How to Peel Corn

Are you laughing at me?  How to peel corn?  Well, let me tell ya, peeling corn is MESSY!  And if you can show me a cleaner way to do it, I'm all for it!   I discovered this method this summer.  The corn crop is so good this year!  I've been buying local and organic fruits and vegetables this summer and the corn is to die for and I've ordered extra corn every week!  Some say corn is good for you, some say it's bad for you.  I say it's a whole food and it's delicious.  So here is how you peel it. 

1.  Cut both ends off with a sharp knife.
2.  Cut a slit in the husk from end to end.
3.  Peel back husk and corn silks.
4.  Remove cobb.
5.  Discard husk.

There is many-a-way to enjoy corn on the cobb.  My favorite is grilled in foil with olive oil and lime juice.  I usually cut it off the cobb and enjoy it with salads or dishes like my Mexican Cauliflower Rice.

 What's your favorite way to eat corn?

Green Chile Chicken Kabobs with Mexican Cauliflower Rice

I know it's a mouthful.  But what else do I call it?  Chicken and cauliflower?  Then you won't want to eat it.  But Green Chile Chicen Kabobs with Mexican Cauliflower Rice, however, sounds delicious.  My husband begged for seconds.  We ate the whole humungo pan of "rice". 

I found a good green chile "anytime sauce" made by Stubbs that I marinated and cooked the chicken in.  The flavor was perfect paired with the cauliflower.  Let's talk about that.  Cauliflower.  What is with this new food fad?  I've only ever eaten cauliflower from a veggie tray dipped in ranch dressing (raise your hand if you're with me).  Who in their right mind thought to make pizza crust and "rice" from this stuff?  Well someone did and I'm actually okay with that.  We have had some very tasty meals lately with this white stuff at the center of it.  It adapts well to flavors you add to it and while you can still taste the cauliflower itself, the surrounding ingredients take it to a whole new level. 

I'll tell you the version of Mexican "rice" that I made, but I'm sure I'll change the recipe next time based on the ingredients I had on hand because that's what I do. 

Ingredients:

1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1/4 t chili flake
4 cups cauliflower rice
3 green onions
1 tomato
1 ear of corn, cut off cobb
1/2 red pepper
1 avocado
1 T lime juice

Directions:

1.  Make "rice" by placing florets in a food processor.  Process until the cauliflower has broken down into pieces the size of rice. One small head of cauliflower should be enough.
2.  In a skillet over medium heat, diced red pepper and corn and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3.  Add the cauliflower rice, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flake and salt and pepper.  Saute until "rice" starts to brown.  Turn heat off and add lime juice in and stir. 
4.  Stir in green onions before serving.
5.  Remove to platter and serve with grilled chicken and garnish with avocado, lime and fresh tomatoes. 

If the thought of cauliflower rice is too intimidating to you or you just don't simply have it around, then quinoa or rice would also work great with this dish. 

Kabobs have been my all time favorite summer meal.  They are so easy to fix and they cook so quickly.  I find that they are a little juicier because they are close together.  I am very particular about my chicken and this way is perfect. 

I hope you enjoy this dish.  It's perfect for summer and every month in between! 

Guacamole Chicken Burger

I just recently became a member of the website Dashing Dish. I absolutely love everything about her blog.  She's encouraging, uplifting and has some incredible clean eating recipes!  The basis of this recipe is all hers, except I used ground chicken instead of turkey.  I piled it on top of spinach and a thick slice of the best and juiciest heirloom tomato! 

There is a common misconception about clean eating and that is that you eat boring, tasteless "rabbit food".  Umm, no sir.  No rabbit food here (okay, maybe the spinach BUT there is a juicy burger with guacamole sitting on top of it)!  Did you hear me say GUACAMOLE?  This is the hearty stuff, the chunky guacamole with tomato, onion, jalapeno, lime, cilantro mixed in with perfectly ripe avocado.  

