Mexican Street Corn

School is winding down over here, the weather is (slowly) getting warmer, my daughter won't take off her ballet recital costume, and The Voice finale is next week... meaning I'll get my husband back... also meaning I can practically smell summer grilling season.  We're the type of family that fires up the barbecue in the dead of winter, but there's obviously something different about those charred, smoky meals when you're eating them outside.  In anticipation of al fresco style dining, the other day I made a grilled corn side dish that would pair perfectly with BBQ chicken or these tacos.

Often this type of corn is smothered with rich mayo, but we've been trying not to eat foods that are high in cholesterol.  This is why I was thrilled to pair up with Best Foods and work with their Carefully Crafted dressing which is free from eggs, cholesterol and artificial flavors and colors.  It makes such a difference in my day when I don't have to stress about what my children are putting into their mouths!  (So I can concentrate on all the OTHER stresses... like potty training.)  

This corn is so delicious and you can feel good about eating it.  It's also very easy to make: simply grill corn and then roll the cobs in a combo of greek yogurt, Carefully Crafted dressing, cotija cheese,  chili powder, cilantro and fresh lime juice!  You should totally make this for dinner after your son's Field Day or whatever end-of-the-year activity you're celebrating right now :)

Mexican Street Corn

Serves 6

Printable Recipe

6 ears shucked corn

1/4 cup Carefully Crafted dressing & sandwich spread

1/4 cup greek yogurt

1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese, plus more for serving

1/2 teaspoon chili powder, plus more for serving

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

Fresh lime juice (1/2 a lime), plus more wedges for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

Spray outdoor or indoor grill with grilling spray.  Heat grill to medium-high and while grill is heating, combine the Carefully Crafted dressing, greek yogurt, cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro and the juice from a half of a lime in a bowl and stir until combined.  Grill corn, turning until all sides are cooked, roughly 8-10 minutes total.  Immediately roll corn in dressing and place on platter.  Sprinkle with more cheese and chili powder, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

#BePicky #Sponsored            

Bolthouse Farms

I recently partnered up with Bolthouse Farms and attended an event where they premiered a line of new beverages.  The ingredients are fresh and honest and the flavors unique and exciting, such as Mango Pineapple Colada and Banana Honey Almond Butter (my personal favorite).  They sent me a bunch to try and challenged me to come up with four recipes featuring their smoothies, shakes and juices, and they are posted below!  It was so much fun to think outside the box (or bottle - puns are sort of my thing), and I'm really happy with each creation.  My family was my main source of inspiration, particularly my middle child who desperately needs more fruits and vegetables in her life, and I am NOT above sneaking nutrition into her diet in a covert manner.      

First up, these muffins that are a great snack or breakfast on-the-go.  When I tasted the combo of banana, honey and almond butter, I immediately wanted to bake with it.  Adding the shake to the muffins keep them moist, and adding ripe bananas and almond butter make them burst with that perfect flavor combination.  My toddler LOVED these, and I was happy knowing she was getting some extra protein in her diet!     

Banana Honey Almond Butter Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup Bolthouse Farms Banana Honey Almond Butter Protein Shake

1/4 cup almond butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

Turbinado sugar (cane sugar) for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Whisk first 5 ingredients in a bowl, set aside.  In a separate bowl, whisk together both sugars with protein shake.  Stir in almond butter, egg, vanilla and mashed bananas.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  Place into paper-lined muffin tins, about 3/4 of the way full, sprinkle a little cane sugar on top of each muffin, and bake for 18-20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  

Next, after sipping this sweet and tart Raspberry Blood Orange juice, I thought it would be great as a vinaigrette for salads (and I may or may not have poured some with vodka while I whisked away).  It's particularly delicious over peppery arugula, and would also make a great glaze for chicken or fish.

