BBQ Tofu, Bean, Tomato & Corn Salad w/ BBQ Yogurt Dressing

I'm back!

I didn't intend to take such a long absence from this blog, but my summer ended up being entirely taken over by working on my PhD dissertation, and I didn't have time to even go outside many days let alone create and photograph recipes or write blog posts.  Now that I've handed it in (one step down!) I'm hoping to have a little more time for blogging!

Needless to say, most of my meals this summer consisted of quick and easy dishes, which included a lot of salads!

This bbq tofu salad was a little more time consuming because of the steps involved in preparing the tofu (pressing the water out, marinating it, and baking it), but it's worth it!  I follow Oh My Veggies' recipe for baked barbecue tofu which is my favourite way to eat tofu.  She calls it 'tofu for tofu haters' and I agree; I used to think I hated tofu until I tried it this way, so if you think you hate it too, give this a chance!

With the addition of fresh corn, tomatoes, cucumber, black beans, two types of lettuce, and sprouts, this salad has lots of crunch, flavour, and protein.  For the dressing, I whisked together some low-fat plain yogurt with a bit of bbq sauce, apple cider vinegar, and a couple spices for an easy, creamy, and light dressing that complemented the tofu.

And as with most salads, feel free to add in whatever else you like!  Avocado would have been great, I just couldn't find any ripe ones in time; mushrooms would work well too.

I'm hoping to share some of the other easy meals I was enjoying over the summer in a recap post later this week, then I can't believe it's already time to start thinking about fall recipes (which I admit I'm pretty excited about)!

BBQ Tofu, Bean, Tomato & Corn Salad with BBQ Yogurt Dressing

Inspired by Vegetarian Times and Delish Knowledge

Makes about 4 main course servings

Ingredients:

For the Tofu:

1 (12-14oz) package of extra-firm tofu

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

For the Salad:

2 cobs of fresh corn or around 1 cup of thawed frozen corn kernels

1 (540mL) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

Half to one cucumber, chopped (I used about 3/4 of one but it depends on its size)

1 ripe avocado, chopped (I couldn’t find a ripe one in time so it’s not included in pictures)

1 red pepper, chopped (I've added this in later versions but it's not pictured here)

1 head of romaine or iceberg lettuce, or your desired greens 

Handful of alfalfa sprouts, if desired

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1.5 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (start with 1.5 and add more to taste if needed)

Directions:

Prepare baked barbecue tofu following directions from Oh My Veggies (be sure to allow enough time to press the tofu, marinate it, and bake it).

If using fresh corn, cook according to your liking if desired (I boil the cobs of corn in a large pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes, rinse with cold water, then slice off the kernels).  Prepare other salad ingredients.  

Whisk all ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl, taste, and adjust any amounts to your liking. I sometimes add more yogurt or throw some mustard in.  You can add a bit of water to thin it out if necessary.

Toss together all ingredients with the dressing and serve.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Corn, Zucchini, & Goat Cheese

If you read blogs regularly or look at food on Pinterest, you've probably noticed at least a few recipes for cauliflower crust pizza before.  I've been seeing it all over the place for a while now and keep adding it to my list of things I need to try, but for some reason it took me until now to finally make it.  I admit I was skeptical that this was another fad that people go crazy for because it sounds good but in reality tastes disgusting (*cough*egg baked in an avocado*cough*), but I'm happy to report that this tastes as good as it sounds! (unless you think it sounds gross, like a certain boyfriend who shall remain unnamed, in which case you are wrong!)

If you have no idea what I'm even talking about when I refer to cauliflower crust pizza, I'll give a quick explanation of what it is.  Basically it's a breadless pizza crust that's made by mixing pulverized cauliflower with cheese, egg, and spices (if you like) to form a "crust" that is then baked and topped with any pizza toppings you like.  So it's healthier than pizza in the sense that there is actually some nutrition in the crust instead of empty carbs, but I should be clear that it's also not some sort of miracle calorie-free pizza because there is a lot of cheese in the crust, if that's what you're concerned about!

