lemon basil + grilled corn pasta

Thanks for all of your compliments on the new header.  It’s a fun change of pace!  Also, the misspelling is now fixed.  I was just testing you to see if you’d notice.  I like keeping you on your toes! heh ;)  Actually, it was an embarrassing mistake.  If you missed it, I spelled “perspective” –> “perspecitve”….oops.  There were technical problems getting it loaded on the page, so when it finally showed up, I was overly excited + never noticed. 

Moving on…

Let’s get to talking about the recipe you see in the header.

It was spurred by my grilled corn tutorial.  I wanted to incorporate grilled corn into a recipe.  It’s great off the cob, but even more exciting when used in a recipe.  

My other ideas for this meal included:

• pasta
• lemon/basil/oil sauce
• grilled tomatoes
• garlic

It sounded like a winning combo in my head and it ended up to be a winning combo in my mouth as well!

Lemon/basil/oil sauce isn’t revolutionary, but mixing it with grilled cherry tomatoes + corn, brought this dish to life.  I’ve had luck with a few gluten free pastas so far.  Tinkyada is my favorite brand for fettucini style.  They have a few different variations, like this one that has rice bran in it.  I’ve tried a few of their products + the results are delicious.  My other favorite gluten free pasta is Lundberg’s Penne pasta. 

The problem that can arise with brown rice pasta, is that it can stick + turn gummy very easily.  The key is to not overcook + to immediately drain + rinse with cold water after cooking.  The package for the fettucini noodles, say 14-16min, but I only cook them for 10min.  If you cook them the full 14-16min they are quite gummy.  Test a few times throughout cooking + pull them off right when they’re tender.  Adding a little oil to the cooking water, may also help.

This is a fabulous meal to make and eat throughout the week.  You won’t get sick of these leftovers, trust me.  It’s also great to make + bring to a dinner party or picnic.  A definite crowd pleaser and it can be enjoyed hot or cold.  I preferred it cold [with the hot grilled corn + tomatoes], but Chris enjoyed his hot.  I’m partial to fettucini noodles, but use whatever type you want.

You can even ditch the pasta and make this with quinoa or millet. 

Besides this dish being packed with summery flavor, it also has a palette pleasing mix of textures.  It’s chewy from the noodles, crunchy from the corn, and juicy from the tomatoes.  And, my favorite part about this dish?  You can be done with the prep-work in 10min and done cooking in 15.  Can’t beat that, right? 

And another meal that kept the house cool.  No oven needed here, just the stovetop + grill.

Lemon Basil + Grilled Corn Pasta [serves 4]

• 4 servings pasta of choice
• 2 large ears of corn
• 30-40 grape or cherry tomatoes
• 3 med. cloves garlic, crushed/finely minced
• 1-2t honey [sucanat or pure cane sugar]
• 1/3c fresh lemon juice
• 1/3c extra virgin olive oil
• 2t olive oil to rub on corn + tomatoes
• 1/2t salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 3T basil, chiffonade
• basil for garnish

1. Boil water + cook pasta according to package directions.  Rinse in cold water when noodles are cooked + place in a large bowl.
2. Pre-heat the grill to med-high heat, ~350*.
3. Squeeze + measure the lemon juice, slice the basil + finely mince/crush the garlic.
4. Shuck the corn and rub lightly with oil.
5. Skewer the tomatoes and rub lightly with oil.  *If using wooden skewers, remember to soak them in water for 15min before adding tomatoes + placing on the grill.
6. Place on the grill, rotating every 3-4min.  The tomatoes will be done in about 8-10 and the corn will be done in 10-12. 
7. In a bowl, whisk the honey [starting with 1t], olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice together. 
8. Mix in the basil.  Taste and add more seasonings if needed.  I used a lot of black pepper!  If it’s too sour, add a touch more honey.  Bland?  Add more salt + pepper.
9. Bring corn + tomatoes inside and slice the corn off of the cob with a knife.  *Hold the ear vertically on a cutting board and slice down with the knife.
10. Mix 3/4 of the dressing with the pasta, then gently stir in the grilled corn and tomatoes. 
11. Taste and add more dressing if desired.
12. Top with fresh basil leaves + ground black pepper.

*Looking for a protein kick?  This meal is delicious if you add chickpeas!  I tried it with my leftovers. 

