Thanks for all of your compliments on the new header. It’s a fun change of pace! Also, the misspelling is now fixed. I was just testing you to see if you’d notice. I like keeping you on your toes! heh ;) Actually, it was an embarrassing mistake. If you missed it, I spelled “perspective” –> “perspecitve”….oops. There were technical problems getting it loaded on the page, so when it finally showed up, I was overly excited + never noticed.

Moving on…

Let’s get to talking about the recipe you see in the header.

It was spurred by my grilled corn tutorial. I wanted to incorporate grilled corn into a recipe. It’s great off the cob, but even more exciting when used in a recipe.

My other ideas for this meal included:

pasta
lemon/basil/oil sauce
grilled tomatoes
garlic

It sounded like a winning combo in my head and it ended up to be a winning combo in my mouth as well!

Lemon/basil/oil sauce isn’t revolutionary, but mixing it with grilled cherry tomatoes + corn, brought this dish to life. I’ve had luck with a few gluten free pastas so far. Tinkyada is my favorite brand for fettucini style. They have a few different variations, like this one that has rice bran in it. I’ve tried a few of their products + the results are delicious. My other favorite gluten free pasta is Lundberg’s Penne pasta.

The problem that can arise with brown rice pasta, is that it can stick + turn gummy very easily. The key is to not overcook + to immediately drain + rinse with cold water after cooking. The package for the fettucini noodles, say 14-16min, but I only cook them for 10min. If you cook them the full 14-16min they are quite gummy. Test a few times throughout cooking + pull them off right when they’re tender. Adding a little oil to the cooking water, may also help.

This is a fabulous meal to make and eat throughout the week. You won’t get sick of these leftovers, trust me. It’s also great to make + bring to a dinner party or picnic. A definite crowd pleaser and it can be enjoyed hot or cold. I preferred it cold [with the hot grilled corn + tomatoes], but Chris enjoyed his hot. I’m partial to fettucini noodles, but use whatever type you want.

You can even ditch the pasta and make this with quinoa or millet.

Besides this dish being packed with summery flavor, it also has a palette pleasing mix of textures. It’s chewy from the noodles, crunchy from the corn, and juicy from the tomatoes. And, my favorite part about this dish? You can be done with the prep-work in 10min and done cooking in 15. Can’t beat that, right?

And another meal that kept the house cool. No oven needed here, just the stovetop + grill.

Lemon Basil + Grilled Corn Pasta [serves 4]

4 servings pasta of choice
2 large ears of corn
30-40 grape or cherry tomatoes
3 med. cloves garlic, crushed/finely minced
1-2t honey [sucanat or pure cane sugar]
1/3c fresh lemon juice
1/3c extra virgin olive oil
2t olive oil to rub on corn + tomatoes
1/2t salt
fresh ground black pepper
3T basil, chiffonade
basil for garnish

Boil water + cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cold water when noodles are cooked + place in a large bowl.
Pre-heat the grill to med-high heat, ~350*.
Squeeze + measure the lemon juice, slice the basil + finely mince/crush the garlic.
Shuck the corn and rub lightly with oil.
Skewer the tomatoes and rub lightly with oil. *If using wooden skewers, remember to soak them in water for 15min before adding tomatoes + placing on the grill.
Place on the grill, rotating every 3-4min. The tomatoes will be done in about 8-10 and the corn will be done in 10-12.
In a bowl, whisk the honey [starting with 1t], olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice together.
Mix in the basil. Taste and add more seasonings if needed. I used a lot of black pepper! If it’s too sour, add a touch more honey. Bland? Add more salt + pepper.
Bring corn + tomatoes inside and slice the corn off of the cob with a knife. *Hold the ear vertically on a cutting board and slice down with the knife.
Mix 3/4 of the dressing with the pasta, then gently stir in the grilled corn and tomatoes.
Taste and add more dressing if desired.
Top with fresh basil leaves + ground black pepper.

*Looking for a protein kick? This meal is delicious if you add chickpeas! I tried it with my leftovers.

*If you have leftover dressing, it tastes great on salad.

Maybe this sounds a bit boring…or sort of been there done that. But trust me on the addition of grilled corn + maters to pasta. Possibly my favorite meal of the summer, next to my sweet potato black bean burgers.

Summer perfection, all wrapped up on a fork.

Can’t wait to fill you in on our climbing adventures from today. We had a blast!

SLEEP!

