Corn Never Had It So Good

It's not corn season yet, so the frozen bagged version usually needs a little help (i.e., love) to coax out it's best qualities. Pair it with a spicy, salty salad and voila, corn-yum. Granted, once you add avocado, lime juice, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro you barely notice those cute yellow kernals, but it's all good.

I've tasted *other* black bean and corn salads... as there are many varieties. But this one has avocado. Who doesn't love avocado? Plus, this one also has a lime dressing.... mmmmm limey.... So this one is my favorite and I've made it enough times to know that it's also the favorite of many.
Black Bean and Corn Salad II from AllRecipes.com

So this past Saturday our neighbors (very kitchen-experienced) invited us and another set of neighbors (also very kitchen-saavy) over for dinner. After a delicious appetizer of spinach/artichoke dip and crusty french bread, we had a feast that included a beefy rib roast and cheesy scalloped potatoes. They were so so so tasty (naturally).

After much wine and bizarre discussions, we were pretty happy.

And then we had fresh berry handpies. Yes, perfect little pies that fit in your hand. Is there anything better than that?

Spicy Tortilla Soup

Like Babs, I had a hankerin' for hot peppers this week (or is it every week?). Tortilla soup is a favorite in our house. I usually make it with chicken, but this time I decided to try something different. It always amazes me how freakin' delicious vegetarian cooking can be. This tortilla soup is technically vegan since there's no cheese and I rarely use sour cream. It's a Rachel Ray recipe (30 minutes) and she really scored big with us using this Corn and Salsa Tortilla Soup recipe. I'm giving it my highest rating, which is something I do maybe once every couple of months. It's that good. What I'm saying is that I'm currently trying to type while soup dribbles are running down my chin.

First you start roasting the poblano peppers in the oven until black and crispy on all sides. While that's doing its thing, brown the corn and onion in oil in a soup pot. Add garlic, brown. Add tomatoes (fire roasted is the only way to go), veg broth, S&P, and let it simmer. Peel off the skin of the cooled peppers, dice and throw into the pot.


One of the best features of this dish is that you bake the tortillas with cumin. You don't even put seasoning (except for S & P) in the soup until it's done. Put the crispy tortilla strips in the soup, add cilantro and lime juice, and top with avocado (we tend to go overboard with the last 3 ingredients). This is really really really tasty. YAM!

My Favorite Way to Eat Fresh Fruit (sans pie)

Winter can be tough on a healthy cook. Tasty fresh fruit and vegetables are not widely available (nor affordable), especially for those of us that don't live in warm, temperate climates (I found this out while living in Wisconsin: "where are the freakin' good tomatoes in January?!"). Alas, I have learned to deal with it pretty well by disguising the lack-luster not-at-peak flavor.

The best way to enjoy fruit off-season, hands down, is in pie^H^H^H fruit salad. I don't know what it is about cut-up fruit, but I am 10,000% more likely to eat it if someone slices it beforehand. Is it laziness? Maybe I don't like gooey syrup fingers. Whatever the reason, this fruit salad idea is genius. Plus, there are so many variations, so I don't become bored.

Instructions for Fantastic Fruit Salad: Take whatever fruit looks halfway decent (fresh ONLY please), take it home, wash, slice and mix. Dressing is optional, but more fun. And please, for heaven's sake, go easy on the dressing. Don't kill the fruit by drowning it. The key to a great salad is to include a favorite fruit every time, even if it's a little more expensive or maybe not lookin' so hot in the store. This one star fruit will get you to eat it. For me, the fruits that finally draw me to the salad are berries. Blueberries and raspberries excite my taste buds enough to eat something healthy. Steer clear of too much pineapple or citrus, and you're good to go.

My favorite salad fruit are: cantaloupe or other firm melon, grapes, small seedless oranges, tiny amounts of grapefruit, and lots of berries (be gentle with raspberries and blackberries so they don't mush). Watermelon is good but can become watery (shocking), and some fruit like mango, banana and pineapple can be a bit strong if used too heavily.

Today I went with this recipe: Fruit Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing from Bon Appétit. It's a great choice for dressing up the salad and disguising its winter flaws. I used cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries and a little mango. Lime or lemon juice, yogurt (or sour cream) and sweetener (honey is best). I also sometimes chop up some fresh mint and throw it in there.

Mmmmm honey. This brings me to my recent discovery - Tupelo Honey. If being unmonitored, I might eat this honey straight from the jar, or at least half a dozen spoonfuls. This stuff is G-O-O-D. Go get some.