Fresh Corn Salad

With summer produce beginning to pop up in the grocery store, it's time to start enjoying corn again. This is something I do every time I visit my family since my little mountain town doesn't have the greatest corn selection. What my grocery store sells during the summer looks like the corn sold in America during the winter (which is not appetizing in any way). I was browsing through some Ina Garten recipes and found this extremely easy, yet tasty corn salad. The ingredient are simple, especially if you grow basil during the summer.

This makes a great side dish to any barbecue. It looks and tastes impressive, but once you make this, you'll realize that it requires minimal effort. If you're out of red onions, I imagine green onions would be a good substitue, but the salad would not be as colorful. You can also make the recipe with just 2 tablespoons each of the vinegar and oil if it looks like you have enough with that amount.

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Caramel-Glazed Cardamom Palmiers

I was recently looking for a new cookie recipe that I could make for my dad. He prefers drier non-chocolatey cookies that go well with tea or coffee. After looking through tons of recipes, I found this one and though it sounded manageable (and it had a couple good reviews). I've never attempted a similar cookie before, so I was a little bit pessimistic, especially when I first started kneading the dough and was convinced the seemingly dry, crumbly mass would never form a dough.

These cookies aren't necessarily difficult to make, but they take time. The result is delicious! Within less than 24 hours, 3 of us had finished the batch. I also saved the scraps of dough that I trimmed away to form the rectangle. I used those to make mini palmiers, which were adorable, bite sized snacks (even more addictive thanks to their size). Though I haven't tried it yet, I imagine this dough would freeze well.

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Tequila Citrus Chicken

I was staring at my fridge when I realized it was time to use up some limes. I also had tons of chicken in the freezer. I came across this recipe and decided to give it a try. I haven't tried grilling it yet since I have yet to get a new propane tank for my grill (can't avoid that much longer with spring weather coming up). I fried the chicken in very little oil and it turned out great. I wasn't expecting the meat to have as much flavor as it did and was pleasantly surprised by my first bite.

This chicken would taste great with any of your usual side dishes (any kind of slaw, corn salad, etc...). I just made rice and a leafy salad and was happy with that, though I imagine a Tex-Mex style slaw would be perfect. Definitely take the time to marinate this overnight, the flavor will be worth the wait.

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Quinoa Tabouleh

I recently realized that I hadn't made an Mediterranean food in months. I always say if I had to choose one type of food to live off of my entire life, it would be Mediterranean. So it was time to take action and make one of the most refreshing side dishes/salads there is: tabouleh (also spelled tabouli). I know tabouleh is considered a salad, but I use it more as a very healthy side dish. Last time I made this I served it along panko crusted trout.

I've been on a quinoa kick lately since I realized I have tons of it in my pantry (well, more like a food cupboard). Tabouleh is usually made with bulgur, but also tastes great when made with quinoa. You could probably use other grains in this recipe and still get a delicious tasting side dish. Feel free to add more parsley to the dish. I tend to skimp on the parsley since I don't like when it overwhelms the mint and lemon flavors.

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Turkey Cacciatore

I've recently been eating what I consider lazy day meals (baked potato with cheese, pasta, etc...). Finally, after a week of my all-carb diet, I went out and bought tons of produce, meat, and other delicious things I had forgotten about. After coming home with a seemingly random mix of supplies, I realized I had everything to make this recipe, thanks to a quick google search.

This is a great, easy cacciatore recipe. The ingredients are simple, fresh, and come together perfectly in this Italian classic. The fresh basil is a must and adds more depth to the dish' overall flavor. You can use chicken or turkey, whichever you have at home will be good. I suggest eating this straight away, but leftovers will still be good the next day.

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