Refreshing White Corn Salad

I found this recipe online, and it is simple and perfect for a summer dinner or get together. http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-corn-salad-10000001176261/

Ingredients:

7 ears of white corn, boiled and cut from the cobs

1 medium red pepper, diced

1 medium red onion, diced

1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

Boil the corn for about four minutes, then immediately place it in ice water to stop the cooking process. Cut the corn from the cobs, and add the red pepper, onion, and parsley.

In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the veggies to the oil mixture and combine. Chill for at least two hours and serve. Simple, healthy, perfect.

Healthier Twice Baked Potatoes

I made these as a side for dinner last night, and I have to say, they were just as delicious as their sour cream, bacon-filled counterpart. :)

I used:

Two medium-sized baked potatoes, cut in half lengthwise (baked at 400 degrees for an hour)

One small container (7 oz) of 2% Greek Yogurt

2 T butter

1 cup of shredded cheese (I used a cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack blend)

Salt and pepper to taste

After the potatoes have cooled, slice them in half, and scoop out the insides. Mix the insides with the yogurt, butter (it should easily melt in the hot potatoes), half of the cheese, and some salt and pepper.

Using a spoon, scoop the filling back into the potato shells, and top with the remaining cheese. Place on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy (and be patient so as not to burn your tongue!) :-)

Is It a Side or a Dessert??? Butternut Squash Casserole

I have never been a big fan of squash. Therefore, I avoid it. Now that we have fresh produce delivered weekly from local farms, I am branching out in my cooking. I am trying to make at least one new recipe a week using the produce (I realize one recipe a week doesn't sound like much, but we now have a newborn at home, along with a 21 month old; life's a little hectic!) :)

By the way, I am no longer dairy-free (thank goodness!!!), and I am slowly easing back into eating normally. Two months was long enough. Normal eating = a much happier mommy!

I surfed around on allrecipes.com to see how to prepare the butternut squash that was sitting in my kitchen. I needed a general idea on how to begin, and then I wanted to come up with something yummy to do with it. This is what I did...

Ingredients

1 butternut squash peeled, cubed, boiled, and pureed in the food processor (I used 2 cups for the casserole, and froze one cup in an ice cube tray for baby Emily's dinner once she is eating solids)


1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1 T pumpkin pie spice (you can also use ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, focusing mostly on the cinnamon and nutmeg, with small amounts of the other two)
2 T whole wheat flour
1/4 stick butter

Topping
1/2 stick butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
(I also tossed in two crumbled up Trader Joe's graham crackers, but if you don't have them on hand, don't worry about it)

Prepare the squash by peeling it, removing the seeds, cubing it, and boiling the cubes for about 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Place the squash cubes into a food processor, and let them sit for a while to cool. I waited about an hour, but if you need them to cool faster, spread them out on a plate or cookie sheet. Puree the cubes in a food processor, or mash really well with a fork or spoon.

Blend the milk, 1/4 stick of butter (melted), squash, and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin pie spice, flour, salt, and baking soda. Combine the two bowls into one, and mix well. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 (or similar) greased baking dish.



Mix the 1/2 stick of melted butter, the chopped pecans, and the brown sugar in a small bowl, and layer on top of the squash.

Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees.


We had it as a side with meatloaf for dinner, but Dan and I both agree it could have easily been a dessert. I think I'll be taking it to my Aunt's house for Thanksgiving this year. Enjoy!

Super Quick, Healthy Side Dish

I was looking for something easy to serve as a side dish, and at the same time, wanted to use up some of my canned veggies that don't get a lot of attention. I realize summer isn't an ideal time to use canned veggies, but I was in pantry clean-out mode, so canned veggies it had to be. :)


Ingredients:

One bag of frozen organic brown rice from Trader Joe's, cooked (3 min in microwave)
One can Rotel tomatoes with chiles
One can black beans
One can sweet corn

1 t ground cumin

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper
One cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup shredded cheese to sprinkle on top

Mix the first nine ingredients together, pour into a small baking dish (8x8 would work), and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for the last five minutes. Yields about 4-6 servings. Enjoy!