There are lots of different recipes for cauliflower crust floating around, but I used one from The Lucky Penny Blog (with a few small changes), which Jessica from How Sweet It Is recently affirmed is the best cauliflower crust pizza recipe around, and though I haven't tried any other versions, this one worked so well that I know I won't need to (though she does have a cheese-free version if you're interested in trying it)!

Making the crust is pretty simple.  You start by pulsing your cauliflower florets in a food processor until you get a bowl of fluffy snow-like "crumbs":

You then cook the "crumbs" in the microwave, let them cool, then transfer them to a towel to wring out all the water.  This is probably the most important step, as it will help make sure your crust stays together later.  You'll be surprised at how much water comes out - and you'll get a bit of an arm workout during the process!

After you wring out all the moisture, the cauliflower will look completely different and if you smoosh it together with your hands it should actually stay together in clumps:

You then mix in your cheese, egg, and seasonings (if you like - I added dried basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast for added cheesy flavour).  Then you pat the mixture into a pizza crust shape:

You'll need to prebake your crust, during which time you can get all your toppings ready, then return the pizza to the oven with the toppings, wait very impatiently for it to be ready, and eat!

I decided to keep my toppings light and summery with corn, zucchini, and basil.  Even though the air is definitely getting chillier around here, it's still summer and there's still lots of corn and zucchini available!

I didn't use a sauce or cheese except for the goat cheese on top, as there's already cheese in the crust and I didn't want this to be too heavy.  Everything worked so well together and tasted fresh, which I loved!

The crust was also way better than I expected!  It definitely doesn't taste anything like traditional pizza crust, so if that's what you're expecting then you'll be sadly disappointed.  Instead, it's chewy and flavourful and cheesy, and I think I actually might like it even better than regular crust!

Not that this will be replacing regular pizza for me as there's definitely still a time and place for that, but it's nice to have an alternative!

The only problem some people have noted is that the crust isn't super sturdy, so it can be hard to pick it up and eat it with your hands like regular pizza.  I found that I could still pick up the slices of pizza (see picture below for an idea - sorry it's so dark, I didn't think to take a picture until I'd already started eating), but because I chose corn as a topping, it was a bit hard to keep everything in place!  But as long as you don't mind getting a bit messy, it's worth it!  (and you can always eat with a knife and fork if you prefer!)

Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Corn, Zucchini, & Goat Cheese

Crust recipe adapted from The Lucky Penny

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

1 medium head of cauliflower

1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional)

1 large egg

For the Toppings:

1 small zucchini, sliced into thin rounds

1 ear of corn, kernels removed

2 oz herbed goat cheese (or plain goat cheese)

A few leaves of fresh basil, sliced thinly

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Chop the cauliflower into florets (try to remove the stems).  Place in the large bowl of a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds, just until all of the florets have been pulsed into very fine crumbs.  You should have about 3 cups of crumbs.  Transfer to a microwave safe bowl, cover, and microwave on high for 4 minutes.  Remove and let cool slightly.  Transfer to a clean tea towel (don’t use paper towels - they will shred), wrap up tightly in the towel, and wring all the water out of the cauliflower over the sink.  You will be surprised at how much water comes out!  Keep wringing to get as much water out of the cauliflower as you can – this will prevent the crust from crumbling.  Combine dried cauliflower with the cheese, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and egg.  Mix to combine (I just used my hands).  Transfer to prepared baking sheet and form into a 10” thin circle.  Bake in preheated oven for 10-11 minutes.

Once crust has precooked, remove from oven and top with zucchini, corn, and goat cheese (you might not be able to fit all of the zucchini or corn kernels, depending on how big the zucchini and ear of corn were).  Top with crumbled goat cheese.  Return to oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven, top with sliced basil, season with additional pepper if desired, and serve!

Note that this is best eaten fresh - it doesn't keep very well.

Golden Summer Squash & Corn Soup

I apologize that I haven't been able to share a recipe post in a couple of weeks now!  I thought I would have plenty of downtime in Japan for blogging, but it turned out I barely even had time to email my family at night - not that I'm complaining, because it meant I was keeping busy there and seeing lots of sights!  Now that I'm home though, I'm so excited to be able to get back into a routine, including blogging and cooking for myself again!

