Grilled Corn on the Cob

Please tell me you're not boiling your corn on the cob.


If you're like me and spent the first 30 years of your life doing just that, this post is for you! If you're already a griller, this post is still for you because your corn is about to get a makeover (and a healthy one).


Here's my pitch for grilling your corn on the cob: (1) TONS more flavor! (2) Prettier to look at (3) Juicier. Are you sold? Good. Moving on. . . .

I use a lot of things as vehicles with which to put melting butter into my mouth. For example, English Muffins. The sole purpose of an English muffin is to soak up butter into its deep nooks and crannies and transport that butter safely into my waiting mouth. Corn, however, is a different story. Yes, we are all used to putting butter all over it, but it doesn't have to be that way, and with this recipe it isn't. You will find no butter here, so if that's what you're after grab an English Muffin. Corn is trying hard to be a vegetable, so let's keep it healthy.

Here's What You'll Need:

corn on the cob

limes

parmesan cheese

paprika or chili powder

First, you'll need to husk your corn. You'll want to leave a little husk on for the grilling though, so I usually husk it down to 1-2 layers. You should be able to see the kernals underneath. Rip off the husk and save one long strip of husk from each cob for a later step in the process.

Gently peel back the remaining layer or two of husk and remove the cornsilk. Some people grill it with the corn silk in it and then remove it, but I prefer to get it all out early.

Fold the layer of husk back up over the corn and soak in cold water for 10-20 minutes.

Use the long piece of husk you saved to tie the husks tight on the corn. Most of the husk will burn off on the grill anyway, but tying will protect the corn from the fire long enough for it to cook.

Place the corn on the grill. Depending on how dark you want it, you will probably have to move it to the top rack (if you have one) at some point during the grilling. It will all depend on how hot your grill is. Our grill is a piece of junk, so my corn spends about half the time on the top rack so that it doesn't burn before it cooks. Keep an eye on it, rotating it at least once so that all sides get some time near the flames.

Eventually it will look something like this and you'll be dying to eat it up immediately. . . wait, we're almost to that part.

You'll definitely want to serve it HOT, so make sure everything else you're serving is ready and you can do these remaining steps quickly.

Remove the remaining husk. Chop a lime into quarters and rub a quarter of a lime all over the corn. You'll want to squeeze a little at the beginning so you are getting lime juice all over the corn. I like mine really "limey" so I use one lime wedge per cob, but you could easily use it for two if you prefer a more subtle lime flavor (it's lime, it still won't be subtle).

Finally, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and either paprika or chili powder, depending on how much kick you are going for. I used paprika on these and they were great. You'll want to go much lighter on the sprinkling if you use chili powder. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

-Meg

Asian Pot Stickers and Sesame Dipping Sauce

I have to admit that I was intimidated by the idea at first . . . pot stickers? This sounds like the kind of thing that should be left to chefs, but my good friend assured me she could walk me through my first attempt and I'm so glad I took her up on it. These were amazing! They are a bit labor intensive, but nothing that can't be done in an hour (or less with some "night before" preparation).

Here's what you'll need:

Asian Pot Stickers:

1 medium onion chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 to 2 teaspoons ginger grated

1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 package wonton or egg roll wrappers

Cooked shredded chicken, cooked shredded pork or cooked sausage

Shredded cabbage and carrot mix (coleslaw mix)  

1 can baby corn

1 can waterchestnuts

2 scallions chopped

¼ c cilantro chopped

½ c bean sprouts

¼ c mushrooms chopped

¼ c red bell pepper chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Canola oil 

Dipping sauce: 

¼ c rice wine vinegar

¼ c low sodium soy sauce

1 scallion chopped

¼ t crushed red pepper flakes

Sriracha sauce (optional) 

Since I made this at a friend's house she already had some of the ingredients ready when I arrived (cooked chicken, sauteed onions and ginger), so you aren't getting the usual picture of all the ingredients, but here's some. You should know what everything is except maybe the Sriracha sauce, which you can find in the Asian food aisle and it comes in a plastic bottle with a green lid and basically looks like hot sauce (which is what it is).

Feel free to use all or some of the above listed ingredients. We left out water chestnuts because we had some haters in the bunch. I could have done without mushrooms, but to be honest, I didn't even notice them because there is so much stuff in these. Definitely add these cute baby corn cobs!

To get started, combine the first four ingredients in a skillet and cook about ten minutes or until the onions are transparent. Set aside and allow to cool completely. (I would recommend doing this quite early or even the night before. You'll want to cook your meat early too).

