Southern Cuisine - August

“As a Super Bowl commercial showed, people weren’t quite sure what to make of the items delivered in their Uber Eats orders, as they attempt to eat products ranging from a stick of deodorant to a tube of lipstick.” If you ordered deodorant and lipstick, no matter what else you ordered, if you can’t figure out which is which, then you should have someone else ordering for you. And have someone else open the packages for you. If you are ordering the items needed for these recipes from a web page and you can’t remember what you ordered or why, then you need more help than from just a friend. Green olives are not marbles. And mayonnaise is not facial cream.

I try not to make the recipes for the items featured in my articles, too complicated. The first thing everyone should do when starting a recipe is to read the complete recipe. Make sure you know what you are making. Make sure you have all the ingredients.

With the weather being like it is, (hot and muggy) I decided I would try some no cook or minimum cook recipes. They make good leftovers. Also, since I have had company staying with us, I always end up with leftovers. I could write a cookbook with recipes that use only leftovers. I have some friends and relatives that will not eat leftovers. My usual comment is if you won’t eat leftovers, don’t cook so much food.

Every morning when I go to the kitchen to make my coffee, I look in the refrigerator and plan my breakfast around the leftovers I find. My favorite breakfast is a “Leftover Omelet”. Sometimes there is so much leftover that I have leftovers from breakfast made into another meal for lunch. I have already made an omelet from the leftovers from the recipes that I am using in this article.

My final comment on leftovers is this: With the prices for your food going up so much, if you don’t eat all of it, you are throwing away money. The recipes for these meals do not have a set serving size or number of servings. Just eyeball it and use your best judgement.

This meal is perfect for the hot weather. No cooking and easy to make. This recipe can be doubled or halved depending on how many people you want to feed.

ANTIPASTO WRAPS

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces light cream cheese slightly softened

2 tablespoons fresh basil snipped

1 garlic clove,

6 (8 inch) sun-dried tomato tortillas

6 romaine lettuce leaves

cup mozzarella cheese shredded

cup pitted ripe olives, sliced

cup roasted red pepper, diced

cup water-packed artichoke hearts chopped

4 ounces salami

4 ounces ham

Mix cream cheese with the basil and garlic. On each tortilla, spread about 2 tablespoons of this mixture on the tortillas to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Layer with romaine, salami, ham, and cheese. Next, layer on the olives, roasted red peppers, and artichoke hearts that you prefer. Tightly roll up the tortilla and cut in half on the diagonal. Enjoy!

I like this recipe on a hot day even though it is a spicy recipe. If you prefer, omit the jalapenos and use plain Fritos. I doubled the peppers and used canned chipotles in adobo sauce for the extra kick. And I added more Fritos to stretch the servings for the salad.

SPICY FRITO CORN SALAD

INGREDIENTS

2 (15 1/4 ounce) cans corn kernels, drained

⁄ cup chopped roasted red pepper, plus 1/4 cup for garnish

⁄ cup chopped green bell pepper

1 small jalapeno chopped plus 1 small jalapeno cut into thin rounds

⁄ cup finely chopped red onion

2 scallions sliced thin

⁄ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon adobo sauce

2 limes juiced

3 ounces chili cheese Fritos corn chips lightly crushed

cup cilantro leaf

cup crumbled Cotija cheese

In a large bowl, stir to combine corn, roasted red peppers, green bell pepper, chopped jalapeno, chopped red onion, scallions, mayonnaise, adobo sauce, lime juice and chopped Fritos. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with 1/4 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers, sliced jalapeno pepper, cilantro leaves and cotija cheese.

This recipe calls for cooking and using fresh corn on the cob. A few more steps than usual but the outcome is worth it.

Chilled Corn Soup with Shrimp, Avocado and Tomato Relish

2 large leeks thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)

1 tbsp coconut oil

3 ears corn, husked, silk removed

2 cups vegetable broth

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

6 oz grape tomatoes quartered lengthwise

to 10 leaves fresh, thinly-sliced basil

8 oz small or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large saucepan on low, heat oil until melted. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until softened.

Meanwhile, over a large bowl, cut corn kernels from cobs. (TIP: A sharp, serrated knife would work well.) With a heavy knife, cut each cob into 2 to 3 pieces.

Add corn kernels and pieces of cob to pot with leeks. Add broth and 2 cups water and increase heat to high. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and discard cobs. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then purée soup with an immersion blender. (Alternatively, carefully purée soup in batches in a food processor or blender.) Transfer to a large bowl, cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

In a small bowl, toss avocado, tomatoes and basil.

Heat a nonstick skillet on medium. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, add to skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until just opaque.

Just before serving, stir lime juice into chilled soup. Ladle into bowls and garnish with avocado-tomato mixture and shrimp, dividing evenly.