Southwest Mac and Cheese with Cornbread Topping

4 poblano peppers
1 pound elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups cornbread
1/4 cup all purpose-flour
4 cups whole milk
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated
10 ounces Monterey jack, grated
1 seven ounce can diced green chile peppers
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
Salt to taste

Halve poblanos lengthwise and remove core, stem, seeds, and membranes. Coat with a little oil, place skin-side up on a greased baking sheet, and roast in a 450 degree oven until skin is blackened. Remove from oven and put into a paper bag to steam and cool for about 10 minutes. Remove from bag, peel skin off peppers, and dice.

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. When cooked and drained, toss with 2 Tbsp butter.

Grate the cornbread into crumbs (you can use a food processor for this step).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a large baking dish.

In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk pretty constantly for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Add the onion, garlic, and oregano. Simmer, whisking occasionally until it begins to thicken.

Stir in cheeses gradually, mixing to incorporate as cheese melts.

Stir macaroni and all peppers into the cheese sauce. Pour into the prepared pan. Top with cornbread crumbs (good in a thick layer).

Cover with tinfoil and bake for about 30 minutes, until it is bubbling around the sides. Remove the tinfoil and bake 10 more minutes until the cornbread crumbs are turning golden brown. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

NOTES
From Serious Eats.
Not a hit with the kiddos, but the husband and I liked this quite a lot.

Black Bean Salad with Rice or Quinoa

2 c cooked rice or quinoa, cooled
1 c black beans (canned, or dried and cooked)
1 c chopped fresh tomato
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 c corn kernels, cooked and cooled
5 oz fresh spinach leaves, torn into small pieces
salsa
taco seasoning
lime juice

Combine in a large bowl rice (or quinoa), beans, tomato, cheese, onion, corn and spinach. I've never measured the salsa out, but you want enough to coat your salad like a dressing. Stir some taco seasoning (or spices like cumin, garlic, chili powder, a little oregano) and lime juice into the salsa until it tastes good. Toss the salad well and serve at room temperature.

NOTES
This is basically my own creation based on a much simpler recipe that uses Italian dressing instead of salsa. Sorry about the imprecision but I don't measure when I'm creating, I just keep seasoning and tasting until it's good.
Quinoa works really nicely here.
Tastes good minus the cheese as well, which makes it vegan.

Cowboy Mashed Potatoes

1 lb red potatoes
1 lb yellow potatoes
1/2 can (2 oz) chopped green chiles
12 oz chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic
10 oz frozen corn
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cook potatoes, carrots and garlic in boiling water 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain. Stir in corn, chiles and butter; mash well with potato masher. Stir in cheese; season with salt and pepper to taste.

NOTES
Adapted from allrecipes.com.
A nice twist on ordinary mashed potatoes.
I've been guilty of serving this to my family as an entree, I love it so much.

Corn and Zucchini Medley

4 slices bacon
2 c chopped zucchini
1 1/2 c corn kernels
1 small onion, chopped
1 pinch pepper
1/4 c shredded monterey jack cheese

Fry bacon until browned; reserve 1 Tbsp drippings. Drain and chop bacon.

Heat reserved drippings over medium heat in a skillet; saute vegetables until tender (about 10 minutes). Season with pepper; sprinkle with bacon and cheese before serving.

NOTES
From allrecipes.com
Good with or without bacon. One of my favorite summer sides.

Tortilla Soup

4 corn tortillas
1 (12 oz) pork tenderloin
chili powder
oil
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
32 oz chicken broth
10 oz frozen corn
3 plum tomatoes, diced
avocado
cilantro
lime wedges

Cut tortillas into strips and bake at about 350 degrees until they are crispy.

Cut pork tenderloin in half lengthwise and sprinkle both sides with chili powder to taste. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and brown pork on both sides.

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until brown. Add garlic, broth and corn; bring to a boil and reduce heat.

Slice pork thinly; add to soup and cook through.

Stir in tomatoes and tortilla slices. Garnish each portion with avocado slices, fresh cilantro and/or lime wedges.

NOTES
Original source unknown.
This is my base recipe for every tortilla soup I make. Sometimes with chicken or beans, sometimes with peppers, sometimes topped with sour cream and cheese.
I usually add more spices, such as cumin, maybe a little oregano, salt and pepper, sometimes chipotle seasoning. Pretty easy to vary to taste.

Chickpea Corn Patties

2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 1/2 c corn kernels
1 c chopped onion
1/4 tsp dried thyme (1 tsp minced fresh)
1 (19 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 c fresh breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp cornmeal, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper

Heat 1 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add corn, onion and thyme; saute 2 minutes. Place corn mixture into a food processor with chickpeas, bread crumbs, 2 Tbsp cornmeal, salt and red pepper. Pulse until combined and chunky. Divide mixture into equal potions and shape each into a 1/2" thick patty. Dredge patties in 1 Tbsp cornmeal. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large greased nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties 5 minutes on each side, flipping carefully, or until golden. Serve on a bun, or with salsa or marinara sauce.

NOTES
From Cooking Light.
These are so much better than they sound and look.
We always eat them topped with salsa, and they are delicious. A favorite of the whole family.

Roasted Corn, Black Bean and Mango Salad

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 c fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)
2 c diced peeled ripe mango (about 2 lb)
1 c chopped red onion
1 c chopped red bell pepper
1/3 c fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 drained canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds. Stir in corn; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Place corn mixture in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients; stir well.

NOTES
From Cooking Light.
Untried.