Corn and Zucchini Orzo Salad

I wanted to post one last pasta salad before the cold weather overtook us for good. This recipe was in an article of Everyday Food that discussed making big batches of food and using it for several different dishes. This was a good weeknight pasta salad, and I liked the technique of salting the zucchini to drain the excess water out of it.

Since this recipe was for a big batch (calling for one pound of orzo, which, since orzo seems to multiply in magical fashion, is a LOT) and I only wanted to use it for a side dish and then some lunches, I only made a third of the original recipe, which was still a lot. Other notes I have about the recipe:

• Red onion seems to lose it's color when mixed into a dressing after awhile. If you need to make this over 12 hours in advance, I wouldn't add the red onion until right before serving.


• For the small amount of jalapeno that was added, it contributed a big flavor to the salad. Not a spicy one, but one that I didn't really enjoy, so next time I will leave this out.

Here's the link...and good-bye summer!!

Corn and Zucchini Orzo Salad

Penne with Grilled Summer Squash, Sweeet Corn, and Shrimp

I think it's pretty obvious that we love pasta in our house. This recipe from a recent issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray used delicious summer vegetables and one of my favorites - ricotta cheese. I made it into a main meal by adding some shrimp to the mix. Chuck and I both agreed that this dish needed more flavor. The original recipe did not call for cooking the tomatoes, but my version below suggests sauteeing them a little with the garlic to add a little more depth.

Penne with Grilled Summer Squah, Sweet Corn, and Shrimp
adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray
makes about 3 servings

1/2 pound penne pasta
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 yellow summer squash (just under a pound), halved crosswise and then cut into 3 thick slabs
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tomato, chopped
3/4 cup corn kernels (1 ear or use frozen)
1/2 of a 15-ounce contained ricotta cheese
1 clove garlic, grated
1 teaspoon chopped thyme

Preheat a grill to medium-high or a grill pan on the stove over medium-high heat.

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water according to package directions. During last 3 minutes of cooking, add shrimp. Drain pasta and shrimp, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Brush the squash pieces with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt. Grill, turning once, until charred, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then coarsely chop and put in large bowl.

In small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, cook until fragrant, then add chopped tomatoes and cook until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. Add to squash, along with ricotta cheese and thyme. Add the pasta and stir in some cooking water if needed.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

Head on over to C+C Marriage Factory and check out the picture for this recipe - it's what made me save the recipe in the first place. Christina's picture is so light and clean, it didn't remind me of your typical heavy crockpot meal. I have made variations on this recipe, but I liked that there was no salsa added to the chicken, just vegetables and spices. I served this over rice for myself and Chuck had it on tortillas. Delicious!

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

Tomatoes stuffed with Roasted Corn Salad

This was a delicious, summery side dish. The great flavors of summer corn mixed with salty bacon and feta cheese, all stuffed into a ripe, juicy tomato. Make this now before some of the ingredients are out of season!

If you are making this out of corn season, you can saute some frozen corn with a little bit of olive oil on the stovetop. Heat the oil on high heat and add the corn right out of the freezer (and some minced garlic too, if you want) and let cook until the kernels start turning brown on the edges. And if you don't have time to fry up bacon, Real Bacon Bits can be used as a substitute.

Grilled shrimp and sliced avocado went nicely with this dish. I didn't change anything else from the original recipe on Macaroni and Cheesecake so here's the link!

Tomatoes stuffed with Roasted Corn Salad

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

My friend Jenny makes this wonderful salad and as soon as I had some at her house, I needed the recipe! I really like it because you can use any kind of corn you would like. I used frozen, since I was making it quickly, but you can also boil or grill some fresh ears of corn and use the kernels from that. Canned corn will work also.

I love the lime taste in the dressing and I used olive oil instead of the vegetable oil that Jenny suggested since I prefer that taste in a dressing. If you are making this ahead of time, add the avocado right before serving or else it may turn brown. Enjoy this summer salad!

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
from Jenny :)
Makes about 4 side dish servings

10 ounces frozen corn, thawed completely
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Combine corn, tomatoes, scallions in large bowl. Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour over vegetables. Chill for 1-4 hours.

When ready to serve, add gently fold in avocado and allow salad to come to room temperature. Season again with salt and pepper if needed.

Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie

Hmmm, after making and photographing this, I came to two realizations: one, that I apparently like the combination of beef, potatoes, and veggies and two, that comfort food is delicious but is not pretty in pictures! For example:

While browsing through Sarah's blog one day, I saw she had posted a recipe from a recent issue of Everyday Food, which I also subscribe to. She really liked this recipe so I decided to try it! I read some of the reviews on the website and made several changes to the original recipe; most notably browning and draining the meat first, and changing some of the vegetables around.
This is a heavy dish, literally. When I was putting it into the oven it felt like it weighed a ton! But it was filling, warm, and tasted great!

Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie
adapted from Everyday Food
Makes 4 large servings

1 1/2 pounds white baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/3 pounds ground beef
6-8 ounces baby carrots, sliced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove beef with slotted spoon to separate bowl and drain saute pan.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in same saute pan and add carrots, onion, and thyme. Cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add beef back into saute pan. Add 3/4 cup water, corn , and peas. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 minute. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain potatoes, return to saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring, until liquid had evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1/2 cup cheese. Mash until smooth and season with salt and pepper.

Pour beef filling into greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Drop spoonfuls of potatoes over beef; spread to edges with spatula. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling, about 20 minutes. (Topping and filling can be made ahead and stored separately.)

