Cowboy Caviar, A San Antonio Favorite

Oh caviar!  The savory snack of the rich and famous.  I wouldn't have thought there was any food from the sea that I didn't like but I can do without caviar.  Little black, salty fish eggs, you either love it or hate it.

So when I heard about a neighbor's BBQ where Cowboy Caviar was to be one of the dishes, I assumed

that would be one dish I steer away from.  But once there, I saw the dish of color and beauty that you see here and was pleasantly surprised by the Mexican spices and fresh bounty of vegies in season. 

If you like the basic recipe, make sure to experiment with substituting other types of beans, adding salad sized shrimp, prepared pasta, serving as a side dish with meats or its traditional use, served with big tortilla chips for scooping.  Remember, you can also leave out a spice or vegie you don't like or have on hand.

 Ingredients:

2 c corn or 1 can
1/2 onion, chopped
1 c green or other color bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 c diced celery
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 (8 ounce) bottle zesty Italian dressing (or 1/2 c oil and 1/4 c red wine vinegar plus salt and pepper & 1/4 c sugar)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (seeds from cilantro plant, ground)
1/4 teaspoon cumin or to taste (optional, not in the original recipe but it makes a nice addition) 
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro or to taste


Instructions:

Chop the vegies rather small so they are consistent with size of the corn kernels.  In a large dish, mix everything together except the cilantro . I like to use a 9 X 13 dish because more of the vegies get more of the marinade. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 4 hours or more. I like to drain off the dressing and return a couple teaspoons just to keep it moist.  This cuts down on the calories from the oil in the dressing.  Toss with desired amount of fresh cilantro to serve.

Makes about 10 cups

Teri Blaschke is the RV Park operator of family owned HiddenValley RV Park in San Antonio, TX and writer of the park blog “A Little Piece of Country in San Antonio.” Teri contributes to various other blogs with a focus on either travel or social media and how it relates to the outdoor hospitality industry but her passion is serving the RV travel community by providing a memorable RV camping experience and growing the Hidden Valley RV family.  Connect with Teri on Google+, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter@HiddenValleyRV and our RV Country Daily Magazine and don't forget to Say hello to the voice of Hidden Valley 

Sweet But Healthy...Is it Really So?

Is it possible that one recipe can be a breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, snack, AND dessert food?  Just ask Luana who provided just such a dish for our Spring Fling BBQ Potluck.  It was the perfect accompaniment to the heavy brisket and beans main dish and the few leftovers were devoured by my teen daughter, who never eats breakfast, for breakfast.  What is this miracle dish?  Luana calls it Grape Salad, but we call it Sweet, Tart and Crunchy.

Here's Luana's version:

4 pounds of seedless grapes, washed, cut in halves, quarters or whole and dried in a colander.  (I shopped for small sized grapes and left them whole.)

Dressing:
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream ( I substituted vanilla yogurt)
1/2 c white sugar (with the yogurt I only added the sugar to taste at the end-about 1/8 c)
1 tsp vanilla (I omitted this since I used the vanilla yogurt)

Topping:
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c pecans (or walnuts)

In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Add grapes and mix until evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans, mix again and refrigerate until serving.  Made the day before, the brown sugar makes the sauce taste like caramel. You can use less brown sugar, if you wish.

L'il Lemon, L'il Love, Lotsa Healthy

Okay, I know you didn't ask for healthy but if you want to splurge with an occasional pat of butter and ice cream and pastries, ya gotta take a few preventative measures.  This new super food is making headlines so I experimented with some recipes and combined some ideas from online recipes and Voila!   Quinoa Cakes with  a l'il Lemon, l'il Olive, and l'il Parsley

These particular l'il parcels pack a potent punch. Salty olive, tart lemon, bright parsley. And quinoa, pronounced "Keen Wah," which, if you haven’t tried it yet, is all kinds of awesome. It’s a super grain, protein packed and slightly crunchy, with a delightfully nutty flavor. And did I mention healthy? But Yum!

Most people think of us Texans as "meat and potato" types, (which we are) but lately we've been eating a few meals a week like this. Part grain or egg, part flavorful mix-in, and probably meant to be served as an appetizer but we eat it as our main dish anyway. At least if I cook.  When Mark does the honors, as he's doing more and more these days, meat and potatoes are the meal of choice.

Yield: about 1 dozen cakes                                                                                             Ingredients:

Raw Quinoa

1 1/2 cups raw quinoa
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, beaten
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup coarsely chopped green or kalamata olives (can substitute capers)
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup panko bread crumbs (the panko's make a great crunch-look for them in the oriental section of your grocery store)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Place dry quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cool water for a few minutes.

