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

How to Make Homemade Spicy Pinto Beans in Your Crock Pot

I know that making beans yourself can be a pain, but if you use your crock pot, I promise it isn’t as bad as it sounds. I will say, homemade beans taste almost the same as canned beans. Not gonna lie. So you may ask… Why bother ?? Well, my recipe has a little pizzazz that regular old canned beans just don’t have. I like to add a whole jalapeno pepper, onion, garlic and bay leaves to season my beans. With those quick and simple additions, you can have yourself some seasoned, homemade beans made effortlessly in your crock pot while you’re at work. If you’re wondering why I didn’t add any salt before the cooking process, let me explain… I have read many articles about how to best cook your beans and consensus is, adding salt before you cook them can hinder the cooking process and leave you with beans that are tough, even after you’ve cooked them according to the packages instructions. I also did not specify how much salt to add. I prefer my beans to be less salty and therefore leave it up to you to decide how much is right for you. I recommend adding 1 tsp… tasting, then adding more in small increments until they taste just the way you like them. I also like to make a huge batch and freeze small portions for grab and go convenience during the week.

What You Need:

1 bag dried pinto beans, soaked over night
Water (enough so that the water is 2”-3” higher than beans)
½ brown onion, diced
3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped (to taste)
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (remove seeds if you prefer your beans more mild)
2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker (except salt) and cook on high setting for 4 - 5 hours, or until beans are tender.  Add salt to taste once beans are done.











Bon Appétit!
Mary



Mini Meatloafs A La Florentine

This version of my mini meatloafs has been inspired by a dish in the style of Florence (Italy). Dishes a la florentine were traditionally made with eggs, fish or white meat and often served with Mornay sauce. Bottom line… these mini meatloafs are loaded with spinach. Spinach has a plethora of micro nutrients that we all need. Some of them are vitamins (A, B2, C, E &K), folate, iron, folic acid and omega-3 fatty acids. As with my Italian style loafs, I added both grated onion and carrot here to keep these hearty and juicy. Serve with quinoa mac n' cheeze (recipe coming soon).

What You Need:

1 lb lean ground turkey
1/3 cup egg whites from carton
16 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out
1 medium onion, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
6-8 garlic cloves (or to taste)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup Italian parsley, minced
2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
½ tsp kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)

What To Do:

Heat the oven to 350* and spray the inside of a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently mix with hands.

Divide mixture evenly among the 12 cups.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until no longer pink.















Serves 4-6



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Sweet & Spicy Grilled Chicken with Black Rasberry Marinade

This super simple marinade comes together in a jiffy. Just what you wanted to hear right? I had a package of chicken tenders begging to be the star of a romaine salad for lunch today, so I quickly scanned the fridge for something to marinate them in. I’ve been on a sweet and spicy kick lately and knew I wanted to keep this recipe along those same lines. I had bought a jar of black raspberry jam that had just a bit left in the bottom and decided a fruity and spicy marinade was in order. If you can’t find black raspberry jam, feel free to substitute whatever kind you have.

What You Need:

1 – 1.3 lbs chicken tenders
¼ cup black raspberry jam
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 small cloves garlic
1 Tbs red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/8 tsp salt (2 pinches or to taste)
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)



What To Do:

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a small food processor.

Process until smooth.

In a large Ziploc bag, combine the marinade and chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator from two hours to overnight.

Grill on an outdoor grill over medium low heat until no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes. Serve over a fresh garden salad.

Serves 4



Bon Appétit!
Mary

Spicy Mango Peach Salsa

There’s something about summer that makes me crave nothing but grilled vegetables and meats with fresh salsas. I went to the market this morning and saw that peaches and mangos were both on sale. Score! I like to keep my mango peach salsa very simple by dressing it with freshly squeezed orange juice and a dash of agave. For a milder salsa, use a jalapeno pepper in place of the serrano. Serve this sweet and spicy salsa over grilled halibut with grilled asparagus drizzled with a bit of balsamic vinegar for a great summer meal that gets you out of the kitchen.

What You Need:

1 small mango (about 1 1/3 cups), diced
1 small peach, diced
1/3 cup cilantro, minced
¼ cup red onion, diced
¼ cup red bell pepper, diced
½ serrano pepper, minced (remove seeds for a more mild salsa)
Juice of ½ an orange
1 tsp agave or honey
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper



What To Do:

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve. This salsa can be made a day ahead. 

Serve over grilled halibut with grilled asparagus.

Serves 4



Bon Appétit!
Mary