The Tacos Al Pastor took some research. I've had these tacos at Malo, but they actually stack the meat on a vertical roaster, which I don't have. So I have to improvise. The spices and chilies required for this dish were also quite an extensive and complicated combination and I thought might be a little over the top heat-wise for our guests, so looking over our spice and pepper collection I decided to start with Arizona Dreaming seasoning from Penzey's and play with that.

For the pork I used a boneless pork roast, about 3 lbs. It was very lean already so had no fat to trim. I cut the roast into six thick "chops" and placed in a ziptop bag. In a small bowl I combined a can of crushed pineapple in juice with about 3 tb. of the seasoning and a couple shakes of chili powder. I poured this into the ziptop bag and sealed it, then massaged the marinade allover all the pork, and placed in the fridge overnight. The next day I removed the pork hunks from the bag, browned in a little oil, then poured the marinade over all and roasted, covered, at 325 degrees for about 2 hours. When done I removed the hunks of pork, sliced into bite sized strips, and returned to pineapple mixture in the pot.

To serve the tacos, spoon some pork and pineapple into a tortilla and top with slaw. You can add salsa verde if you like. No cheese, no lettuce, just the fresh, crunchy slaw. 

Jicama, Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw

• 2 cups jicama, cut into matchsticks
• 2 cups raw kohlrabi, cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup carrot, shredded or cut into matchsticks
• 3 or 4 scallions, sliced, including green tops
• salt and pepper
• 2 limes
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 tb honey
• 1 cup cilantro leaves (or Italian parsley)

Combine the vegetables in a large bowl. Zest the limes and add to vegetables. Season well with salt and pepper. Juice the limes into small bowl. Stir in honey till dissolved. Whisk in oil. Pour over vegetables and toss well. Add cilantro right before serving and toss again.

This was my first time cooking with both jicama and kohlrabi and I have to say- they were so crunchy and fresh and delicious. I am SOLD! The lime and honey dressing was the perfect partner for these veggies. I did have to use parsley because I had no cilantro but it was just as fresh and delicious.

Our evening was capped off by fireworks around the lake and a ride around the muddy backroads in a Jeep- muddy and FUN !!!! So today, it's muddy laundry and cleanup and RELAX. I hope you all enjoyed a safe, fun and happy 4th of July. 

*Fireworks photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."