I had a lot of great food in Japan, but considering I didn't know all the ingredients that went into my meals (or sometimes what my meal even was), it's nice to be able to make my own meals now where I can control exactly what goes into them.  And with summer flying by, all I've been wanting to throw into my meals lately is tons of summer veggies!  I also caught a pretty bad cold in Japan that I've been suffering through all week, so I knew as soon as I got back that I wanted to make a summer soup.

I'd bookmarked this golden summer squash and corn soup from Eating Well (one of my favourite recipe sources) a while ago, so I knew this was the perfect opportunity to finally make it.  The soup is pretty simple - basically you sauté some onions and summer squash, puree them with vegetable broth, add some fresh corn, and top with feta and chives.  I made a few changes to the original recipe, like using veggie broth instead of chicken, onion plus garlic instead of shallots (mostly because I didn't have any), adding some jalapeno for spice and an extra cob of corn to be pureed with the squash, and using dried basil and fresh chives as the herbs (but you can use whatever you like). 

This soup was bright and summery but warm and comforting at the same time.  I especially loved the chunks of feta, which sounded like a strange addition at first, but surprisingly worked pretty well.  While this hasn't exactly helped my cold this week, it definitely satisfied my craving for a fresh homemade summer meal!

Summer Squash and Corn Soup with Feta & Chives

Adapted from Eating Well

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1-1/2 pounds yellow summer squash (the ones that look like zucchini) (about 3 medium squash), chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 ears of fresh corn, kernels removed (divided)

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 a jalapeno, minced (or a whole pepper for more spice)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

~1/4 cup chopped chives

~1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes, stirring often.  Add squash and cook until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add kernels from one ear of corn along with the garlic, stir, and cook another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add vegetable broth, basil, salt, and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer about 5 minutes. 

Transfer mixture to a blender in 3 batches, being careful not to fill the blender too high as the mixture will be hot.  Puree each batch until smooth, transferring the pureed portions to a separate large measuring cup or bowl as you go.  Once everything has been pureed, return it all to the saucepan over medium heat.  Add the remaining corn along with the jalapeno, and let simmer gently for another 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.  Add additional seasoning to taste at this point.  Serve warm and top each portion with about 1 tablespoon each of feta and chives (or more, if desired).

Summer Salad with Chicken, Corn, Tomato, Avocado, & Feta

It's been another stressful week with my schoolwork not going at all how I want it to, and with the summer rapidly flying by, my boyfriend and I decided we needed to take a little road trip this week to get away and clear our minds (and enjoy the summer!).  So we took a short overnight trip across the border to Michigan, where we did some shopping and exploring and later went out for dinner and a few drinks.  We both love Michigan craft beer so it was nice to be able to enjoy some of it on tap for a change!

Of course, after overindulging in beer and some not-so-healthy food, we both wanted something light and nutritious for dinner the day we returned.  And because all I could think about was stuffing my face with a bowl full of vegetables, it didn't take long for me to run over to the market and grab everything I needed for a big fresh summer salad.  It hit the spot perfectly!

This salad celebrates fresh summer produce and includes pretty much all of my favourite things to eat.  I started with a bed of romaine and spinach as the base, which I topped with sliced chicken breast, a mix of local cherry and grape tomatoes, fresh corn, crisp cucumber, creamy cubes of ripe avocado, and a bunch of crumbled feta.  And because I wanted to keep things as simple as possible, I tossed it all in a storebought light balsamic vinaigrette.

I feel a little silly posting this salad because it really doesn't require a recipe - I didn't measure any of the ingredients and just threw everything in the bowl in what looked like good proportions to me.  But we both loved the combination of ingredients in this salad so much that I had to share it with you guys!

I wrote out a rough guide to what I did anyway, but really you can just use any amounts you like - and the more the better!

I also feel a little silly because last summer I shared this summertime chickpea chopped salad (which I also loved) and it's super similar to this one, but I can't help it, I love summer salads!  And fresh veggies like tomatoes and corn won't taste this good for much longer, so it's best to eat as much of them as you can while they're around - enjoy!

