Tag: recipes by bloggers

Easiest Way To Cook And Shuck Corn On The Cob

For years I would buy fresh corn on the cob, shuck it and get the sticky silks all over the place and somehow there were still more on the cob. Not to get too infomercial on you, but I wished there was a better way…and there is! Oven-roast those suckers!

When my friend first told me how to do this, I was convinced that shoving paper-like husks into a hot oven would result in roasted corn and an epic house fire. I’m happy to say that only one of those things happened. (It was the corn thing; if it were the house thing then this would be a terrible method for cooking corn.) The corn comes out of the oven cooked to perfection and the silks are magically stuck to the husk instead of the corn. Just peel the husk off and the silks come too!

How to make this fabulous corn on the cob

Place corn on the cob (still in the husk) directly onto the racks of your 400°F oven and bake for 30 minutes.
(Optional) Continuously open the oven door to peek inside and make sure the corn is not on fire…despite your friend’s insistence that it is not.
Once the corn is done roasting, remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 10 – 15 minutes before asking your dinner guests to shuck a 400°F object (lesson learned).

That’s all there is to it! (And you thought the house was going to burn down…)

Want to learn more about corn? Check out my Bounty From The Farm: Sweet Corn post and coming on June 11 (National Corn on the Cob Day) I’ve got a great Edamame, Corn and Tomato Salad that makes a great side dish at outdoor barbecues.

katie: normal girl

How to Build The Perfect Veg Sandwich

As summer approaches and backyard barbecues commence, I’m always on the look out for filling, vegetarian sandwich that’ll go perfect with all of the classic summer side dishes (chips, baked beans, corn on the cob…it’s all so delicious). This sandwich is it for me. It’s great because all of the toppings can double as burger toppings (if you’re a mixed meat and veggie crowd), it’s great for taking on hikes and it’s packed with protein so it’s filling and energizing.

HOW TO BUILD THE PERFECT VEG SANDWICH

The ingredients:

rustic ciabatta roll (or other hearty, crusty bread of your choice)
cilantro hummus (if you can’t find hummus, just mix a handful of chopped, fresh cilantro into your favorite classic hummus dip)
cucumber slices (I prefer english or pickle cukes because they are crunchier than the standard cucumber)
tomato slices
mixed baby lettuce or spinach
shaved or julienned carrots (use a vegetable peeler to shave the carrots and create thin carrot ribbons)
olive oil (not optional, I used to think it was but it is not)
sea or kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

The layers:

Start with your ciabatta roll. Spray or brush a thin layer of olive oil onto both the top and bottom pieces of your roll. I didn’t used to do this, then a friend of mine suggested adding it and wow! What a difference it makes. I was honestly shocked that a little olive oil could make the sandwich taste better but it does – don’t skip it!
Follow with a sprinkle of any large granule salt, like sea or kosher salt and a dusting of fresh cracked pepper on both sides of the roll.
Then spread a layer of the cilantro hummus on each side of the roll.
Start building your layers on the bottom of the roll with the carrots, followed by the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber.
Pop the top of your roll onto the sandwich and bite into the delicious-ness!

This sandwich is so tasty that it doesn’t just have to be for the vegetarians in your group, the meat-eaters will love it too!

katie: normal girl

Pomegranate Breakfast Bread

The tasty red jewels from the pomegranate have so many great uses but I like to keep it simple. This breakfast toast is ridiculously healthy, easy to make and perhaps most importantly, it’s tasty.

You’ll need:

A hearty multi-grain bread – I prefer Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread available in the freezer section of the grocery store.
Plain greek yogurt – The tart flavor works well with the pomegranate seeds and the greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt – a good thing for us vegetarians.
Pomegranate seeds, that you harvested yourself using the easy spoon method.
Honey – For just a hint of sweetness, it is, of course, optional.

Toast up your bread, spread a thin layer of yogurt on top, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and drizzle with honey. Breakfast is served!

katie: normal girl

How To Get Pomegranate Seeds Out

Pomegranates are a round fruit that is typically in-season during the cooler months. Depending on where you live it can be anytime from September through April. You eat the flesh covered seeds (also Pomegranate - learn to get the seeds out at katienormalgirl.com | #howto #lifeskills #food referred to arils, which is actually the red portion that covers the seed) that are found inside, in a white membrane. The seeds have a tart, slightly sour taste that gets sweeter the longer it remains in the fruit. Getting the seeds out of the membrane can be tricky and there are two common methods, the water bowl method and the “beating it with a spoon” method. I prefer the later method. Despite the violent sounding nature of it, using the spoon method will get you a bowl full of seeds that are fully intact and unharmed.

