Spicy Roasted Corn Shrimp Dip

This spicy, extra cheesy baked corn dip with shrimp will become a party favorite. For a vegetarian version, substitute chopped black olives for the shrimp. 

Today is the biggest game day of the season for those who follow American football. It’s the championship they call the Super Bowl and it’s a pretty big deal even for folks who don’t have a team they normally support in the game. Over the years, we’ve woken up at some pretty bizarre times to watch the Super Bowl, because live television was the only way to catch the action. Now, with one-click record at the ready, we can watch at our leisure the next day, at a decent time and eat things like chips and dip.  (Nobody but me feels like chips and dip at 3 a.m., which is such a shame.) Anyhoo, I’m just here to tell you that I will be scarce on social media on Sunday evening and Monday, until we can watch the recording, because folks do persist in giving blow-by-blow accounts of the game as it is played and I don’t want to find out like that! Sort of ruins the fun, I’m sure you will agree.

What I wouldn’t mind a blow-by-blow of, on the other hand, is what you are serving so feel free to share those leading up to the game! The best part of Super Bowl watching parties is always the food and drink. If you are still dithering over what to make, the Sunday Supper group has got you covered with 50 great recipes for any game day!  I can highly recommend this cheesy corn dip with shrimp.  I brought it out sailing yesterday and even at room temperature, it got rave reviews.

Ingredients
12 oz or 340g shrimp or prawns, already peeled and cleaned
Olive oil
4 cups or 625g frozen corn, thawed (and drained, if necessary)
1 onion
Small bunch green onions (Mine weighed about 1 2/3 oz or 45g.)
1 large red chili pepper
1 jalapeño
12 oz or 340g extra sharp cheddar
1/2 cup or 110g mayonnaise
2 1/2 oz or 70g cream cheese, at room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper

For serving: Tortilla chips for dipping

Method
If you have a pan that can go from stovetop to oven, use it.  Otherwise, we’ll do the first steps in a skillet and then transfer everything to an ovenproof dish for baking.

In your pan of choice, cook the shrimp with a drizzle of olive oil until they are just cooked through.

 Remove them from the pan and chop roughly.  Set aside.

In the same pan over high heat, add another drizzle of oil and fry the corn until it gets a little browned or even charred, stirring every once in a while to keep it from sticking.

My lighting is poor but it really does have browndy bits.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Mince your onion, green onions, red chili and jalapeño and grate your cheddar cheese.

When the corn has some nice browned bits on it, remove it from the pan and set aside to cool a little.

Add yet another drizzle of olive oil to that same pan and, over a medium heat, sauté the chopped onions and peppers until everything is soft and the onions are translucent.  This will take about 10 minutes.  Stir regularly to avoid the onions scorching.

Remove the pan from the heat and add in the corn, chopped shrimp, cream cheese, mayonnaise and about two-thirds of the grated cheddar.  Give the whole thing a good couple of grinds of fresh black pepper.  Stir well to combine.

If your pan is ovenproof, spread the mixture out evenly and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.  Otherwise, transfer to a baking dish and do the same.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes in your preheated oven or until the dip is melted and the cheese on top is bubbling.  Don’t bake it too long or the oil starts to separate out of the cheese.

Serve with tortilla chips for scooping up big bites of the dip.

Enjoy!

Check out all the delicious party food we’ve got for you this week. Appetizers, main courses and sweet treats – there’s something for everyone here. Many thanks to this week’s Sunday Supper host, Heather from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks! And may your own favorite team win!

Game Day Appetizers:

• Honey Mustard Pretzel Crunch from Shockingly Delicious
• Salt and Vinegar Wings  from Casa de Crews
• Saucy Wings and Thighs from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Macaroni and Cheese Spring Rolls from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Steak Rolls from Cravings of a Lunatic
• Alpine Sliders from Manu's Menu 
• Hellfire Wings from Yours and Mine Are Ours 
• Easy Nacho Bar from Momma's Meals
• Jalapeño Popper Taquitos from Curious Cuisiniere 
• Skinny Game Day Guacamole Potato Skins from Daily Dish Recipes 
• Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Cups from Alida's Kitchen 
• Spinach-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers from La Cocina de Leslie 
• BBQ Veggie Mini Burgers from Happy Baking Days 
• Spicy Roasted Corn Shrimp Dip from Food Lust People Love 
• Honey-Sriracha Pigs in a Blanket from Hip Foodie Mom 
• Beer Cheese Fondue from Melanie Makes 
• Cheesy Artichoke and Garlic Bread from La Bella Vita Cucina 
• Whole Wheat Pepperoni Pizza Bites from Meal Planning Magic 
• Personal Chili Pots from MealDiva 
• Italian Spring Rolls from Noshing with The Nolands 
• Mexican Meatballs with Queso Blanco from Cooking on the Ranch 
• Parmigiano Crisps from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen 
• Buffalo Chicken Potstickers from Peanut Butter and Peppers 
• Mediterranean Nachos from The Little Ferraro Kitchen 
• Chinese Barbecue Wings from girlichef 
• Mini Veggie Quesadillas from Cindy's Recipes and Writings 
• Roasted Tomato Hummus from The Wimpy Vegetarian 
• Cashew Baba Ghanoush : Roasted Eggplant Dip from Sue's Nutrition Buzz 
• Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip Potato Skins from Family Foodie
• Lemon Bay Pan Roasted Shrimp from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventure
• Honey Sesame Seed Crackers from Kudos Kitchen By Renee