Summer Salad with Chicken, Corn, Feta, Tomato, Cucumber & Avocado

Serves 2-3 as a main course

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and sliced or shredded

2 ears of fresh corn

Desired amount of greens – I used about 6 large romaine leaves plus 4 big handfuls of baby spinach

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

Half to one English cucumber, peeled if desired, and chopped

Desired amount of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved – I used about half a pint

Crumbled feta cheese – adjust amount to your own liking – I like lots!

Salad dressing – I used a storebought light balsamic vinaigrette, but any vinaigrette or light Italian, ranch, or yogurt dressing would work

Directions:

Cook corn however you like to eat it – i.e. roasted, grilled, or boiled.  I cooked mine in a large pot of boiling water for 6 minutes.  Once cooled slightly, use a large knife to slice off the corn kernels (a bundt pan works well for this).  I cooked my chicken breasts on the stovetop at the same time as the corn.  Meanwhile, prepare all other salad ingredients.  Toss everything together in a large bowl to combine and adjust any ingredient amounts according to your own liking.  Toss with just enough dressing to coat (I added my dressing to individual servings).  Enjoy!

(Lighter) Corn Chowder with Pepper Jack Cheese

I think of all the peak food seasons in the summer, I look forward to corn season the most.  It lasts such a short time and there is really no substitute during the rest of the year that even comes to close to the amazing taste of fresh sweet corn.  I grew up eating a lot of corn in the late summer months, but never really ventured far from eating it straight off the cob with a bit of butter, salt, and pepper.  We didn't need to try anything else when it was so good that way!

When I saw a fresh corn soup on Oh My Veggies a couple of months ago, I commented that I'd never heard of a warm corn soup, and I think I was the only one who hadn't!  Once I thought about it though, I realized that these warm corn soup lovers were probably on to something amazing that I'd been missing out on for far too long.  I tested it out one night by basically dumping some corn and milk in a pot then blending it, and it was delicious.  Then I imagined how much better it would be with a bit of wine, chicken stock, potatoes, and cheese to make a chowder, and got right on it!

I found a recipe for a white cheddar corn chowder on Whole Living that didn't use butter, flour, or heavy cream, but still allowed for a bit of indulgence with potatoes and a small amount of cheddar cheese (which I replaced with pepper jack for a bit of spice).  Even though it was much lighter than say, Ina Garten's cheddar corn chowder with bacon, half-and-half, butter, and tons of cheese, it didn't taste light at all!  This was so thick, rich, and comforting, but with the bright summer flavours of fresh corn.  It was one of those meals where I could not wait to eat leftovers and was so sad when it was gone.  I cannot believe I've been missing out on corn soup for so long - don't miss out like me and make this while fresh corn is still in season!

P.S. Don't judge this dish  by the photos! It's hard enough to photograph soup but I took these in poor lighting late in the evening - trust me that it's a lot better than it looks here!

Corn Chowder with Pepper Jack Cheese

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living via Whole Living

Serving sizes for soup are difficult to estimate, but I’d say this makes about 3 main course servings or 6 side dish servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, diced

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)

2-1/2 cups peeled and chopped (1/2 inch pieces) yellow potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes)

2 cups low-sodium fat-free chicken broth

1 cup skim milk

3 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 3-4 ears of corn)

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 oz pepper jack cheese, grated

Additional grated pepper jack cheese for topping, if desired

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened, stirring often, about 4 minutes.  Add the celery and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.  Add the coriander and cumin and stir for about 30 seconds.  Add the wine, raise heat to medium-high, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, for about 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add the potatoes, chicken broth, and milk, and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that forms on the surface.  Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Add corn and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove soup from heat.  Transfer 2 cups of soup to a blender, let cool slightly, remove the plastic stopper from the blender lip and cover with a paper towel, then puree.  You can puree a larger portion of the soup if you prefer a smoother soup.  Return the puree to the rest of the soup in the saucepan, stir, and reheat if necessary.  Add grated cheese and stir until mixed in.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour into bowls and top with additional grated cheese and pepper if desired. 

