Spicy Grilled Corn

This recipe is so simple and so tasty, I’m excited to finally be sharing it with you.  We’ve had a tradition all summer long… One evening a week we have dinner outside on the patio and it always includes grilled fish, a grilled vegetable and this grilled corn.  Better late than never, right?   Ok, now I have to come clean… This isn't really a recipe, but more of a loose guide.  You know, “a little of this & a little of that” type of recipe.  The best part you ask?  It’s totally customizable.  At our house, we like almost everything spicy and garlicky, so I used garlic powder and red pepper flakes.  If you’re not a fan of heat, you could just leave the red pepper off or use just a pinch.  If you don’t like garlic, you could use any dried spice or spice blend you like, such as Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute or lemon pepper.  Sprinkle the corn evenly with a light dusting of each of the spices.  If you have access to smoked salt, I highly recommend it, but plain salt would work well.  (Don’t be surprised if you find some smoked salt in the Trader Joe’s giveaway I’ll be hosting when I reach 100 google reader subscribers!  We’re at 95 now.)  Wondering what to do with leftovers?  I’ve got a recipe or two in the works.  Does Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole with Spicy Jalapeno Chicken Sausage sound good (sneak peek at the end of this post)?  Stay tuned! 

What You Need:

4 ears corn, husks and silk removed

Garlic powder

Red pepper flakes

Smoked salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Cooking spray or 2 tsp oil of your choice (I like garlic oil)

Foil

What To Do:

Heat your outdoor grill. 

Cut four pieces of foil that will be large enough to wrap your ears of corn in.  Place corn in the center of the foil and spray evenly with cooking spray or rub each ear of corn with a half tsp oil.

Sprinkle each ear of corn evenly with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, smoked salt and freshly cracked black pepper (or whichever spices you’re using). 

Wrap ears of seasoned corn with foil, making sure it’s tightly sealed like so.

Place corn on grill and cook for 12 - 14 minutes rotating them every couple minutes.  

Serve immediately. 

Serves 4

Print this recipe!

Bon Appétit!

Mary

Does this look good ?  Check back next week for the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole with Spicy Jalapeno Chicken Sausage

Spicy Greek Grilled Vegetable & Orzo Salad

You’ll want to make sure you keep your orzo warm by not rinsing it after it cooks. Instead, I like to toss it with a half teaspoon of olive oil after draining it. When it’s warm, the pasta can better absorb the flavors of the vinaigrette. Now the trick with the olives, peppers and onions is to make sure that everything is the same size. The best way to do this is to quarter your olives first so you know what size you’re going to want your pepper and onion to be. Make this salad as spicy as you like by just dialing up the red pepper flakes. We like really spicy food, so I used a rounded teaspoon here. I recommend starting out with a half of a teaspoon and going from there, making it to suit your taste. Serve at room temperature for best results. If you didn’t feel like heating up your grill, you could sauté the onion and pepper in a teaspoon of oil over medium high heat for about eight minutes or until well browned.

What You Need:

½ lb orzo
1 red bell pepper, quarter – remove seeds & membrane
1 medium red onion, sliced horizontally in ½“pieces – leave skin on, it burns off on the grill
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered
2 tsp fresh oregano, minced & divided
2 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs olive oil, plus ½ tsp
½ - 1 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste – I use 1+)
¼ tsp kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper

What To Do:

Cook orzo according to the packages instructions in well salted water to al dente. Once the pasta is done, drain and toss with ½ tsp olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

While the pasta cooks, whisk together lemon juice, 3 Tbs olive oil, 1 tsp oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the warm pasta into the dressing, mix well and set aside.

Heat an outdoor grill to 400*. Over a medium high heat, grill onions and peppers until deeply browned on both sides. The time will vary depending on the thickness of your vegetables. Mine took about 15 minutes.

Cut grilled pepper and onion into ¼ “pieces. They should be about the same size as the quartered olives. Add vegetables, olives and remaining oregano to the pasta and vinaigrette – stir to combine. Serve at room temperature with additional red pepper flakes to pass at the table.

Serves 6

Print this recipe.

**Edited to add: Here are the nutritional stats for 1 of 6 generous servings.**

Bon Appetit!
Mary

Orzo Salad with Asparagus & Creamy Dill Dressing

When I originally scrawled out my notes for this recipe I was going to use green beans, but once I got to the store and saw the asparagus, it looked too beautiful not to use. The tiny, tender stalks were calling my name. If your asparagus is a bit thicker, you will want to add a minute to its cook time. Knowing I wanted to grill salmon tonight, I decided dill would be my herb of choice here, but you could use any herb you like (i.e. parsley, cilantro, thyme). If after refrigerating the salad it seems a bit dry, add one tsp lemon juice and a half tsp honey. If it’s still dry add a splash of milk or half and half to get things moving. Serve with grilled salmon, a wedge of lemon and sriracha.

What You Need:

½ lb orzo
½ lb asparagus, cut into ½“pieces
3 Tbs fresh dill, minced and divided (to taste)
2 Tbs mayo
1 Tbs plain Greek yogurt , or an additional Tbs of mayo (I used 2%)
1 ½ Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp honey
¼ tsp kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

What To Do:

Cook orzo in well salted water (or broth) according to the packages instructions. Add the asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Rinse orzo and asparagus thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process.

While the pasta cooks, whisk together 1 Tbs of the dill, mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper, then refrigerate.

Combine dressing, pasta, asparagus and remaining dill and mix well. Allow salad to meld in the fridge for as long as possible. It will still be tasty if you eat it right away, but if you have the time, make it a few hours ahead.




Printer Friendly Version

**Edited to Add: makes 4 - heaping 1/2c servings

Nutritional Stats for 1 Serving

Bon Appétit!
Mary