If you can’t be in New Orleans at the drop of a hat (like me), the best thing to do is to cook something that reminds you of your travels. That’s my humble opinion. Cooking always takes me to the places I want to go or revisit or live. When I get to dreaming about Louisiana, it’s time to make Maque Choux. This fiery veggie combination is a vacation for my palette and helps spice up a quick weeknight dinner.
This traditional southern Louisiana dish is a melting pot of Creole, French and Native American cuisines. A combination of cooked corn, green bell peppers and onions, Maque Choux can stand on its own two feet, but makes a great vegetable base to mix with a protein—like crawfish!
I like to roast corn cut from the cob, along with diced green bell peppers and yellow onion. I sauté my diced tomatoes with jalapeños and garlic.
Here’s my recipe:
Maque Choux
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cups corn kernels cut from 3 or 4 ears of corn
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon of diced jalapeño
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
1/2 cup of heavy cream
Directions
Melt the butter and toss 1 Tablespoon of it with the diced bell pepper, onion and corn. Transfer these vegetables to a lightly greased baking sheet and roast the vegetables on 375 degrees for ten to twelve minutes. You can broil them on high for a few minutes to add a little color if you like. Add the other Tablespoon of melted butter to a skillet turned to medium. Add the jalapeño and sauté for about five minutes and then add the garlic and cook together for a few minutes. Add your roasted vegetables and incorporate them with the garlic and jalapeño. Add corn; sauté 2 minutes. If you like, add cream to the mixture for a rich touch and let it cook into the vegetables for a few minutes.
Serve as a side dish, alone or top with protein.
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