Raspberry Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Yields: approx 2 cups

1/2 cup Bolthouse Farms Raspberry Blood Orange Juice

1 small shallot, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.  Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.  Pour over salad or save in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Smoothie bowls have always intimidated me.  They look like masterpieces on Instagram, and too pretty to eat.  But after creating my own bowl, I was pleasantly surprised how easy and quickly it came together.  I added avocado for texture and creaminess, but the options are endless (banana, yogurt, leafy greens, etc).  And don't get me started on the toppings! 

Green Goodness Smoothie Crunch Bowl

Yields: 1 bowl

1 15 oz. Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness Smoothie

1/2 avocado

1/2 cup ice

Suggested Toppings:

Raspberries

Blueberries

Sliced bananas

Shredded raw coconut

Granola

Drizzle of honey

Combine Green Goodness Smoothie in a blender with avocado and ice and puree until smooth.  Pour into bowl, top with desired toppings and drizzle with honey.  

Finally, this cake.  This cake, that I want to make love to.  After one sip of the Mocha Cappuccino beverage, I knew I wanted to make something rich and decadent.  It tasted like such a treat, and I knew it would translate well as a dessert.  While this cake is creamy and indulgent... it's also light and would be a great thing to serve as the weather starts to get warmer! 

Mocha Cappuccino Smoothie Ice Cream Cake

Yields: 1 cake

35 chocolate wafer cookies, divided

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1.5 quarts coffee chip ice cream 

1 cup Bolthouse Farms Mocha Cappuccino Smoothie Beverage

1 cup ice

1 cup whipped cream

Chocolate chips or shavings for topping (optional)

Place 25 cookies in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until crumbs are formed.  Add butter and pulse until combined.  Place mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan (with approx. 3 inch sides) that is lined with parchment paper, and press with your fingers until crust coats the bottom of the pan.  Freeze for 10 minutes.  During this time, remove ice cream to soften and pulse remaining 10 crackers in the food processor, then set aside.  After the 10 minutes, remove pan from freezer and add ice cream.  Smooth with a spatula to create an even layer, then add cookie crumble on top, and place back in freezer for 10 minutes.  During that time, place ice and coffee beverage in a blender and pulse until a smoothie is formed.  Remove to a bowl, and fold in whipped cream.  Place on top of cake and smooth with a spatula.  Sprinkle chocolate chips or shavings on top, and freeze for 30 minutes or until ready to eat. 

Kale Caesar Salad

So I finally finished this season's Homeland, and I was depressed about it all weekend.  Not only because of the ending (no spoiler alerts, don't worry), but because it was OVER, and now I have to wait however long for more of it.  Does anyone else experience this type of TV-related depression?  Don't even get me started on the finality of Breaking Bad ending...

Ok, I don't really know where I'm going with this.  I'm tired.  I've had insomnia for two nights in a row, and I'm not sure why.  Is it Homeland related?  Maybe.  Am I pondering that I'm about to turn 35, which seems like a really big number?  Probably.  It's a good thing I had yummy food to eat this weekend, otherwise I'd be a zombie.  Like this Kale Salad with the most delicious and HEALTHY Lime Caesar Dressing.  It's made with greek yogurt and Parmesan cheese and anchovy paste for that familiar, salty Caesar flavor.  It was so good and very easy to make.  I topped my salad with shredded Parmesan, sliced tomatoes and homemade croutons (and followed this recipe for everything else).  

Ok... Monday, let's do this.

Crunchy Taco Kale Salad

Day 2 of Salad Week!  I barely made it!  (By the way, you should know that 6pm is practically midnight in my world.)  Also, I'm terribly disappointed in myself, because in my "hangry" haste last night I forgot to take many pictures of Day 2 Salad.  You're just going to have to take my word that it was delicious.  We typically partake in Taco Tuesday cuisine, but rarely do salads.  However, after viewing this recipe for a Crunchy Taco Kale Salad (and in our ongoing effort to eat slightly better, at least during the week) I decided to go for it.  Homemade Chipotle Lime Avocado Dressing??  Yes please.  And it was as creamy and (subtly) spicy as you would imagine.  Drizzled atop a kale salad with chopped cilantro, black beans, shredded white cheddar and a variety of veggies... and I also roasted some shrimp for protein.  Oh, and did I mention the homemade tortilla strips??  

