Grilled Corn Salsa

Grilled corn salsa with perfectly grilled corn, fresh tomato, red onion and cilantro, a little lime juice to bring all together, and a dash of heat from a jalapeno.  This recipe has been on repeat all summer here.  My kids love the corn in the pico de gallo.  I usually grill 5-6 ears of corn, and use half for the recipe and serve the others on the side.  Adapted from Minimalist Baker and Bobby Flay.

INGREDIENTS
2 large ears corn grilled and removed from the cobb
1/4 red onion, diced
4-6 ripe tomatoes, seeds slightly removed and diced
1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
juice of one lime
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS
To grill corn gently pull back the husk, leaving it still attached at the bottom and remove the silk.  Put the husk back on and soak the ears of corn in cold salt water (1T of salt in a large pitcher of water works well for me).  Soak for 10-15 minutes while the grill preheats.   With the husks on grill the corn for about 12 minutes, rotating it a quarter turn every 3 minutes or so.   If you want more color or char marks on the actual corn, carefully pull the husk back put it back on the grill for a little color for a couple of minutes rolling to heat all sides.

Once grilled, slice corn off of the cob and add to bowl with remaining ingredients and stir.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt, pepper, or lime juice for added flavor.
Serve immediately or cover and put in the fridge.

Cider-Cheese Fondue

We make fondue every New Year's Eve.  This is a great non-alcoholic cheese fondue.  The cider does make it it a little sweet.  If you want a more savory version you can use chicken stock instead and a squeeze of fresh lemon instead.  One time we didn't have swisse or gruyere cheese and had to sub white american cheese in a pinch and it made the fondue super creamy and my kids LOVED it even more.

3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded swiss cheese (or other cheese or your choice--my kids love white american for this)

1 T cornstarch

1/8 t pepper

dash of nutmeg

dash of paprika

In large saucepan or fondue pot bring cider to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low.  In a separate bowl toss cheese with cornstarch and pepper; stir into cider.  Cook while stirring often 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Keep warm on low heat, staring as needed.  Serve with crust bread cubes, apples, pears, blanched broccoli and carrots.

Korean Beef and Rice {Or Quinoa}

Good in lettuce wraps or we line our bowls with romaine lettuce, scooped in some quinoa/rice and a spoonful of the meat mixture.   Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

 INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or beef
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt and pepper

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1-2 cucumbers finely diced
2-3 carrots shredded
3-4 cups cooked rice or quinoa for serving

DIRECTIONS
If you don't have leftover rice/quinoa, start cooking rice according to package directions (usually about 15-17 minutes cooking time).  If using leftovers, put rice in microwave about 5 minutes before serving stirring every 2-3 minutes.

In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the meat, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring to break the meat into small pieces, until the meat is cooked through and crumbly, about 7-10 minutes. Drain any excess grease. In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, broth, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and ginger. Stir the sauce into the meat and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so. Serve in a lettuce wrap over warm cooked rice or quinoa, topped with the carrots and cucumbers.

Quick Warm Chili Cheese Dip

A quick and tasty dip.  Adapted from Sharlene Campbell.

8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1/2 chopped onion
1 can chill with beans and meat (we like Trader Joe's chili)
1/2+ shredded cheddar cheese


In a glass  9x9 pan or a pie dish soften the cream cheese in the microwave and spread across the bottom.  Top with a layer of chopped onion.  Then spread 1 can of hormel chill on top.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  Serve warm with chips or hearty crackers for dipping.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

A super easy appetizer that's always a crowd-pleaser.

1 jar apple jelly (or grape jelly), about 12 oz.

1 jar chili sauce

2-3 lbs. frozen meatballs

Combine jelly and chili sauce in a crock pot and stir until smooth.  Heat the mixture if needed to combine.  Add meatballs.  Cook on low for 2-5 hours, stirring to coat occasionally.  Serve with toothpicks.

Apple Salsa

This is great served with cinnamon sugar tortilla or pita chips.  Also super yummy with a pork loin roast as in the original recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

2 cups crunchy sweet apples (like Fuji), cored and diced (about 2 medium apples)

½ cup red bell pepper, diced

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)

¼ cup red onion, finely diced

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the apple salsa ingredients, stirring well to coat the apples with the lime juice and other ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Guacamole

This is my favorite homemade guacamole.  It's definitely the chunky variety--more like a pico de gallo mixed with avocado.  Soaking the onions is genius!  It's delicious!  From Martha Stewart.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup minced white onion 

3 ripe avocados, coarsely chopped 

1 jalapeno chile (seeds and ribs removed), minced 

1 plum tomato, seeded and diced 

1/4 cup chopped fresh, cilantro 

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

Coarse salt 

Tortilla Chips

DIRECTIONS

Place onion in a small bowl. Add enough cold water to cover. Let soak 20 minutes; drain.

In a bowl, combine avocados, onion, jalapeno, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt, and mix to combine, mashing slightly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Black Bean and Chickpea Hummus

This is one of our favorite homemade hummus recipes.  The nonfat yogurt and black beans make it a bit healthier too.

Ingredients

o 1 cup canned black beans, drained
o 1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
o 1 T olive oil
o 2 T fresh lemon juice
o 2 T plain nonfat yogurt
o 2 T water
o 1 clove garlic, chopped
o 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
o Salt and pepper to taste


Directions
Place black beans, garbanzo beans, olive oil, lemon juice, yogurt, water, and garlic into a blender or food processor. Season with curry powder, salt, and pepper. Cover and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Buffalo Chicken Party Dip (Wowie!)

This is a hearty dip with all the flavors of buffalo chicken wings without all the grease. It’s got a lot of strong flavors so people either LOOOOOVE it or hate it. This is a great recipe for a houseful of guests, but it makes a lot, so cut it in half for smaller gatherings. Not your average dip! From Tiffany Johnson.

3 cups of shredded cooked chicken (about 3 chicken breasts)
1-2 packages (8oz) of light or fat-free cream cheese
1 bottle (about 16oz) of chunky bleu cheese dressing
1 bottle (16oz) of Anchor Bar chicken wing sauce
1 (12 oz) package of Mexican 4-cheese blend

Sautee chicken in a pan over medium heat with the wing sauce until all the absorbed, stirring occasionally. In a 9x13 pan layer the cream cheese, the chicken and sauce mixture, then the bleu cheese dressing, then the shredded cheese. Bake at 375 degrees or until bubbly. Serve with hearty tortilla chips or crackers.

Cheese-Buttermilk Fondue

This is one of our favorite fondue recipes.  The buttermilk adds a great tang and helps the cheese melt beautifully.

INGREDIENTS

·          2 T cornstarch

·          ½ t salt

·          Freshly ground pepper to taste

·          1 1b. swiss cheese, grated

·          2 cups buttermilk

·          1 loaf crusty French bread, cut into bit-size pieces (each with some crust)

Toss grated cheese with cornstarch, salt, and pepper.  Over medium to medium-high heat, heat buttermilk and gradually add cheese.  Stir constantly until mixture boils and become smooth.  Put cheese mixture in fondue pot and serve with bread pieces.  (Kevin and I both really liked this fondue with apples and veggies too).