Tarragon Corn on the Cob

So, it's been a few weeks since I posted last. I had my family visiting for awhile, and as I get closer to the start of the semester I tend to get busier and busier. I love it....not really. I really enjoy lazy days. Some people say they'd go crazy without work or something to do. I'm not so sure I'm that person. 

In any case, I hope you all have been enjoying your summer and keeping busy. I know I have. 

Yet, I'm already becoming depressed in the fact that summer is almost over. So, I'm making it a priority to enjoy the weeks of august by spending every moment I can outside. Sooner than later the weather will be crummy and it will be months before I can go outside without wearing layers again. 

With the end of summer comes the abundance of sweet corn or corn on the cob. It is probably one of my favorite summer treats. I could eat it every day. Every day, I tell you.

So, I bring to you this recipe. Over the 4th of July I made this corn to take to our annual 4th of July picnic. I was a little leery. I was not sure how tarragon and soy sauce would go over with my traditional food eating family. Nonetheless, there were no left overs. So, there ya go. Never underestimate the palate of your family. 

The recipe for this corn was originally found on Taste of Home. It called for the corn to be wrapped in foil and grilled individually. No way was I wrapping 24 ears of corn in foil and grilling it before our picnic. I improvised, and it turned out pretty well. I promise that rarely happens for me. This recipe is for 4 ears of corn. I did not increase the recipe by six fold. I also improvised the amounts as well.

Tarragon Corn on the Cob

24 large ears sweet corn, husks removed

8 large springs tarragon, plus 2 tblsp minced

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 c soy sauce

1/4 c chicken broth

Prepare ears of corn by husking and removing silk. I cut them each in half and placed them in a foil lined roasting pan. Mix together the minced tarragon, melted butter, soy sauce and chicken broth. Pour this over the corn evenly. Randomly place tarragon sprigs on top of the corn and then cover corn tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for roughly 30 minutes. Just check it after 20 minutes to see if it is steamed to softness. 

I don't have a picture of this corn finished. I was in a rush that morning and didn't get a chance to take too many photos. Enjoy the recipe and let me know what you think!

Quinoa Salad

Alright, this recipe has a bit of chopping and if you're like me that can be dangerous. I did nearly take off my pointer finger chopping the onions for this recipe. I blame the lack of a good knife at the moment, not my skill. Next time I'm out I need to remind myself to purchase a suitable knife, but then again what could I blame for all the nicks to my fingers?

This recipe is super healthy. The quiona is packed full of protein. It has 9 essential amino acids folks! That means ALL of the amino acids you need to obtain from your diet to build proteins. The rest of the amino acids that we need to build protein are nonessential, meaning your body makes them on its own. It has more fiber than almost every other grain, keeping your digestion system moving and your stomach feeling fuller for longer. Also, it has things like iron, manganese, lysine, and riboflavin all aiding in growth and repair, keeping your muscles and body working perfectly. You really can't beat that. 

And you know what, quinoa tastes pretty great too. In my opinion, it works like chicken, taking on any flavor you want. The possibilities are endless. This recipe takes quiona a little to the mediterranean side. 

Quinoa Salad

1 c. quinoa

2 c. water

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. olive oil 

1/2 c. black olives, halved

1/2 c. green peppers, chopped

1/2 c. onions, chopped

1/2 c. tomatoes, diced

1/2 c. feta cheese

salt and pepper

Bring water to boil. Add quinoa and bring back to a boil, reduce and simmer for ~20 mins or until water is absorbed. Transfer to another bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add the red wine vinegar and olive oil, olives, peppers, onions, tomatoes and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 1-2 hours to let flavors come together. 

Now you got yourself a yummy AND healthy salad packed full of protein, fiber and complex carbs.

Plus, the word "quinoa" just sounds cool! Wouldn't ya say? Enjoy!

Skillet Gnocchi with Spinach and Garbanzo Beans

I haven't always been a healthy eater. I grew up in a meat and potatoes kind of family. Although dinner was always delicious and savory (real soul food if I may), it was not exactly ideal for slimming my waist line. But, as a child, who is really thinking about keeping a flat tummy? I know I wasn't. I'm pretty sure I was more concerned with the latest episode of Gummi Bears and figuring out ways to blame my brothers for my latest shenanigans, which later changed to episodes of 90210 and still figuring out ways to blame my brothers.

Then college rolled around.  College was an eye opener in a lot of respects, but lets just stick to nutrition and save the juicy stuff for another time. I'm pretty sure I just woke up one day looked in the mirror and screamed "Gah!, Crystal you're fat! You need to do something about this TODAY!"

At that point, I was planning on becoming a physician. More than 1/3 of adults are obese (according to the CDC), and really who wants to go to a fat physician and listen to them tell you how your health problems stem from your diet and size, so YOU need to do this, this and this? I hate when the pot calls the kettle black.

Long story short I started to do my homework. I researched healthy diets and exercise plans. I made a lifestyle change. Which brings us to now, 10 years later, ~60lbs thinner.  So, you'll find all kinds of recipes on my blog, but most of them will be on the healthier side. Eating 'clean' seems to be the new fad. I do try to eat that way, but it doesn't always happen. I'm okay with that, and I hope you are too.

Today for dinner I had skillet Gnocchi with Spinach and Garbanzo Beans, which I adapted from Eating Well. The recipe is really rather quite lovely and simple.

What you'll need:

1 box potato gnocchi

1 bag of baby spinach

1-15 oz can garlic fire roasted tomatoes

1-15 oz can garbanzo beans or chick peas

1/2 c water

1/2 handful grated mozzarella cheese

1 handful Parmesan cheese

1 medium onion, sliced

garlic, minced (as much as you want)

salt/pepper

I'm obviously missing a few ingredients in the above photo. Also, don't hate, but I didn't have any fresh Parmesan and only the cheap version of extra virgin olive oil.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and dump in your box of potato gnocchi. I'm sure cheese filled gnocchi would be just as yummy. Saute until they plump and start to brown, as shown.

Remove the gnocchi and add a little more of the olive oil (about a tsp) and the sliced onions. Saute for about 2 mins. Then add the 1/2 c water and garlic. Cover and cook for about 4 mins. or until the onions are soft. I love the smell of sauteed onions and garlic. I used 4 medium sized cloves in this recipe, but only you know your own tastes. Also, I generally season every layer. So, I added some salt and pepper here and then again when I added the other ingredients.

Add the bag of spinach and cook for 2 mins. Spinach is ~91% water so it starts out looking like this.

And ends up looking like this! But stuffed full of antioxidants and cancer-fighting benefits, it's a must in your diet.

 Add the can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (Any kind will do, I just like the extra heat from the fire roasted ones). Add the can of garbanzo beans or chick peas (Again, any sort of bean will do. These just happen to be my favorite). Let simmer for 5 mins. At this point you can add the cheese, a handful of mozzarella and 1/2 handful of Parmesan. I rarely measure things when I cook, especially cheese. Cooking is more art than science, where baking is more science than art. So, for this recipe, do as you generally did in art class, add a little here, add a little there. Taste. Remember, you can always add more, you rarely can take out.

Voila! You have this little potato filled delight. This recipe makes about 6 servings, with about 325 calories/serving. Enjoy!