Kale and Avocado Salad

I mentioned in a previous post that we've been spending a lot of time at the live shows of The Voice lately.  In other words, I've been spending a lot of time at the craft services table lately.  If you're unfamiliar with craft service, it's basically a glorious table full of glorious food.  Things you would never buy for yourself because you know you have no will power, like peanut butter-filled pretzels, and chili cheese fritos, and buckets and buckets of red vines.  Craft service and I have a love/hate relationship.  It beckons me.  I'm not kidding, out loud.  It says my name, all day long, "Siri, Siri, Sari."     

*Ok, fine, the lady in charge is named Sari so I hear her name all day long BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE A BECKONING CALL.

Occasionally (not really), I am able to avoid the junk and I'll go for something like a Kale Salad with Avocado.  I usually only enjoy cooked kale but there is something about pairing it with creamy avocado and a sesame-style dressing that makes it so delicious.  So I recreated it at home...

Kale and Avocado Salad

(Serves 4-6)

Printable Recipe

1 head kale, finely chopped

1 large avocado, diced

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 T black sesame seeds (optional)

Juice of half a lemon

Olive oil

Dash of sesame oil

Combine first 4 ingredients in bowl.  Whisk together olive oil (a few tablespoons), lemon juice and sesame oil in smaller bowl.  Add to salad and toss.  

I ate the salad..

I ate it up.  In case you missed it, you can listen here.

See, I really did...    

...and an hour later, I started experiencing contractions.  I'm not even kidding.

...to be continued.

*I had to pick a new winner of the Madhava Gift Basket because I didn't hear from winner #1, so LISA R., you are the new winner!  Please email me (contact info under Find Siri)*

Maternity Salad

There is a restaurant in Studio City called Caioti Pizza Cafe.  On their menu, they have something called "THE" Salad, also known as the Maternity Salad.  Apparently, pregnant women flock there everyday to eat this famous dish that is supposed to induce labor.  The ingredients are basic: romaine, watercress, gorgonzola, walnuts AND their super secret special dressing that you can purchase online.  It's the dressing that apparently does the trick.  They claim it's made from natural ingredients, but if it truly does "work" I'm going to guess it's either laced with castor oil or pitocin.

And I'm going to eat it.  Tomorrow.  On the radio.

On AMP Radio, and if you care to listen, click that link tomorrow morning around 8:05am PST and you can check out the live stream.  

Let's get this baby out of here, friends.  All together now.    

(image)

My Rules for a Great Chopped Salad

I'm a big fan of chopped salads, or garbage salads as I like to call them - basically an unattractive name for a salad with everything in it.  It's the easiest way to empty the produce from your fridge and it makes a great lunch, dinner side or even a main dish if a protein is added.  But I have some rules.  Oh yes, I always have rules.  Ask me sometime about the handbook I wanted to write as a child about The Etiquette of Christmas Lights.  Yup I named it that.  Ok onto my salad rules...

1. SIZE: Nothing bothers me more than a salad with giant pieces of lettuce (wedge excluded), or long, chunky pieces of vegetables that need to be cut with a knife.  Salads are meant to eat with a fork (like this).  So it matters to me that everything is proportional and roughly the same size...

2. HERBS: You know when you're at a restaurant and you're eating a great salad and there's that ingredient that's making you say, "what IS that??"  It's probably fresh herbs.  Basil, cilantro, mint, etc. - they can turn a good salad into a great salad by making everything taste fresh and vibrant.  My go-to is always freshly chopped basil.

3. CRUNCH: Texture is very important to me in a salad.  Some lettuces and vegetables offer a nice crunch but I need more than that.  I need nuts or croutons or crushed tortilla chips.  My go-to is toasted pine nuts.  I love their nutty flavor and of course, crunch.  

