The end of fresh corn season in Georgia gives me anxiety. Finding fresh, sweet corn in September is rare so when I do find it, I want to stockpile as much as possible so that we can enjoy it all winter long. I recognize that I could try canning fresh corn or even freezing it but that's just not an option for me right now. Instead - I choose to buy ears by the dozen (for the 2 of us) and we consume it in massive amounts. After we eat as much fresh corn as we possibly can, I have to figure out how to use the remainder of the ears. This fresh corn, tomato and basil salad is a great way to use up the extra corn. It is easy to put together, it is goes with everything and it's fresh corn - so it's delicious!! Corn, Tomato, Basil Salad 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup olive oil 1 Tablespoon parsley 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon miso 1 medium shallot, minced 2 cups fresh corn kernels 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 12 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
Add vinaigrette, corn, cheese, basil and parsley to tomatoes. Like I said - this corn salad compliments almost any meat. Grilled chicken, pork, beef, burgers, fajitas, fish. I can't even think of a meal that this wouldn't be an appropriate side dish for. For those of you who live in a part of the country that still has access to fresh corn on the cob, go ahead and buy a few extra ears and make this corn, tomato and basil salad. You'll be glad you did.
Ciao!
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We spent last Sunday preparing the house for the unwelcome arrival of Irma. We cleared off all three porches and basically turned our basement into an indoor patio - complete with lanterns, furniture, ferns and lawn chairs. (Thank goodness for unfinished basements!) Since last Sunday morning was anything BUT peaceful and quiet, I've decided to make up for it this week with a special treat. Blueberry muffins are one of my family's very favorite breakfast treats. I absolutely love how easy these are to put together and my family loves that I don't have to turn on the mixer OR the food processor to prepare them. Apparently they don't really appreciate waking up to the soothing sounds of my kitchen appliances. ;) Lemon Blueberry Muffins 1 1/2 cups sugar lemon zest from 2 lemons 2 1/2 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups sour cream 7 Tablespoons butter, melted 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
Bake 20-25 minutes at 400. These muffins were a huge hit. They were gobbled up almost immediately. The second time that I made these muffins I got to the point in the recipe where I was ready to add the blueberries when I realized I had NO blueberries. Uuuggg. So my options were to (a) make a trip to the store in my pajamas, (b) scrap the whole idea of muffins and throw away the batter or (c) find something to substitute for the blueberries. I made a quick dig through the freezer and found a half bag of frozen raspberries. Eureka!! Lemon Raspberry Muffins for the win.
Ciao! As a chef and as a mom - I make a whole lot of food that I don't particularly enjoy eating. It's truly a blessing in disguise because let's face it - if I only made food that I liked - everything would have chocolate in it and I would eat all of it. Meatloaf is a meal that frequently ends up on our family menu because it's a favorite of my daughter. I don't necessarily share her meatloaf affection but I make it because I know how much she enjoys it. I'm happy to say that that isn't true anymore. I recently found a meatloaf recipe that we BOTH love. Ground turkey meatloaf packed with vegetables and Southwest flavor was the ticket to a delicious meatloaf that I can make for her AND me. Finding common ground in a meatloaf was epic but you haven't even heard the best part about this recipe yet --- This scrumptious meatloaf bakes in the slow cooker!! It's easy to put together and it bakes all afternoon. I love a great hands off recipe every once in a while. Slow Cooker Sante Fe Meatloaf 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey 2/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons red enchilada sauce 1/2 cup quick oats 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon frozen corn 5 Tablespoons black beans, rinsed and drained 1/4 cup fresh cilantro 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon onion powder 4 ounce can chopped green chilies, drained 1 egg 1 clove garlic, minced 1/3 cup Mexican cheese
Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove loaf using sling. Drain liquid from slow cooker and return loaf. Arguably, this meatloaf doesn't look very appealing at this stage but trust me - it will get better. Cover loaf with 2/3 c. enchilada sauce, cheese, 1 T. corn and 1 T. black beans. Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes. Remove from slow cooker and garnish with cilantro. Slice and serve. I made my meat"loaf" in a half sphere shape because my crock pot is round. If you have an oblong crock pot - by all means - shape your meatloaf into a more traditional loaf. I served these wedges of meatloaf to my daughter and her friend who was also home from college for the weekend. They gobbled this up like they hadn't eaten a home cooked meal in weeks! My college freshman has a whole new appreciation for my home cooked dinners -- and I'm loving it. Get creative with your toppings. Chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, avocado slices and sour cream would be great condiments to add to this Southwest meatloaf. Customize it to your family.
Ciao! I am loving the cooler weather that has moved into Georgia and it has me eagerly anticipating the start of Fall- or as I like to call it - pumpkin and apple season. Seriously - nearly everything that comes out of my kitchen during September and October has either pumpkin, apple, cinnamon or all three. My family accuses me of being mildly obsessed with Fall recipes. Maybe it's because I've served them pumpkin pancakes, turkey apple sandwiches and pumpkin challah bread - all in one day. Clearly I love these flavors and these pumpkin chip breakfast cookies highlight them beautifully. Pumpkin Chip Breakfast Cookies
Scoop batter onto a silpat lined cookie sheet. Flatten slightly because cookies will not spread. Bake 15 minutes at 350. Some days I just need a quick breakfast that I can grab on my way out the door or as I head down to the basement to workout. These little cookies are packed with healthy ingredients and they're the perfect pre-workout meal. The oats, nuts and fruit keep me fueled throughout my morning workout and who doesn't love starting their day with chocolate chips? Now that I've conquered the pumpkin breakfast cookie - I'm going to try my hand at an apple pie breakfast cookie. Chopped apple, applesauce and apple pie spice - what do you think?
Ciao! Maybe it's my Ohio roots and my midwest friends will understand this - but I am completely obsessed with fresh corn on the cob. I was super spoiled as a child because most of the corn we ate was picked the very same day. Now I'm a full on corn on the cob snob. :) Since leaving Ohio, I've had a harder time finding fresh corn. I don't even bother buying corn on the cob unless I know for sure that it's super fresh. (Thank goodness for farmers markets.) I love this recipe for Grilled Corn Salsa because it really highlights the flavor of this sweet starchy vegetable. The corn is the star of this dish and it pairs perfectly with the hints of lime, jalapeno and cilantro. The best part is that you can dial the heat up or down depending on the amount of pepper that you choose to add to your salsa. Grilled Corn Salsa 6 ears corn, shucked 3 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup minced red onion 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1 teaspoon lime zest 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 jalapeno Brush corn with 1 T. oil. Grill until charred. (20-25 minutes) Cut kernels from cobs. Add remaining ingredients. Serve with chips. This grilled corn salsa would be a great addition to any appetizer menu. Just imagine a bowl of fresh salsa, a bowl of creamy guacamole and a bowl of grilled corn salsa, served alongside a giant bowl of salty corn chips. I can't imagine a better trio of dips to serve to guests at a casual dinner party or barbecue.
Ciao! |
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