Corn recipes

Mexicali pasta pie with a spaghetti crust, cottage cheese layer, and spiced ground pork with green chiles and tomatoes, topped with cheddar and crushed corn chips. All microwave.

Applesauce spice cake, low-fat Bundt with whipped egg whites for lift, warm cinnamon-nutmeg-clove-ginger spice, and dark corn syrup for moisture. No butter, no whole eggs, still tender and richly flavored.

Persimmon pudding cake, a moist autumn loaf with ripe persimmons, brandy, warm spices, raisins, and walnuts. Served with a brandy ricotta topping for fall holiday gatherings.

Southwest bread Gilroy: a rustic yeasted loaf packed with black beans, corn, cilantro, Anaheim chiles, and garlic. Hearty Southwest-style artisan bread that eats like a meal.

Black eyed pea casserole layers spiced ground beef, black-eyed peas, and tomatoes between torn corn tortillas and melty cheddar, then bakes it into a hearty Tex-Mex bake with a Creole kick.

Build-your-own chicken tacos with a slow-caramelized garlic and onion base, serrano chiles, dual paprikas, and toasted cumin. Simmered chicken filling served with radishes, pinto beans, sour cream, and cilantro for a generous taco-night spread.

Vegan pierogies made with whole wheat dough and silken tofu, filled with creamy potato or cabbage and garbanzo. Boiled then pan-fried until golden and crisp.

Just enough spiciness without over powering my palate, and the soup was very tasty.

Mexican-style rainbow stuffed peppers with ground turkey, refried beans, corn, rice, and tomatillo salsa in red, green, yellow, and orange bell pepper halves.

Browned chicken thighs baked over peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and corn in a spiced tomato juice with sumac, cumin, cardamom, and curry. A bold Middle Eastern-inspired one-dish dinner served over rice.

Spicy beef lettuce cups loaded with sirloin stir-fried in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and Chinese five spice. A crispy, low-carb appetizer that comes together in just 20 minutes.

Mexican chicken lime soup with chipotle, shredded chicken, and fresh tomatoes topped with melting pepper jack, tortilla strips, and sliced avocado.

Loaded vegetarian vegetable soup with broccoli, cauliflower, squash, potatoes, lima beans, corn, and peas in a cumin and chili-spiced tomato broth.

Salmon croquettes with remoulade sauce: pantry-friendly canned salmon patties bound with mayo, mustard, tarragon, and cracker crumbs, then pan-fried golden and served with carrot slaw and tangy remoulade.

Lentil lasagna layers red lentils, broccoli, mushrooms and corn with no-boil spinach noodles, finished with a vegan cheeze sauce of soy milk, nutritional yeast and turmeric. Dairy-free, hearty and weeknight-friendly.

Pina colada layer cake with a rum-soaked chiffon base, crushed pineapple filling, coconut buttercream frosting, and toasted coconut. The cocktail, in cake form.