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Sauteed Corn and Salsa

I love this side dish when I make things like enchiladas or quesadillas. You already have your carbs in the meal with the tortillas so this is a nice option to serve alongside. It would probably be pretty good as a dip as well. And you can add other things like black beans or scallions or fresh tomatoes if you have them!

Make sure your corn is nice and brown before removing it from the heat - you want that roasted flavor!

Sauteed Corn and Salsa
adapted from Everyday Food
Makes 2 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
10 ounce package frozen corn, about 2 cups
1/3 cup jarred salsa or 1/2 cup fresh salsa
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives and/or cilantro

Heat olive oil in medium saute pan over high heat. Add corn and garlic, cook until corn begins to brown, stirring occasionally, 5-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add salsa and salt and pepper to taste. Top with chives or cilantro.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

This is one of my favorite "lunch soups". It is soooo easy to make - you open a few cans, pour in some beer, and you don't even have to brown the chicken before you add it to the slow cooker.

Gotta love Yuengling in a measuring cup!

It is delicious with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top - and make sure you pack some tortilla chips to accompany it!

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
adapted slightly from AllRecipes.com
Makes 6-8 servings

1 onion, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (anything but light beer!)
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (Rotel brand)
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts, each cut in half

Place the onion, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 1-2 hours on low.

Salsa Chicken

I am going to warn you right now that this post has no pictures. It was Back-to-School night this week; which meant pulling something from the freezer that I could gulp down before returning to school and Chuck could put together when he got home. Hence, no before pictures since it was defrosted, and no pretty pictures at the end since it was all I had time for was to stand at my kitchen counter and eat this!

BUT, if you are looking for something quick and easy with almost no prep time at all, you need to try this. You don't even need to brown or cook the meat before adding it - it literally takes about 2 minutes to get this all together. Great to serve to a crowd or make some for your family and freeze the rest!

Salsa Chicken
adapted from many recipes on the What's Cooking board
Makes 8-10 servings

4 chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bag frozen corn
1 jar salsa
tortillas
suggested toppings: cheese, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, avocados

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Cover with beans, corn, and salsa. Stir slightly to mix ingredients, but make sure chicken is still completely covered.

Cook for 8 hours on low. Shred chicken with two forks, cook 1 more hour on low.

Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.

Southwest Pasta Salad

Well, it's that time of year again. The last week of "real summer" for all of us teachers and other school personnel. So of course I need one last beach day, and my good friend Krista and I will be headed down the shore one day this week! We decided to make lunch ourselves and bring it, so Krista will be bringing gazpacho and I tried to come up with a nice, beach-friendly side for that.

I have made this pasta salad numerous times before, thanks to Cara over at Cara's Cravings. The original recipe is a family favorite of hers, and I have only made some minor tweaks. Despite the 8 ounces of pasta it calls for, this recipe make a LOT of food, so make it for a crowd. Although I usually make it for myself and just eat it for lunch several days thereafter!

Southwest Pasta Salad
adapted from Cara's Cravings
Makes 8-10 side dish servings

8 ounces farfalle pasta, uncooked
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (9 ounce) package frozen corn, thawed
1 cup salsa
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 avocado, peeled, chopped

Dressing
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 large garlic cloves, minced

In medium bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; mix well. Set aside.

Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain cooked pasta; rinse with cold water until cool.

In large bowl, combine beans, corn, salsa, tomatoes and cilantro.

Add cooked pasta, dressing, and shredded cheese to bean mixture; toss until well coated. Chill for at least 2 hours. Top with avocado immediately before serving.

Shoepeg Salsa

This stuff is GOOD. I saw it on The Sisters' Cafe, a blog where five sisters all post their favorite recipes on the blog. So that leads to a lot of different ideas!

I was a little nervous about the black-eyed peas since I had never eaten them before, but they just blended in with the corn and the French dressing really stands out. I only used half of a red onion since it is such a strong taste but everything else stayed exactly the same!

Shoepeg Salsa
The Sisters' Cafe
Makes a LOT

2 cans shoepeg corn (drained)
1 can blackeyed peas (drained and rinsed)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 purple or sweet onion, diced
1 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 cup wishbone robust italian dressing
1/2 cup wishbone sweet and spicy french dressing

Combine all and enjoy!

I liked it with Tostitos Scoops:

Sauteed Corn and Black Bean Salad

Recently, I have grown to love (and Chuck too, just because I put them on the dinner table) beans a lot more. Any kind, black beans, white beans, kidney beans...they are so good for you, so inexpensive, and you can use them in so many different dishes!

I saw this recipe awhile ago over on Reading, 'Riting, and Recipes and, after adapting it slightly, have made it several times since. You can make it and eat immediately, or chill it for awhile; I would just recommend bringing it to room temperature before eating. Using the freshest ingredients helps to bring out the wonderful flavors of lime, garlic, and cilantro. Yum!

Sauteed Corn and Black Bean Salad

Serves 4

10 oz. package frozen corn kernels
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 /3 cup lime juice (juice of 2 limes)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped or 1 t. dried cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
red pepper, salt, coarse ground pepper to taste
avocado (optional)

Heat small amount of olive oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. Add corn and saute until corn is browning. Add black beans to pan. Heat through.

Whisk together lime juice, 2 T. olive oil, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and other spices.

Pour over corn and beans. Top with diced avocado if desired.