culinary flights of fancy

Home Cooking Adventures in Berkeley Heights

Tag Archives: Cilantro


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Guacamole

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So, I told you that I have been busy in the kitchen despite my delay in posts while recovering from surgery.  This is the first thing I made post-surgery.  Probably not the best idea in the entire world to do this the day after surgery but it tasted good.  I cut my finger though…sharp knives and pain medicine is probably not a great idea.  Anyway, we love guacamole and, again, we have yet to find a decent version out and about in our area.  So, I take to making both the guacamole and the chips myself.  This is my basic recipe, which is to say, that it is a basic recipe that is commonly found in various iterations in my old home, Texas.  I love cilantro…my wife, however, does not.  Despite my many attempts at trying to talk her into cilantro, it just doesn’t happen so I usually make two batches:  one with and one without cilantro.  The guacamole pictured has cilantro in it.  It contains a poblano pepper (the fresh version of the ancho chili), which imparts a mild heat.  If, however, you prefer a stronger heat in your guacamole, I’d suggest skipping right over the jalapeno and going with the serrano pepper…it will definitely bring the heat!  No cooking involved in this one…just chopping, mashing, and seasoning.  The super easy, very tasty recipe follows after the jump. Continue reading →

Roasted Corn with Citrus Honey Cilantro and Queso Fresco

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Roasted Corn with Citrus Honey Cilantro and Queso Fresco

This simple dish is a great side dish during a meal or eaten as an appetizer the same way you would at a street fair.  Loaded with flavor, this sweet and savory dish, should please children and adults alike!  Since Jersey corn is plentiful, inexpensive, and delicious, this is a great option to feed the family a budget friendly dish that tastes great.  It’s also a great little side dish for the upcoming long weekend.

Ingredients:

4 ears of Jersey Corn (husked, silks removed)

4 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter

Zest of one lime

1 generous tablespoon honey

1 bunch fresh cilantro- chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder (ancho or chipotle is ideal)

6 Tablespoons queso fresco

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Kosher Salt and Fresh Pepper

Instructions:

  • Preheat grill to 450 (or so) about 20 minutes if using a gas grill.
  • Gather all ingredients as the grill comes to temperature.
  • Remove husks and silks from ears of corn.
  • Cut each ear of corn in half.
  • Combine zest of one lime, with softened butter, honey, and a touch of salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine. (If the butter is not soft enough to easily combine, simply put it in microwave on 15 second intervals until it is virtually melted and can be whisked).  Set aside.
  • Take a handful of the cilantro and chop coarsely.
  • Take queso fresco and grind it up between your fingers leaving small to medium sized balls or chunks. Set aside in bowl.
  • Take vegetable oil and rub all over hands. Then use hands to rub the ears of corn to coat all sides.  After that, add salt and fresh pepper to coat.
  • Take Corn and bring to grill. Place the seasoned corn halves on grill and grill for around 10 minutes turning occasionally so that it doesn’t burn.  However, you want there to be grill marks and a small amount of blackening as it brings out the natural sugars in the corn and makes for a beautiful presentation.
  • Once ten minutes have elapsed, check the corn for doneness. You can either poke the corn to see if a fork easily enters the corn or simply taste an ear.  Remember that the corn will continue to cook even after it is taken off the grill so cooking this just through is fine.  If corn is done, take off and bring inside.  If not done, continue to cook, testing every couple of minutes for doneness until completely cooked through.
  • When done, take the corn and bring to your prep area with remaining ingredients waiting. Take honey lime butter mixture and whisk again, reincorporating ingredients that may have separated.
  • Place each half ear of corn on a small piece of tin foil (enough so that it can fold across the top of each ear).
  • Take a brush and brush butter, honey, lime mixture over each ear of corn. You don’t need a lot for each individual piece of corn; you just need enough to coat each piece.
  • Take the chili powder and sprinkle across the top of the corn. If you like it spicier, you can sprinkle the powder on all sides of the corn.
  • Add a little cheese across the top of each piece of corn.
  • Finally, sprinkle cilantro over each piece of corn and serve corn half wrapped in foil so that the ingredients stay in the foil as the corn is picked up and eaten.