*If you have leftover dressing, it tastes great on salad.

Maybe this sounds a bit boring…or sort of been there done that.  But trust me on the addition of grilled corn + maters to pasta.  Possibly my favorite meal of the summer, next to my sweet potato black bean burgers. 

Summer perfection, all wrapped up on a fork. 

Can’t wait to fill you in on our climbing adventures from today.  We had a blast!

SLEEP!

Ashley   

chewiness

I’m all about the chew lately.

So much in fact that…

This was last night’s dinner…

Then I added extra milk, reheated in a pan, and ate it again for breakfast…

And for lunch…I couldn’t help but do the same…

The chewiness is out of control.  In a good way.  A very good way.

The cinnamon + vanilla are comforting.  The creaminess is addicting.

I highly recommend you make a full batch.  Because one serving just won’t be enough!

Ashley

breakfast again

I think I’m staring to come out of this nasty flu that’s taken a hold of me.  It’s now moved from all-body to chest + head/sinus.  No fun at all!  Sunday, I actually made it out of the house.  I felt like crap, but seriously had to get out.  The last time I was out was Wednesday.  INsane!  Where did we go?  Obviously the grocery store.

I haven’t had anything too crazy to eat lately, but have been trying to pack in as many fruits and veggies as possible.  It’s always harder to get in the veggies when you’re sick.  The thought of eating salad makes me want to gag.  Kale chips + steamed broccoli have been much more appealing!  I’ve been downing smoothies and trying to get in a lot of healthy fats + protein, since my appetite has dwindled a bit.

I loved reading all of your breakfast guesses from yesterday!  A few of you nailed it with certainty.  It was indeed, cream of buckwheat.  I ground the groats in my blender, which is why they were so creamy.  I saw a small box of this at the store and it was really overpriced.  I knew I could just grind the groats at home, which were already in my cupboard.  It was tasty and a nice change of pace, but definitely seems like a grain that would better suite savory than sweet.  I’ll give it another go soon though! 

Kath has an awesome granola recipe that uses buckwheat.  I know Gena has a quick raw cereal recipe and buckwheat chai energy bars that use it too!  Gena’s cereal post is also loaded with fabulous information on buckwheat.  Definitely worth checking out!

Moving on….

Sunday’s breakfast was leftover brown rice “pudding.”  This, was to die for.  I made a big batch of brown rice “pudding” Saturday night and reheated it with more milk on Sunday for breakfast.  I absolutely love the chew from brown rice and I packed this recipe with a lot of vanilla and a hint of coconut.  I’ve never made real rice pudding, and I know that this is not it.  But, it’s close enough and extremely tasty!!  

Vanilla Bean Brown Rice [serves 3-4] inspired by my own boredom

• 1c short grain brown rice
• 1c water
• 1.5c unsweetened coconut milk [or 1c of low fat from a can]
• 1T unrefined coconut oil
• 2t vanilla bean paste [or vanilla extract]
• 1/2t cinnamon
• 1T maple syrup

1. Add all ingredients to a large pot and stir 2-3 time to combine.
2. Bring to a low boil, stir once and cover.
3. Reduce heat to simmer and set your timer for 50min.
4. Turn off burner, and remove pan from heat.
5. Let sit 5min.
6. Fluff with fork and serve or refrigerate.

A few things to note…

• I made a large batch of this, so it would be a quick reheat in the morning.  This is not something I would make in the morning.  You can definitely double it to last you the whole wheat.
• If you don’t like coconut flavor, sub another high heat oil like Safflower. 
• You can use any other non-dairy milk instead of coconut milk, although coconut milk is thicker and will leave a creamier consistency.
• If you want to bring the sweetness out more, add a pinch of salt.

To reheat in the AM, this is what I did.  Of course, you can always do a quickie in the microwave, but this only took 5min and was worth it. :)

1. Put serving into small pot.
2. Add 1/2 thinly sliced banana.
3. Add 1/4c coconut or other milk.
4. Heat over medium, bringing to a simmer.
5. Gently stir, occasionally, for about 5min until nice and thick.

Topped with almonds, currants, coconut butter and a little peanut butter, this was breakfast, lunch, and dinner perfection. 

14 day detox recap coming Monday afternoon! 1 more week to go!

Ashley