4. CITRUS: Carson's mom always squirts fresh lemon juice over her salads in addition to dressing, and now it's something I always do too.  Much like herbs, citrus adds a vibrancy and freshness to the salad and brings out all the flavors of the vegetables.  

5. DRESSING: I usually make my own dressing.  It's much less intimidating than it seems, and I'm sure you have the ingredients at home.  Olive oils, balsamic vinegars, mustards, herbs, garlic, etc.  You can mix and match just about any of those and come up with an excellent dressing.  Click here for what I've done in the past.

Garlic, Oregano and Orange Vinaigrette

I almost always try out a recipe from Bon Appetit the day it arrives in the mail.  Everything sounds so original and exciting, which effectively breaks up the mundaneness that can become dinner.  Last night I tried out this recipe but made it my own by substituting orange for lemon and anchovy paste for anchovies (1/2 tsp).  It was awesome.  Aggressive and bright.  Did you just hear me?  Aggressive and bright, I said, about food.  I'm going to apply for one of those food writing jobs.  The ones that pay.    

Instead of just spooning it on regular old lettuce, I decided to toss it with some carrots and then roast them.  

I saved a little of the dressing to spoon over some sliced avocado.  

Served the warm carrots on top, another spoonful of the dressing and some flaked sea salt.  

SO GOOD.

Blue Cheese Dressing

When I was a kid, I loved blue cheese dressing.  And then I grew up and realized that if I wanted to look like Cindy Crawford... I couldn't eat it.  And then I grew up some more and realized that Cindy Crawford is like old now, and I still look nothing like her.  So screw it, I'm back to eating blue cheese dressing.

But wait!  This dressing is healthy!  Gwyneth Paltrow says so!  I used her recipe and adapted it slightly by using yogurt instead of sour cream (surprised you didn't think of that Gwyn, hmph) and blue cheese crumbles instead of gorgonzola.  It IS blue cheese dressing after all.  And it's wonderful.  

Blue Cheese Dressing

Slightly adapted from My Father's Daughter

(Makes 1 1/2 cups)

Printable Recipe

1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1/3 cup low fat mayo

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/3 cup cold water

1 T plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar

1 shallot, thinly sliced

Big pinch coarse salt

Black pepper

Stir everything together in a small bowl.  

Warm Salmon Salad

I'm back!!

Let's start this year off with a BANG people.  And by that I mean let's go to the gun range, did you think I meant eat healthy?  Oh come on, you know that if you're looking to diet in January, this isn't the place for you.  That said, I believe life is all about balance: healthy salad one day, eat a batch of cookies by yourself the next.  

After eating out for the majority of 2 weeks, we were looking forward to coming home and eating our usuals for dinner, one of those being grilled salmon.  And with the leftovers, I made this fantastic salad - appropriate for dinner or lunch.  Here's what I did...

Shred some Romaine lettuce (I like really small pieces), and add some garbanzo beans, hearts of palm, toasted pine nuts and avocado (my standard salad ingredients)...  

Toss some frozen corn kernels, sliced cherry tomatoes and capers with a bit of olive oil and place in baking dish, roast at 450 for about 15-20 minutes or until caramelized...

While that is roasting, make Balsamic Lime Vinaigrette (2 T balsamic, 2 T honey or agave nectar, 1 T lime juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper)...

Either grill a few pieces of salmon or slightly warm up your leftovers.  Toss everything together with desired amount of dressing.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Now you're ready to wear shorts in LA.  

(I'm not, I'll be at the gun range.)

Fall Salad

My friend Katy introduced me to the BEST.SALAD.EVER.  She made it this past weekend while our moms were in town visiting, and because I spaced and didn't take pictures of it, I decided I had to remake it.  Of course I didn't have any of the right ingredients for the salad, but for the dressing I was set.    Balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, chopped shallots, olive oil and maple syrup.  I could bathe in the stuff.  Why is there an 'E' at the end of bathe?  I hate that.  Recipe found here.

Mix and Match Dressing

It's been a busy weekend.  You mean it's not still the weekend?  It's still busy.  So I'm going to need to ease my way back into this with a really boring post.  ARE YOU EXCITED???

