{FOOD] Grilled Corn, Avocado + Tomato Salad

One of my favorite things about summer is a good summer salad. There is no better pairing for hot dogs and BBQ chicken than fresh veggies tossed in a cool, sweet summery mix. Try this tasty salad for your next summer cookout! (source: tastebook.com)

INGREDIENTS

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 ripe avocado

2 ears of fresh sweet corn

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

HONEY LIME DRESSING

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp honey

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash of cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

Remove husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes. The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy. Cut the corn off the cob then scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices. Set aside and let cool. Slice the tomatoes in half. Dice the avocado and chop the cilantro.

HONEY LIME DRESSING

1. Add all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

2. Combine the sliced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and grilled corn and honey lime dressing and mix gently so everything is evenly coated. Be careful not to mash the avocados. Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors mingle. Enjoy!

{FOOD} Summer Corn Salad

This tasty veggie salad is the perfect addition to a summer cookout. Not only is it easy to make, but it’s also cool, refreshing and healthy! The most important thing to note when making this salad is that the italian dressing you choose is key. The last time I made this I used Olive Garden Italian dressing, and ohhhmyyygooooodnessss I could have licked the bottom of my bowl. Trust me on that one… get it at Sam’s Club or on Amazon!

Ingredients: 
1 medium red onion
4 shucks of corn
2 medium tomatoes
1 zucchini
1 avocado
3/4 – 1 cup of Italian Dressing
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Shuck your corn, then cut the corn off the cob. Boil corn for a couple moments until tender.

2. Chop up all of your veggies and mix them together in a large serving bowl. Add salt and pepper.

3. Remove corn from water and let cool. Add to salad.

4. Add dressing, to taste. If you let the salad sit in the fridge for a bit before serving, the veggies will soak up some of the excess dressing, resulting in creamy veggie delight!

{FOOD} Stuffed Greek Chicken

One of my faaaavorite sites to visit at dinnertime is is supercook.com. It lets you enter all the ingredients that you currently have in your kitchen, then compiles oodles of recipes that you can make with what you’ve got. The other night it directed me to this tasty little recipe for Stuffed Greek Chicken from Chatelaine. Corey and I made a few slight tweaks to the recipe, substituting tomatoes for red peppers and adding fresh garlic. We also used All-Purpose Seasoning in place of dried oregano leaves. The result? Ahhh-maaazing! Seriously, might be one of my fave dishes we have ever cooked together. Here’s our version of the recipe:

Ingredients
1/2 cup (125 mL) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped tomatoes
2 chopped garlic cloves
2 green onions, thinly sliced
4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Toothpicks (optional)
1 tsp (5 mL) each All-Purpose Seasoning and garlic salt
1 lemon (optional)

Instructions
1. Oil grill and heat barbecue to medium. Mash cheese with tomatoes and garlic in a bowl. Stir in onions. Working with 1 breast at a time, form a pocket in thickest side by making a horizontal cut about 2 1/2 in. (6 cm) long and 1 1/2 in. (3.5 cm) deep.

2. Gently open and stuff in cheese mixture, pushing as close to centre of breast as possible. Wet inside edges of opening and press down to seal. If you have toothpicks, insert through edge opening to hold together.

3. Lightly oil outside of chicken and generously sprinkle with seasonings. Place chicken on grill. Barbecue, with lid closed, until chicken is cooked through and feels springy, 8 to 10 min per side. Squeeze lemon juice overtop before serving.

Side Dish Suggestion: We completed our meal with mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini and onions.

{FOOD} Feta Dip {Easy New Year’s Party Recipe}

Need a last minute idea for tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve party? This one is super easy and super delicious! I take no credit for this recipe except to tell you how yummy it is. I made this a couple weeks ago for our Christmas party and it was a huge hit. Tastes like fresh bruschetta with a Greek kick!

Thanks to Clover Lane for this yummy concoction.

