Savory Corn Cakes {#Dairyfree} #CookbookSpotlight #TheNewSouthwest #Giveaway

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.

It has been fantastic to be part of this event hosted by my friend Heather a.k.a. girlichef.  I must tell you that my entire family has enjoyed the event and  The New Southwest by Meagan Miccozi a lot.  It has been an entirely new culinary experience for this German girl :) 

The event kicked-off with Mushroom + Leek Migas, for bloggers choice last week I made Chicken Tinga Potpie, and today it is a dairy free version of the Savory Corn Cakes on page 139.   This truly is amazing cookbook, it is actually the first time that I have found Ron read through a cookbook plus  The New Southwest exposes us to so many new flavors. In addition, if you are like us and need to avoid dairy many of the recipes are easily adaptable and still delicious just like the Savory Corn Cakes 

Savory Corn Cakes pages 139, The New Southwest  by Meagan Miccozi

• 1 C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 C whole milk {plain Almond Milk or your favorite plain non-dairy beverage}
• 1/2 C sour cream {my preferred brand is Tofutti vegan sour cream}
• 1 large egg
• 2-1/2 C canned or cooked fresh whole corn kernels
• 1 C diced green onions
• Vegetable Oil for frying

Yield: 12 to 14 corn cakes

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk milk, sour cream, and egg together.  Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing just until you have a smooth, uniform batter.  Fold in the corn and green onions.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat (assuming you will be frying these corn cakes in batches, I recommend adding approximately 1 tablespoon of oil to your pan before cooking each batch). Using 1/4- cup measure, portion out 3 or 4 corn cakes into the skillet.  Fry corn cakes for approximately 3 minutes on the first side, until air holes appear across the top of each corn cake, and their shapes are set and matte colored.  Flip and cook 3 to 4 more minutes, until corn cakes are cooked through.  Serve immediately.  Continue cooking batches of corn cakes until the batter is used.

They were so delicious for our breakfast, and afternoon snack.  I know that you just want to have your own copy of The New Southwest . Here is your chance to win your own copy...

How to enter this contest

1. Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment on this blog post letting me know what your favorite Southwestern dish is.

2. Tons of optional entries in rafflecopter widget.

Hippocrene will be supplying 14 copies of The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi for this giveaway, in conjunction with The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight.  Contest is open to anybody with a shipping address in the USA.  Submissions will be accepted via the rafflecopter widget through 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, November 3, 2013.  Fourteen winners will be chosen by random draw, verified, and be notified by email (from Heather at girlichef) within 48 hours of the close of this contest.  The winner should respond within 24 hours of notification, or a new winner will be drawn in their place.  Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received a copy of The New Southwest for participating in this Cookbook Spotlight.  All opinions are my own and no monetary value was exchanged. 

This post contains affiliate links.

Chicken Tinga Potpie #CookbookSpotlight #TheNewSouthwest {#dairyfree}

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.

I am so excited to be part of this fantastic event hosted by my friend Heather a.k.a. girlichef; the cookbook in the Spotlight is The New Southwest by Meagan Miccozi. There are a total of three events or you know, three weeks.  For the first event girlichef chose Mushroom + Leek Migas for everyone to make. Let's be frank it was a recipe I was not so sure but let me tell you...it was absolutely amazing.  Yes, it was so good that I made it again for breakfast last Sunday.  Now let's talk about this week; The New Southwest is an absolutely beautiful cookbook and it is loaded with dishes I want to try.  So what did I choose for this week's bloggers choice?!  Yes I know - you know it says so in the title; Chicken Tinga Potpie on page 159.  Flavorful chicken underneath a sheet of deliciously flaky crust; oh yes.  Potpie is something I rarely - as in maybe once every couple of years - make and It is a dish that Ron loves.  So it is perfect, right?!  Potpie with a twist from The New Southwest :)

Let me tell you, this dish was just as good as the Mushroom + Leek Migas and an absolute hit in our house.  Both girls claimed that they only liked the crust, but strangely enough Mia Rose took seconds and Alena's plate was cleaned; plus they took the rest for lunch to school and the thermoses came back empty.  Hmmmmmmm...it is a sure sign that they loved this dish just as much as Ron and I did :)

Here it is...

Chicken Tinga Potpie - pge 159 The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi
my adaptions are listed at the end underneath the recipe ^^^
For the crust:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups unsalted butter, chilled and cubed 
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• For the filing:
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped tomatillos
• 3 cups chopped plum (Roma) tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons fresh marjoram
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning to taste if necessary 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper, plus more for seasoning to taste if necessary

To prepare the crust, place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processors fitted with a steel blade and pulse process just to blend.  Add the butter and process to a coarse meal.  With the motor still running, add the water through the feed tube and continue to process just until the dough comes together into a solid mass.  Remove dough, form into a large disk, and set aside to rest.  If preparing the dough in advance, wrap tightly in wax or parchment paper and store in the refrigerator for up to one day   Be sure to allow the dough to come to room temperature and soften slightly before rolling out.
To prepare the chicken, place chicken, stock, bay leaves, and 2 cups water in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil (be sure to select a vessel that allows the liquid to cover the chicken completely).  Reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and fork-tender.  Drain and cube the chicken into 2-inch pieces once cool enough to handle.
To prepare the sauce, heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, add onions and bell pepper and sauté for 10 minutes.  Add tomatillo and tomato pieces and stock for an additional 10 minutes.  Lower heat to a simmer.  Add the garlic, thyme, marjoram, salt, and black pepper and simmer for 10 final minutes.  Stir cooked chicken pieces into the sauce and pour into a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Once you are ready to bake your potpie, preheat the oven to 400F.  Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into an oblong shape with a thickness of approximately 1/4 inch.  I recommend rolling the dough out on a piece of parchment paper which you can then invert and carefully drape over the top of your filled baking pan, peeling away and discarding the paper once the dough is in place.  Don't worry if your dough hangs of the edges of your pan in spots.  Brush the surface of the dough with the beaten egg and lightly prick it several times with a fork to allow steam to vent.

Place your assembled pie onto a baking sheet and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown at the edges and the filling is bubbling.  Remove and serve immediately.

YIELD: approximately 4 servings
^^^  to make dairy free use vegan "butter" instead of butter; my preferred brand is Earth Balance
^^^  I used 2 tsp dried Herbs de Provence in lieu of the fresh thyme and marjoram

Disclaimer: I received a copy of The New Southwest for participating in this Cookbook Spotlight.  All opinions are my own and no monetary value was exchanged. 

This post contains affiliate links.