You’ll need:

a sharp knife
a wooden spoon
a medium to large bowl
an apron/clothing protection

Before you start, you’ll want to put on an apron or drape a tea towel down the front of your clothing to protect it. Juice from the red arils can stain clothing.

Start by using the knife to score the outer skin of the pomegranate and pull it apart. Don’t just cut it in half because you’ll burst some of the arils which will create a mess and you’ll loose some of the seeds you’re working so diligently to harvest.

Next, take half of the pomegranate and pull the sides, stretching it in several places to loosen the seeds. Turn it over in your hand and use the back and side of a wooden spoon to hit the pomegrante. The seeds will start to fall out in your hand, dump them into the bowl and keep on going! Repeat with the other half.

That’s all there is to it! Now you can enjoy these tasty little delights as a snack by themselves, mixed into yogurt or on top of ice cream. Enjoy!

katie: normal girl

Want to learn how to cut and prepare more things? Check out Kitchen Skills.

National Oatmeal Month

I’ve been so caught up enjoying National Hot Tea Month that I almost missed National Oatmeal Month. I know that for some of you, missing out on oatmeal is definitely not a tragedy but I kind of like the stuff. During this month of resolutions and getting healthy, why not give oatmeal another try? I’ve started collecting some inspirational recipes over on Pinterest, join me, won’t you?

katie: normal girl

Let’s Make Dinner: Spaghetti Casserole

In honor of National Spaghetti Day (January 4) I wanted to share one of my favorite dinners with you, spaghetti casserole. This recipe is from my great-great grandfather and as far as I know, it hasn’t changed much since the days when he was making it. This is a family-favorite for Christmas Eve dinner, especially for the cook because it’s so easy to make and it can even be made ahead of time and frozen (plus, the red, green and white make it pretty festive).

This is a layered dish, so you’ll need to setup your assembly station. Start by mixing all of the cheeses together in a bowl (it goes a little easier if the cream cheese is at room temperature). Then break your uncooked pasta into 2″-3″ pieces. Dice your green peppers (the easy way) and finally, pour the spaghetti sauce into a bowl that it can be easily ladled out of.

1 | Layer the bottom of a 9″ x 12″ casserole dish with spaghetti sauce.
2 | Top with a layer of uncooked pasta.
3 | Spread the cheese mixture over the pasta.
4 | Sprinkle a few of the diced green pepper pieces and a bit of black pepper over the cheese.
5 | Repeat steps 1-4 until you’ve filled the dish, being careful to fully cover your top layer of pasta noodles with sauce and cheese so they’ll cook properly.
6 | Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, rotating the dish half-way through the cooking time.
7 | Allow it to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.

If you have any extra sauce, you can serve it on the side.

From my family to yours, enjoy!

Looking for more meat-free meals? Check out the Vegetarian Eats area.

Cutting A Bell Pepper, The Easy Way

You’re a green pepper dicing machine! Now use that diced green pepper in this easy, spaghetti casserole recipe and you’ve got dinner!

katie: normal girl

Want to learn more things? Check out the Life Skills area.

Easy Cinnamon Peanut Brittle

This time of year always puts me in the mood for peanut brittle but not just any peanut brittle…I want cinnamon peanut brittle.

There are so many peanut brittle recipes out there, so if you already have a favorite, you can try this take on it by just adding cinnamon to your existing recipe. If you don’t have a favorite then I’d love for you to give this version a try. It makes a yummy treat that can be wrapped up and given as gifts to your co-workers, family, and friends.

You’ll need:

– 1 1/3 c. sugar
– 6 1/2 oz. shelled, salted peanuts
– 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
– butter to grease cookie sheet and spoon backs
– two metal spoons

Thoroughly grease a cookie sheet with butter, being sure to cover the entire bottom and sides. Next you’ll need to prepare for cooking the sugar. Once the sugar is ready you’ll need to add the peanuts and cinnamon, stir and pour into the cookie sheet pretty quickly so have everything you need (peanuts, cinnamon, metal spoons) setup and ready to go.