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 block of feta cheese
3 Roma tomatoes
1 bunch of green onions
1 baguette
Greek Seasoning (recommendation: Cavendar’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning)

Directions:
1. Wet the platter generously with olive oil.

2. Dice the green onions and tomatoes.

3. Throw them on the olive oil.

4. Crumble the feta cheese and throw that on the platter.

5. Sprinkle about 3 tsp. of Greek Seasoning on top.

6. Mix it gently all together…

7.  Slice the baguette into bite-sized, thin pieces.

8. Party time! Happy New Year!

{FOOD} Creamed Corn Casserole

I’ll admit it: I have been known to bring a couple of failed recipes to family gatherings. I have a tendency to pick things that sound easy to make, rather than things that sound delicious. So I was pretty excited when I found this tasty recipe for Creamed Corn Casserole from unsophisticook.com — not only is it easy as PIE, it was also a big hit at Thanksgiving dinner.

I will have you know that this was the only dish of the day that was completely wiped out! (applause) 

This one’s a winner folks… and it pretty much impossible to mess it up!

Creamed Corn Casserole

1 can corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup milk
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together — it doesn’t really matter what order. This is simplicity at its best! Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. This recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled, but you may need to increase the baking time accordingly.

{FOOD} Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Source: Snappy Gourmet

I made this tasty pasta salad earlier this year to add a little kick to our Superbowl Party. Light and tangy was the perfect addition to compliment Madonna’s halftime show.

Ingredients:
8 ounces small uncooked pasta (such as mezze penne)
1/2 cup Frank’s hot sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
2 cups precooked chicken or rotisserie chicken, chopped
1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
(optional) 1/2 cup red onion, chopped

Preparation: 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente in adequately salted water. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water (If serving hot don’t use cold water).

2. While pasta is cooking, whisk together hot sauce, oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery salt in small bowl until well combined.

3. Place the pasta in large mixing bowl. Stir in chicken, blue cheese, carrots, celery, and onion (optional). Slowly mix in desired amount of dressing. You may not want to use all of the dressing.

4. Can be served cold or hot. If serving cold, refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 6-8 Servings.

Notes: If you would like it to be spicier, use more hot sauce and less olive oil. If the pasta salad seems dry after being in the refrigerator, add a little olive oil or hot sauce.

{FOOD} Twice Baked Potatoes with Rosemary and Feta

I made these babies as a side dish with filet, corn, squash and zucchini. Found the recipe via Pinterest and spiced it up a bit by throwing on some minced garlic. Corey and I both loved these — will definitely be adding to our go to list for the future!

Ingredients: 
10-15 tiny or 6-8 medium red potatoes
Olive oil
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
3 T fresh rosemary leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pre-minced Garlic, to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450F. Scrub potatoes and poke 2-3 holes in each with a fork. Place hole side up, in a single layer, on a baking sheet. Drizzle 2-3 T olive oil over potatoes. Bake 45-50 minutes until fork can be inserted easily. Remove baking sheet from oven, and cut an X in each potato with a sharp knife. With a clean kitchen towel, push the top of each potato until it opens (it will look messy). Drizzle each potato with a substantial amount of olive oil. Sprinkle with feta cheese, rosemary leaves, pre-minced garlic, salt and pepper. Return to oven and bake 15-20 minutes until edges and cheese are golden-brown and crunchy.

{DRINK} Peach Daquiri

Corey and I were heading to the beach the other weekend and were thrilled that we actually made it  to McBee in time to stop at McLeod Farms for some fresh peaches. I knew immediately that this meant we had to make Peach Daquiris.

My Granny used to make these sweet daquiris for us each summer at her beach house. Although Corey and I decided to spice them up with a little rum (something my Granny did not do), one sip of that icy sweetness immediately took me back to summertime as a child.

Ingredients:
2 cups peaches
1/2 cup 10x powdered sugar
6 oz. Frozen Concentrate Lemonade
6 oz. Rum

Preparation:

Put all ingredients in blender. Fill to top with ice. Crush until slushy. Enjoy!