Jun 28 2010

Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad

I was flipping through my William Sonoma Outdoor Entertaining book to get ideas for the 4th of July party and I came across a Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad recipe. I had everything I needed, so I decided to make that on my lunch time break from gardening.

The Ingredients:

2 Large Ears of White Corn – the recipe called for 6 ears, but I was just taste testing the recipe, so I only made enough for 2 servings.
15-20 Assorted Cherry Tomatoes – Trader Joe’s mixed pack (I honestly didn’t count – just judging from the bowl photo)
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Flat Leaf Italian Parsley
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Basil – Fresh from the plant my bro gave me for my birthday
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Sherry Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Sweet Cooking Rice Wine (Not pictured – added after the first taste)
2 Squeezes of Fresh Lemon
Ground Pepper and Salt to taste

I got my corn boiling in a pot filled with a little sea salt and a few splashes of Sweet Cooking Rice Wine. The corn spent about 8 minutes in the pot as it boiled, then I turned it off and let it steam for a good 20 minutes. I took the corn out of the water and let it cool at room temperature before cutting it off the cob.

After the corn had cooled, I cut my tomatoes in 1/2, chopped up my parsley, basil and corn and got them added to a large bowl.

I then added my Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon, Sherry Wine Vinegar, Salt and Pepper. I tossed the mixture until everything was coated. I gave it a quick taste and it still needed something. I ended up adding a few splashes of the sweet rice wine and that worked well.  I then slid the bowl into the fridge to chill.

The plan was to grill some meat for dinner to go with it. Plans changed and we ended up cleaning the pool tiles (Thanks Deede) and I did more yard work from inside the pool. I brought my clippers into the pool and tackled the back side of the kidney-shaped planter. My great idea turned a little sucky when a stupid bee decided to sting me in the armpit – Awesome! Ugh! Prior to yesterday’s bee sting, I’d only been stung once. I was 6 or 7 years old, camping with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin and I got stung in the corner of my eye. OUCH! My whole face swelled up and I had to go to the nearest emergency clinic.  They gave me a shot. I’ve managed to avoid bees since then. So, I wasn’t sure if I was allergic or not. I got out of the pool, Dan used tweezers to get the stinger out and then I ran to the phone and called my Mom and Dad. They came through like champs. I put alcohol on the sting site – swigged 4 teaspoons of liquid Benadryl and put ice under my armpit.  The good news, no horrible reaction – just a big bump.

O.k., back to dinner and the corn salad. We didn’t sit down to eat dinner until almost 8:30 PM. I made Dan a sandwich and I had a serving of the salad. It was perfect for a late night/light dinner on a very HOT evening.

Today is supposed to hit 104 degrees, woohoo! What’s your favorite summer non-lettuce based salad? I need some ideas for the BBQ.

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=499

Jun 27 2010

Canadian Bacon, Spinach and Egg Cups

I finally hit Trader Joe’s to stock up on some recipe supplies. It’s been a little lean in the fridge and pantry.  I’ve been wanting to make Canadian Bacon, Spinach and Egg Cups for a few weeks now. It’s the perfect breakfast, especially on a weekend. I got up at 5:30 AM this morning to start working in the yard. It’s supposed to be 100 degrees today, so I didn’t want to get over heated by waiting until later in the day. I’ve only been up for 4 hours and I’m already exhausted. The yard is really shaping up, so it was worth getting up early. There is still furniture to be cleaned, plants to be planted, a few more weeds to be pulled and chair cushions to be put out. All of this is in preparation for our 4th of July party.

I worked up quite the appetite and I had protein on my mind. So yes, crazy blogging girl decided to bust out a recipe and blog post to relax.

The Ingredients:

1 Cup Frozen Spinach
6 pieces of Round Canadian Bacon
1/2 Cup Egg Whites
1/2 Small Chopped Shalott
1/4 Cup Shredded Gruyère Cheese
Splash of Olive Oil
Few Shakes of Smoked Paprika
Salt and Ground Pepper to Taste

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees

I sautéed the spinach in a little olive oil with the shallots, salt and pepper.

I formed my Canadian bacon cups in a non-stick muffin pan and then added about 1 heaping tablespoon of the spinach and onion mixture to each cup.

I whisked the egg whites with a little ground pepper and smoked paprika and then poured them to the edge of the Canadian bacon. I placed the muffin pan in the 375 degree oven for 12 minutes. The egg whites were almost done cooking. I added the shredded Gruyère cheese to the tops and put them back in the oven for 2 more minutes.  I used a kitchen knife to loosen the edges of the Canadian bacon and I popped them onto a plate. Super easy and really tasty!

My break is over – back to tackle the remaining yard projects. Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend.

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=490

Jun 24 2010

Curly Ribbon Zucchini

Confession… it had been 4 days since I last used my handy-dandy slicer – it was time.

For ONCE in my life, I no longer have any frozen pre-packaged meals in my freezer. I am really trying to make an effort to prepare all of my meals. I am very lucky in that I work only a few miles from home.  I don’t have to worry about packing a lunch or going out to spend extra money on top of the grocery bill I already have.

This time I didn’t have a recipe in mind, I just knew I wanted to try a different blade on the slicer. I thought I had yellow zucchini, but it had gone bad – so I had one green one left. I searched through the pantry and fridge and came up with the following:

The Ingredients:

1 Green zucchini
1 Large handful of red grape tomatoes – I used 16
Oil Cured Olives – 6-8
Garlic – 1 Clove
Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese – Shaved for topping
1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce
Italian Seasoning – a few pinches
Ground Pepper
Olive Oil – Splash in sauté pan

I got the olive oil and garlic sizzling in the pan. I then sliced the tomatoes lengthwise, chopped up the olives and sautéed them for a few minutes.

I added the marinara sauce and let it simmer for about 5 minutes while I got the zucchini loaded into the slicing contraption. I decided to use the straight blade to make zucchini ribbon curls. I actually had to cut the curls because they were too long. One zucchini yielded about 3 cups. I got the ribbon curls added to the pan and tossed them into the sauce. I was surprised at how the curls held up – I half expected them to break and tear and that didn’t happen.

The whole meal took under 15 minutes to prepare and about 5 minutes to eat – YUM!

I have a feeling I will be eating a lot of zucchini and squash pasta this Summer. I think my next veggie to load into the contraption will be a cucumber – I see sunomono and other cucumber salads in my future.

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=478