Next, mix all the ingredients in the dipping sauce together. The Sriracha sauce will add some kick if you are into that. If not, there is no harm in leaving it out and having a mild sauce. The flavors will blend better if you let it sit.

Next, chop your pre-cooked meat and all the other veggies and good things into tiny pieces and combine in a large mixing bowl.  Add the completely cooled onion mixture. Mix well with your hands so that everything is distributed evenly. (You want ALL your pot stickers to be delicious don't you?)

Now you are ready to fill the wrappers. Open the wrappers and cover the open package with a slightly damp towel because filling them will take some time and the wrappers dry out quickly. Lay out 4-5 wrappers and wet the edges of them with your finger, a pastry brush, or a spray bottle. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling in each wrapper.

Seal the dampened edges by pressing them together (pretty hard) with your fingers. You'll want to avoid over-stuffing because these wrappers can tear pretty easily and are NOT stretchy, but don't worry too much about small tears - they'll still cook up just fine.

Make as many as you can eat! Leftovers will taste best if you store the filling separate from the wrappers and make them right before you want to eat them.

Now for the really fun part . . . . Heat about 1 Tablespoon of canola oil in a large non-stick skillet. When the oil starts to ripple reduce your heat to medium and add the pot stickers to the oil (carefully - from back to front so you don't get burned). Cook several at a time, but don't allow the pot stickers to touch.

Cook them over medium heat about 2 minutes until the sides and bottoms look golden brown and crispy.

Then, pour about 1/4 cup water into the pan (using the pan lid as a shield to avoid splattering yourself) and cover immediately. All you are doing here is steaming the pot stickers. Cook another 1-2 minutes and remove them from the pan.

Store them in a warm oven until ready to serve. Then just keep cooking them up in small batches until you have a delicious heaping tray of pot stickers like these! Serve with rice and dipping sauce. Make these when you have guests - They'll think you're a rockstar!

-Meg

  

Pumpkin Crepes with Sweet Italian Sausage Filling

I know it's going to be a relaxing Saturday when I wake up craving crepes. Since it is finally feeling like autumn here in Houston I wanted to try something with a little seasonal flare . . . (drumroll) . . . pumpkin crepes! Don't panic. They sound difficult only because they are french, but they are super easy!

There are about a million things you could fill pumpkin crepes with - and Nutella is a fail-proof option even for these (remember how much you love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies - these are just fancier because they are french). I also considered some kind of a carmel-pecan filling, which would be amazing if my husband liked pecans. But ultimately I decided to go with a savory crepe and do sweet peppers, onions, and italian sausage. Mmm. Mmm. We were not disappointed.

Here's what you'll need:

For the Crepes:

3/4 c. milk

1 egg

1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. pumpkin

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

For the Filling:

1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil

1/2 of a large yellow onion

4-5 small sweet peppers (multi-color) (or you can use bell peppers if you can't find these)

1/2 lb. italian sausage

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

First, combine the milk, egg, flour, pumpkin, and cinnamon in your mixer, mix until smooth.

Next, pour a little batter onto a hot greased round non-stick frying pan. I use a measuring cup to limit the amount I pour in. You'll have to roll the frying pan around to distribute the batter evenly. Try to use a pan with a flat portion the size of the crepes you want because that will be the only thing keeping them round. I still don't make perfectly round crepes, but your first few will probably be pretty crazy shapes. Who cares!? They still taste amazing. If you are having a fancy dinner party you may have to practice a little. Ultimately it should look something like this and you should cook it over medium/low heat just until it starts to bubble in the middle and get loose around the edges (kind of like pancakes do), probably no more than a minute. I have a long flat spatula that I found at Ikea and I just stand over my crepe and go around the edges with the spatula until it starts to come off the pan. Flip it to the other side and cook 20-30 more seconds. Remove it and start over with the next one. You'll be standing next to the stove through the whole process - don't go far!

While you are standing there cooking your crepes, you can get started on the next step - the filling. Thinly slice half of a yellow onion and 4-5 small sweet peppers or bell peppers (whatever you can find at the store). Place them in a frying pan with 1-2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil and cook over medium/low heat until the onions begin to carmelize.

Once the onions begin to carmerlize and the peppers are softening, add 1/2 lb. italian sausage and cook fully.

Finally, fill the crepes . . .

Fold them and garnish with cilantro. I also sprinkled some carmelized nuts on these to give them an added salty/sweet contrast. Delicious! Happy crepe-making!

-Megan