I almost always make my own salad dressing.  I don't know why, exactly, but when I realized it only takes about 60 seconds to pull off - I ditched the bottles.  Until recently.  Because, as you know, saving 60 seconds when you're cooking dinner is like gaining 3 more hours of sleep.  

So here's what I've been up to lately.  Italian Dressing + Goddess Dressing = This Creamy Italian/Greek Style Goodness.  Try it.  

See ya later aligator.

MISO love my Vitamix.

Do any of you own a Vitamix?  Oh dear god.  A friend of ours gave Carson one for his birthday which, come on, was really a present for me.  Sure, he'll probably make a blended drink once or twice a year BUT I WILL USE IT EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.  Holy money balls, I just googled it and noticed that it is not cheap.  Listen up: are you getting married?  Having a baby?  REGISTER FOR IT.  It is unlike any blender you will ever experience.  You can puree vegetables and garlic and cream and whatnot, flip a switch, and IT WILL TURN INTO A NICE, HOT, COOKED SOUP!  I am over-using the caps lock, can't help it.  I made the Miso Dressing (above) from Gwyneth's cookbook and in 10 seconds it was the perfect consistency.  

Vitamix, are you listening?  I love you.  I would wear you as a hat on my head, if that weren't so dangerous.

(photo by Katy)      

Roasted Garlic Dressing

Do you know how easy it is to make homemade salad dressing? Let me ask you some questions. Do you have a blender? Do you have ingredients? There you go. I don't even remember the last time I poured store-bought dressing on a salad (snob alert). And most of the time I don't even use a blender, I just whisk with a fork. Most common in my house... dijon mustard, red wine or balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

But when I feel the need to use the blender I purchased to make smoothies and never did, I like to make it more complex. Saw this dressing on the Food Network this weekend... roasted garlic, honey, fresh lime juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. It was PERFECT.

Roasted Vegetable Salad and Shrimp with Balsamic Lime Vinaigrette

Here in Southern California, we've been experiencing above average temperatures. (If you are one of my lovely Midwest readers, Mom, experiencing winter in May, you might want to quit reading this post.) I almost wasn't prepared for such gorgeous weather. What, jeans make me sweat now? Ok, hello there shorts. What, people are wearing bathing suits and tanning at the beach? Oh dear god FINE, I'll start making some "bikini friendly" food. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW FLUBBER?!

I'm being dramatic. I'm enjoying the weather, and I'm actually enjoying lots of fruit, vegetables, fish and summer cocktails (see above). This particular salad is the marriage of two of my favorite restaurant salads. An assortment of roasted vegetables, grilled or roasted shrimp, crunchy jicama, creamy avocado, fresh herbs and a bright balsamic and lime dressing. Lovely. My new JCrew swimsuit will thank me (bastard).


Roasted Vegetable Salad and Shrimp with Balsamic Lime Vinaigrette
(Serves 2)
Printable Recipe

1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 red bell pepper
1 carrot
4 oz. mushrooms
1/3 cup corn kernels
Juice of 1 lime
Olive oil
1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 tsp honey
1 T balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
1/2 avocado, diced
1/3 cup jicama, diced
1 T fresh basil, finely chopped
1 T fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 450. Dice the zucchini, squash, red pepper, carrot and mushrooms to roughly the same size. Toss in a bowl with corn, juice of 1/2 a lime, olive oil (about 1 tablespoon), salt and pepper. Place in baking pan lined with parchment or foil, and roast for 30 minutes.


While roasting, whisk together the other half of lime juice, balsamic and honey. Slowly whisk in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Add shrimp to vinaigrette and toss. Place shrimp on baking sheet.


When vegetables are done, remove from oven and turn heat down to 400. Cover vegetables with foil, and place shrimp in oven. Roast for 5 minutes.


In a bowl, combine iceberg, avocado and jicama. Add roasted vegetables and fresh herbs. Toss and top with shrimp. Serve warm.