Game Day Entrees:

• Super Sloppy Joes from The Foodie Army Wife  
• Buffalo Chicken Chili from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks 
• Mini Meatball and Mozzarella Sandwiches from Cookin' Mimi 
• Super Bowl Bento from Ninja Baking 
• Vegetarian "Chorizo" and Black Bean Chili from Foxes Love Lemons 
• Twice Baked Chili Cheese Potatoes from Neighborfood 
• Barbecue Chicken Sloppy Sandwiches from Cupcakes & Kale Chips 
• Easy Vegetarian Chili from Delaware Girl Eats 
• Game Day Chili from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen 
• Dr. Pepper Turkey Chili from The Texan New Yorker

Game Day Desserts:

• Heavenly Hash Cookies from The Foodie Patootie 
• Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars from That Skinny Chick Can Bake 
• Chocolate Streusel Bars from Magnolia Days 
• Coffee Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Squares from Desserts Required 
• Microwave Caramel Popcorn from Pies and Plots 
• Mini Coconut Cups from Basic N Delicious 
• Triple Chocolate S'mores Brownies from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Cracker Jack Candy from What Smells So Good?

Cheesy Ham Waffles

Grated extra sharp cheddar and sliced smoky ham make a great addition to buttermilk waffle batter!


Once upon a time, I saw a post on another blog for cheese and ham waffles.   And I bookmarked it to make on the weekend.  But I must confess that I didn’t read the whole post and when the weekend came, and when I DID read the whole post, I realized that the waffle was just topped with cheese and ham.  And that was certainly not what I had been dreaming about all week.  So I decided to make my own version, the one in my dreams.  And it was perfect.  And dreams can come true.

The End. 

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups or 220g flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda or bicarbonate of soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 cups or 475ml buttermilk or 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and milk up to the two-cup or 475ml measure.
1/3 cup or 78ml canola or other light oil plus extra for greasing the waffle maker
2 eggs
3.5 oz or 100g strong cheddar
3.5 oz or 100g smoked ham
Butter and syrup, if desired, to serve

Method
Preheat your waffle maker as per manufacturer’s instructions.

Grate your cheddar and finely chop your ham.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

Add in the buttermilk (or milk/vinegar mixture which is an excellent substitute for buttermilk) and oil and the eggs.   Beat until thoroughly blended.

Add in the ham and cheese and mix well.

Using a pastry brush, grease your waffle maker with some canola or other light oil.

Pour batter into the center of the lower half of the waffle maker, being careful to leave room for when the batter spreads out as you lower the lid and also for when the waffle starts to rise when baking.

Close the lid and watch for the signal that your waffle is cooking.  On my waffle maker, the light goes green when it is ready for batter, red when it is cooking and then green again when the waffle is ready.  I leave the waffle in just a little bit longer after the light turns green the second time so the waffles are nice and crispy.  But if you like them less crunchy, by all means take them out earlier.

Cooking!

Ready!

Remove!

Serve smeared with butter and drizzled with syrup.  And your preferred beverages.   As you can see, this story has a very happy ending.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Walnut Cheese Bread

I should call this Leftover Bread but there are a lot of people out there who turn their noses up at leftovers.  I am not one of them.  My favorite breakfast is, in fact, whatever we ate the night before.  But this bread deserves much more than leftover status, because it is wonderful.  I made it this week as part of the Random Recipe Challenge for October, where the instigator, Dom, from Belleau Kitchen, asked that we delve into our store cupboards and pick a random, forgotten item to make into something delicious.  I took a little liberty with the storage area because my freezer is way worse off than my cupboard.  I have a penchant for bagging little bits of this and that to “use later” (read: hardly ever) and thought it would be more of a challenge and certainly more random since many of the bags aren’t even labeled.  I know, shame on me.   Anyhoo, what I came out with was actually two bags: One with small pieces of leftover cheese, some blue, some chèvre with a soft rind, a little cheddar and one that I imagine might once have been a proud piece of Tomme de Chèvre.  The other bag contained walnuts.  I thought about throwing the second one back in but what’s the challenge in that?  I did an ingredients search on EatYourBooks and came up with a lovely Delia Smith quick bread recipe from her How to Cook Book 1.  I’d have to adapt it to accommodate the walnuts but I figured I could take a little leeway since I had challenged myself with two ingredients, instead of one.  And while I was at it, I decided to use some leftover sweet potatoes from the refrigerator, instead of grating a fresh potato.  After all, clearing out unused stuff was the point of the game!  It feels so good!

Wildly adapted from Delia’s Goats' Cheese, Onion and Potato Bread with Thyme.