Healthy Summertime Chickpea Chopped Salad

Remember when I told you about the stay-cation I took a couple weeks ago where I ate at restaurants every night and drank lots of beer and then swore I'd only eat salad for the next week?  Well I stayed true to my word and this is what I ate for pretty much the whole week.  I would have loved this even if I hadn't overeaten the previous week, and I would have kept eating it forever if I hadn't needed to try other recipes - it was so good!

I don't think I've ever actually had a chopped salad before, but I'd seen them on a couple of blogs lately - like this chicken chickpea version from Ambitious Kitchen and this chicken and blueberry version from How Sweet It Is - and started craving one so bad!  I actually had to research what exactly a chopped salad is before I went ahead and made my own version, and apparently it just means that all the ingredients are chopped to about the same size.  You'd think I'd have figured that out by the name 'chopped salad', but I had to be sure!

So I decided to go ahead and make a healthy vegetarian version with chickpeas as my main protein; lots of summery ingredients like corn, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, and red pepper; some olives and fat-free feta thrown in for added flavour; and I tossed it all in a light vinaigrette.

I loved how with the lettuce being the same size as the other ingredients, you don't end up with huge pieces of lettuce and nothing else.  Every bite was full of ingredients and every bite was different - I loved the bites with creamy avocado, I loved the bites with sweet corn, I loved the bites with salty olives, I loved the bites with nutty chickpeas ... you get the idea - I loved every bite!

You can easily change this up to include any ingredients you like, or change the dressing to give it a completely different look and taste.  If you prefer creamier dressings, it would probably be great with a ranch dressing, or try a bbq dressing like Monique from Ambitious Kitchen used in her version.  The possibilities are endless - I think I could eat this for every meal over these last few weeks of summer and not get sick of it!

Healthy Summertime Chickpea Chopped Salad

Recipe inspired by Ambitious Kitchen

Serving size will vary, but I’d guess this serves around 6 as a side dish or 3 as a main dish

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

1 head of romaine lettuce

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 a large cucumber, chopped (about 1.5 cups)

2 ears of corn, cooked and kernels removed (about 1 to 1.5 cups)

1 ripe avocado, diced
1/4 to 1/3 cup pitted sliced kalamata olives, if desired

1/3 to 1/2 cup light feta cheese (I used fat-free)

Desired amount of your favourite salad dressing.  I used the following:

For the Dressing:

1 lime, juice and zest

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

*Please note that all amounts are approximate and can be adjusted to your liking!

Directions:

Wash the lettuce and dry well.  Stack a few leaves of lettuce on top of each other, cut into about 5 pieces lengthwise, then chop into small pieces across the width.  Repeat with remaining lettuce so you have small, 1/2-inch sized pieces of lettuce. 

Transfer lettuce to a large bowl.  Top with chickpeas, grape tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber, corn, avocado, olives, and feta.  Keep ingredients separate if desired for serving, or you can toss them all together if you prefer.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Toss with salad to combine or leave separate to mix into individual servings.

Fresh Corn Dip with Tomatoes and Basil

There are people who love tofu, people who absolutely hate tofu, and people who say they hate tofu but have really only tried it one way, and if they just ate it roasted or sautéed with a flavourful marinade and seasonings then they would probably change their mind. 

I fall somewhere between the second or third category – I’ve always strongly maintained that I hate tofu, and though I admit I haven’t tried every preparation of it, I have tried it at least a couple of times and just can’t get past the texture.  I’m a big texture person – I hate crab, lobster, and shrimp, for example, not because of the taste but because of that horrible texture that I can only describe as rubbery (I’m getting grossed out right now just thinking about it!).  So I don’t just discriminate against tofu, I discriminate against textures!

Now moving on to something I love, I cannot get enough of fresh summer corn lately.  I can eat a whole bowl of corn kernels with a bit of salt and pepper as a snack and be the happiest girl in the world, and I love incorporating corn into my dinners too.   

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of corn dip recipes around the web that look amazing, but are often loaded with cheese or cream or other not-so-light ingredients, and since I’m usually the only one eating whatever I make, I didn’t like the idea of having to eat that all by myself.  So I was intrigued when I saw a lighter, fresher corn dip recipe on Whole Living, with tomatoes, basil, and … you guessed it - tofu!

