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?

Pi Day!

It was pure cosmic circumstance that I happened to make pie today. I usually go grocery shopping on Sundays, after carefully deciding what recipes I want to make for the week (thanks Pam!). King Krappers didn't have black bean garlic sauce for the stir-fry dish. I forgot the dried chickpeas for the curry. Once home from the store I realized that I had the wrong kind of cornmeal for the creamy polenta - which I had planned to make tonight.



The only recipe left to make with the ingredients on hand was, thankfully, one of our favs: Spinach-Mushroom Pie. I've been making this pie ever since I started cooking. It includes a roux, which used to turn me into a cranky maniac if any unfortunate soul decided to interupt me while in the middle of this step. Nowadays, like tonight, I was chatting away at my mom on the phone as I whisked away at the roux, babbling about nutrition and food science (poor mom, she hates science-talk). Funny how things change.

So this recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks: The Not-Strictly Vegetarian Cookbook. My mom and I bought it together when she was gently pushing me to cook - it might have been my first cookbook. It worked. I love this book for a few reasons: I have never been a vegetarian, but these recipes inspired me to eat healthy, and it has a lovely red beet stain that leaked along many of its pages.

Happy Pi Day!

Quiche!

Quiche is something I probably don't make often enough. It's so yummy & customizable and actually really easy.

Tonight I used half of a pie crust I had made about 2 weeks ago. I rarely made pie crust before making it for a chicken pot pie earlier in the month. I was amazed at how easy and GREAT it came out. I will probably never buy pie crust again. My pie crust of choice --- The Pioneer Woman's. You will see her recipes frequently on here. They are so homey and easy. Granted, some of them will give you a heart attack with the amount of cream or butter she uses, but.... all in moderation, right?

So... one pie crust.

Then, for the quiche I took a recipe from the Betty Crocker cook book. You know... the classic red and white book. I made the "Create your own" or something like that. Tonight I used carmelized red onions (I LOVE carmelized onions), green & red peppers and garlic as well as some Sargento Fiesta Blend cheese.

I mixed 3 eggs and 1 1/2 cups milk (I have to tell you the name of the creamery I got it from -- a local creamery -- Sassy Cow Creamery. I love the name. I also love the Sentry has tons of local foods to choose from.) Anyway, after beating the eggs and mixing in the milk I added the filling to the mix. After baking the super awesome pie crust I put the filling in and baked for 30-40 mins. It was so good. I will share some pictures tomorrow.

The bonus of quiche is that I have leftovers. It can be breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's versatile.