Ingredients
1 level cup and a rounded 1/3 cup or 175g flour
1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 oz or 170g cooked sweet potatoes
3.5 oz or 100g walnuts
6 oz or 170g assorted strong cheeses
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 tablespoons milk
1 egg
Olive oil for greasing the cookie sheet
Butter to serve, optional

Method
Preheat the oven to gas 375°F or 190°C.

Pare the hard rind from the cheese, if there is one, and cut it into 1/2 in or 1cm cubes.  I left the soft rind on the chèvre or goats' cheese because we like it.

Chop your walnuts rather coarsely.

Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a big, roomy mixing bowl and whisk to mix, which gives the flour a good airing.  (Delia actually said to sift all three from up high for the same effect but my sifter had left that day, in the airfreight to Dubai, so the spare whisk would have to do.)

Mash your cooked sweet potato and add it to the flour.  Mix the potato in with a fork, until it looks like crumbs.  Use your hands if you need to.

Add two-thirds of the cheese to the potato/flour bowl.

Add in the walnuts and the smoked paprika.

Still using a fork or spoon, gently mix everything thoroughly.

After that, beat the egg with the milk.

Pour the mixture into the bowl, just bringing it all together to a loose, rough dough, still using your fork or a rubber spatula.  It will seem too dry to come together but just keep mixing and turning the bowl and the dough and your patience will be rewarded.   It will come together.

Rub a little olive oil on your baking sheet and transfer the dough on top of the oil.
Pat it gently into a 6-inch or 15 cm rough round.  You may need to wet your hands with some water to keep the dough from sticking to them.

Now lightly press the rest of the cheese into the surface of the dough.

I saved the small chunk of cheddar for this purpose, in case you are wondering why they all look the same. 

Bake the bread on the middle shelf of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove it to a cooling rack or cutting board and serve it still warm if possible.  Slathering of butter optional but delicious.

Enjoy!

After note:  To take using leftovers one more step, this was delicious toasted on the griddle the next morning for breakfast.

There is nothing better than bread fresh from the oven, except maybe sweet potato, walnut cheese bread toasted the next day.

Zucchini Clafoutis

A savory main or side dish with zucchini or courgette baked in a lovely cheesy fluffy batter, zucchini clafoutis is a delight and so easy to make.

The English language probably has more words than any other language in the world, and yet, sometimes it is lacking. As I write this post I am sitting in the dining room of an old friend who lives just south of Paris. We met more than 20 years ago when I lived in the same little town. But “old friend” sounds unwarrantedly negative because Mary is only a couple of years older than I am, and frankly, I don’t know anyone younger in spirit and full of positivity – and she is in pretty good physical shape too.  

In French, on the other hand, an old friend - one you have known for a very long time - is an ancienne amie. An old friend - one that is advanced in age - is an amie ancienne. We need something like that in English, don’t you think? 

Anyhoo, here I am in Paris, enjoying a couple of days with my ancienne amie, Mary, and we have been cooking and gabbing and drinking wine. She is a wonderful, natural cook who uses fresh ingredients to make delicious meals. She and her family have made me extremely welcome and I would like to live here forever, except for the probably-imposing-after-a-few-days thing.

I happened to tell Mary about making zucchini clafoutis a couple of weeks ago and suddenly, we had added it to the menu for the evening, along with a sausage pilaf she had already planned. I sliced and diced the zucchini in the kitchen while she taught a private English class out on the deck in the beautiful sunshine. The weather has been GORGEOUS this week. 

Then she finished the pilaf and got it in the oven, while we enjoyed a glass of wine.  And some more chatting. Simple delicious food, lovingly prepared then eaten in the company of good friends. It doesn’t get better than this.

Ingredients

For the vegetables:

2-3 tablespoons olive oil


1/2 large onion

1 lb 12 oz or 800 grams small zucchini or courgettes

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
 leaves

Salt and pepper for seasoning the zucchini

For the batter:

1/3 cup or 40 grams flour

1/2 cup or 120ml whole milk

3/4 cup or 180ml heavy cream


1/4 cup or 60ml water


3 eggs


½ teaspoon fine sea salt


3 1/8 oz or 90 grams grated Parmesan (Don’t worry too much about the exact measure.  More won’t hurt. :)

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C.   Grease a 13X9in or 33X23cm baking dish with olive oil and set aside.

Chop your onion and set aside.

Scrub the zucchini and cut the ends off.  Slice in 1/4-inch circles. If you have big zucchini, you may choose to peel them. 

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Drizzle with olive oil and add the zucchini and cook till they brown a little.  Now add the chopped onion.

Season with salt and pepper.  Cook gently for a few minutes and then add the thyme.  

Cook until the vegetables are tender and the water coming from the zucchini has mostly evaporated.  Transfer this mixture to the serving dish and allow to cool.

 To make the batter, whisk together the flour, milk, cream, water, eggs, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt until they are silky smooth.

Pour the egg batter over the vegetables.  

Top with the cheese.

Bake the clafoutis until the eggs are set and top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

If necessary, brown the top further with the oven broiler or grill before serving.  Can be served hot or at room temperature.

 Enjoy!