So it was a battle between my love for corn and my hatred for tofu – which would win out?  Well as you already know, my need for corn dip in my life was stronger, and I convinced myself that maybe silken tofu isn’t as bad as regular tofu, and maybe when it’s mixed into a dip I wouldn’t notice it, and maybe if I added a little goat cheese to the tofu then it would mask any “tofu-y” taste.

And it turns out that every one of those assumptions was right!  The tofu added creaminess to the dip in a way that made it light and fluffy, but I didn’t taste the tofu one bit!   All I tasted was summer in a bowl – the fresh flavours of corn, tomato, and basil, with a bit of tang from the goat cheese and lime juice that helped to cut the sweetness of the corn.  One bite and I was in love with this dip.  I ate it with tortilla chips and spread it on slices of hearty multigrain bread and both ways were delicious! 

This makes a fantastic summer appetizer, and you don’t even need to tell anyone there’s tofu in it because they won’t know!  And while I’m not sure this converted me to a tofu-lover, I’m definitely intrigued with the idea of sneaking tofu into things in ways that I won’t notice it!  In fact, I’ve already tried a second recipe to use up the rest of my silken tofu and I loved it too, so give this one a try so you can get excited about the second recipe coming soon!

Fresh Corn Dip with Tomatoes, Basil, and Tofu!

Adapted from Martha Stewart as seen on Whole Living

Serves 4-8 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 large ears)

1/3 cup milk (I used skim)

1/3 cup silken tofu

2 ounces goat cheese

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup chopped tomato (about 2 medium tomatoes)

1/3 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:

Cut the kernels off your ears of corn into a large bowl, and rub the back of a large knife along the cobs to extract the corn milk.  Heat 1/3 cup milk in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the corn.  Cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender and most of the milk has been absorbed.  Let cool.

Add 2/3 cup of the cooked corn to a food processor along with the tofu, goat cheese, and lime juice.  Process until smooth, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the remaining corn, tomato, and basil.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Serve with tortilla chips or on bread.

Easy Tomato, Corn & Edamame Salad

Yesterday, it was cool enough that I had to wear jeans for the first time in months. I even saw people wearing jackets outside, and though I was in a t-shirt, I secretly wished I had a jacket on too. This was very distressing to me - Fall is just around the corner and I am not ready for it yet! Okay, maybe a little tiny part of me is excited for fall leaves, cozy sweaters, and baking with apples and pumpkins, but the rest of me is not ready to give up on sunshine, summer dresses, and summer vegetables!

That's why I've been making this tomato, corn and edamame salad a lot lately, because it's like summer in a bowl and I need to savour every bite of summer while I still can! I rarely make the same recipe twice in a month because I have so many recipes I'm always dying to try, but I can't even count the number of times I've eaten this in the last month, which says a lot about how delicious it is!

It also says a bit about how lazy I am, because this is probably one of the easiest salads to throw together. All you have to do is cook the corn (make sure it's fresh!), and toss it with some sliced cherry or grape tomatoes and cooked edamame. The frozen edamame that I buy comes in little bags that you just have to throw into the microwave for a couple minutes to steam, and then they're done! Then I whip together a super simple vinaigrette of lime juice and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. That's it!

I love the way the fresh, sweet flavours of the corn and tomato really shine through in this salad. The simple dressing brings forth the flavours rather than hiding them, and the addition of edamame makes this a complete (though light) meal for me. Edamame (soybeans) is as complete a protein as meat, and contains a lot of amino acids, folate, potassium, and other nutrients. The only problem with edamame is that it can be hard to find in a grocery store (at least according to my experience). Surprisingly, the only big store I've been able to find it in (in my area) is Walmart, but it should also be available in most health food stores. If you can't find it, or if you simply don't like it, I've also made this salad with frozen lima beans instead and it tastes great that way too. Though I usually eat this as a light meal in itself, many people would probably prefer it as a side dish, which is where I've classified it in the recipe index.

Later this week I'll share a recipe for my other favourite summer salad, so stay tuned!

