Chorizo and jalapeño corn fritters

Eating corn straight from the cob is a Midwestern summer delicacy. But another great option is to use the corn for fritters. Corn fritters are more filling, and they’re easily customizable to your liking. Another bonus is you can use the cobs to make corn stock after removing the kernels.

First, a few notes on the fritter batter:

• You can customize the fritters with different cheeses and spices.
• Feel free to swap the chorizo for bacon, use vegetarian crumbles, or omit entirely.
• You can use gluten-free cornbread mix.
• Don’t over mix the batter. It will be very thick.
• Chill the batter for at least 30 minutes before cooking. 1 hour is preferred. Or you can make the batter a day in advance.

And here are some important tips for pan frying the fritters:

• Cook fresh corn kernels for a few minutes to soften them because they won’t cook much in the pan. I do this in the microwave before I shuck the corn.
• Make sure the oil in the pan is hot (around 350 degrees) before dropping the batter in the pan.
• Keep the temperature on medium-low to avoid oil splatters.
• Space the fritters evenly around skillet in a clockwise direction so you always know which ones to turn first.
• Don’t overcrowd the skillet.
• Salt fritters immediately after cooking. 
• Place cooked fritters on baking sheet in oven set as low as possible (that’s 170 degrees Fahrenheit for most ovens) so they remain warm while you finish cooking the rest of the batter

It couldn't be easier to make a corn stock with the leftover corn cobs. Just place the corn cobs in a stock pot with 1 gallon cold water, 1 bay leaf, and 10 black peppercorns. Bring the water temperature to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 1 - 2 hours. Strain the stock and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze.

Chorizo and jalapeño corn fritters

Ingredients

• 304 grams (2 cups) cornbread mix (about 1.25 standard 8.5 ounce Jiffy boxes)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound (3 cups from about 4 cobs) corn kernels
• 113 grams (4 ounces) cooked chorizo
• 113 grams (4 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 30 grams (about 1 medium) jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 12 grams (1/4 cup) chives or scallion greens, minced
• 80 grams (2/3 cup) whole milk
• 114 grams (2 large) eggs
• Vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, or ghee for frying

Directions

1. Mix cornbread mix, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and black pepper in large bowl.
2. Add corn, cheese, jalapeño, and chives and mix until coated.
3. In separate bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
4. Refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minutes. 1 hour is preferred. Can also be refrigerated overnight.
5. Pour oil into large cast iron skillet until 1/8-inch of bottom is coated. Heat over medium-low until oil is shimmering.
6. Drop 4 (1/4-cup) portions of batter evenly around the pan and flatten each slightly.
7. Cook until golden-brown on bottom, about 3 minutes.
8. Flip and cook until other side is golden-brown, about 3 more minutes.
9. Transfer fritters to paper towel-lined baking sheet and place in 170 degree Fahrenheit oven to keep warm while making fritters with remaining batter.
10. Serve fritters warm with sour cream or yogurt sauce.

Slow Cooker Spinach Jalapeño Dip

Monday is National Chips and Dip Day, and it just so happens that chips and dip are one of my biggest weaknesses. I don't know what it is. I don't normally eat chips. In fact, I can't remember the last time I've just eaten plain chips. But when you pair them with a dip -- oh boy! It's pretty much the greatest party snack of all time.

I had never used my slow cooker to make a dip until recently. And let me tell ya, it is awesome! It's actually kind of funny how easy it is. For this Slow Cooker Spinach Jalapeño Dip all I did was dump all the ingredients in the crock pot and give it a few stirs. That's it. I didn't even have to clean anything because I used a disposable liner in the slow cooker.

Also, in case you were wondering on a scale of 1-10 this dip is about a 6.5 on the spiciness scale. It's definitely more cheesy than spicy. But you can of course fix that by adding more hot sauce or jalapeños.

Slow Cooker Spinach Jalapeño Dip

Yield: Makes about 16 (1/4 cup) servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 (8 ounce each) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped and seeded jalapeño peppers (or about 3 peppers)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dill

Directions

1. Dump all ingredients in a slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low (stirring occasionally) for 2-3 hours or on high for about 1 hour.
3. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

JALAPEÑO HONEY-LIME ENCHILADAS

Two years ago I made enchiladas for the very first time. I found a very popular recipe on Pinterest, I bought all 18 ingredients, and I followed the directions exactly as written. It took me a solid three hours to make the recipe, and it turned out… alright. Just alright. I made the recipe several more times and got the same results. No one wants to spend $30 on ingredients and an entire evening in the kitchen just for mediocre results. So I made it my mission to make the perfect enchiladas.

I researched a variety of different recipes, and ultimately I came up with this Jalapeño Honey-Lime Enchiladas recipe. I have tested and edited this recipe numerous times, and I’m proud to say that it’s finally perfect.

These enchiladas EXPLODE with flavor! They’re a little sweet, but they still provide a spicy KICK! 

The recipe is very easy to put together. The most time-consuming part is shredding the chicken. When I make this recipe, I bake a couple of chicken breasts in the oven for about 25 minutes, and then I shred them and marinate them. However, you could always just buy a rotisserie chicken. 

And BONUS: It makes enough food for plenty of leftovers, and they reheat very well.

JALAPEÑO HONEY-LIME ENCHILADAS

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

·         1 (4 ounce) can jalapeños

·         1/3 cup lime juice

·         1/3 cup honey

·         1 teaspoon garlic powder

·         1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded

·         1 (16 ounce) can green enchilada sauce

·         6-8 tortillas

·         2 cups Monterey jack cheese

·         1/2 cup sour cream (low-fat or regular)

·         1 tablespoon chili powder

·         1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1.       Whisk jalapeños, lime juice, honey, and garlic powder together in a bowl and dump in a Ziploc bag.

2.       Add shredded chicken to bag, and let it marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

3.       Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenehit.

4.       Spread 1/2 cup green enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan

5.       Take 1 tortilla and place it on a plate.

6.       Fill it with 1/2 cup of the marinated chicken and sprinkle with cheese.

7.       Roll up the tortilla and place it seam-side down into the baking pan.

8.       Continue to fill up the tortillas with chicken and cheese and place into baking pan until you run out of chicken. I usually am able to make 6 enchiladas.

9.       Mix remaining enchilada sauce with sour cream and chili powder.

10.    Dump the enchilada sauce / sour cream mixture on top of the enchiladas in the baking pan.

11.    Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of enchiladas.

12.    Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

13.    Remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro.

Dump the shredded chicken in the Ziploc bag and let it marinate for at least an hour (but the longer the better!)

Scoop 1/2 cup of chicken mixture out of Ziploc bag, put on tortilla, and sprinkle with cheese.

Mix the leftover enchilada sauce with 1/2 cup of sour cream

Dump the enchilada sauce / sour cream mixture over the tortillas in the baking pan and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Crispy, cheesy enchiladas fresh out of the oven!

Sprinkle enchiladas with cilantro because cilantro makes everything better.

Take a bite and repeat.. and repeat and repeat and repeat!