Garlicy oven roasted corn on the cob

Is there anything better in the summer than fresh corn on the cob? Maybe water melon? Maybe. 

I was looking for a new way to cook corn on the cob this weekend and I think I found it. It was amazing, it was delicious. It made me weep. (Not really.)

Also, it combined all of my husbands favorite things, butter, garlic and corn.

What you'll need:

Four ears of corn, shucked

2 Tbsp melted butter

4 tbsp minced garlic

That is all.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Drizzle the butter over the corn.

Rub with garlic.

Roast in oven for 30 minutes.

That's it. You're done.

Quinoa, apple and kale salad- fancy!

I love apples. I love kale. I love quinoa. Why not put them in a salad?!?

I do love kale I have made kale chips and I have made pasta with kale. But what about just raw kale? Yup, that's good too?

Friday I made fish tacos. I wanted something to go with them and I had just purchased some kale earlier in the week to make some more kale chips. So I went to Google. (What on earth did we do before Google?)

I found a great recipe for Quinoa, apple and kale salad. But I also had a cucumber I needed so use and some Feta cheese and my husband isn't crazy about lemon juice dressing, so I needed to make it my own.

The great thing about this salad is it is pretty healthy. Quinoa is a complete protein and very filling. Kale is believed to be an anti cancer vegetable and is loaded with calcium and vitamin k and vitamin c.

What you'll need:

2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked quinoa cooked with two cups water)

4 cups kale, washed and pulled from stem

1/2 a large apple, cored and chopped

1 large cucumber, chopped (you can peel if you so desire)

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup low fat balsamic vinegar dressing.

Cook your quinoa according to the package instructions and let cool in the fridge for a couple hours.

In a bowl combine your kale, apple, cucumber and quinoa. Then drizzle with dressing and stir a little.

Sprinkle with your feta cheese and you are done.

Kale chips - so simple it hurts

Can cabbage be trendy? It can if it is Kale. I have heard much about Kale- soups, stews and chips. Chips? Yes. Chips.

People who have tried or made Kale chips rave about them. So I decided to see what all the fuss was about. And darn, they're good. It is the most easy snack you will ever make and the health bonuses are overwhelming. Kale is rich in calcium, high in vitamin K, vitamin C and beta carotene, and sulforaphane, which is believed to be an anti cancer agent. 

But bottom line, Kale is simple and better for you than a bag of Lays Potato Chips. Seriously, 25 minutes and you're done.

What you'll need:

A Bunch o' Kale

A little Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Preheat your oven to 350.

Break up the Kale like so.

Drizzle with olive oil

and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

Pop in the oven for 20 minutes and bam!

You have Kale chips. The end.

Hummus a new tune

Print this recipe

I love hummus. It is a protein packed snack. My sister has this really cute story about my baby niece holding up a carrot and declaring she needed hummus. 

I can purchase hummus for $3.99 at Publix (I love Publix) but I convinced myself I could make it at home. That was until I realized you couldn't make it without Tahini - a delicious sesame paste that is both exotic and pricey. At $6.99 a can (ouch) I was better off just buying the Sabre Hummus. But no. I would not be deterred from my mission.

So I experimented until I came up with a cheaper and delicious alternative that costs just around $1.25 to make.

What you'll need:

1 - 19 ounce can chick peas

2 heaping tbsp minced garlic

1 1/4 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp ground red pepper flakes

3 tsp ground cumin

food processor

Drain and rinse your peas then dump them in the food processor with the lemon juice, garlic, cumin and half the red pepper flakes. Turn on the processor and wait. It will all become creamy and delicious.

Once throughly mixed place in a bowl and garnish with remaining pepper. Enjoy!

Shake, shake, shake it

Sunday night while preparing dinner I decided to force Spring in a little early with a salad that featured pears and apples. I wanted to top it with a honey mustard dressing. But, I didn't have any. So what's a girl to do when she is craving something lacking from her fridge? Make it herself!

What you'll need:

One small jar - I used one that once contained Kalamata olives. (Ah! Kalamata olives...)

2 tbsp spicy brown mustard

3 tbsp honey

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 extra virgin olive oil

Okay, here comes the tricky part. Ready? You measure all of that in to the jar and you shake it.

It was delicious. And it would probably make for a great marinade on chicken.