Ashley

It’s been a little too long since my last Recipes for Mom post. I have ideas, but always seem to be short on time! For details on my Recipes for Mom series, check the intro + part 1 post.

Growing up in Ohio, one food that we had around all summer long, was corn. Fresh from the little market stands along the street, I remember inspecting + filling up bags of corn each week. By inspecting I mean, shucking the very top of the corn and taking a peek to see what it looked like.

white + yellow kernels, our favorite

medium size, not too big or small

not mashed or wrinkled looking kernels

That was the fun part.

My least favorite part was coming home + being on corn shucking duty. I would sit outside on the porch, with the plastic bag of corn to my left + a brown paper bag in front of me.

With one ear of corn over the paper bag, you crack the end off, then peel back the leaves and tear them off.

Then it’s time to pluck off all those annoying “hairs.” They always stuck to my fingers and I could never get them all off.

All those years growing up, we made corn one way. That I can remember. Boiled!

My mom would boil the corn, while my dad grilled outside. Then we rolled the corn on a stick of butter + seasoned with salt. I’m sure my parents also added pepper, but I was all about the salt.

The boiling method works perfectly well. I enjoyed many years of delicious corn.

But there is this other method that just makes things a little more interesting.

And tasty!

Grilled corn. I remember first hearing about it and being utterly confused. How could that work? Well it does and it couldn’t be easier. To me, it’s even easier than boiling them in a huge pot of water.

Now I’ve seen a ton of grilled corn variations.

completely shucked, seasoned + grilled right on the grates

husk pulled back, shuck the hairs, season, pull husk back up + grill

completely shucked, soaked in salt water

completely shucked, soaked in salt + sugar water

completely shucked, seasoned + covered in foil

My method of choice? 1 + 2 I’ve never found a reason to soak the corn. If it’s good quality corn, why does it need to be soaked? And foil? Unnecessary.

For this tutorial, I’ll explain methods 1 + 2.

Let’s start with method 1.

Peeled + Shucked Grilled Corn

1 ear of corn

1t sunflower oil [other oil, or melted butter]

~1/8t salt

black pepper

Pre-heat your grill to med-high ~350*

Crack the stem off the end of the corn + discard.

Peel back the husk, tear off + discard.

Pluck off the hairs [actually called silk] + discard.

Rub with 1t oil + season with salt + pepper or whatever else you like.

Grill for a total of 10-12min, rotating 3-4 times.

Pretty simple, no?

Now, if you want to make things more interesting, you can throw together a little spice mix like I did below.

Smoked Paprika Grilled Corn [for 1 ear of corn]

1/2t smoked paprika

1/8t salt

black pepper

1t sunflower oil [or other high heat oil]

1/8t garlic powder

Follow steps 1-4 above.

Mix spices together + combine with oil. Rub into corn.

Follow step 6.

Oh, smoked paprika. How I love thee!!! Seriously, if you’ve never tried it, this is a must buy spice! I have a huge container of it from Costco, that cost about $3.50.

Now, on to method #2.

In-Husk Grilled Corn

1 ear of corn

1t sunflower oil [other oil, or melted butter]

~1/8t salt

black pepper

Pre-heat your grill to med-high ~350*

Crack the stem off the end of the corn + discard.

Carefully, peel back the husk, but do not tear off.

Pluck off the hairs [actually called silk] + discard.

Rub with 1t oil + season with salt + pepper or whatever else you like.

Pull the attached husks back up over the corn.

Tie with a silicone cooking band. [optional]

Grill for a total of 10-12min, rotating 3-4 times.

You can add whatever other seasonings you want!

A few years ago, I picked up a set of silicone cooking ties. They can withstand really hot temperatures and have come in handy for so many things. Much easier to use than cooking twine. I found them at Bed, Bath + Beyond.

While they help keep the husk wrapped up around the corn, tying is not necessary.

Instead of oil, salt + pepper, try spicing things up a bit.

curry, honey, cayenne

cumin, garlic, coriander, chile powder

oregano, basil, garlic

bbq sauce

soy sauce

hot sauce

So many options!

After placing on the grill, shut the lid and only open to turn. Rotate 3-4 times for 10-12min. If you’re not seeing char marks, your grill is not hot enough. Be careful not to overcook. No one wants mushy corn.

Bring inside + let cool a few minutes before serving.

Peel back the husk [if going with method 2] and chow down.

Since figuring out this method, my parents have asked me numerous times how to go about it. Instead of telling them how to grill corn over the phone, I figured this post would be much more helpful.