Grilled Corn

Love corn, try this the next time you are grilling!

What You Need

Directions

8 ears fresh sweet corn, remove the silk but keep the husks attached. Cold water, as needed 1/2 cup sour cream 3 tablespoons butter, melted Juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons whole milk Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional sprinkle with chili powder)

Pull the husks up to cover the ears of corn, and place the corn in a large bowl or pot. Cover the corn with cold water, and place a large plate or other weight on top of the corn so that it remains submerged. Allow the corn to soak for at least 1 hour or as long as 4 hours. Gombine the sour cream, melted butter, lime juice, milk, salt, and pepper,  in a small bowl, and set it aside. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Put the rack  about 4-inches away from the coals. Remove the corn from the water but do not remove the husks. Lay the corn on the grill and cook, turning it frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the corn from the grill and allow it to cool slightly. Pull the husks back to form a handle, and brush the ears evenly with the sour cream mixture. Roll the ear of corn in the cheese, coating it on all sides. Serve immediately.

Antipasto Salad

Perfect for summer entertaining. Make ahead and let the flavors mingle. Only cooking involved is cooking the pasta. Most of the ingredients except meat and cheese are probably on your pantry shelf.

Antipasto Appetizer or Salad
What You Need	Directions
1 lb. of  curly or tube pasta 8 oz. pepperoni cut into 1/4 inch strips 8 oz. salami cut into 1/4 inch strips 4 oz. capicola  cut into 1/4 inch strips 1 jar pickled mushrooms sliced and drained 1 jar roasted red peppers in oil, drained 1 med. red onion sliced thinly 6 oz. provolone shaved 4 oz. sliced black olive 1 jar pickled artichoke heart drained and chopped (optional 1 pt. cherry tomatoes 4 cloves of garlic smashed red pepper flakes to taste 1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing	Bring 4 quarts of well salted water to a boil. When boil has been reached, add pasta and cook till al dente. Drain and immediately return to pot. Top with dressing and toss. Spread pasta on rimmed cookie sheet and chill for an hour. Bring pasta out of refrigerator and put in large bowl, add meats, peppers, olives,  provolone and toss well. If salad seems dry drizzle a little more dressing and toss. Put in container and cover salad will keep for 3 days.

Feel free to add or subtract ingredients to make the salad your own. Additional items could be shredded carrots,  pepperoncini,  croutons ( add at last minute), green olives. To make a light supper add a can of tuna in olive oil drained and broken into chunks.

My Fried Rice

This is one of my favorite go to in the freezer. It reheats well and goes with your favorite chicken, shrimp or pork dish. Great  as a side with bbq steaks. Mix and match from the freezer or refrigerator. Add more meat if you want or leave it out altogether. This is an easy comforting dish.This is the dish  when finished.

Rice: This is obvious, of course. You need to start with boiled or steamed white rice. Make the rice the day before to firm it up. Fresh rice will just give you a gummy mess.  If you can't do it the day before, at least let the rice cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Fried Rice
What You Need	Directions
2 cups enriched white rice 4 cups water 2/3 cup chopped green pepper 1/2 cup chopped onions 2/3 cup chopped  carrots 1/2 cup frozen green peas 3 or 4 strips of cooked bacon crumbled 1 cup of cubed ham or chicken or shrimp (your call, I usual put in a mixture)  2 T soy sauce 3 tablespoons vegetable (preferably peanut) oil 2 eggs sesame oil, to taste (optional)	In a saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Heat a wok till the surface is almost smoking. Then add 2T  oil and spread it around till it coats the surface. Crack eggs into small bowl and stir till mixed. Add to wok and scramble. Set aside while you cook the rest of the ingredients. Add remaining oil, the garlic and optional chillies stir for a few seconds. (If you prefer you can par boil the peppers and carrots for a few minutes before adding to the wok.) Add the carrots and stir for a few minutes then green peppers, onion, peas and stir for a few minutes. Add the rice to the pan, making sure to break up any clumps of rice. Stir till the rice is coated. Add your meats and then the bacon, stirring constantly.  Shake in soy sauce, and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste and toss again.  Add scrambled eggs and gently fold in to meat, vegetables and rice. Serve. Leftover rice is delicious.

Popular garnishes include green onions cut on the bias and sprigs of parsley.

Chocolate Souffle The Easy Way

How good does this look, just fifteen minutes prep time. Make the day before company comes for dinner. Quite impressive for the amount of time spent making them.

photo from meals.com