Place quinoa, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Cover, decrease the heat, and simmer for about 25 t0 30 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender but still has a bit of crunch left. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. You’ll need 3 cups of cooked quinoa for the recipe.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together onion, garlic, cheese, olives, parsley, lemon zest, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and cooled quinoa. Add eggs and stir until quinoa is evenly moistened. Add water to thoroughly moisten mixture. Quinoa should be slightly wet so it doesn’t dry out during cooking.

Scoop out mixture by the 2 tablespoonful. Use wet hands to form into a patty. I also experimented with balls but they don't hold their shape as well.  Even with my patties they ended up shaped like the state of Texas.

In a large skillet over medium low heat, heat olive oil. Add as many patties as you can fit without overloading. You’ll need a bit of room to flip them over.

Cook on each side until beautifully browned, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Medium-low heat helps insides cook at an even pace. Remove browned cakes to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining quinoa mixture.

Quinoa mixture will keep, uncooked and covered in the refrigerator for a few days. Just prior to serving, cook as directed and serve hot.



These are great on a bed of spinach salad or with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.

Spring Fling Creamed Corn

Jackie's Creamed Corn

At our recent "Spring Fling"  we were blessed by several wonderful springtime dishes to ring in the season of warm days and long growing season.  Along with our BBQ brisket and wild hog, this creamed corn was cooked up by our beloved resident, Jackie, who definitely wins the "Martha Stewart" award at Hidden Valley.  Her contribution was a crowd pleaser from first taste.  This is the first in a group of shared recipes from our recent Spring Fling BBQ potluck.

INGREDIENTS
1-32oz bag of frozen corn, thawed
2 cups half and half
1 tsp salt
3tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
pepper to taste
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS
Mix corn, half and half, salt, pepper and sugar.  Bring to a boil, melt butter and mix with flour, add to corn and simmer.  (That's simmer, not boil, dears...hehe)  We kept it warm in a crock pot for a couple hours and it kept it's corny crunch.
Could that be easier?  Be creative, too and add some of your own favorite tastes:  a few dashes of hot sauce, a small jar of pimentos for color, chopped parsley, a little parmesan...you get the idea. 

In the following posts we'll be sharing a grape salad surprise, a crispy oriental napa dish and peach empanada pockets, too.

One from Column B

Special Fried Rice

I haven't heard that phrase, "One from Column B" for years but Chinese restaurants used to have a menu with 2 or 3 columns of menu items and you would be able to order "one from column A and two from column B."  The B column was usually the veggie dishes.  

Fried rice is an easy, versatile, and quick vegetarian recipe. In fact, the hardest part is remembering to make the rice at least several hours beforehand, so that it has time to chill. It's a great way to use leftover rice, the drier the better.  That way the soy sauce flavors the rice but doesn't "soak" into it.  If you expect meat eating guests you can serve chicken, pork or shrimp bits on the side for them to add. 

Yield	4 servings
Time	20 minutes
Tools	Saucepan Slotted spoon Wok or large frying pan (nonstick) Wooden spoon Bowl or plate
Ingredients	1½ c vegetable stock ½ c diced vegetables (such as broccoli, carrots, green beans, peas, squash, and/or Swiss chard leaves* or any of your favorites, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots are an unusual but easy addition since they're canned) 3 T peanut or vegetable oil 2 eggs, lightly beaten 3 scallions, thinly sliced 4 c cooked, cold long-grain or jasmine rice ½ t salt 2+ T Soy Sauce (watch the salt if you go heavy on the soy sauce.) black pepper
Directions	Bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and blanch for two minutes. Drain and reserve stock for another recipe.* *If you use chard, there are a few changes: blanch for only 1 minute or when wilted and be sure to squeeze out liquid before using. Heat 1 T oil in wok over high heat. Add the eggs and mix around. When lightly set, break into pieces, then transfer to a bowl or plate. Add remaining oil to wok, then add blanched vegetables and most of the scallions. Stir constantly for one minute, then add rice and soy sauce. Continue stirring, and use the spoon to break up any clumps of rice and mix in soy sauce evenly. When the rice is hot, add eggs, salt, and pepper, stir, transfer to bowl or platter, sprinkle with remaining scallions, and serve.
Notes	You can use brown or white rice, or a mixture - the key is for the rice to be cold.

Don't Have to be Popeye to Eat This Spinach

Baby Spinach and Garlic Bread Pudding

This bread pudding is almost like a tart, with the croutons acting as a crunchy crust. Tender baby spinach in the filling turns incredibly silky when cooked.  I always loved my Grammie’s creamed spinach casserole and this version even tops her recipe.  Sorry Gram.

