Blueberry Sweet Corn Salad

I get so excited when I think I am being creative in my food. Like I am on to the next big thing. I had a bit of everything in the refrigerator, yet not enough of any of it to make a complete meal. I had half a pint of blueberries, a bag of corn, tomatoes, cucumbers. I made a tomato cucumber salad.That was a given. What to do with the blueberries and corn? While my husband was grilling chipotle chicken , I got a hairbrained idea to add the corn and blueberries together. I added fresh basil, salt , pepper, olive oil, a pinch of garlic salt and a bit of white wine vinegar. No measuring, just threw it together. I let it sit in the fridge for a bit to meld the flavors.My husband and kids looked at it when I put it on the dinner table and turned their noses up. But I made each of them , (hubby too) try it. And they all said it was good. And ate it all. I have to admit the flavors really did go great together. The slight tartness of the blueberries, the sweet corn, the basil. I loved it and instantly wished I had made more. So I snapped a pic and had these huge plans to reveal my great recipe to the masses this morning. But I googled. And quickly realized I was not on to anything . It has been done before. Sure, some corn blueberry salads have more ingredients. Some not. Some use roasted corn, some use small Maine blueberries. But, all in all I am not original....this time. But here is my version of the salad, nonetheless. Oh, and I learned something else last night. After so many years of marriage, I found out my husband does not like raw blueberries. In muffins, cakes and sweets, they are ok. But just popped in a salad or eaten from the fridge, not so much. Huh? Why has he never said anything? Men. But he ate the salad . And said it was good. I like to think he wouldn't tell a little white lie to make me happy. Or would he? ;)

Blueberry Corn Basil Salad

2 cups corn
1 cup blueberries
4-6 leaves of basil, cut into thin strips
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of garlic salt
2 T olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar

Mix all ingredients together . Refrigerate to meld flavors. Serve cold.

Easy Brunswick Stew

It is so nice to have a bowl of this stew on a cold night. I use leftover pulled pork bbq for this recipe, but you can use pulled pork that is ready made at the grocery store or big box stores like Costco or Sam's. I have seen containers of shredded pork at both stores, though never tried it. I just double the recipe when I make pulled pork for sandwiches or pizzas so we can make stew later in the week.


Crockpot Brunswick Stew

Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 c bbq pork, shredded
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
2 c frozen corn
2 c frozen lima beans
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 c  chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp worchestershire sauce

Preperation
Combine all ingredients in a 5 qt slow cooker. Cook, covered, on high for 6-7 hours.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

This is one of those recipes that take a short amount of time to make, yet it has the flavors that most everyone enjoys. Especially kids. Think taco pasta cups. The thing I love about this particular recipe is that I can make the individual toppings that make both kids and parents happy. Usually my kids load their shells with lots of cheese and sour cream. But I always dice a red onion and let it sit in lime juice for about 15 minutes, chop up a small bunch of cilantro and avocado for the adults. I served these shells with a cumin spiced black bean and corn salad, which I added to my shells before adding the sour cream. Super yummy meal to make on a weeknight.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Ingredients
1 box jumbo pasta shells
1-2 T butter
1.5 lbs lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
2T taco seasoning ( I use Penzey's)
3 oz  cream cheese ( I use reduced fat)
1 c salsa
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c shredded hot pepper jack cheese
1.5 cups tortilla chips, crushed ( I use tortilla strips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*. Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions.Drain shells, gently toss in butter and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the meat, turkey  or chicken. Season with the 2T taco seasoning. Stir in the cream cheese until well blended. Let the meat mixture simmer on low for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Fill each shell with meat mixture and set in a lightly greased casserole dish. (9 x 13 ). Spoon the salsa over the shells and top with the cheese and tortilla chips. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and the meat is warmed through. Serve with sour cream, onions, lettuce;or any other taco toppings you prefer.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

One thing  I know for sure is that my family will eat pasta. Any  kind of pasta. So when  I  have not planned dinner and need to get food on the table in a hurry, I usually end up making some sort of pasta dish. This is an easy dish to prepare and it is so good. You can add any  type pasta you have on hand. I usually use penne or rotini  for this dish. You can also add other veggies , like black beans, to it to stretch it or make it heartier. Spice it up by adding chili powder or Rotel  tomatoes. If you use a rotisserie chicken, you can save even more time.So many different things you can do to make it your own. I  usually make a salad and it is a  great meal.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Ingredients
12 oz pasta (your choice)
3 cups cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
1/2 cup onion,diced
1 cup frozen corn,thawed
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 cups mild  red enchilada sauce
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt, to taste
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack)
1 T chopped fresh green onions

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 250 degrees and lightly grease a 13 x  9 baking dish
2.Cook pasta al dente and drain. Set aside.
3.In a large  bowl, mix the pasta, chicken,onions,tomatoes,tomato sauce, enchilada sauce ,cumin and garlic powder  until thoroughly  mixed.
4.Pour into the baking dish  and sprinkle with cheese, then the cilantro
5. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, to heat through and melt the cheese.
6. Top with extra cheese and green onions.

Sweet Corn Pasta

Since the weather is warmer and we really do not want to heat the kitchen up or fuss with long  recipes, I have a few summer pasta dishes that are full of flavor with a few short steps  for preparation. This recipe is one of my favorites. I love sweet corn and this dish showcases it perfectly. The lemon gives it a fresh flavor that is great for warmer weather. Don't skimp on the fresh parmesan cheese. It enhances the dish and  gives it a layer you don't want to miss. I use organic whole wheat pasta , lemons and garlic. The parsley and basil are fresh from the garden. This pasta would be great for a picnic lunch as well.

Summer Sweet Corn Pasta

1 lb spaghetti pasta

2 c cooked sweet corn kernel

1 c small grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 c chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T fresh lemon juice

scant 1 T lemon zest

salt & pepper, to taste

1  to 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese 

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest , basil and parsley . Mix well. Add the corn kernels

 and the tomatoes. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to a large serving bowl.

Pour the corn mixture over the pasta. Mix together. Top with lots of fresh parmesan cheese.