Converting a Salsa into a Side Dish.

At the end of my post on Mexicali Corn I hinted at a new recipe that this ingredient, and my Confetti Salsa, would create. Now while each item separately is considered a type of side dish, I'm going to throw some noodles into the mix to bind the two together.  Let me introduce you to...

 

Fiesta Noodles

 

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz) narrow egg noodles

4 Tablespoons of salted butter

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

2 Tbsp flour

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 can (10.5 oz) chicken broth 

1 cup whole kernel corn (if using frozen, defrost to room temperature)
 

Preparation:
 

Cook noodles according to package directions.  In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium=high heat; sauté' bell peppers in butter until softened slightly, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in flour until the roux turns golden brown; stir in thyme, parsley, garlic powder and broth, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, add in corn and noodles; let cook for 5 minutes to bring all to an evenly hot temperature.

Makes 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Mexicali Corn, Just Another Name for Corn Salsa.

I'm getting ready to make a noodle side dish to go with my seared chicken and wanted to add corn to it. In my pantry I find a can of Mexicali corn, it has corn and diced bell peppers in it, so that would work fine. The corn is a nice yellow color and firm; the peppers, however, have much to be desired as in "where the heck are the diced bell peppers!?!" They're more like flakes than actual pieces of the vegetables; there are also listed sugar and salt on the can and I'm wondering why do I need sugar in a vegetable dish? Think about the cost too; an 11 ounce can of Mexicali corn is approximately 25 to 50 cents more in cost than a 14.5 ounce can of whole kernel corn. Believe me, flakes of bell pepper do not justify a smaller quantity costing more; and if I want sugar and salt in my vegetables, I'll add them myself, thank you very much!

What exactly is Mexicali corn (aka Fiesta corn) anyway?  The name infers a cuisine fusion of Mexico with California, but both areas have corn and bell peppers; where is the distinction?  Looking up recipes in books and on the internet I have made a profound discovery; Mexicali corn is nothing more than a salsa and ingredients are determined more by the cook's tastes than locale.

Well then, instead of wasting my money on a canned product which obviously has ingredients I do not want, and actually is pretty useless altogether; I might as well make my own.  Oh wait, I already have and I named it Confetti Salsa.

Confetti Salsa

Ingredients:

 3 medium sized tomatoes, ripe and firm
1 ¼ cups whole kernel corn
1 small red onion, diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
¼ cup each diced red, green and orange bell peppers
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp fine sea salt
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup chopped, fresh cilantro

Preparation:

Cut tomatoes in half and scoop out fleshy pulp and seeds; cut into strips and dice. Steam the corn over boiling water until just tender; place in refrigerator to cool. Into a medium mixing bowl, add all ingredients and gently mix. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Makes 4 cups of salsa.


When I make the noodle side dish, I will be leaving out the tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, lime juice and cilantro; as I said, it's up to the cook's tastes.  The complete recipe?  That's for another posting at another time.

Mary Cokenour

Make your Holiday Barbecue Hot and Cold.

Memorial Day, we honor all those who fought for our country; all those who gave their lives to keep us free. This holiday also is the jumpstart for the summer season; even though the calendar still tells us that it's springtime. Family and friends gather for games of touch football, volleyball and horseshoes; picnics in the park or barbeques in the backyard.

This won't be a long post, for like you, I'm going to be enjoying my day off. A simple dinner of grilled chicken breasts with a chipotle citrus sauce glaze and a side dish of "confetti salsa". The salsa is a freshly made salsa, the ingredients cut small and they're colorful just like confetti, hence the name. The cool, fresh salsa is a perfect balance with the hot, spicy chicken breasts.

To cook the chicken, trim off any excess fat and season both sides with salt and pepper. Get your grill up to medium heat, about 300F; lay the chicken bone side down first and cook for 3 minutes. Flip it over and cook another 3 minutes; flip it over to the bone side again and slather on a generous dose of the chipotle citrus sauce, close the barbecue lid and leave it alone for 5 minutes. Now slap on another layer of sauce, cook another 5 minutes with lid closed and you are done. The glaze will be sweet and spicy; the chicken moist and juicy.

Now if you cannot grill outside, this can be done inside under the broiler. First preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Salt and pepper the chicken, place it bone side down on the pan; 3 minutes, flip, 3 minutes, flip, but take the pan out of the oven now. Set your broiler to high; slather on the first layer of sauce and place the pan under the broiler for 5 minutes; repeat with sauce and cooking time and like the outdoor grill, you are done!

Now remember, I use boneless, skinless chicken, so if you're using bone in and skin on or off, you'll have to adjust your cooking time for the added thickness. Using a cooking thermometer is your best bet on making sure the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Oh yeah, this sauce and salsa works great with pork too.

Enjoy the day!!!

Confetti Salsa

Ingredients:

3 medium sized tomatoes, ripe and firm
1 ¼ cups whole kernel corn
1 small red onion, diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
¼ cup each diced red, green and orange bell peppers
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp fine sea salt
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup chopped, fresh cilantro

Preparation:

Cut tomatoes in half and scoop out fleshy pulp and seeds; cut into strips and dice. Steam the corn over boiling water until just tender; place in refrigerator to cool. Into a medium mixing bowl, add all ingredients and gently mix. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Makes 4 cups of salsa.

Mary Cokenour