CEiMB: Chicken with Warm Tomato, Corn, and Black Bean Salad

It's Thursday! That means it is time for another Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe. This week's recipe was chosen by Danica of Danica's Daily.  She chose for us to make Chicken with Warm Tomato and Corn Salad from So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger.  A link to the recipe online can be found online at Ellie's website here.  This was a perfect recipe for summer.  It is full of wonderful summer vegetables like corn and tomatoes.  I used cherry tomatoes and cilantro that I picked from my garden and fresh corn that I picked up from a farmer's market earlier this week.

I changed this recipe up a bit, instead of salt and pepper, I used my favorite southwest/Mexican spice, Goya Adobo with cumin to season the chicken and the corn and tomato salad.  I also added a jalapeño to the salad, and, instead of avocado, which I only like in guacamole form, I added a can of black beans.  Black beans and corn is one of my favorite combinations, and I thought that it would add some substance to the dish and make it more of a complete meal.

I love the flavors of this dish, it is fresh and light, a great summer meal.  Thanks to Danica for a great pick, and be sure to check out the Craving Ellie in My Belly blogroll to see what the other bloggers did with their dishes.

Smoky Black Beans and Corn

I am always looking for quick and easy side dishes. I love black bean and corn salsa, so I thought I would make something similar with a little more body as a side dish for some chipotle chicken skewers I got from Trader Joe's. This dish is easy to throw together, and you can do almost anything you want to it to suit your tastes. You can stir in some cheese and cilantro, or add mor spice by including jalapenos or minced chipotle peppers from a can (in this case, I just use the adobo sauce from the can, but I have added the chipotle pepper as well to increase the spiciness). It is really simple to make this side dish your own.


Smoky Black Beans and Corn
serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1-15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon Goya Adobo with cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
• 1 1/3 cups corn, fresh or frozen (If frozen, don't thaw)

• Heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat, add the onion and poblano pepper, and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute longer.
• Add the black beans and the water, smashing some of the black beans with a spoon or the back of a spatula to thicken the sauce.
• Mix in the Goya seasoning, cumin, and adobo sauce. Reduce the heat to a low and allow the sauce to thicken and the beans to heat through, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
• Stir in the corn, and continue to cook until the corn is warmed through, add more Goya seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.

Creamy Polenta with Smoked Sausage and Summer Vegetables

My garden is at the point where I am picking many tomatoes and peppers every week, so I wanted to come up with something quick where I could use up a mixture of these vegetables. Based on the ingredients in my pantry, and refrigerator, I came up with this quick meal of cheesy polenta with sauteed vegetables and smoked turkey sausage. This meal came together very quickly, which makes it perfect for a weeknight. The polenta was creamy, and the goat cheese added a nice bite to it. The summer vegetables added a sweetness to balance the cheesy polenta and the salty sausage. This is the first time I tried something like this, but I will be making it again



Ingredients:

Polenta:

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup polenta (I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• pinch sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 1/2 oz soft goat cheese

Smoked Sausage and Summer Vegetables:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1/3 cup diced peppers (I used one Anaheim and one jalapeno pepper, but red or green bell pepper would work as well)
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups corn, fresh or frozen
• 8 oz. smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1 inch slices

Directions:

For the polenta:

Bring the water and salt to a boil, and slowly whisk in the polenta, add the pinch of sugar. Bring the mixture back to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the polenta is soft and creamy, about 10 to 15 minutes, whisking frequently. Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter and goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the smoked sausage and vegetables:

Heat one tablespoon of olive olive over medium heat, then saute the onion and peppers until soft, but not browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and corn and heat through, season lightly with salt and pepper (the smoked sausage and polenta will be salty, so be careful not to over season), about 3-5 minutes more. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add the second table of olive oil to the same pan and cook the smoked sausage until it is browned on both sides, and 5 minutes total. Add the vegetables back to the pan to rewarm them.

To serve: whisk the polenta in case it has started to set up, then divide the polenta into four bowls and top with 1/4 of the sausage/vegetable mixture. Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Medley

I am going to apologize in advance, but over the next three or four weeks, the majority of my recipes are most likely going to include either zucchini or tomatoes, or both. It is that time of year, and my garden is overflowing with both. I don't mind, but it's all I have been cooking (and freezing) lately. Pretty soon my peppers, eggplants, and cabbages will all be ready for picking, but until then, it is zucchini and tomato recipes.

Summer Vegetable Medley

serves 4

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced into half moons
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups corn, fresh or frozen (no need to thaw)
2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons chives, snipped
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons mild goat cheese


-Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat
-Add the red onion and saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes
-Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and corn to the skillet and cook until the zucchini and tomatoes are soft and the corn is heated through, about 6-8 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper
-Remove from heat and stir in the fresh parsley and chives
-Transfer to a serving bowl and crumble the goat cheese on top of the vegetables, serve immediately


Notes: This is a delicious side dish. It is so quick and easy, and the goat cheese adds a nice flavor to the vegetables. I highly recommend it.