If you haven't already, add Dashing Dish to your list of favorites and pay the $5 monthly membership.  This recipe alone is well worth it!

Click here for the recipe.

Clean Eating Sandwich Skewers

My husband LOVES sandwiches.  Turkey, pepperoni, chipotle chicken, avocado, tomato, red onion and SHARP cheddar cheese.  It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  There is no doubt that a sandwich can be an easy AND delicious meal.  Cooking for the whole family when mom is trying to eat better is HARD WORK!  So I've come up with a few work arounds to make meals for the family and myself without sacrificing flavor or compromising my eating habits. 

I think these cuties are pretty self explanatory.  But here is what I did:

Ingredients

Romaine lettuce leaves
Boars Head lunch meat
cherry tomatoes
shredded carrots
avocado
cucumber

Directions:

1.  Rinse and dry the romaine leaves.  Cut down the middle, making one leaf into to small leaves and discard the ribs.
2.  Lay your 1-2 slices of lunch meat on each side of lettuce and pile some carrots in the middle.  Roll up the leaves and cut in half.  Skewer with a tooth pick to hold in place.
3.  Add cucumber, tomatoes and avocado.

Optional:  Drizzle with red wine vinegar and olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.    

I didn't miss the bread and you won't either!

Clean Eating Asian Lettuce Wraps

If it weren't so late I'd make my way into the kitchen right now to make these again.  There definitely were not any left overs the first time I made these.  I am on an Asian kick lately whether it's this chicken salad, teryaki chicken skewers, mongolian beef, fried rice-you name it, I want it!  This is a perfect light and fresh summer salad.  It's clean.  It's delicious.  It's filling.  What more could you want?

 

Ingredients

For the filling:

2 grilled chicken breasts

1/4 c shredded carrots

3green onions

2 T chopped cilantro

1 diced avocado

For the sauce:

1/2 c tamari

1/4 t grated ginger
1 clove of garlic
1T white wine
1/8 t sesame oil
2 T honey
1/2 t red pepper flakes
dash of rice vinegar

Directions:

1.  Dice chicken into small pieces.

2.  Add to a bowl with cilantro, carrots, avocado and chopped green onions.

3.  Grate ginger and garlic into a bowl.  Go light on the ginger, add more later if you need it. I grate them using my micro-plane.

4.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined.  Taste test, adjusting honey if need be.

5.  Pour over chicken mixture and enjoy. 

I used large romaine leaves but you can use iceberg, butter lettuce or even cabbage.  This recipe would make a great Asian cabbage roll!  mmm...

You may be wondering what tamari is, it's a gluten free soy sauce.  Recently, I've started eliminating as much gluten from my diet as I can.  Not because I have to but because of the difference I feel when I chose not to have it.  The taste is only slightly different.  You may notice it at first but once you've had it a few times you don't realize the difference.  

As I said, there weren't any left overs.  My husband and I devoured these!  We had two big wraps each and I (bow my head in shame) pretty darn well licked the bowl.  

 

Butternut Squash and Farro Salad with Kale

It's a mouthful.  Both literally and figuratively.  I love when I feel full on food that is good for you!  While browsing for healthy salads a few weeks ago I stumbled upon this salad from Well Plated.
I can never remember what it's called but I can remember that it's delicious.  How can you forget something that's delicious?  You can't.  At least I cant.

This is a perfect winter salad because it's served warm.  However it is perfectly scrumptious cold as well!  Her recipe calls for freekeh which I couldn't find and definitely didn't have so I used farro instead.  It's a very hearty grain that's perfect with this combination.

I have only recently started using maple syrup as a sweetener in salad dressings.  I normally use honey but since I've made the switch I'm sold!  I find that the type of flower the bees used can drastically change the flavor of a dish.  While maple syrup has a strong flavor it's definitely hidden when combined with other ingredients.  

This salad will be making it's way onto my menu again real soon!  I hope it's on yours too!