Easy Tomato, Corn and Edamame Salad

Serves about 2-3 as a main course, or 4-6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

2 cobs of corn

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

8 oz frozen shelled edamame

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about half a lime) -- or replace with white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Husk the corn then cook them in a large pot of boiling water about 5-6 minutes. Let cool, then slice off the corn kernels with a large knife, holding the cob upright over a bowl.

Cook the edamame according to package directions and let cool.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice and olive oil and toss with salad. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Summer Vegetable Crepes with Dill Yogurt Sauce

If all has gone according to plan, then at the time this entry is automatically posted, I will be on vacation up North, sitting by the lake with a book in one hand and a beer in the other :) And while I'm enjoying the best of what summer has to offer in the form of nature, you can enjoy summer's best offerings in the form of food!

I've actually never made a savory crepe dish before so I wasn't sure what to expect with this recipe, but it surprised me with the way it really highlights the bright flavours of the summer vegetables and herbs. Fresh vegetables are cooked with some light ricotta to add some creaminess to the filling without overpowering the taste of the vegetables, then they're wrapped in a soft crepe and covered in a refreshing dill yogurt sauce. The great thing about this recipe is that it's completely customizable. If you're not a fan of dill, just substitute your favourite fresh herb (the original recipe called for chives, but I'm sure other herbs would work too), and the vegetable filling can consist of whatever looks good at the market, whatever you have too much of growing in the garden, or whatever needs to be used up from your fridge. I loved the combo of corn, peas, beans and yellow summer squash I used in mine, but feel free to mix it up!

If you've never made crepes before, now is your chance to try! I know they've kinda got a reputation for being difficult, but I promise they're not hard. The first time I ever tried making them was about a month after I first started cooking. And if you've read my story, you'll know that I had pretty much zero cooking skills at the time. But they came out perfectly then, as they have every time since, so I really don't know why poor crepes have such a bad rap. Sure you might get a couple duds that just rip to shreds when you try to flip them, but that just gives you some extra snacking material to keep you energized as you go! Seriously, if I can do it, anyone can!

In case you're still worried, the amount of batter I've called for in the recipe below should make about twice what you will actually need for the serving size, which leaves plenty of room for mistake crepes. And if you're lucky enough to have every crepe turn out perfectly, don't throw the extras out! Keep them in your fridge and use them to make quick wraps for lunch the next day. I used my extras for turkey wraps with lettuce and cheese and I thought they were so much better than a standard tortilla wrap! A crepe is much easier to wrap around the filling without tearing, and since it's so thin, the filling really takes center stage rather than the wrapper (and nobody likes a bready wrap).

I've posted my version of the recipe below. I know it looks like a lot of steps but it comes together pretty quickly, and if you're lucky enough to have someone else to clean up after you (I wish) then you'll save yourself from the worst part!


Summer Vegetable Crepes with Dill Yogurt Sauce

Adapted from Eating Well

Makes 4 crepes (2 servings)

Crepes:

1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together with a whisk until lumps removed. Start with slightly less flour than called for and continue adding until the proper consistency is reached – it should be thin and pourable, like a drinkable yogurt.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour ¼ cup batter into the pan and quickly swirl around so the batter coats the pan. Cook for a minute or so until bubbles begin forming in the middle of the crepe and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Carefully flip the crepe over and cook for another minute or so, until cooked. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining batter. This amount should make about eight crepes.

Filling:
 
1/2 cup chopped summer squash
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1/2 cup fresh cooked corn kernels
1/2 cup fresh cooked peas
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped dill
Salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the vegetables and cook until brown, stirring frequently (about 5-6 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in the ricotta and dill and season with salt and pepper.

Dill Yogurt Sauce:
 
1/4 cup low-fat plain or Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped dill
2-4 tablespoons low-fat milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Consistency should be somewhat thin and pourable. Adjust amounts of yogurt and milk if necessary.

Assembling the crepes:
 
Divide vegetable filling equally among the four crepes, spooning down the middle of each crepe. Gently roll each crepe around the filling. Pour the yogurt-dill sauce over the crepes and serve while crepes are somewhat warm.