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2. 15 ounces baby spinach, stems removed
3. 2 tablespoons water
4. 1 small garlic clove, minced
5. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6. 1/4 pound French baguette, crusts removed, bread cut into 1/4-inch dice
7. 2 large eggs
8. 3/4 cup heavy cream
9. Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter a 6-cup soufflé dish or other deep baking dish. In a large skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter over moderately high heat. Add the spinach, water and garlic, season with salt and pepper and stir a few times. Cover and cook the spinach until it wilts, about 2 minutes.
2. Set a colander over a bowl and drain the spinach; press very lightly on the spinach to extract 1/4 cup of liquid. Spread out the spinach on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
3. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add the diced bread and cook over moderate heat until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until the croutons are crisp all over, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the croutons to a plate to cool.
4. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, reserved spinach cooking liquid, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and the nutmeg. Stir in the spinach and pour the mixture into the prepared soufflé dish. Spread the fried croutons evenly over the top.
5. Set the soufflé dish in a roasting pan and pour enough hot water into the pan to reach one-third of the way up the side of the soufflé dish. Bake the bread pudding for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set. Let the pudding cool slightly, then serve directly from the soufflé dish or invert it onto a platter and serve.

 Make Ahead

The recipe can be prepared in advance through Step 3. Refrigerate the spinach, and store the croutons in an airtight container, overnight.

A New Fry in Town

Parmesan Coated Sweet Potato Fries
Plain sweet potato fries are the perfect substitute for their fatty counterpart, French fries.  But these babies bathed in salty Parmesan batter fool the kids into eating healthy every time. You can afford the fat in a Mushroom/Swiss slider with these tasty tidbits on the sidelines.

• Prep Time 15 minutes
• Total Time 40 minutes
• Yield Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/3 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 small sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), scrubbed and quartered lengthwise.

 When I make them for the kids I slice them thin to mimic a French fry but I prefer them quartered.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and then set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and pepper. In a separate shallow bowl, lightly beat the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of water until combined. Place the Parmesan on a sheet of waxed paper or put it in another shallow bowl.
3. Dip the sweet potato first in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Then dip each wedge into the egg white mixture until coated. Finally, dip the sweet potato in the Parmesan, pressing the exposed surface of the potato into the cheese. (Don't worry if some gets on the skin.) Transfer potato wedges onto the prepared baking sheet as you go.
4. Bake potatoes until tender and crisp, about 25 minutes. Serve sprinkled with more salt if desired.

Charcoal Grilled Corn with Lime-Chili Sauce

Grilling corn on a charcoal grill brings out its sweetness and is a great complement to any barbecue. While there are many recipes for grilled corn, the technique for grilling it is what is most important. Grilling corn is very simple and can be done using three different methods: in the husk, in foil or directly on the grill. So once you have the charcoal grill all fired up, follow the tips below to make perfectly grilled corn.

Husks will darken

1. Grilling Corn in the Husk

   
   1. Remove loose husk from the corn and cut off any extra silks hanging from the end.
   2 Soak the corn in cold water for about 15 minutes. Make sure that the corn is completely submerged.
   3. Take the corn out of the water and shake out all excess water.
   4. Place the corn on the grill and cover it.
   5. Turn the corn every 10 to 15 minutes so that the husks do not char too much.
   6. Remove the corn from the grill once the husks have turned dark brown.                                    7.Peel back the husks to expose the golden corn.    Season the corn with salt and pepper, and butter. Use any seasonings of your choice.  Chili powder is a San Antonio favorite topper for grilled corn.     Alternate method:  Peel and de-silk corn then wrap in foil brushed with olive oil and grill for 15 minutes.                               

   

   Use a clean dishtowel to peel if they're too hot

    

    

   

   The charred kernels have a great nutty flavor

    

    

   Placing the Corn Directly on the Grill

   1. Remove the husk and all of the silks from the corn.
   2. Brush the corn with olive oil or butter. Season with salt and pepper and any other seasonings of your choice.
   3. Place the corn directly on the grill.
   4. Grill the corn for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how charred you like the corn. Turn the corn often so that it does not burn. It should be slightly browned on all sides.
   5. Remove the corn from the grill and it is ready to eat. 
   
   Really want to go South of the border, try this great chili-lime sauce to brush on your cobs.  A little less calories than butter too.
   
   
   
   6 tablespoons sour cream
   1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
   1/4 tsp chili powder

Taco Dip

Taco Dip

The simplest of dips but always a favorite at our get togethers. 

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 package dry taco seasoning mix
½ C. sour cream
guacamole
finely shredded lettuce
finely shredded Monterey jack or cheddar cheese
Finely chopped tomatoes
sliced black olives


Optional Trimmings:
bell pepper
cilantro (chopped)
salsa
jalapenos

Instructions:

Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning until completely blended.
Spread onto a flat dish.
Spread a layer of guacamole over the dip mix.
Top the mixture with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, bell pepper and black olives. Serve with tortilla chips.